99:

The sun was setting behind the high walls of the base, casting long shadows across the farmland. Zara wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, smearing dirt on her already smudged skin. Her muscles ached in ways she hadn't anticipated. The other women had complained about it when she first joined the farm work, but she hadn't realized just how grueling it would be. Now, she understood their groans and muttered curses under their breath as they pulled weeds or hoisted heavy baskets of crops.

She leaned on her hoe for a moment, allowing herself a brief reprieve as her gaze drifted toward the flowerbeds near the far corner of the farm. There, crouched by a cluster of brightly colored blooms, was Leo. He was talking to the flowers, his little hands gesturing animatedly as if he were weaving some kind of story for them.

Zara's lips curled into a tired smile. He always found ways to make her heart lighter, even on the hardest days.