Late morning sunlight filtered through the tall trees lining one of Montclair's older residential streets. The neighborhood felt noticeably different from the center of the city. The buildings here were older, set back from the road behind low stone walls and iron gates. Mature trees shaded the sidewalks, their branches stretching over the street in uneven arcs that cast shifting patterns of light across the pavement.
Arianne slowed the car as she turned onto a narrower road that curved gently between the properties.
In the back seat, Lily leaned toward the window, her hands pressed against the glass as she watched the houses pass by. "There are so many trees here," she said.
Leo sat beside her with his tablet against his knees. His fingers moved quickly across the screen before he turned the device toward the front. Old houses.
Franz glanced back, reading the words before giving a small nod. "You're not wrong, bud."
