"Mother!"
The word tore through the heavy air, sharp and unrestrained.
Deborah's head snapped toward the voice. Her breath caught, her body going rigid for a split second before instinct took over. Her eyes searched frantically through the gathering crowd until they found him.
A boy. No… not just a boy.
Her son.
He broke away from the people around him, stumbling at first, then running without care. His steps were uneven but desperate. Dust kicked up behind him as he pushed forward, weaving past others who barely had time to react.
"Thomas—!" Deborah's voice cracked as she rushed toward him.
They met halfway.
She dropped to her knees, pulling him into a tight embrace, her arms wrapping around him as though afraid he might disappear if she loosened her grip. The boy clung to her just as fiercely, his fingers digging into her clothes, his breathing uneven.
"I thought… I thought you were—" His voice faltered.
