“I braced as we catapulted for the runway, jaw clenched, and thinking of anything but landfall. But the longer I stared at the mountain, the more I saw what kept me here to begin with…”

“I saw her charcoal hair streaming behind her, flowing freely in the breeze. I saw her laughing, bursting with life above all the forgotten things left buried . . .”

“Flickering face masks, vaccine hopes, and shifting guidelines had endlessly dictated the world for the better part of a year . . . I thought I was ready to rejoin the world…”

“With just a few steps into the scraggly brush, wooden trail-posts jutted out like spindly, kindred arms beckoning to wrap me in. You must be tired to be coming back, they seemed to be saying. We’ve missed you…”