Moore rubbed my shoulders comfortingly. "Come on up, Amber. We have to head home." He rose and held out his hand towards me. I shook my head."I can manage. You go and start the car. Get it running. I just need a moment to breathe," I uttered. I could barely recognize my voice. It was rusty, and I felt pains in the back of my throat when I spoke.Moore nodded his assent and strode to the car.Scrambling to my feet, I sighed. "Well. This is it. I'm only leaving this place, but you're forever in my heart."The scorching desert sun bore down on my weary shoulders as I stumbled towards the car. The weight of grief still sat heavy in my chest. All I wanted to do was escape the suffocating air of this wilderness.As I neared the car, my vision blurred, and the world around me swirled into an incoherent mess of colors. Darkness crept in, swallowing my consciousness, and I crumpled to the ground. My vision was failing"Amber!" I heard Moore's panicked cry a distance away, and the shuffling of

EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER"Mom, do you think I'll do well today?" George asked, a touch of nervousness in his voice.I paused in adjusting the collar of his soccer jersey and turned around to look at him and myself in the mirror. I understood where his fears came from. George had a crucial tournament to play in, and he was the star player of his team. That came with a lot of expectations from people, which put a lot of responsibilities on his eighteen-year-old shoulder.I smiled warmly at him, making sure he saw years of love and support in my eyes that weren't going away for any reason. "You've trained hard, George. You'll go out there and give it your all. No matter the outcome, your father and I will always be proud of you."He grinned. "Thanks, Mom," he gave me a hasty kiss on the cheek and sat on the bed to put on his boots.The pride in my heart swelled as I watched him tie his shoelaces. His determination was evident in his focused gaze. "Hey Mom, how long does it take Dad to retri