Lieselotte reached out and opened the drawer of the bedside table, pulling out a small red velvet box. She lifted the black velvet latch, revealing a tiny photo album with a bear pattern on the cover. In the lower right corner, white letters in English stood out.
As she looked at it, her eyelashes quivered like tiny butterflies caught in the breeze, and tears gathered at the edges of her eyes, reflecting a soft glow. Gently, she opened the album, flipping through the aged, yellowed photos, marked by the passage of time.
The first one was of a girl, her back turned, wearing a school uniform and balancing a stack of thick books. The girl's soft muscles were highlighted in the stretch of her tiptoes. The picture blurred as Lieselotte's tears fell, leaving behind a bittersweet smile on her face.
"Katelynn, you always thought the lawn was where we first met," Lieselotte whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "Silly you… I've known you much longer than that."
