Reminiscences

Miria sat down, the box she had found during her last search with Lyle placed in front of her. She pulled out the photo album she had already flipped through before. Yet, a persistent feeling urged her to open it again, as if a detail had escaped her.

She slowly turned the pages, her gaze gliding over images she already knew: pictures of her as a child, of her mother, of her father… She had seen them over and over again, but this time, she observed them with a different kind of attention, unconsciously searching for something.

Then, she reached the page that had unsettled her the first time.

The man who looked like Asher.

She lingered on it once more, studying his features, his expressions, the way he posed in the photos. She already knew he often appeared in pictures from her mother's high school days, yet the resemblance continued to haunt her.

"I already knew… but it's still just as unsettling."

At first, she had thought it was a coincidence, or perhaps her father. After all, children often resembled their parents. But the more she observed, the more a doubt grew within her.

She sighed and turned the page, determined not to lose herself again in these unanswered questions.

Her gaze fell on a photo she knew well: her seventh birthday.

She saw herself, smiling, surrounded by her mother, her friends, and a few adults. But her father…

She froze.

Now she remembered. He hadn't been there that day. He had left a year earlier.

A weight settled in her chest. Memories resurfaced: the door closing, her mother's silence, and she, too young to understand, yet sensing that something was broken.

She shook her head slightly, pushing those thoughts away.

She was about to turn the page when a detail caught her attention.

She took the photo in her hands and examined it more closely, scrutinizing each face present. Then, her gaze stopped on a woman.

She seemed to be the same age as her mother. Her short hair, a deep red with pinkish highlights, immediately stood out. Her face…

It was strangely familiar.

Miria frowned.

"Where have I seen this woman before?"

A sudden dizziness seized her.

A wave of memories engulfed her.

A flash.

She saw herself, very young, clutching her mother's dress.

— Miria, I want you to be polite and respectful, okay? her mother said gently.

In front of her, a woman knelt to be at her level, a kind smile on her lips.

— Don't be shy, little star, she murmured in a soft voice. My name is Elma Faurel, and I'll take care of you while your mommy is at work.

Little Miria hesitated, then timidly nodded. The woman opened her arms and embraced her with tenderness.

— Everything will be fine, I promise.

The memory vanished as abruptly as it had appeared.

Miria gasped slightly as she returned to reality.

"Elma Faurel…"

She knew this woman.

No… she had known her once.

She gripped the photo tightly.

She had to find her. At all costs.