Jessica's question hung between them, and Arianne couldn't swallow.
Her throat had closed up. No air moving right. From the back of the bakery, Lily was yelling about flour while Leo's tablet chimed in its stupid little melody. Normal sounds. The kind that had no business being in the same room as a question about how Alex died.
Arianne grabbed the coffee. It was cold. She drank it anyway because she needed to do something with her hands.
"That's what I'm trying to find out."
She set the cup down and kept her fingers on the rim for a beat too long. Then she made herself let go. The ceramic clicked against the table.
Jessica watched her but didn't push. Smart woman. Or maybe just a tired one.
"No one thought it would end like that," Jessica said finally, and her voice was too steady, like she'd practiced this sentence in the shower or in the car or lying awake at three in the morning. "The accident. There was no warning. Nothing that made us think—"
