Emma took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she looked into Tom's concerned eyes. "Tom, there's something I need to tell you about the job hunt."
Tom nodded encouragingly, his hand warm on hers. "Go on, Em. You know you can tell me anything."
"Well," Emma began, her voice shaky, "when I was at the grocery store last week, I ran into Mark."
She felt Tom's hand tense slightly in hers, but his expression remained neutral. "Oh? And how was that?"
Emma swallowed hard. "It was... awkward. But he was polite. And he... he offered me a job at MK Industries."
She braced herself for Tom's reaction, but to her surprise, he simply nodded slowly. "I see. And did you apply?"
The question caught Emma off guard. She had been so prepared for anger or disappointment that Tom's calm response left her
