She pressed the book to her chest, and picked up the doll. The paper shield came undone, and she carefully pressed the tape back into place along the doll’s arm.

She walked down the hallway, then pushed open the door.

Toys and stuffed animals were scattered across the floor. Love Lost’s eyes roved, over posters on the wall, mostly wizard things, more of the goblins. Homework assignments and one picture of Lee were taped to the wall, at waist height and below.

An eight-year-old Everly was on her bed, surrounded by toys. She watched her mother, expression solemn.

“I’m sorry I forgot to turn off the TV,” Everlyn said.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Everlyn looked at the closet. A set of metal poles with baskets had been pulled down, bringing down the basket from the back of the door in the process. The stuffed animals from within had been emptied onto the floor of the room, with one pole leaning against the child-size chair in the corner of the room.

Everlyn nodded.

“I love this,” Love Lost said, pressing the book against her heart.

Everlyn smiled, “You do?”

“I love everything about it,” Love Lost said, for emphasis.

“There are parts I worried you wouldn’t like.”

“I love it all,” Love Lost said. “Can I sit?”

Everlyn moved over so her mother could sit down beside her. She took the doll back.

“When you wanted a scarf for Christmas, did you want one like this? Like—”

“I like the one you gave me.”

“But did you want one like this?” Love Lost looked at pictures on the wall. The sound of her own heartbeat echoed, the sounds that the television spat out growing louder in the distance, like an onrushing train. She pointed. “Like that?”

Everlyn nodded, “Yes.”

“What do you say we go shopping later? We’ll see what we can find.”

Everlyn nodded, emphatic. “Yes please.”

Love Lost reached for her daughter and wrapped her in a hug.

“I’m going to try to be a better mom, okay?”

Everlyn nodded.

Everlyn pulled to one side. The movement of people around her tugged her, threatening to pull her from her mother’s arms. Her expression was so afraid.

Again, just as before, down to the last detail, the pressure of the packed crowd was such that the stacked tables couldn’t handle it. The tables fell, sliding out and across the floor, bowling over a section of the crowd. Again, the domino effect, again, people fell over and knocked or pulled others down with them.

Again, people climbed over the fallen.

Once again, the sound seemed to fade. Once again, things moved in slow motion as Love Lost’s eyes moved along the same path, noting the same details, the same imminent result.

Her daughter was torn from her arms. Love Lost watched as Everly’s face was driven into the side of a half-fallen table.