ARRIVAL

LUKE

The attendant held the door as I pushed Josh's wheelchair through the narrow aisle. It wasn't a long walk to the terminal, but every step felt like we were marching toward something bigger than the three of us could handle. Sarah walked a few paces ahead, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her head down like she was bracing against some invisible storm.

"I don't know why I'm nervous, man," Josh muttered, twisting slightly in his chair to glance back at me. "Why am I so fucking nervous?"

I didn't answer right away because hell if I knew. My hands tightened on the grips of the wheelchair, my palms slick with sweat. "Maybe because it's not every day you walk-or roll-out of a crash and straight into a family reunion." Josh gave a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah. That's probably it."

We fell into silence again as we approached the sliding glass doors leading into the arrivals terminal. The hum of the airport grew louder, blending with the occasional static-filled announcements overhead.

I kept my focus on the path ahead, on the small trail Sarah's footsteps carved into the gleaming floor. Anything to stop my mind from spiraling.

I didn't want to think about what was waiting for us on the other side of those doors.

Maybe I didn't want to picture their faces-Jess and Laura, sitting there, staring at us, waiting to see if we'd come back whole.

Because we weren't whole.

Not even close.

know how to just

to carry. Just me and this chair. Guess

barked a short laugh, more out of surprise than

silver

lips twitching into what might've been

a wall. Voices, footsteps, the whir of suitcases rolling across tile-it all felt too loud, too much. But then I saw them sitting in those hard plastic chairs

-

I saw Jess, I saw her face, and this time, it wasn't a dream.

tensed in the chair, his hands gripping the armrests tightly. "They're right there," he said, his voice

I murmured, my throat dry.

ready?" she asked, her voice barely audible over the rush of people. Josh exhaled

I could say the same. My chest felt tight, and my Stomach twisted in knots I couldn't unravel. But I pushed forward anyway, gripping the wheelchair so tightly my

up, her eyes locking on us like a laser. For a moment, she didn't move, didn't blink, didn't breathe. Laura turned a second later, her hand flying to

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