…“Is that—Daniel Hayes?” wrk someone whispered, barely able to finish the sentence.

“And part of that history,” she continued, “is you deciding I wasn’t worth knowing anymore.”

—

That hit harder than he expected.

—

“That’s not fair,” he said quickly.

—

“No,” she agreed.

—

“It wasn’t.”

—

Silence.

—

Richard glanced toward the crowd, then back at her.

—

“You’ve changed,” he said.

—

Emily smiled faintly.

—

“No,” she said.

“I stopped shrinking.”

—

He didn’t know how to respond to that.

—

For the first time—

He had no script.

—

No advantage.

—

Just truth.

—

—

Across the garden, Noah and Nathan laughed as Daniel showed them something on his phone.

—

Richard watched them.

—

“They like him,” he said quietly.

—

Emily followed his gaze.

—

“Yes,” she said.

—

“He listens to them.”

—

Another silence.

—

“He treats them like they matter.”

—

Richard swallowed.

—

Because he understood what she wasn’t saying.