Keeping it was not an attempt to return to the past.

It was a way of giving her the right to decide what came with us into the future.

Not for revenge.

Not for closure.

For a bicycle.

Maya’s blue bike was still in the garage, along with her helmet, two baseball cards, and a pair of sneakers Isabelle had bought her before everything broke.

The house looked smaller than I remembered.

Matthew was awaiting trial.