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I pass her the page without a word.

She reads it all the way through, then goes back to the beginning. Her eyes move more slowly the second time, and when she looks up, the color has faded from her face.

“That looks like Celeste’s handwriting.”

“I thought the same thing.”

She studies the page again, running one fingertip beneath a line. “People can copy handwriting.”

“But why?”

Babs tugs gently on my sleeve. “Daddy?”

I look down at both girls.

“Who wrote it?” Biddy asks.

“I don’t know.”

“Was it Mommy’s friend?” Babs asks.

“I don’t know that yet either.”

She thinks about that for all of two seconds before hugging the book against her chest. “Can we keep it?”

I nod even though I’m not entirely sure what all of this means yet.

I watch Babs hug the book against her chest, but one question keeps repeating itself in the back of my mind.

How did someone get their hands on a book I’m sure I packed away years ago?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Emma

APRIL 17TH

I’ve already rebuilt two supplier schedules after one delivery gets pushed back, reshuffled the morning briefing because Marketing decides today’s rehearsal somehow requires another rehearsal, and talked a software engineer out of rebuilding an entire slide deck over a font inconsistency nobody outside the design team would ever notice.

My inbox refills every time I empty it, three departments are waiting for answers, and the product launch that’s consumed the past six months finally arrives.

I drop the updated client packs onto the conference table, square the corners out of habit, then carry the extras into the kitchenette where a sleeve of coffee pods has toppled across the counter.

By the time I’ve lined them back up, I can already feel someone watching me.

“Should I be worried?”

I glance over my shoulder. Lena stands in the doorway with a to-go coffee in one hand and a grin that rarely leads anywhere sensible.

“About what?” I ask.

“You’ve organized coffee.”

“I’ve organized worse.”

“I know.” She wanders over for a closer inspection. “I’m trying to work out whether this is launch-day behavior or whether you’re just ridiculously pleased with yourself.”

“I’ve got plenty to do. Being pleased with myself isn’t on today’s schedule.”