Selena had insisted on bringing the old screwdriver she used to repair the lamp at our kitchen table.

Gavin met us at the residence hall and helped carry her belongings upstairs.

We worked together without pretending the past had disappeared.

He assembled a shelf while I made the bed, and Selena arranged photographs beside her computer.

Above the desk she taped a small card from the Career Club showcase.

It was Mia’s message: This room made the future feel real.

When the room was finished, we stepped into the hallway.