She looked older, of course. Time had softened the edges of her face and added silver to her hair. But she carried herself the same way I remembered: straight-backed, composed, elegant without trying.
She was my grandmother’s best friend!
She looked older.
Desiree used to visit my grandmother, bringing pastries and stories I was too young to understand.
I hadn’t seen her in years.
The moment her eyes landed on me, something in her broke.
Like she’d been holding something together for too long.
“I’ve been looking for you,” she said softly.
Before I could react, she crossed the room and pulled me into a hug.
It caught me off guard.
Warm. Familiar.
And completely unexpected.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
I stood there, stiff at first, then slowly let myself lean into it.
“What’s going on?” I asked when she finally pulled back.
Desiree studied my face.
“You look so much like her,” she murmured.
“Nana?” I asked.
She nodded, then glanced at the man behind the counter.
“It’s all right, Samuel. I’ll take it from here.”
He nodded quickly, almost relieved.
“What’s going on?”
I frowned. “Why did he call you ‘the master’?”
Desiree exhaled slowly. “Because I own this place and three others like it across the city. He says I hold myself like a ‘master’ instead of a boss.”
That alone surprised me, but not as much as what came next.
Desiree’s gaze dropped to the necklace.
“That,” she said quietly, “is why I’ve been searching for you.”
That alone surprised me.
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