The Old Photograph
The photograph remained on the library table long after everyone had gone upstairs. Sofia studied the younger Lucien standing between Mateo and Henri, trying to understand why the image felt wrong despite appearing ordinary. Lucien remembered almost nothing about the day, only a vague impression of being taken somewhere near the lake while adults argued nearby. The absence of memory had always seemed insignificant until now, but the date on Mateo’s photograph matched the unexplained period in Lucien’s old travel records.
Caterina returned to the library carrying another box. She said she had spent years avoiding the contents because Henri had asked her never to open it without Lucien present. Sofia asked why she was changing her mind now, and Caterina answered that sec
