Jioni walked over to her and saw the photo for herself: It was an instant photo depicting a woman with long pink hair and a baby in her hand; Kathy placed the photo in Jioni’s hand.
“I’ve never seen this before. Did you take it?” Jioni asked.
Kathy took back the photo from Jioni and began wiping away the burnt mark. She looked down at it and held it with both hands. “This is the only photo I have here that I didn’t snap myself. It’s been with me since I was a baby, according to the youth boarding center: take a look at the background.”
She brought the photo close to Jioni and kept it away from Emmitt’s view. The woman in the photo smiled wide. She looked like an older Kathy; the baby she held had pink hair, but the trees in the back—were purple and orange—colors of plants you would never see in City Two or even Geogen.
“This photo was taken in Outergen,” Jioni said almost in a whisper.
“Yeah, that’s what I figured too. If that’s my mom, she’s most likely there—Crazy to think I was born in Outergen, huh?” Kathy touted.
Jioni looked up at Emmitt, and Emmitt stopped looking at the floor and back at Jioni. Silent wide-eyed stares.
Kathy stood tense, “What, what is it? Why are you two looking at each other like that?”
