The woman's face lit up with a smile, her eyes softening the moment they met Livia's. And that was all it took.
All the fear, the sleeplessness, the uncertainty — they melted away as emotion surged through Livia's chest. Before she could stop herself, her legs were already moving.
She ran — not with hesitation or formality, but with the desperate, overflowing joy of someone who had been holding herself together for far too long.
"Florita!"
The old woman barely had time to open her arms before Livia collided with her, wrapping her in a tight, tearful hug. The scent of herbs and earth enveloped her — a scent she had associated with comfort and safety for as long as she could remember.
"Oh, my dear child," Florita murmured, her voice trembling with emotion as her arms came around Livia. "Look at you…, stubborn Luna."
