diff --git a/src/story-mode.ts b/src/story-mode.ts
index 0d2599a5..7ae79ddb 100644
--- a/src/story-mode.ts
+++ b/src/story-mode.ts
@@ -2713,7 +2713,7 @@ function decorate(draft: DraftPanel, events: StoryEvent[], turn: StoryTurn, inde
       if (saved) {
         director += ` · ${plural(saved, 'commit')}`;
         if (ok)
-          story = `${story.slice(0, -1)}, and Claude ${startsRepoAt(draft.events, events) ? 'starts a git repository and ' : ''}saves the work${
+          story = `${story.slice(0, -1)}, ${startsRepoAt(draft.events, events) ? 'then Claude starts a git repository and' : 'and Claude'} saves the work${
             checks.some((e) => e.ships === 'push') ? ' and sends it up' : ''
           }.`;
       }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/story-corpus/text-plan-dry-run-helper.expected.json b/test/fixtures/story-corpus/text-plan-dry-run-helper.expected.json
index 65e18264..e8f62866 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/story-corpus/text-plan-dry-run-helper.expected.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/story-corpus/text-plan-dry-run-helper.expected.json
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
       {
         "kind": "check",
         "ok": true,
-        "story": "Claude writes test_csvstat.py and pyproject.toml; the tests pass, and Claude starts a git repository and saves the work.",
+        "story": "Claude writes test_csvstat.py and pyproject.toml; the tests pass, then Claude starts a git repository and saves the work.",
         "director": "python3 -m pytest -q 2>&1 → ok ×2 · 17 passed · writes 2 files · 1 commit",
         "balloon": "Code and tests are committed.",
         "tests": {
diff --git a/test/story-corpus.test.ts b/test/story-corpus.test.ts
index 6d6fe1f3..c8d6a00f 100644
--- a/test/story-corpus.test.ts
+++ b/test/story-corpus.test.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ describe('Story Mode on real sessions', () => {
 
   it('a commit at the end of a test one-liner is kept, and a background helper reports back in 9 s', () => {
     expect(panel('text-plan-dry-run-helper', 0, 'check')?.story).toBe(
-      'Claude writes test_csvstat.py and pyproject.toml; the tests pass, and Claude starts a git repository and saves the work.'
+      'Claude writes test_csvstat.py and pyproject.toml; the tests pass, then Claude starts a git repository and saves the work.'
     );
     expect(panel('text-plan-dry-run-helper', 0, 'plan')?.story).toBe('Claude writes a plan: 4 steps.');
     expect(pagesOf('text-plan-dry-run-helper')[1]).toMatchObject({ origin: 'task', durationMs: 9008 });