Chapter 8 Eight

• Karina:
• When we pulled into the driveway, the sight of my parents standing on the porch immediately hit me like a wave of warmth. I hadn’t expected to feel this much relief just by being home, but there it was—the familiar feeling of being safe, of being surrounded by people who loved me, no matter what I had been through.
• My heart clenched as I stepped out of the car, and my mom was the first to reach me. She opened her arms wide, and I didn’t hesitate. I went straight into her embrace, the comfort of her touch almost enough to make me crumble under the weight of everything I’d been holding in.