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Laura sighed as she opened the door. Maria rushed forward and hugged her tightly.
She hugged her sister back, smiling softly and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
They stayed like that, simply holding each other for several minutes without a word.
They just wanted the comfort of each other's presence, the warmth of the embrace.
"Laura?"
"Yes, Fran?"
"Let's find Mom."
"…Tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
"Okay… let's find her."
Once Laura felt steady again, exhaustion overtook her. She fell asleep almost immediately after such a draining day.
Maria's family helped her finish washing the dishes. Then she decided to sleep beside her sister that night.
In the dark, Fran cuddled close to her big sister on the large bed. Laura instinctively wrapped her arms around her like a pillow and refused to let go.
…
