SERAPHINA’S POV
The Lockwood manor looked softer, less imposing than it had the last time I came.
I expected to feel the same twist of anxiety that had accompanied me—but instead, a stillness settled within me. Not comfort, but no longer discomfort either. A kind of tentative equilibrium.
My mother greeted us at the entrance herself. “Seraphina, darling!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly.
“Hello, mother,” I greeted, a little caught off guard by her bubbliness.
She was wearing makeup today, and, though I was surprised, I was glad for it. It meant that grief over my father and worry about Celeste hadn’t outweighed the most important thing to her: appearances.
“And Daniel, look at you! You’ve grown again, haven’t you?”
Daniel grinned, puffing his chest a litt
