Younger Mira leaned forward eagerly, absorbing every word, occasionally interjecting with her own observations or questions. The conversation flowed naturally between them, building on each other's ideas, challenging assumptions, pushing toward deeper understanding. It was clear from their interaction that this wasn't a teacher and student dynamic, but rather two passionate researchers who respected each other's intellect completely.
This guy, Mira remembered with a pang of loss so sharp it was almost physical, was her older brother. His name had been Marcus, though she'd usually just called him Marc. He'd been brilliant, genuinely, remarkably brilliant in a way that had nothing to do with sibling bias. By the time he was twenty-three, he'd already published two papers on Dabba biology that had been recognized by the academic community as groundbreaking work.
