Celia’s heart leapt into her throat as the old man stared at her, his eyes filled with tears. There was something strangely familiar about him. Maybe it was that he was close in age to the man who had raised her. Or maybe it was the spark of recognition in his eyes the moment she came close enough for him to see her clearly.
His fingers hovered near her cheek for a moment longer before he slowly withdrew his hand and removed his glasses to wipe at his eyes.
“Forgive me,” he whispered. “But it’s like looking at Cora again. You’re close to the age she was when she disappeared. I haven’t seen her in nearly thirty years, but not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of her. I always hoped she was doing okay. Hoped she found her place in this world.”
Celia didn’t know how to respond. Her
