dust, old wood, and damp plaster.
The lobby was dark, but Daniel used his phone flashlight. A reception desk stood beneath a bulletin board covered in faded notices. One photograph remained pinned in the center.
A group of teenage girls stood in front of the building.
I stepped closer.
My mother was in the second row.
She looked about seventeen. Her hair was longer than I had ever seen it, and she was smiling directly at the camera.
Beside her stood Claire.
They were holding hands.
I touched the edge
