"Morning, Mrs. Bellamy."
"Morning, dear."
The word dear is never a good sign.
Neither is the sparkle currently living in her eyes.
"You shopping alone today?"
I narrow my eyes. "Was there supposed to be a group activity?"
She ignores that. "Well, I'm sure Sadie is busy."
Alarm bells. Every alarm bell. Everywhere.
I should leave.
Immediately.
Instead, I make the mistake of asking, "Busy doing what?"
Mrs. Bellamy smiles.
The smile of a woman who has already planned a wedding and named future grandchildren.
"Oh, you know. Bakery mornings. Motherhood. Managing a business. Managing a hockey player."
"No one is managing me."
"Of course not."
She says it in a tone that means absolutely everyone is managing me.
I put the coffee in my basket and decide eggs can wait. Bread can wait. Honestly, starvation seems reasonable.
Then the automatic doors open at the front of the store.
A small voice carries across the market.
"Mommy, can we get the cereal with marshmallows if I promise to eat the non-marshmallow parts too?"
Every muscle in my body goes still.
Mrs. Bellamy's smile widens.
I look toward the front.
Sadie stands just inside the entrance with one hand on Jillie's shoulder and the other gripping a reusable shopping bag. Her hair is pulled back in a messy knot. She's wearing a thick cream sweater beneath her coat, jeans tucked into snow boots, and the expression of a woman who has already survived three impossible things before breakfast.
Jillie spots me immediately.
"Colby!"
The entire store turns.
Sadie's eyes find mine over the top of Jillie's pink hat.
For half a second, she looks surprised.
