“I know that,” she says, always defensive when it comes to who knows the most about her precious son. “Good,” she adds, a period on our conversation before turning her attention back to Molly. “You know the Times will be attending the wedding.”

Molly turns around and looks up at me and offers an impressed nod. She has long hair, blonder now, remnants from the summer sun, that falls effortlessly into beachy waves around her face. She seems like the kind of person who washes her hair maybe twice a week, and, when given the opportunity, will tell you about the months of “hair training” that went into the routine. But it’s totally worth it, look at me now. She is wearing a white chef’s coat with Say Cheesed written in a pleasant cursive, over jeans that show off her lean running thighs.

“That’s amazing,” Molly says, unexpectedly proud. “Good job.”

“Good job?” Cheryl pushes the cake toward Molly, signifying we’re finished and ready for whatever part of the tasting menu she has next. “It’s not like you’ve never been mentioned in the Times before. They’re your biggest fan.”

Molly shakes her head, seemingly shaking away a memory, and turns her attention from me to Cheryl. “Sorry,” Molly says, moving around the long wooden raw-edge table to the side opposite us. “I just meant that it’s great. Very exciting.”

Cheryl sits up straighter in her seat at even the slightest hint of submission from Molly; of confidence weakening.

Molly takes the cake plate and returns it to the station behind her. I wasn’t finished but I guess I should be. It was physically painful for me not to attack the cake, to stuff the entire slice into my mouth with my hand, licking the vanilla frosting off each finger like a leopard devouring every inch of a gazelle. But I can’t. Because I’m here. That’s not behavior conducive to a Walker Woman. Walker Women are controlled. I am controlled. I plant my feet firmly on the cold ground and remind myself where I am, letting my skinny heels sink into the grass of Graham’s land, the land on which there were hundreds of people actively prepping for us to wed. The land on which everything will change.

I take a deep breath and the sharply cool air feels good as it goes into my lungs.