Chapter 37: Fire and Ice!!
"Mom!!!."
Rafik and Erykah collapsed into their mother's arms, clinging to her as tears spilled freely down their faces. Their voices shook with a grief that was only just beginning to fade.
"We thought...we thought, we were never going to see you again."
Their words came between gasps, barely coherent through the flood of emotion. Dove, trembling but alive, pulled them both closer, her own tears tracing down her cheeks.
"I knew God would bring me back to the both of you."
Her voice wavered with gratitude and awe. The reunion, long thought impossible, was finally here.
Trey stepped forward, barely holding himself together. His eyes were red, lips trembling. "Mrs. Dove, is that really you?"
"Yes, Trey!!.. Thank you for being there for my children physically and emotionally."
Dove smiled warmly at him. Her hand brushed against his face, comforting even in its fragility. Trey's tears fell harder. Behind him, Monet silently wiped her own tears, watching the family reunite.
Dove's gaze shifted toward the pale-haired girl nearby. "What's your name dear!!."
"It's Lily... it's Lily, ma."