Evelyn hugged her mother's tightly, tears flowing freely as though they had been waiting all these years to burst out. Gracia sobbed too, her fragile body trembling from the release of emotions she had suppressed for so long. The joy of seeing her daughter again mixed with the agony of the years they had lost—it was overwhelming.
Neither of them spoke at first, letting the tears do the talking. Evelyn's heart ached at the sight of her mother's frailty, and yet, she felt an indescribable joy. She was alive.
"I missed you so much," Evelyn whispered, her voice breaking with emotion.
Gracia nodded, her hand gently brushing against Evelyn's tear-streaked face. "And I missed you more, my little Eve. There wasn't a single day I didn't think of you."
