Then something unspoken tightening within hundreds of chests simultaneously.
From the kitchen window, a young girl watched with luminous eyes.
Maya Callahan pressed her small hands against the glass, tears shining like stars.
“Mom looks like magic,” she whispered breathlessly.
Beside her, the pastry chef smiled gently.
“Your mother possesses extraordinary courage,” the woman replied softly.
When the music faded, Erin faced Dario once more, gently enclosing his hands within hers.
“Why would you do this for someone you barely know?” he asked quietly, his voice trembling with sincerity.
Erin inhaled deeply, her composure softening.
“Because you once saved my daughter’s life,” she answered softly.
Confusion crossed his features.
“I remember a chapel,” Erin continued gently. “Three years ago, when Maya required emergency heart surgery costing more than survival seemed worth, while despair consumed every corner of my existence.”
Memory stirred slowly.
“You entered silently,” she whispered. “You asked only one question.”
“How much,” Dario murmured faintly.