The banquet ended slowly. Guests left one by one. I stood at the door, smiling, saying goodbye like I always did.
Perfect.
Polite.
Like I was still Mrs. Hayes. Only when the last guest left did I finally breathe out a little.
When I turned around, they were still there.
Hudson and Amber.
It was raining hard outside. Cold wind rushed in, damp and sharp. Amber shivered suddenly and sneezed.
Hudson frowned right away. “You’re cold?”
“I’m fine… just a little,” she said softly, but her voice sounded weak.
“Fine my ass,” he muttered, already taking off his suit jacket and placing it over her shoulders. “You’re shaking. Don’t act tough.”
She held it close, still trembling a little.
“It’s still cold…”
His eyes moved.
Then they landed on me. On the scarf wrapped around my neck. A soft wool scarf. The last thing my grandmother made before she passed.
“Give that to her,” he said.
My fingers tightened instantly.
“T-this was made by my grandma,” I said quietly, my voice barely steady. “It’s not something I can just—”
“I know exactly what it is,” he cut me off, his tone turning colder. “She’s just borrowing it. Why are you making it such a big deal?”