CLAIRE

Nina looked between us. "Maybe we compromise," she suggested. "Take some orders now with extended timelines, scale production gradually instead of all at once."

I thought about that. "How gradually?" I asked.

"Hire five more seamstresses this week, rent additional space next week, buy equipment in stages," Nina outlined. "Spreads the cost over a month instead of hitting it all now."

"That's smarter," I agreed.

"How much would that approach cost?" Julian asked.

"Maybe thirty thousand total," Nina estimated.

Still significant, but more manageable. "Let me think about the funding," I said. "What else needs deciding today?"

"Media requests," Nina replied, pulling out a list. "Three morning shows want...