章 337: Nighttimes and stars

The night was chilly, and the group had brought no firewood on their ascent. The darkness wasn't oppressive, as a bright array of stars filled the sky. Mia hunkered into her bedroll next to her aunt, the two women sharing their heat on the odd white surface of the powdery shelf of the cliffside.

"It's gorgeous," The younger woman remarked. "I didn't realize how much I'd missed the stars."

Anaisa paused before replying with a somber tone. "I imagine a lot of things are like that. Some, you don't realize how much the absence of something has affected you until it returns. Others, you don't realize how used to them you've grown until they're gone."

"That sounded very serious," Mia quieted. Her aunt must be missing Uncle Trace terribly. "I'm sorry this journey is taking so much longer than I thought."

"I don't hold you responsible for any of this, Mia," Anaisa assured her. "You never need to apologize."