Chapter 8
Ethan finally looked at her, and the pain in his eyes was unmistakable. "Yeah. Great."
But it wasn't great. They both knew it.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of flour and sugar and forced cheerfulness. By evening, they had dozens of cookies cooling on racks, and Maya's face hurt from smiling too much.
"I need a break," she announced. "I'm going for a walk."
"It's dark out," Diana said, concerned.
"I'll just go to the corner and back. I need air."
Maya bundled up in her coat and boots and stepped out into the cold evening. The neighborhood was beautiful this time of year—houses lit up with Christmas lights, the smell of wood smoke in the air. She walked slowly, breathing in the cold, trying to settle the chaos in her chest.
She'd made it to the end of the block
