After the guests had left and the house had quieted down, Emily approached John. The air was thick with unspoken tension as she chose her words carefully. “John, about what Sophie said earlier… I need to know if there’s anything I should be worried about.”

John sighed, running a hand through his hair, the joviality from earlier evaporating. “Emily, I swear, there’s nothing. Rachel and I are just friends. You know how Sophie’s imagination can run wild sometimes.”

Emily nodded, wanting to believe him. But the seed of doubt was persistent, and she knew that this wouldn’t be a conversation easily resolved in a single night. John’s reassurances were comforting, but they weren’t enough to completely dispel her concerns.