Cassian rented a room at the inn across the street from Audrey's bakery.
For the days that followed, all he did was watch.
The bakery was thriving, well-staffed, and busy. Audrey would sleep in each morning with Amber, then stroll over to check the inventory before spending the rest of the day playing with her daughter. A wooden swing hung in the courtyard, and Amber loved being pushed high into the air. She would shriek that she was scared, but the next time she would always beg to go higher—and then higher still.
When Amber napped in the afternoons, Audrey would sit quietly with a book, sew a new coat for Damian, or sort through the paperwork he brought home from the council hall. On busy days, she rolled up her sleeves and helped without hesitation. She moved with such capable ease t
