Four months of air travel, sterile hotels, and the hollow ache of missing her family had finally culminated in this moment. Clara stood before her own front door, the heavy grocery bags pulling at her shoulders, her heart light with the anticipation of a surprise reunion. She hadn’t called; she wanted to see the genuine, unscripted joy on her husband and son’s faces when she walked through the door. But as she reached for the handle, the silence hit her like a physical blow, leaving her paralyzed… Continue reading…
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