Her mother met her at the bottom. She crouched, bringing herself to eye level, and reached inside the collar of her dress. She pulled out a locket. White gold. Delicate. Hanging on a chain so fine it looked like it had been spun from light.
She unclasped a second one from around the girl's neck. Held them side by side.
Matching.
Identical metalwork. Identical chains. Two halves of a set that had been designed to exist in pairs, the kind of jewelry that said we belong to each other and the belonging is permanent.
"Do you remember what I told you about these?"
"That yours has your heartbeat in it and mine has mine and when we are apart we can hold them and hear each other."
"Close enough." Her mother pressed both lockets into Serena's palms and closed her small fingers around them. "This one is mine. This one is yours. When you are scared, hold yours, and know that wherever I am, I am holding mine and thinking of you."
