Surprised felt like far too mild of a word for what Jessica was currently experiencing as Sam walked through the door. She made sure it closed, before turning to him and looking him over. He looked...different. She might not have even recognized him if she'd only seen him passing by on the street, and that caused a strange tightness in her chest that she really didn't want to dwell on.
The way he looked at her as if he'd seen a ghost wasn't helping. Still, there was something undeniably familiar about him wrapping his arms around her. Jessica wasn't short, but he still seemed way above her, maybe even more now than she remembered. He was definitely more solid. It made her wonder what she might have missed, but it didn't feel like the time to ask. She just lifted her arms to hold him instead.
"I didn't think I'd ever see you again." It felt like admitting something huge, even if it was as simple as the words were. When he'd left with his brother, she'd been so sure he wasn't coming back. Now she had to wonder if she missed out coming here.