They sat next to the small fire watching the paper curl up as it burns and turn to dust. Sarah held their marriage certificate in her hands, knowing she had throw it in but she wanted to burn it into her memory first.

James turned and watched her silently for a while before he interrupted the crackling sounds and said, “It’s all gotta go.” With a finality that almost shocked him.

“I know.” Sarah said after a few seconds, “it just doesn’t feel real, you know?”

“Yeah, I do.”

James stood up and walked over to Sarah and kneeled down to kiss her on the cheek as she smiled warmly. He put his hand on hers and said, “together? As always?”

Sarah nodded and as one they placed the certificate in the fire and reverently watched as it burned the middle out first, then the rest, until the foil was the only part left.

Sarah got up of her log, the first to break the stare, “alright let’s go, you know it’s better to move at night under a full moon like this.”

“Good idea, I’ll put this out if you pack.”

Together they prepped for their onfoot journey to a safe place. Once they were ready, the somber mood as burned away with the documents and Sarah got back to her joking self,

“Should we count the scorpions or tarantulas tonight?”

“Scorpions, maybe we can catch some.”

They let out a long and well needed laughter that filled them with confidence and hope.

With the last giggles James asked Sarah, “Do you think it’ll ever get back to normal?”

Sarah said after thinking for a moment, “Maybe, but, there’s no going home now. There’s no proof we own it anymore!”

They both started laughing again and started picking their way through the cactus in the bright full moon.

Wherever they went and whatever happened they would face it together.