The room smelled of dry pine, cold chowder from her paper dinner cup, and fresh plaster paste.

Three empty wooden cribs stood side by side against the far plaster wall under the tall window.

On a corner shelf beside the window sat her grandmother’s silver tea service and family ring, wrapped in velvet cloth.

Beside her drawing table, her metal drafting lamp and drawing tools rested in a wooden crate.

Caroline pulled three brown paper envelopes from her work bag and laid them out on the desk.

The first envelope contained the six hundred dollars from the diner client.