She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. Her nostrils met with the aroma of grilling meat from a food cart fighting with the Drakkar Noir one of her fellow Austinites had apparently bathed in before leaving the house. Instead of standing in a field of lavender, she felt as if she were back at her sixth-grade dance, holding her breath as Terrance Johnson sprayed on more of the cologne he’d snuck from his dad’s bathroom cabinet.

She continued up Guadalupe, the brisk wind blowing off Lady Bird Lake and the warm rays from the early-morning sun making for an invigorating contrast. Normally, on a chilly morning like this one, she would drive the five minutes to work, but when she caught sight of the brilliant blue sky outside her bedroom windows, the thought of confining herself to a car was untenable.

The gorgeous day matched her gorgeous mood, and she wanted to soak up as much of it as possible. Which was why, despite the fact that she was already a half hour late for work, she’d decided to take a long detour and visit the Italian bakery on Congress Avenue near the golden-domed state capitol. All was forgiven at the job when you brought pastries.

Samiah turned onto Ninth Street, walking past one of the famed moonlight towers. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was one of only fourteen antique towers that remained in the world, all of which were located in Austin. She stopped at the corner of Ninth and Lavaca Streets, and waved at a chubby-faced toddler strapped in the back seat of a minivan waiting at the light, laughing when he waved back.

It’s when she found herself smiling long after the car with the adorable kid had driven away that Samiah recognized that there was something different about today. Something special. There was a giddiness in the air. A lighthearted exuberance that caused the leaves on the evergreens to appear greener, the brilliant morning sun to seem brighter. Everything she encountered amplified her blissful mood.

She dipped into the Italian bakery and, after waiting in line for ten minutes, emerged with two dozen zeppole, a dozen biscotti, and a loaf of their signature panettone. Armed with enough food to feed the entire R&D Department, Samiah started down Congress back toward the river and Trendsetters’ offices.

After six blocks, she turned the corner and stopped short at the sight of all the activity swirling around her building. A crush of bystanders loitered on the sidewalks, their clamorous rumblings accounting for the discordant din she’d heard as she’d approached. She continued toward the building, but her steps faltered when she saw two of Trendsetters’ cybersecurity analysts, Bianca Moody and Doug Spade, being led away in handcuffs. They were followed by Owen Caldwell, the HR director, showcasing his own set of cuffs.

“What in the hell?” Samiah nearly dropped the pastries.