It'd been a month since she'd left. Since she'd set foot in the terminal that would lead her back home. She knew Angela would be waiting for her at passenger pickup. Foot tapping impatiently, hoping for no delay in her flight. As she walked through the doors, she wasn't let down. A whirlwind of red and black flew at her, arms holding her tight. "I'm glad to see you too," she said, hugging her best friend tight.
"Jeez Bren, were you trying to blend in with the natives?" The artist took in the tanned skin on her usually pale friend.
"It was really warm and sunny," she said, readjusting the pack on her shoulder. "You look good."
"Hodgins and I are back together." Her friend was vibrating from the excitement of her news. "After the whole pregnancy scare, we just sorta…realized what we were missing out on."
"That's great," Brennan said, heading for the baggage claim.
As they stepped into the spring air, she took a deep breath. She'd left in the middle of a blizzard, only to return when everything was blooming. Somehow, in the month since she'd been gone, everything had started to grow again. Pink blossoms filled the trees. Ice had melted. Hodgins and Angela were back together. From Angel's gossip, she learned Cam had a new boyfriend. Life had continued on, thawing from the frozen winter that had descended before she left. Everyone was moving on, finding happiness after so much sorrow. She wondered if the same would happen for her. Because even though life was happening all around her, all she felt in her chest was an emptiness she couldn't fill.