One afternoon she found a child’s book with a torn spine and carefully repaired it with archival tape.

“We could simply replace that copy,” the librarian told her.

“Maybe,” Clara answered.

“But someone might already love this one.”

The librarian smiled.

She asked whether Clara would consider helping with the weekly after-school program once her legal troubles had settled.

Clara did not promise anything.

She had grown wary of imagining a future too confidently.