nder her nails and Aria

t thunder. Light streamed through gauzy linen curtains, soft and golden, casting da

lurred in sensat

The emotional air between them thickened into something fragile but grounded. They hadn't talked much after-just laughter, t

the morning hush.

arefoot in Ariana's hoodie. She turned on the kettle, s

GRA

d your

ve Finalist Announce

h caught

nt to open th

e. Her hair was a mess-half pillow wave, half ar

ing. That's

pered. "The Collective p

reached for the

But we m

d Riley back toward the

," she said. "The las

r, letting the hum o

d shifted-same garlic trace, same flour-dusted counters, b

y. It was just them tonight.

front register, muttering about presentation points. She la

ith humor," Ariana called

room pun?" R

ng something

t basil but it's of

around the she

fridge. Ariana built a presentation spreadsheet called Crust Strategy, whi

business pitch riding

ven," Riley replied.

nced off jars and windows a

ening, Riley

potato pesto, goat cheese, toa

he pan. "This is c

oment," R

m an earlier soda spill, the jazz speak

rrow, if it goes sideways-if we don't make t

for her wine.

led, slow

lower. "There's no ve

ected Ariana to say that out loud. Not yet

ned in and

rything els

y pulled open her grandmother's old recipe box. Inside, beneat

her grandmo

e what scares you. That'

it carefully. And taped it t

ent into their pitch outl

arrived with caff

efused to change it. Ariana wore loafers instead of

n the prep counter, watching the coun

d was cold

ssed her

then

een ref

s blinked

ali

– Riley Quin

hey clung to each other, dizzy and wild, spil

wer

host it inside the shop, where the walls already smelled like history. Ariana rented extra tables, ordered c

ers. Ariana led a mini-branding workshop while baking her ver

onfetti," Ariana declared, brush

apped p

pt the crumbs. Read thank-you n

elieve flavor coul

t beside th

llapsed into each other-exhaus

apron and whispered, "Yo

, eyes dark and steady.

kis

o

e

terr

settled into

ng, Riley woke

orange juice into coffee mugs, and opened her

Tell your o

you bake d

sat

. Her first heartbreak, soothed by a garlic knot. Ariana arriving i

ned a d

he firs

h instructions. Others arr

pa

kept