Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Taekuchi.

"Serena! Welcome back. Are you feeling better?"

Mindy greeted Serena as she came through the glass doors of their firm.

"Hello Mindy," Serena replied. "Yes, a lot better. Thanks." She looked up at the clock. It was 5 minutes to 9 in the morning. "Is Jim in yet?"

"Not yet. Hey, did you know about Sarah?"

Her brows furrowed. Sarah Burchartz was her immediate superior who had worked in the agency for more than ten years. While Serena was in charge of guarding the fort, that is keeping away companies like Crane from taking more of Weller's natural sites, Sarah Burchartz was the head of the development projects. She coordinated with the city engineers, architects and landscapers in the restoration and renovation work. The last time she talked to the her was last Wednesday, the day before the court hearing. "What about Sarah?"

"She's leaving."

"Leaving?"

Mindy nodded. "Resigned last Thursday is what I heard. This is her last week."

"What? Why?" Serena's mind went to the Rayvern Park renovation. She was supposed to come up with the plans to present to the city council head by the end of the week. But with Sarah gone…

"I'm not really sure about the details," Mindy replied. "But it seems her husband's found work in another state."

The salary at their firm was not much. Serena knew that Sarah would be making twice, if not three times as much, if she worked for a private company. But the reason that most of the people stayed was because of their dedication to the work that they did for the city. In Sarah's case, Serena could only assume that that dedication came second to her dedication to her family.

"It was just so sudden," Mindy went on. "I think Jim's still a little shocked by it all."

"More than a little shocked, I would think," said Serena. "We just got our chance at Rayvern Park, and then this." Serena let out a sigh. "Anyway, can you please let me know when he gets in?"

"Sure."

When she got to her desk, she found a pile of documents an folder on it. She sighed. She had only been gone two days. And now with Sarah leaving, she was almost sure most of her work would be handed off to her. Assuming, of course, she would still have her job after today.

"Serena?"

She turned to the voice of a woman carrying a black coffee mug in her hands.

"Hi Karen. Good morning." Serena smiled at the older woman who looked to be in her early forties, her curly auburn locks encasing her plump face.

"And a very good morning to you too. Are you feeling better?" Karen smiled warmly at her.

"Yes. I've had a very good rest."

"It sure seems like it. My, you're looking very lovely today. It's like your glowing."

"Thanks. I could say the same for you. Did you lose weight?"

Karen shrugged. "Yeah, 'bout five pounds. But I don't feel as good about it anymore, looking at you. Maybe I should get some off days too. Did you go anywhere special? Weekend spa?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Just stayed at home, like the doctor ordered. Had dinner with my family over the weekend and that's about it."

"Hmm… There's got to be something there." The two engaged in more small talk and were joined by more of their colleagues. The conversation went from Serena's days off to Sarah Burchartz's resignation, who was currently on leave that day. Next to Mindy, Serena was the youngest person in the firm, and with the shortest tenure of 4 years. She had started as an intern, and eventually absorbed when she graduated college.

"Good morning ladies! What's this assembly you're having?" A heavy set man in his early fifties came up to them. Although he was built like a linebacker, his balding hair and warm smile lessened the intimidation people felt around him.

"Hey Jim," Karen replied. "We were just talking about how Serena. She's just glowing these days. Don't you think so?"

Jim nodded. "My, my, looks like that vacation did you some good. You're even on time."

"I just stayed at home, really. Doctors orders."

"All the same. Can you come by my office later? There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Okay."

"Later ladies." Jim waved at them and went towards the direction of his office at the end of the hall. One by one, Serena's officemates started to disperse heading to their desks.

When she was finally left by herself, the nervousness she felt earlier when Jim had asked to see her in his office started to creep in. There was only one reason that came to her head as to why Jim would want to talk to her. It was inevitable, she thought. Although she would consider herself a good employee since she started at the firm, being late for weeks in a row was a definite issue that could erase all of that. She hoped it was not too late for her to try and explain her situation to her soon to be ex-boss.

"Please close the door, Serena."

She took a calming breath as she turned and did as she was told. It was very rare that Jim closed the door to his office. Even during those times that they could all hear him arguing with someone, either in person or in a phone call. He also had a large gum ball dispenser near the door to encourage people to come by and say hello, and perhaps even stay around for a little chit chat. Serena's heart felt heavy as she sat down on the chair across the man she had considered like a second father, her mentor.

"I'm sure by your short welcome back reunion earlier you already know about Sarah's abrupt resignation."

It took Serena a few seconds to let the man's opening statement to sink in. Not quite what she was expecting to hear. "Yes," she cleared her throat. "That was really a surprise."

