The jungle was alive with the sounds of cicadas and rustling leaves. Birds darted through shafts of golden light breaking through the canopy. It should have been peaceful—but Katrina was fuming.
“Leo!” she snapped, spinning around. “I told you not to run off!”
A chubby-cheeked toddler, barely three, stood a few feet away, clutching a handful of sticky berries and grinning. His curly hair was tangled with twigs. His face was smeared purple from fruit, and ants crawled up his sleeve.
“Look, Mama! Food!” he chirped proudly.
Katrina’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not food, Leo. That’s wild jungle berries. You don’t know what’s safe here. We talked about this.”
Her voice echoed slightly among the trees. She wasn’t just irritated—she was scared. Being stuck in the jungle with a child was not what she’d imagined when she signed up for a “gentle eco-retreat” in the Amazon. A flash flood had changed everything. One wrong path during the chaotic evacuation, and she and Leo had become separated from the group. That was two days ago.
Now, Katrina was hungry, exhausted, and frustrated. But her anger wasn’t truly at Leo—it was at herself. How had she let things spiral like this? She was a single mother trying to balance healing and adventure. This trip was supposed to be her fresh start. Instead, she felt like a failure.
“Come here,” she said, softening her voice.
Leo waddled over, dropping his berries. She wiped his sticky hands with the edge of her shirt and pulled him into a hug. He snuggled close, his small arms wrapping around her neck.
“I’m mad, baby,” she whispered. “But not at you. I’m just tired and worried. We’re going to be okay, though. I promise.”
Leo didn’t understand the words, but he understood her tone. He patted her cheek gently.
“Don’t cry, Mama.”
She hadn’t realized she was. Tears welled and fell, mixing with the grime on her face.
Taking a deep breath, Katrina stood up, hoisting Leo onto her hip. “Alright, soldier. We stick together. No more wandering. Got it?”
Leo nodded solemnly.
She scanned the jungle. In the distance, the faint sound of a motor hummed. Her heart leapt. Maybe a boat? Maybe rescue?
Hope lit her chest like fire. She adjusted Leo and began moving toward the sound, brushing aside vines and stepping over roots. The jungle was still a maze—but now, she had direction.
As they moved forward, Leo rested his head on her shoulder and murmured, “Love you, Mama.”
Katrina smiled through the dirt and sweat. Even in anger, even in fear, love had never left them.
“Love you more,” she whispered, walking faster.
