162!

AURORA

“Hey, be careful with that,” I said to the maintenance operator trying to fix up Fiona's office with my Mom's picture.

“She's gorgeous,” Carina said.

“Well, I had to take my looks from somewhere,” I said, giving a little dance.

The maintenance operator smirked as he carefully adjusted the frame on the wall. I watched, feeling an odd mixture of pride and nostalgia. My mother’s photograph seemed to cast a gentle warmth across Fiona’s typically sterile office.

Carina leaned in, examining the picture more closely. “I can’t believe I never knew your mom was this stunning. You always mention her, but this—”

I nodded, a bittersweet smile crossing my lips. “Yeah, Martin said she had this way of making everyone feel seen. Even in a crowd, it was like she was looking right at you, understanding everything you were thinking.”

“Must be where you get your intuition from,” Carina said, winking.

Before I could respond, Amy walked in, her usual brisk energy trailing behind her. She stopped mid