Ellen sat on the plush couch in Clara's living room, sipping tea from a pretty porcelain cup. Clara sat beside her, her hands carefully handling a thick, worn photo album that rested on her lap. It had been a long afternoon filled with chatter about Mason, Gerald, and their families, but this moment felt particularly significant.
"I haven't opened this in years," Clara said with a soft laugh, her fingers tracing the edges of the album cover. "But since we've been talking about Mason and Gerald so much, I thought you might like to see a few of these."
Ellen leaned in, intrigued. "I'd love to see them." She really just wanted to see Mason, not Gerald.
Clara smiled warmly and opened the album, revealing the first set of photos. The pages were filled with moments frozen in time—pictures from family gatherings, vacations, and special occasions. Ellen immediately spotted younger versions of both Mason and Gerald in several of the images.
