The Principal's Office

[tailor_made]

The door to the principal’s office is open at all hours, although you will only find Hester at the receptionist’s desk from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. This is primarily where you can have private conversations with her. Though there’s an actual office in the back, it is always closed and locked.

Comments

Week 3, Tuesday morning

[barberic]

[Benjamin doesn't linger outside for long this time.]

Can you...answer a question, for me?

[tailor_made]

That's what I'm here for, Mr. Barker. [Hester flashes him a gentle smile when he comes in and makes a small gesture to the plate of sugar cookies sitting on the corner of her desk.] Come in, have a cookie.

[barberic]

Thank you.

[He takes one out of instinct to be polite, more than anything.]

Suppose I'll get right to it, then. I have a daughter- she would be just turning sixteen now, I think.

I was wondering, if you might know how I could get a photo of her. As the young lady she is now, I mean.

[tailor_made]

[A h.

Hester's smile doesn't quite falter but the corner of her mouth does twitch slightly. She sets down the plate and turns to her laptop, pulling up some kind of program Ben likely won't recognize and typing on her keyboard.]

Your daughter, that's Johanna, right?

[barberic]

[Yeah he knows fuckall about what she's doing.]

That's right. Johanna Barker.

[He takes the ambrotype of Lucy and Johanna out of his breast pocket and holds it out to show Hester.]

Here she is with her mother.