Maya gave the apple to Lily after the little girl finished the soup. She carefully placed the gray kitten on her little legs and stood up, holding the empty bowl.
"I'll be back, Lily," she said. "I want to return the empty dish to Agnes. Then later we can go get your roast pork together."
Lily nodded as she took a bite of the apple while she struggled to hold the kitten with one hand. Maya watched her for a moment with a small smile on her face before she stepped away. In more ways than one, the little girl reminded her of her younger self.
There was a line when she arrived at Agnes's table and it was clear the celebration had fully begun. The drums and singing were louder and the beach was more crowded. The bonfire was burning brighter than ever as more wood was added.
She handed the bowl to one of the maids. Agnes didn't even notice her presence as she had her hands full trying to get a proper distribution of the food.
