“We’ve been over there for years, Mom,” Ember said, staring into the sun. “I’ve absorbed so much from Dad that I didn’t even realize. After everything that happened, I feel like I owe it not just to him but also to the people there.”
Her mother was kneeling in the garden, wearing a matching mini-green outfit stained with soil. She had been clawing at the dirt when she sat up, placing two exhausted hands upon her thighs.
“You hated it there, Ember,” her mother said, out of breath. “You couldn’t wait to get back here. Now, all of a sudden, after your father dies and you meet some military stud, you’re ready to pack your bags and head back into the abyss?”
Ember pursued her lips. Her mother always had a flair for the dramatic, and she hadn’t entirely noticed it until after the passing of h
