And there, right in the middle of the chaos, stood Sofia. Her green uniform was dusted with flour, her hair pinned loosely back as she tried — and failed — to keep a straight face while helping them.

She wasn’t simply serving them; she was with them — laughing, teasing, and wiping frosting from Maya’s cheek. The three of them looked like a family in the middle of a perfect Sunday afternoon.

For a long moment, Nathan couldn’t move. He just stood there, watching.