Lily’s stern look must have had an effect, because Holly added, “But thank you for the offer.”

“Sure thing,” Mack said. “If you change your mind, I’ll be glad to help out.”

Braden had ripped the tape off the top of his first box and was busy taking things out when Lily and Mack started back down the stairs. Memories seemed to reach out from the corners and grab her. Nothing had changed, not even the pictures of herself and her sister lining the staircase wall. The one of them together on the swing set out in the backyard sent a single tear down Lily’s face. That was the last picture taken before Rosemary was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died six months later.

“I remember when you and your sister looked like that,” Mack said.

She wiped the tear away. “I should’ve come back and taken care of this place years ago, but I had too much on my plate.”

“Facing old memories isn’t easy,” Mack said. “You haven’t changed much since high school. I would have known you anywhere.”

“You either,” Lily said. “Except I don’t remember you wearing glasses back then. Do you and Adam look any more alike now than you did then?”

“If anything, we look even more different.” When they reached the door, Mack held it open for her. “He’s a banker in San Antonio and—”

“Still chasing anything that wears a skirt?” Lily asked.

“You got that right. He just told me this morning he was about to get his third divorce.” Mack looked up at the sky. “Hey, I just got the first drop of rain on my face. Let’s just push all these inside to the foyer so they don’t get wet.”

“Thank you for helping, and for not minding if we move in here.” She picked up a couple of lightweight boxes and shoved them to the back of the foyer, past the hall tree and the two ladder-back chairs. Work boots were shoved up under one of the chairs. They belonged to Mack and weren’t the same style her father had worn, but they still reminded her of seeing Frank Miller’s boots in the same place. He had passed away a year before her mother. The things she’d missed the most when she came home when her father was alive were seeing his boots under the chair and his favorite coffee mug right beside the old percolator.

“Mom-maaa . . .” Holly’s pitiful scream floated from above.

Lily stopped what she was doing and flew up the stairs with Mack right behind her. She was out of breath when she hit the top step, but she caught her second wind and rushed into Holly’s room.

“What is it?” Lily panted.