Still, the thought of losing her uncle’s last photos hurt.

She texted Leo: “Didn’t bypass. Found the password. Integrity intact.”

Her fingers hovered over the mouse.

Leo replied with a thumbs-up emoji. Then: “So… can you teach me that backup code trick?”

The phone wasn’t stolen. It belonged to her late uncle, who had passed away three months ago. His family had given her the phone, hoping she could salvage the photos and notes inside. But no one remembered his Google password.