“This isn’t really my scene ya know,” Sophia admitted with a laugh. “I’ve just been lambasted by a woman who throws rigatoni at the walls. We should have met in Raccoon City…”

Don’t leave me, Juniper thought desperately, even as she found herself stealing glances at Daniel when she thought he wasn’t looking.

Their blank stares only encouraged her. “Oh! I’ll take you both apple picking out there - my brother-in-law’s wife owns an orchard. It’s the 39th annual bake-off and if he gets this win it’ll save the…” She trailed off, reading their confusion. “Maybe next year.”

The casual domesticity of Sophia’s suggestion made something twist in Juniper’s chest. The image of Daniel in an orchard - overalls that didn’t belong to him, sleeves rolled, reaching for apples - surfaced without permission.