"He does not remember me."
I say it out loud to make it real. To make the words in that text message stop burning holes through my chest. Julian ties the boat to the dock without looking at me. Adrian steps off first and reaches back to help Victor, who moves slower than he should. The morning light is too bright now. Everything feels exposed.
"How do you know?" Julian asks.
I stare at the phone in my hand. The message sits there, simple and terrible. He remembers you. "Because I do not remember him," I say. "I was an infant. He was barely older. There is nothing to remember."
Victor finally speaks from the dock. His voice is quiet and rough. "Memory does not always live in the mind, Elara."
I look up at him sharply. "Do not start with riddles right now." He holds my gaze. "I am not.
