He looked thinner, his skin tanned from his days in the Valley, but he moved with a quiet efficiency that surprised me.

I stood at the podium, adjusting the microphone.

“Thank you all for coming,” I began, my voice echoing slightly in the enclosed courtyard. “Today we are demonstrating the Solar Reach Gen-4 microgrid…”

As I spoke, the heavy glass doors of the main lobby slid open.

The sound of sharp heels clicking on the concrete floor cut through my words.

I stopped talking.

My mother, Helen Mitchell, walked out into the courtyard, wearing a tailored cream-colored suit and dark sunglasses.

Behind her, my father walked slowly, his head down, looking at his shoes.

Helen did not look at the board members, nor did she look at me.

Her eyes were locked directly on Derek.

The microphone picked up the sound of my sharp intake of breath, broadcasting a low hum through the courtyard speakers.

I lowered my hand from the podium.

Dr. Aris shifted in his metal chair, his eyes darting from me to the entrance.

My mother did not slow her pace.