The Unclaimed Cake

Maya delivered wedding cakes, not apologies. Still, when the hotel manager led her into an empty ballroom, she knew she would need both. The tables were set for eighty guests, the flowers were fresh, and her three-tier cake stood untouched beneath the lights. “No wedding here today,” the manager said. “This room was never booked.” Maya checked the order on her phone. Paid in full. Correct address. Then music started behind the closed ballroom doors, and a voice she had not heard since childhood announced her name.