The soft whir of the terminal doors gave way to sunlight as Tyler stepped out into the arrival zone. The air was familiar, clean, warm and nothing like the thick, charged heat of Gumua.
And standing not far from the edge of the crowd, waiting with wide eyes and brimming smiles, were two people Tyler had thought about every single day since he left.
Helena and Devin spotted him the second he emerged. Before he could even blink or call out, they were rushing toward him.
"Tyler!" his mother cried, her voice nearly cracking from joy.
"Big Bro!" Devin shouted, already weaving between passengers.
They reached him at the same time, crashing into him in a double hug that nearly knocked the air out of his lungs.
Tyler didn't speak. He just smiled, holding both of them tight.
His mother's arms wrapped around his back with a kind of desperation that said more than words ever could. Her chin pressed into his shoulder, and her breath hitched.
