"And you tried."
"I tried everything. Extended hours, catering services, online ordering, social media marketing. I learned bookkeeping, applied for small business grants, negotiated with suppliers." My voice tightens. "But small-town economics are brutal. People want fresh bread, but they shop for groceries at the big chain store twenty minutes away because it's cheaper."
"So you came here."
"So I came here." I meet his eyes. "Hoping reality TV fame might translate into enough business to honor Eleanor's faith in me."
"You carry her memory through your work."
"I try. Some days I feel like I'm failing her all over again."
"Today?"
"Today... maybe not." I bump his shoulder with mine. "Hard to feel like a failure when someone calls your work honorable."
"Your workishonorable."
"Even if I'm terrible at the business side?"
"Especially then. Creating something beautiful while struggling to survive shows character."
We fall into another comfortable silence. The fake forest around us feels surprisingly peaceful, like we're the only two people in the world.
"Can I tell you something embarrassing?" I ask eventually.
"Always."
"Before today, before the scandal broke, I was starting to think maybe this show could work. Not just for publicity, but... actually work. Like maybe I could find someone who gets it, who understands what it means to fight for something you believe in."
"And now?"
"Now I think maybe I was right." I turn to study his profile. "Is that crazy? To think we might be finding something real in the middle of all this artificial nonsense?"
"If it is crazy, then we are both crazy."
"Good crazy or bad crazy?"
"The kind of crazy that makes you want to protect someone's dreams along with their safety."
My heart flip-flops. "Korgan..."
"Yes?"
"What happens after the show? I mean, assuming either of us wins, or doesn't win, or whatever. What happens to... this?"
He considers the question seriously, like he considers everything. "I do not know. But I would like to find out."
"Even if it's complicated? Even if your clan disapproves of dating humans?"
"Even then."
The certainty in his voice makes me brave enough to voice the thought that's been building all evening.
"I want to introduce you to my parents."
His entire body goes still. "What?"
"Not in person, obviously. But production mentioned they might do family introduction segments, where relatives send video messages about the contestants." I speak quickly, encouraged by his attention. "I could ask them to make a video for you specifically. Help the audience see you as more than just the orc bachelor. Show them you're someone's potential son-in-law, not just a novelty."
