Marcus followed me without rushing.

Once we were out of earshot, he asked if I wanted him to talk to her.

“Not today.”

“All right.”

It startled me, how easy those words could be.

I had grown up in a family where saying no began a debate, where a boundary required evidence and a closing argument.

With Marcus, my answer could simply stand.

We entered the reception, where the tables glowed with candles and the flowers from my workshop filled the air with lavender.