Jasmine's POV
They were home.
I couldn't recall the mechanics of reaching them. My legs might have carried me forward, or perhaps my spirit had torn free from my body and pulled me across the room, but suddenly Naia and Jeffrey were pressed against my chest.
My lips found their foreheads, their soft cheeks, the gentle curls of their hair. Tears streamed down my face while laughter bubbled up from somewhere deep inside. I clutched them close, terrified I might squeeze too hard. They gripped me back with equal desperation, their small voices chanting, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy," as if they had ached for me just as deeply.
The tension in the room dissolved around us. Luis stepped backward, dragging his palm across his face. Lina dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve. Even Palmer's rigid posture softened slightly.
Jayden remained several feet away, bruised and winded, his stare fixed on our reunion.
Luis broke the silence with a rough cough. "We located them at a playground."
