"Oh," I said faintly.

Over the mantel hung a large photograph of a road running through a green landscape. The ground rose up in the center of the photo to split in two, effectively turning the road into a half-open zipper. The photographer had taken an item rendered almost invisible through familiarity and shown that through his lens, it contained wonder and surprise, not just utility.

I looked back at Levi and pressed my hands to my cheeks.

"You weren't the ...