Brooks:
The laughter of children echoed softly around me, blending into the serene background noise of the afternoon. My attention shifted from the playful chaos to the distant rumble of tires against gravel. Curiously, I glanced towards the parking lot, my heart freezing momentarily as recognition struck hard, stealing the breath from my lungs.
It was her. Hattie.
Standing beside a car, looking around at the transformed packlands with gentle awe, she was like a vision from my dreams. My heartbeat quickened instantly, my body tensed with a mixture of excitement and anxiousness. It had been too long since I'd seen her face, felt her warmth, heard her laughter.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself before stepping away from the playing children and toward her, each step carefully measur
