*Shelby*
The sun was already high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the helicopter pad where I stood, my once injured ankle was now two weeks into healing, and though it was still sore if I moved it wrong, the intense pain and swelling were becoming a memory. Lin and Aubrey were at my side, their bags packed and ready for departure.
"Time just flew by, didn't it?" I remarked with an attempt at cheerfulness, but the tightness in my throat betrayed the sadness that was creeping into my voice.
Aubrey nodded, her eyes shimmering with the same unspoken melancholy. "It did, Shelby," she said, squeezing my hand. "These weeks were a real treasure."
Lin, ever the stoic one, managed a half-smile as he pulled me into a firm hug. "We should do this more often," she murmured, her embrace conveying all the words we left unspoken.
