“Did you want some tea?” Laura asked as she briskly crossed the room. “Aunt Dia has, um, a h-huge selection.”

“Uh… just surprise me,” I replied, still taking in the room itself. While Nurse Aurora seemed fascinated by crystals, Aunt Dia was very much into sea life. There was an entire shelf’s worth of shells and coral bits, with oceanic jewelry and art pieces set alongside displays. I found myself fixated on a swirling ammonite at the top of the display—the fossil was ...