"I don't know. Maybe. If it meant being with you."
"But you love Timber Falls. It's your home."
"You're my home."
Lucy felt tears threaten. "Don't say things like that."
"Why not? It's true."
"Because it makes the choice harder! Jake, if you're willing to move to Paris for me, how can I choose Timber Falls? I'd be choosing the easier option instead of the brave one."
"Choosing us isn't the easy option. It's just a different kind of brave."
"Is it? Or is it just me being scared to commit to Paris fully?"
Jake set down his fork. "Lucy, I can't tell you what to choose. I can't make this decision for you. But I can tell you this—whatever you decide, it needs to be because it's what you want. Not because you're scared or guilty or trying to make anyone else happy. Your choice. Your reasons. Your life."
"That's what everyone keeps saying. But what if I don't know what I want?"
"Then keep exploring until you do. Take the job in Paris. See how it feels. You don't have to decide your entire future today. Just the next step."
"The restaurants want an answer by July 15th."
"So answer them. Say yes or no to Paris. And if you say yes, we figure out long distance for real. Or we don't. But Lucy—you can't choose your entire life based on what you think might happen with us. You have to choose what's right for you."
Lucy stared at her plate, trying to process everything Jake was saying.
He was right. She knew he was right. But choosing still felt impossible.
"Can I show you something else?" Lucy asked.
"Of course."
That afternoon, Lucy took Jake to Le Cordon Bleu. Classes were done, finals were over, but the building was still open for students to use the kitchens for practice.
"This is where I spend most of my time," Lucy said, leading Jake through the hallways.
She showed him everything—the teaching kitchens where Chef Laurent held court, the library full of centuries-old cookbooks, the student lounge where she'd spent countless hours studying with Amelie and James.
"It's incredible," Jake said, looking around. "I can see why you love it here."
"It's not just the school. It's—everything. The way cooking is respected here. The focus on technique and artistry. The history and tradition of it all." Lucy paused in the main teaching kitchen. "At the bakery, I made the same things every day for five years. Here, I make something new every single day. I'm constantly learning, constantly challenged."
"You could be constantly challenged in Timber Falls too. Open your restaurant. Create your own menu. Build something new."
"It's not the same."
"I know."
They stood in the empty kitchen, and Lucy felt the weight of her choice settle over her again.
"I don't know how to choose," she finally said. "I don't know how to decide between this life and that one."
"Then maybe you need to trust your gut. Not your head with its pros and cons lists. Not your heart pulling you in both directions. Just your gut. What does it say?"
Lucy closed her eyes. Tried to quiet all the voices—Chef Laurent saying to stay, Uncle Walter saying to follow her heart, Jake saying it was her choice, Amelie and James and Yuki all offering their opinions.
In the silence, what did Lucy's gut say?
