Lily pulled her gaze from his inquisitive eyes, staring down at the brown boots he'd given her and at the cracks in the sidewalk beneath them. "They died when I was young."
"I'm sorry," Theo said, his voice gentle and sincere. "What happened?"
"It was a car accident." Lily could still see it so clearly in her mind, even though it had happened over twenty years ago. "My mom was driving us home from visiting some friends in the city, and she hit a patch of black ice. We spun off the road and hit a tree. I was in the backseat, so I survived with only a broken arm. But my parents ... they didn't make it."
"That must have been so hard for you," Theo said, his brow furrowed in empathy. He reached out and brushed away a tear that had slipped down Lily's cheek unbidden.
"It was," she replied softly. "I was only eight years old at the time, so I didn't really understand what was happening. It all happened so fast. One minute we were laughing and joking in the car, and the next ... they were gone. My brother hadn't come with us, or else we might have lost him too. He was devastated."
"You never told me that you have a brother, either."
She smiled sadly. "Back then, he disliked me in that way that big brothers often find their little sisters annoying. After our parents died, though, he became my guardian, and we were inseparable. Right up until you and I were married."
A moment of contented silence passed between them, and despite the weight on both of their shoulders, Lily felt a gentle calmness in her soul now, all the way down to her wolf. Telling him the truth had been hard, and yet now that he knew, it felt right to have opened up to him about it.
Theo stepped down from the curb and onto the street, tugging her behind him. "Come on."
She dug her heels in. "What? I ... I don't want to go inside."
"Your memories of this place are hurting you, my dear. It's time you made some new ones."
Would that really work? She couldn't say for sure, but she wanted to trust Theo, so she relaxed her resistance and let him tug her across the street, right up until they were inside the bakery.
The sweet, warm scents of freshly-baked pastries and bread filled the air, and Lily's stomach growled in anticipation. She looked around at the rows upon rows of baked goods, feeling overwhelmed by all the choices, everything from muffins, croissants, and chocolate-filled sweets. She turned towards the cheerful baker behind the counter, who beamed at them with a welcoming smile.
"What can I get for you lovely folks today?" he asked jovially, wiping his hands on his apron as he settled onto one of the stools in front of the counter.
"I'm not sure," she replied with a laugh. "Everything looks so delicious."
"That's a common problem here! Are you looking for something more sweet or savory? Indulgent or filling?"
"How about those cranberry scones?" Lily nudged Theo. "Or a blackberry Danish?"
"Why not both?" Theo raised his eyebrows. "Both for the lady, and I'll have a cheese croissant."
"Coming right up," the baker said, and then grabbed little parchment baggies for each of the treats.
Moments later, Theo and Lily were settling down at a small table in the corner to indulge in their little feast, chatting and laughing as they ate.
"You were right," Lily admitted after she finished her treats, "Both were a good idea."
More than that ... coming in here with him, facing her fears—and her past—with him at her side, had been a good idea. Now instead of being saddened by the memories of her family every time she saw it, she hoped she would also remember this little date with Theo.
She glanced out the bakery window, finding Daniel's handsome face just on the other side of the glass. His face broke into a smile as soon as she noticed him.
"Daniel!" she cried out. "Is that really you?" The bell on the door jingled when he came inside, wrapping Lily in a wolfish hug. "Oh my God, I've missed you. I've been worried sick. How did you get home? Were you hurt at all?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine, it's you I've been worried about," he said in his easygoing voice. "Yourhusbandsaw to it that I made it back to Kaldron safely. I was at your wedding, didn't you see me?"
"Of course. But I didn't really have the opportunity to speak with any of the guests."
Lily and Daniel broke apart to find Theo staring back at them from his seat with an amused expression. "This mongrel is your brother? I should have known."
Daniel scowled at Theo, showing just what he thought of the goblin who'd forced his sister into marrying him, but Lily was past that already, and she wanted Daniel to be, too. In the subtlest way she could, Lily came up to Theo's side and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"I wasn't expecting to see you today," Lily said, noting how Daniel's eyes went back and forth between her face and her gentle hand on Theo's shoulder. It was as though his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets when Theo snaked his hand up to place it on top of hers tenderly. "We can't be here for long."
"I know," Daniel admitted, choosing not to comment on the contact between Theo and Lily, but he had a look in his eyes that said he'd be asking about their relationship later on. "Ryel sent me with news."