After a long pause, he finally said quietly, “Do you really have to get engaged?”

Scarlett said, “Yes. You’re welcome to come when the time comes.”

Jeremy stared at the woman’s gentle face, teeth clenched so hard it was almost a grind. “Don’t worry. I’ll be there on time.”

The air fell into a dead, suffocating silence.

On the table sat a small bowl of wonton soup that no one had touched. It had gone ...