Chapter 4

The doorbell rang at seven in the morning, cutting through the silence of my empty house like a lifeline. I opened the door to find my parents on the porch, their faces etched with worry and determination.

"We came as soon as we could," my mother said, pulling me into her arms. The familiar scent of her lavender perfume nearly broke me all over again.

"You shouldn't have to face this alone," my father added, his voice gruff with emotion as he carried in their suitcases.

As I made coffee with shaking hands, my mother studied the fabricated trail map…