Karl's breath caught in his throat at the sound of his wife's voice, and his shoulders relaxed. He'd felt similarly, even as he'd tried to hold onto the tiniest sliver of hope that Sharon would join them there: he was lost without her. He could get through day to day life with ease for Hera, coasting by for his daughter's sake, but there was always going to be a part of him that was missing as long as Sharon wasn't there with them. He'd felt like that for a long time. Even before they met, there'd been an emptiness to his life that he hadn't wanted to face.
"It's me," he answered as he rounded the corner and came face to face with her again. He couldn't help the bright smile that crossed his face the moment he saw her. Without another thought, he closed the space between them and hugged her to him. "It's damn good to see you," he murmured, faintly recognizing the sound of their daughter's voice calling out for her mother now that she'd heard Sharon too, but he needed just a moment - just one moment - to hold onto Sharon first. "We've missed you. I've missed you. Gods, it's been hell."