"Try shock." Jim leaned back. "She didn't even give us fair warning, or two weeks notice. What with just having won the Rayvern case, we now have nothing to show… at least not in time." He sighed and shook his head before facing Serena again. "She's leaving us at such a crucial time—we could just lose it all to Crane."

"No…" Serena's heart sank.

"Yes." Jim leaned forward, his face taking on a determined and hopeful expression. "And that is where I'll need your help."

"Anything," she leaned in as well. "I've worked too hard for this."

Jim smiled. "That, is exactly what I expected to hear from you. I knew I could depend on you, Serena. But there is something that I'll need to ask of you, and you could say 'no' of course, but it would really help us what with Sarah leaving in a few days."

Serena's eyes furrowed. "What is it?"

"I don't have time to look for a replacement outside. Not that I really need to, anyway. You may be a bit young, but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. Would you take Sarah's position?"

When she kept silent, just staring back at him with mute surprise, he frowned slightly. "Hmm… I was actually hoping for a different reaction."

"Jim," Serena finally spoke up. "Before I give you my answer, there's something I need to tell you."

"Oh god, you're not leaving me too, are you?"

She shook her head. "No. But it might change your mind about giving me the job. And I'll totally understand if you do."

"Okay."

She stalled and took a deep breath. "I haven't been totally honest with you. About the reasons why I've been coming in late for weeks. I meant to tell you, I have to anyway but I was just waiting for the right time. I'm pregnant."

Jim smiled. "Congratulations, my dear. That is very good news."

"Thank you."

Both were silent for a few moments looking at each other, until Jim spoke up. "And?"

"And… that's it."

Jim leaned back. "Are you moving somewhere else to raise your child?"

"Uh…no." Serena replied, unsure of where the conversation was going now. "I don't have plans of going anywhere at the present time."

"Okay. So what's the problem? You're getting married soon and you're going on another vacation?"

"No, I'm not getting married," she said in a low voice.

"Oh." He looked away for a moment in embarrassment. "So then uh… wh-what is the problem? Why do you think I'd change my mind?"

"Well, it's just that since I've kept something like this from you… I don't know…"

"You thought I'd have less confidence in your capability as an employee? My dear girl, I thought you knew me better than that."

"I'm sorry, Jim."

Jim smiled. "How could I ever doubt you? Yes, you've been coming in late, but I also know that you've been staying late as well, working on the Rayvern Park case. The position is still yours, if you want it."

Serena smiled. "Yes. Yes, I do. Thank you for your confidence in me."

"So, how did it go last night?" Andrew asked Darien who was sitting across from him on the table. Whenever his schedule allowed it, Darien had his lunch at the Crown Arcade. Partly to hang out with his best friend, partly to get away from the corporate world he lived in, but for the most part—the part that he would never admit to anyone, the place held for him fond memories of a certain teenaged girl who by some twist of fate that no one ever thought of was now carrying his child.

"I think I should be okay," he told Andrew. "I don't think I have to worry about her father chasing after me with a shotgun when they find out about her pregnancy. Though Serena and I haven't figured out yet how to break it to them eventually that we've broken up, after she's told them about getting knocked up by me."

"Hmm.. Maybe you're planning too far ahead?"

Darien quirked an eyebrow. "You do know that she'll start to show in about 2 months or less, right?"

Andrew smiled. "I see someone's been doing research. But what I mean is, maybe you don't have to plan … for the breakup part."

Darien's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Do I need to remind you that I was just the pretend boyfriend?"

Andrew leaned in. "Have you ever considered making it real for you and Serena?" Andrew went on when he noticed that the expression on his friend's face changed slightly. "Together, with your child."

"No." Darien's gaze went to the street outside. "I don't want to think about things I'm not sure about, or have no control."

"How would you know that if you haven't even tried?"

Darien turned to his friend with an expression of amused incredulity. "Are you kidding me? This is Serena we're talking about. Even if I were to consider that, she would no sooner come up with a ten-foot pole if she knew that I had that kind of thought about her."

This time it was Andrew who quirked an amused eyebrow at his friend. "Who's kidding whom here? I highly doubt that said pole materialized between the two of you that 'fateful' night. Otherwise, the story would have been different."

"That was different. We were both drunk—"

"Please, man. Alcohol removes your inhibitions, not give you new inclinations. Yes, we were all like 'who would've thought?!' but Serena's not the kind of girl who would just do that with any random guy. No matter how drunk she is. And neither would you."

Darien was silent. Not wanting to voice out the questions that were running through this head, making him anxious and excited at the same time. His gaze went out the window and he saw a man who seemed to be in his mid thirties holding the hand of a little boy. A father and his son, he supposed. They were both walking until the boy stopped and stepped in front of his father holding up his hands. The man said something to the boy before picking him up and continued on with their walk until they were out of sight.

