Just one. It captured the scene too perfectly: the two of them, side by side, the wrapped gift bag between them, Connor smiling like the world outside didn’t exist. Julia turned away then, unable to watch more. She returned to her car and drove home with blurred vision.
The drive felt endless. Her hands gripped the wheel, but her mind replayed the image again and again. The hug. The laughter. The gift. When she reached home, she didn’t turn on the lights. She sat in the dark living room, her coat still on, waiting in silence.