Esther tapped his arm gently with her forefinger, her voice barely above a whisper. “Mr Felix… Mr Felix… are you all right?”

Her touch pulled him out of the haze of his own thoughts. He turned, finding her no longer the small girl tucked behind short hair and a bright hairclip, but a young woman standing at the quiet edge of adulthood. The sight felt unreal, as if memory and present moment were trying to merge yet failing to match.

“Yes, I’m fine, Miss,” Felix replied, offering ...