She hesitated. “I also know about the letter Marie left you.”
“Were you the one who put it in the drawer?” I asked.
“She wanted me to give it to you myself,” Eva admitted. “But in the end, I left it there so you could find it on your own.”
Another plan. Another choice made for me.
“She wrote that she would understand if you decided to let this place go,” Eva continued. “I wrote the letter for her because she no longer had the strength. But those words were hers, Bailey. She meant them. She knew the time had come for her to let go. Whether this place stayed or disappeared, she would not be here to see it. What mattered to her were the people she left behind. You, me, her children. Everyone who left a footprint in her life.”
Her voice softened. “She loved this bakery. It held her memories from the very beginning. She lived through joy and loss here. She lost her husband too young. Her children grew up and left to build lives far away. Once, she had everything. Then she wasalone. Even in her final days, she spoke of this place. She was afraid to leave it behind.”
She squeezed my hand. “I wanted you to stay. Not out of obligation. Marie never cared about that. I wanted you to stay only if this was what you wanted.”
I pulled my hand back at last. “I had a life somewhere else,” I said. “I could not exist in two places at once. And even if I stayed, the history of this town would always hold me back.”
The words hung between us, heavy and unresolved, as the silence stretched on.
Eva met my eyes. “Bailey, have you felt any hostility since you returned? Have you seen the same faces that hurt you before?”
I stayed silent.
“This town has changed,” she continued gently. “People moved on. Most of those you grew up with were raising families or living in the city. They were not trapped in the past anymore.”
Her words landed heavier than I expected.
I sat there, stunned. Had everyone truly moved on?
Thinking back, I realized no one there had treated me unfairly. Most faces were unfamiliar. New. The few I recognized kept their distance, polite and distant, never cruel.
A quiet question settled in my chest, heavier than any accusation.
Had it only been me, still living in the past?
Chapter 24
BAILEY
“It was me again,” I said, hovering at the counter. “Sorry. I forgot I should probably make an appointment first. Whatever. I promise it was important.”
She looked at me over her glasses, unimpressed. “Let me guess. Life or death matters. You mention your name and he would definitely want to see you.”
“Err… yes?” I grimaced. Why did she always give me that look every time I was here? I had to admit, she was exceptionally good at her job. A ruthless gatekeeper, scrutinizing anyone who dared approach her boss.
“I am sure it is, Ms. Carter,” she said coolly. “However, you will need to wait a few minutes. He gave strict instructions not to be disturbed. He is handling something very important at the moment.”
“Wow,” I muttered. “Working through lunch break. He was really a busy man, huh?”
I attempted a smile. It died instantly under her unamused stare.
Then a thought hit me and my stomach dipped. “Oh gosh. Do not tell me he is inside with his fiancée.” I fumbled over my words as heat rushed to my face. “I should probably leave them alone and come back later. After they finished whatever they were doing in there. You know what I mean.”
The mental image alone was enough to haunt me.
“Sit down, Ms. Carter.”
I was already halfway turned to flee when her sharp command stopped me cold. I dropped onto the couch without thinking. She stepped away from the counter and disappeared down the corridor, leaving me staring at the wall, helpless and overthinking everything.
A few minutes later, she returned and stood in front of me.
