Page 156 of Dream On, Liar

I stared at it for longer than I should have.

I couldn’t remember being this small.

Couldn’t remember her holding me like that.

The photograph suddenly felt heavier in my hands.

I’d spent years believing that by the time I was old enough to remember, she’d already been slipping away from us. But this picture was proof that once, before everything fractured, there had been this.

Her.

Me.

A version of us that had existed before I knew what abandonment felt like.

I placed the frame back down carefully.

Then the doorbell rang.

I looked towards the hallway.

My body reacted before my brain did.

I checked the time.

09:47 PM.

Nobody should have been coming.

I walked towards the front door, glancing behind me once again. When I was sure she hadn’t woken up, I opened the front door.

A man stood outside in a dark coat, a leather briefcase in one hand. It almost made me think of a scene from a horror movie.

“Mr. Rihaan Patel?”

I blinked. “Yeah.”

He held out his hand.

“I’m Daniel Fraser. I'm an attorney representing your mother’s estate.”

My brows pulled together. “My mother's estate?”

“Yes.”

He reached into his briefcase and produced a thick album, bound in dark leather journal. Then an envelope.

“This was instructed to be delivered to you once you returned.”

I stared at the items. “Who sent it?”

“Your mother had asked for it to be delivered when you arrived here.”

My stomach tightened. “Now?”

He gave a small, apologetic smile. “Your brother has been handling most of the administrative matters with me. He called me to tell me about your arrival, so I could promptly deliver you.”

I looked at the envelope. “What's this?”