“Whew! It’s been so long since I’ve been in a show like that!” said Lori, giving a small, bent-elbow stretch over her head. It was late when the recording finally let up, the air weaving in a golden hue with a light brush of coming summer crimson. “I feel bad for how long I was taking to get into the swing.”

“I honestly couldn’t tell,” Cary said, walking close to the roadside. It was pleasantly calm with only a few passing cars. “You started out good, and you only got better.”

“And I agree wholeheartedly,” said Serafine, on the other side of Lori. “I hope that the whole affair wasn’t too stressful?”

“No, no,” said Lori. “Everyone’s been very friendly. Justin’s a bit of a ham, but I can tell that he’s trying to make me feel welcome. Really, it’s generous of them to allow me along at all.”

“Nonsense,” said Serafine, giving the slightest breath of a huff. “You’re as fair a representative of DCT as anyone else. If nothing else, take that to heart.” Her attempt at sternness could only last so long, and turned to a lighter smile despite yourself. “Although, I would very much like to see you relax and enjoy yourself on camera.”

“Well, I’m only so much of a cook,” Lori said with a self-depreciative chuckle. “That egg drop of mine wasn’t faked.”

“You two really get along well,” Cary said. She felt her stomach sink in foolishness before she even realized how obvious it was. “I mean, at first glance, I never would have guessed. Just because you two have...um, you know--”

“Serafine is so vibrant, and I’m so old and boring?” Lori teased.

“May I never hear those words again” said Serafine, the closest she ever came to indignity. “Even when I became a professional singer, I never could have dreamed I’d ever meet my own shining star.”

“Shining star?!” Cary all but spat.

“Of course! The glorious return of the lovely and vivacious Lori Q!” said Serafine, smiling with a greater pride than Lori, who gave a small squirm of embarrassment. “To think, the woman I looked up to and aspired to be when I was still in school, and not only returning to music, but I, debuting alongside her! It’s like something out of a story, don’t you think?”

“Lori Q?” Cary asked, turning to Lori. “But I thought your last name was Applegate.”

“It is,” Lori said. Her voice was bright, but her face had lost the energetic glow. “Lori Q was my stage name during my first run as a singer. Long before DCT, of course.”

“Wait, so you were a pop star before you were picked up by DCT?” said Cary. “That’s...really amazing.”

“Not especially,” said Lori, eyes fixed forward. “I was good at singing, and I enjoyed it. And since I was young and had too much energy and time on my hands and supportive parents, I was able to work with it.”

Cary already had a question bubble up uncomfortably in her mind--where Lori’s nursing career fit into it. When she first arrived at DCT, she had a resume that was impressive even without show business--a degree in nursing, several years experience in an ER, and partial coursework towards a DNP. But Lori asked her pointedly to ignore it all in future endeavors.

And Lori would have been the perfect nurse, Cary thought. Really, the only reason she could think of for Lori throwing it aside was literally fainting at the sight of blood.

“But that’s all in the past,” Lori said, giving Serafine a smile, and then turning to share it with Cary. “I hope that you both know how happy I am that you could be here with me. I may not look it, but I can get a little nervous when embarking on a new project.”

“Oh, jeez, I should be thanking you!” Cary said. “I mean, I got a backstage pass to see a show recording. Terra’s going to strangle me in jealousy if this keeps up.”

“Good gracious!” Serafine said. “Should I invite her next time to assuage her?”

“Do you answer all threats of murder with open-armed generosity?” Lori mused.

“I’ve no doubt you’d do the same if you were in my shoes,” Serafine said gracefully.

“That’s not...really, you’re too sweet for you own good,” said Lori, giving a small sigh. She looked genuinely worried for a moment, but managed one last smile. “Don’t let people push you around for it, okay?”

Serafine’s eyes widened for a moment, and she said nothing. From what Cary had seen of her, she may as well have dropped her jaw and gawked at Lori. She closed her eyes for a moment.

“Lori, I…” she started. She took a moment too long to keep her stride, which resulted in everyone halting for a moment, and Cary suddenly felt an apprehension like she was intruding. But an awkward situation seemed to be Serafine’s natural habitat, as she chuckled at her own foible. “I’d be honored if I could offer an arm to a job well done.”

“And I’d be honored to take it,” Lori said, slipping her own arms through the loop of Serafine’s the instant there was a sliver of room. It almost looked like they did something similar before.

“DCT’s a pretty...touchy-feely bunch, aren’t they?” Cary said. Two months in, and she was already uncensoring her inner narration much more than she’d like. “Is this a pop star thing?”

“Oh! I have a free arm if you’d like, Cary,” said Serafine cheerfully.

“No, it’s fine,” Cary said. “Seriously.” She felt something sputter in her mouth, that she could only identify as a candid laugh. But the new smile faltered on her cheeks as she caught a glimpse of Lori’s face--even though, or perhaps because, she was all but leaning into Serafine’s arm, she seemed deeply anxious, almost to the point of pain.