*Maddy*

There’s a commotion in the hallway outside the parlor door. I don’t know how long I've been sitting on the ground staring into the fire, but the click of the knob catches my attention, so I turn my head. Hannah, with her curly blonde hair tied back from her kind, smiling face, steps in through the door.

She takes a deep breath, wiping her hands on her apron. “Not fluent,” she reminds me, but her smile is warm and inviting as she extends a hand to me. I take it and ...