Missed You Too

The next morning, excitement woke everyone up before we actually had to leave, and we set on the road before dawn's forgiving light filtered through. We were less than an hour away from the pack that I called home, and everyone was merry, singing songs and chants of joy.

As we approached the familiar territory of the Safe Water pack, my heart quickened with a mix of excitement and fear. I hadn't known what to expect as I returned, but now that I was back, I realized that a lot–so much–had changed.

The landscape seemed to have morphed in my absence. The once-charred remains of the pack house that had held our sick had now been replaced by vibrant greenery and thriving farms. It was as if nature itself had conspired to erase the scars left by the fire on the land. It was beautiful, and I smiled when I realized that the flowers that grew were red roses, in Isabella's honor.

The other buildings all around us stood tall and proud, freshly repaired and adorned with colorful banners. Pe