Page 67 of Passions Ignite

“You’re still the blond in an XL shirt,” Lux said.

Joe burst out laughing. “I knew it’d take more than a burning mountain to rid you of your scalding tongue.”

“You bet.” She looked around. “Where’s Dad?”

“He finally agreed to have some sleep,” Joey said. “The old man barely had any while you were still out there.”

“Old man?” Lux chuckled. “You should try calling him that to his face.”

“No, thank you.” Joe raised his hands and laughed. His silver cuffs caught the sun, reflecting in Lux’s face.

It had only been a day since they were airlifted off the mountain, and while she was relieved to be safe, a strangeemptiness gnawed at her. The adrenaline that had kept her going through the ordeal was gone, replaced by a dull muscle ache and a lingering sense of disorientation.

But it wasn’t just the physical exhaustion that weighed on her.

Without thinking, Lux swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Her body protested with a sharp twinge in her side, but she ignored it. She needed to see Zoey.

The hallway was quiet as Lux made her way to Zoey’s room. The sterile antiseptic smell hung in the air, mingling with the distant hum of hospital machinery. When she reached Zoey’s door, she paused, her hand hovering over the doorknob.

She could hear voices on the other side—familiar voices. She recognized Zoey’s soft tone and the deeper, comforting sound of a man’s voice, followed by the warm laughter of a woman.

Taking a deep breath, Lux knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open.

Zoey was sitting in bed, her face lighting up with a smile as soon as she saw Lux. Beside her, a woman turned to look at the door. It wasn’t difficult to spot the resemblance. This woman had to be Zoey’s Mom.

“You must be Lux,” the woman said.

Lux nodded. “Yeah, that’s me.”

Before Lux could say anything else, the woman crossed the room and hugged her tightly. The embrace was solid and comforting, and for a moment, Lux was too stunned to react. It had been so long since anyone had hugged her with such genuine affection.

“Thank you,” the woman said as she released Lux. “Thank you for keeping my daughter safe.”

Lux felt a lump form in her throat as she looked at Zoey’s mom. She wanted to say so much, but the words wouldn’t come.She could only nod, her chest tight with gratitude and sadness. The warmth of the embrace lingered.

“Come in,” Zoey’s dad, said. “We were just talking about how glad we are to have her back.”

Lux stepped into the room, feeling slightly out of place but welcomed. Zoey’s dad had a kind face and warm eyes, the same as his daughter. He stood up and offered his hand, and Lux shook it, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.

“It’s good to meet you finally,” he said. “Zoey’s told us so much about you.”

Zoey blushed slightly, her eyes darting to Lux’s before looking away. Lux felt her cheeks warm in response, but she managed a small smile.

“I’m glad to meet you too,” Lux said, quiet but sincere. “I’m just glad we both made it out of there.”

Zoey’s mom gestured to the chair beside Zoey’s bed. “Please, sit down. You must be exhausted.”

Lux hesitated momentarily before sitting, the chair creaking softly under her weight.

Zoey’s mom sat on the edge of the bed, her hand resting lightly on Zoey’s. “It’s a miracle you two are alive. We were so worried when we heard about the fire.”

“It was rough,” Lux said, her voice low. “But Zoey is a really strong woman.”

Zoey glanced at Lux. “We kept each other going.”

“Lux,” Zoey’s mom said, “how are you feeling? You went through just as much as Zoey did.”

“I’m…I’m okay,” she said slowly. “Just glad to be out of there, to be honest.”

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