I didn’t like leaving. I didn’t like the idea of Jane standing in this room with Carly and James and having to hold herself steady through sheer will.
But the request was real. Necessary. The kind of thing you did not put off.
I met Jane’s eyes. I wanted to say something that would anchor her. Something that would cut through the noise and remind her that I was not just watching. I was choosing.
Instead, I kept it simple. “I will be back.”
Jane nodded once. “Go.”
Carly watched the exchange closely, her expression thoughtful.
I turned toward the door, then paused long enough to glance back at Jane one more time.
Her hands were already moving again. Her voice was calm as she spoke to Erin about timing. Her face was controlled.
She looked like she had everything handled.
And I knew better.
I followed Dex and William out into the cold, the kitchen door closing behind me with a final sound that I felt in my chest more than I heard.
As we stepped into the snow-covered lot, I realized with a sinking clarity that I had left a conversation unfinished.
And Jane was still standing in the middle of it.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Reasonable Concerns
Jane
The kitchen changed the moment James left.
It was not quieter. The ovens still hummed. Pans still clinked. Molly and Erin kept moving through their prep lists with efficient focus. But the pressure shifted. Like a window had been opened and a draft had moved the air just enough to let everyone breathe again.
James announced his departure loudly, of course.
“They want some footage of the setup,” he said, already backing toward the door and ignoring the mess he had left behind plus the fact that he hadn't made anything resembling a cake like he said he was going to do when he started making the mess. “Wedding commentary and behind-the-scenes charm.”
The cameraman perked up immediately. The sound tech followed, boom mic rising like a curious antenna.
Carly smiled. “Of course they do.”
James gestured broadly. “People love context. It humanizes the event.”
I kept my attention on the sauce I was reducing. If I looked at him, he would take it as an invitation to talk even more.
“Jane has everything well in hand,” Carly said. “You will not be missed.”
James laughed, clearly pleased with himself. “I taught her everything she knows. I only wish we had completed her training. Janie is mediocre without me.”
The words slid over me the way they always did, making me feel smaller and less. I held my tongue, hoping he would leave quickly.
“I will circle back later,” James added, already half out the door. “Save me something photogenic.”
Then he was gone, camera crew trailing behind him, the door swinging shut with a finality.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Molly exhaled softly. Erin rolled her shoulders as if releasing tension she had been holding since she arrived.
