The moment the last of the guests left, Amari turned to her grandmother with a calm but gentle smile.
"Grandma, I have to leave now," she said softly, almost apologetically.
Mrs. Josefina Clavel, the matriarch who had held her family together through countless storms, did not immediately respond. Her heart resisted the idea of her granddaughter leaving so soon. Still, after a pause, she gave a heavy nod, her eyes clouded with reluctance.
"All right, you may go," she whispered, though her voice carried the weight of her hesitation.
Amari's lips curved into a reassuring smile. "I'll come back tomorrow to fetch you, Grandma."
Her words were laced with warmth, as though she wanted to ease the ache in her grandmother's heart.
