She stopped, and it felt like everything had stopped with her. The boys’ laughter died as they looked toward us. The ocean no longer slapped against the shore, and the wind stilled as if holding its breath. They glanced at each other, everyone waiting as if my approval of her on my terms meant something to them all. “Sit. Neverra made more than enough to feed an entire city. I can’t eat it all.” The way her eyes lit up as she smiled made my chest ache. How cruel had I been?
