The days after that dinner felt lighter—not easier, but clearer. Athena moved through them with quiet intention, as if each hour carried a decision she had already made but was only now learning how to live with. She spent time with family, showed up for gatherings, laughed when expected, lingered when needed. From the outside, nothing seemed out of place. But beneath it all was a steady awareness she could no longer ignore. She was going back. Not just to the city, but to the life she had chosen there.
This time, she packed without hesitation. Every fold was deliberate, every item chosen with certainty. She set aside things for the team—small pieces of home that carried familiarity with them. Muscovado sugar, rich and dark, something she knew would disappear quickly into cups of coffee t
