INT. MEI-BEAS APARTMENT'S LIVING ROOM- NEW YEAR'S EVE MORNING

Through the window, the sun lights up a living room. A fourteen-year-old girl of East Asian descent, HELLEN, squats on a sofa with a photo album. As she turns each page, specks of dust sparkle in the air.

Images of two mothers, one East Asian, MEGAN, and the other Latina, JULIA, stare up at the girl. Sprinkled within these photographs of the mothers are snapshots of two girls. One child, Hellen, is East Asian, yet this girl is not physically similar to either parent. Meanwhile, the other child, ADRIJANA, appears to be biologically related to the second mother. Chinese, English, and Spanish words for love and family outline the photos.

The fourteen-year-old grins at each page and as she traces the images' perimeters with her finger, the pictures glimmer. One image of the two girls at the beach glows especially strong while the setting of the living room fades.

EXT. BUCHTTON BEACH- DAY- FIVE YEARS EARLIER

The two mothers from the photograph chat with one another while their nine-year-old daughters build a sandcastle.

Hellen sprinkles water from a bucket onto the fortress. Adrijana scowls.

ADRIJANA

Why'd you do that, Hellen?

HELLEN

It looks prettier this way.

ADRIJANA

No, it doesn't. It looks like a dog peed on it.

HELLEN
No, the water makes it shine more with the sun.

The mothers pause in their conversation to stare at their daughters. They glance at one another and then sigh.

JULIA

Girls, we're having fun at the beach today. You should be enjoying your time together.

ADRIJANA
You argue with your sister.

JULIA

Why are you bringing Aunt Lily into this?

Megan reaches into her tote bag and brings out her smartphone.

MEGAN

Picture time!

The two girls groan, but they get into position beside their sandcastle.

The camera snaps and the scene fades back into the living room.

INT. MEI-BEAS APARTMENT'S LIVING ROOM- PRESENT

Hellen flips the page of the scrapbook, a grin still lingering on her face.

She pauses to stare at a selfie of her and her mother Julia sitting at a kitchen table with bowls of ice cream laying before them.

The image glows and the living room fades again.

INT. MEI-BEAS APARTMENT'S KITCHEN- NIGHT- TWO YEARS EARLIER

The fluorescent kitchen light gleams down at a sobbing Julia who is slumped over the table. Outside the window, snow drums the glass.

HELLEN

Mom?

Hellen, in pajamas, stands at the edge of the tiny kitchen. She steps into the light to take a seat beside her mother.

Julia picks up her head and wipes her eyes.

JULIA

(In Spanish)

It's just the two of us tonight. Mama and Adrijana went to that Korean culture festival.

HELLEN

(In Spanish)

I heard you on the phone...with Aunt Lily. Is everything okay?

JULIA

(In English)

Yes, of course. How about we treat ourselves tonight. I think we have some ice-cream in the fridge?

Hellen nods and leaves to get the dessert.

Julia sighs and dabs her eyes with a tissue.

Hellen returns with bowls and ice-cream. Mother and daughter slurp on the treat together.

JULIA

(in Spanish)

You have no idea how blessed you are to have a good relationship with your sister, Hellen.

HELLEN

(in Spanish)

Adrijana annoys me sometimes. She's so bossy and it doesn't make any sense. I'm older than her by six months.

Julia laughs and takes a scoop out of Hellen's bowl.

HELLEN

Hey!

JULIA

(in Spanish)

Let's take a picture to commemorate this moment.

Julia takes out her phone and the camera snaps.

INT. MEI-BEAS APARTMENT'S LIVING ROOM- PRESENT

Hellen closes the photo album and places the book on the coffee table.

She then turns to stare out the window as the sun continues to rise, saturating the room with light. It's almost as if the sun itself is trying to take a picture.