I needed fresh air. Sarah had gathered her things to leave, lunchbox in hand. Before she could slip out, I called to her. "Sarah," I said. "Wait."
She paused. "Yes, Luna?"
"I’ll join you," I said simply, reaching for my jacket.
Her face brightened with surprise. "Oh, really? I mean, of course! That’s wonderful, Luna!"
Her enthusiasm softened my frayed nerves. Still, my thoughts stayed focused on preparation. Sarah’s role would expand. There was no point putting it off. "Sarah, after lunch, I’ll have additional assignments for you."
Her brow pinched together, worry momentarily clouding her expression. "Luna, I’m so sorry about the extra work recently..."
"It’s fine, Sarah," I said, cutting her off gently but firmly. "You’ll need experience with this workload. We’ll increas
