Chapter 87

• PENELOPE
• The bakery was packed today!
• It was one of those days where time slipped through my fingers, where I couldn’t tell if it was still morning or if we’d somehow leapt into early evening. Every table was full. Every seat taken. The line never seemed to shrink. Jess and I were moving nonstop—taking orders, refilling cups, bagging croissants, restocking the display. The bakery smelled like cinnamon, espresso, and heat.