Astrid Finch sings because her voice is the only thing that is hers. She endured teasing as a girl for simply being unpopular and for being a singer with a bird's name. Since then, the world changed and shifted around her. People forgot their teasing. But still she has her voice.
She uses her voice with the cellist Audrey Nathan for some new art songs they will debut. The other woman is trying to be brave and get out there after her experience with stalkers and abusive fans. When she let Astrid into her life, she told the singer about her lost love Phil. She said she saw Astrid hiding some pain, too, and that she should put that into her singing.
Astrid opens up little by little to tell Audrey of her love of her best friend Stephen and then her love of John. Astrid told her how it hurt because John didn't remember her any more.
"It's like I'm the only one who knows what we were," she says as her heart cracks all over again.
When their rehearsal is over, Astrid takes time to walk the streets. She wants to be alone with her thoughts, but not boxed into one room.
She almost missed the flash of blond hair as he helps a beautiful brunette. Astrid jealously thinks it's always a brunette with him.
"John?" she asks softly, the name delicate in the air.
Astrid feels the ground tremble slightly like a large semi truck is going by. She is so focused on John that it doesn't matter. It is John with his blue eyes and the quirk of his mouth. The mouth she'd dared kiss. The one she misses.
"I'm not John," he says with hands out to placate. He and his brunette are backing away.
"John, I know you. Don't you remember me?" Astrid asks, and it's torture to wait for his answer. Of course, he doesn't remember her.
"I saw you use your power. I would know it anywhere, even if I am just a human."
"You know about Inhumans?" the brunette finally asks, and Astrid looks at her.
"No. He's a Tomorrow Person," the singer says.
"I'm not," he says gently, walking cautiously to her. "I wish I was your John. You shouldn't look so sad."
Neither can explain the strong pull since they are just strangers after all. It is said everyone has a doppelganger somewhere. So they hug each other until the other woman makes them break apart.
"We have to go," she tells him gently while Astrid watches.
"This is me," she says as she writers her phone number on a flyer folded as small as origami and hands it to him.
When Lincoln opens it in privacy later, he sees that it is an ad for her upcoming music recital with Audrey Nathan on cello. He's not sure why, but something compels him to keep it.