After the final wash, I go through a wetting process before drying, and I see more faces from the past. They are faces I know, just younger. As I held the wet film up to the light, I recognized familiar outlines, Elise’s smile, a child’s profile, and a strange place with the word "Manatee" on the wall. My mind scrambled to place it. I had to wait until the film dried and could be scanned to be sure.

The next day, I was super eager to scan the film. However, film this old is a little out of my expertise. Film doesn't age the same as fine wine. It can get a little funky, like gritty, curly, and atmospheric fogging, just to name a few issues, but with a couple of trial passes and adjustments, the scanner and I were up to the challenge. When I finally saw the scans on screen, time collapsed. There was Courtney, our firstborn, just before Brooke was born in early 2003. We were in Florida, celebrating Jon and Darlene’s wedding reception. Twenty-three years vanished in an instant.

What struck me most wasn’t just how young we all looked, though that was pretty wild. It was how present the love and connection still felt, even through the grit and grain of old film. The small gestures, Courtney's eyes taking it all in, the laughter frozen in the hug between Courtney and her aunt, all of it felt like a whisper from a younger version of the ones I love.