Just as despair began to swallow me, Mason and Tabitha finally came to my rescue.
Even after more than ten years apart, I recognized my parents instantly.
Tabitha gazed at my frail form, her eyes welling with tears as she pulled me tightly into her embrace.
The scent of her, one I had only dared to revisit in my dreams, overwhelmed me, and I broke down, sobbing.
Mason handed the elderly couple some money and gently took me home.
As we made our way back, Mason recounted the years of heartache and determination that had followed my disappearance.
They had never ceased their search, exhausting every avenue, posting flyers, making TV announcements, scouring the internet, and even hiring private investigators.
Countless resources were spent in the hope of bringing me home. Thankfully, fate smiled upon them, and they finally succeeded.
Tabitha held me close, her grip firm and unyielding, as if afraid I might slip away once more. It was as though she was trying to make up for years of missed embraces for all the love she hadn’t been able to give.