The reply came from a retired teacher named Helen.

She remembered a quiet toddler who loved watching the rain, a child who wouldn’t sleep unless the lamp in the hallway remained on.

Helen had kept no identifying records, but she had saved a little picture book that had been left behind after the placement ended.

When we met Helen at a library, she placed the worn book on the table.

One page had a purple scribble that looked vaguely like a flower.