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He reached for Isabelle\u2019s hand. She didn\u2019t move. Her eyes flicked from Claire to the documents, then back to Daniel. The music from the ballroom faltered and stopped, leaving strings of silence vibrating in the air.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not here to destroy your evening,\u201d Claire said\u2014though looking at Daniel\u2019s face, she realized the evening was already in pieces. \u201cI came to return something.\u201d<\/p>\n
She tipped the shovel upright and set it like a flag beside the red car. \u201cFor years, Daniel, I buried my plans. I dug trenches for your dreams and laid mine in them like seeds we never watered.\u201d She glanced down at the flowers. \u201cI brought you the shovel back as a gift. Use it to plant something honest. Or, if you must, use it to bury this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Someone in the crowd breathed, \u201cOh,\u201d the way people do when they witness a small miracle.<\/p>\n
Isabelle finally spoke. \u201cDaniel,\u201d she said softly, \u201cis any of this untrue?\u201d<\/p>\n