Arthur hesitated, then asked a question he never would have allowed himself to ask before. “Is your mother unwell.”
Maribel looked down, then nodded slowly. “She has been ill for a while. Stress makes it worse. She worries about me constantly.”
The hallway felt smaller, the silence heavier.
“When is the party,” Arthur asked.
“This weekend,” she replied softly. “In a small town near Boone. I was planning to make an excuse.”
Arthur inhaled deeply, aware that what he was about to say made no sense within the rigid logic he had built his life around. “If you still need someone,” he said carefully, “I could go with you.”
Maribel looked up, startled. “You.”
“Yes,” Arthur replied. “Just for the weekend. No expectations. No obligations. Simply as your guest.”
She laughed nervously, shaking her head. “That is not possible. You are my employer.”
“I am aware,” he said calmly. “I am also a human being. And no one should have to face something like that alone.”
The idea lingered between them, fragile and improbable. After a long moment, Maribel exhaled and nodded. “If you are serious,” she said, “then thank you. I do not know how to repay you.”
“You do not need to,” Arthur replied.
