COMOROS WAS A MESS

Sherlene exchanged pleasantries with Salome, her exhaustion momentarily masked by a warm smile. But when her eyes landed on Maurice, I saw the confusion flash across her face. "Maurice?" she asked, glancing at me. "What's going on?"

I gave her a brief nod, my lips tightening into a thin line. "I'll explain later," I said quietly. "Let's just get out of here first."

With that, we left Salt Lake City behind. Dusk settled over the highway as we drove towards Park City, the orange glow of the sun slipping behind the mountains. The atmosphere in the car felt thick like the quiet was pressing in from all sides. Salome sat in the back, uncharacteristically silent, while Maurice stared out the window, his mind somewhere far from here.