"Andrew, how…when did you know that you were ready?"

His friend was taken aback by the sudden change of topic. His eyes followed Darien's, turned back to his friend and then smiled.

"About being a father." Darien turned to face his friend.

"Congratulations."

Andrew leaned back on his chair with the confused look on Darien's face. "When a man asks questions like that, that's how he starts being ready to become a father." He let out sigh. "Just like you, it wasn't something that I planned. Someday yeah, but not at that time. It was the same with Mina. Her career in modeling had just taken off."

"So, what'd you do? Take classes or something?"

Andrew shrugged. "It's the little things, well, not really little. Events that little by little make it real for you."

"Such as?" Darien leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"Such as hearing your child's heartbeat while he's still in his mother's womb, the first time you see your baby through the ultrasound video, feeling the baby kick from his mother's belly."

Darien leaned back and had a faraway look in his eyes. Although he had made it clear to Serena that he wanted to play an active role in their child's life, he knew it would be different for him. The most he was sure that he could get would be an ultrasound picture.

"Darien, there is nothing certain in this world," Andrew went on. "Even when you're holding your child for the first time in your arms. Your world changes, and it may not be the same for everyone. It may not even be what you expected."

"So what's next for the Rayvern Case?"

Darien looked at the mirror to see Rob Sanders coming in to the men's room followed by Jed Michaels.

"Like I said," Jed replied. "Ms. Chambers needs to come up with a plan to present to the city council, and it has to be feasible for the timeline she promised to restore the damn park."

The two men lined up next to Darien, while the latter stepped away to go to the sink.

"I know," Rob replied. "I mean, what's next for you? Don't tell me you're just gonna sit and wait for things to unfold."

A slow smile formed in Jed's lips. "You know me too well, my friend." He patted his companion's shoulder. "No," Jed went on. "She can't give that plan. Or at least, not as good as she promised. My plan, my friend, is to distract her."

The two men went to sink, and Darien finished drying his hands with the paper towel. He then went down to retie his shoelaces.

"That, is the new challenge for me," said Jed. "And I'm gonna enjoy every minute of it."

"Serena, Jed Michaels called again."

Serena looked up from her computer to see Mindy at the door of her new office. The one which had been recently vacated by Sarah Burchartz. She looked at her watch and was surprised by how late it was.

"Mindy, tell me you didn't stay this late just to tell me that."

Mindy smiled and Serena noticed the handle of the former's handbag which she readjusted on her shoulder. "No. I was just on my way out, when he called again."

"Oh." Serena smiled. "Why are you still here?"

"My boyfriend was supposed to pick me up here about an hour ago," Mindy replied. "But then he got caught up with something at work. So I thought I'd just wait for him here and try to do finish some paperwork."

"I see."

"How about you though? Working late again? Jim shouldn't be working you too hard, especially in your condition."

Since she had told her boss about pregnancy, she didn't see a reason to hide it from the people she worked with in the office. She would eventually show. And since most of the people who worked in their firm were women, it would not take too long for them to form their suspicions. Better to come out in the open, and stop a potential rumor from being blown out of proportion. And when it came to questions about the baby's father, she only flat out told them that she had broken up with the father—recently. However, it still made her uncomfortable when she felt patronized because of her condition.

"I have a tight deadline for the Rayvern Case. For the most part, Mindy, people get promoted because your superiors believe you're capable of doing more, and not just because they believe you've earned it with what you've done thus far. Jim pretty much told me this, before he offered me the position. And I accepted it."

"Well, Jim surely made the best decision to give you Sarah's position," said Mindy. "But I think all of us, Jim included, believe that you shouldn't push yourself too hard either."

Their conversation was interrupted by a ring from inside Mindy's bag. "That's my boyfriend. He should be outside waiting. You'll be okay, right?" Mindy asked before stepping out of the room.

Serena smiled and nodded. "Have a good night, Mindy. Have fun." Serena winked at the departing receptionist.

Serena was all alone in the office when she heard the phone ring, and it was coming from the main trunkline. She looked at the analog clock on the wall and it was close to 7:30 in the evening.

"Hello?"

"Finally," replied a male voice on the other end. "I guess that means the gatekeeper has left."

Serena frowned, especially when she detected a hint of amusement of whoever was on the other line. "Who is this, please?"

"Serena, it's Jed."

Serena took the receiver away her ear to look at it, before putting it back in her ear. "Jed Michaels?"

"Yeah. I figured I'd just try my luck one more time before calling it a day."

"Yes, right. I'm sorry I haven't been able to return your calls, Mr. Michaels."

"Please, call me Jed. It's okay. I know you've been busy, working late."

"Yes.. I have. How do you know that?" She was glad that they were having this conversation on the phone, as it would have been very hard for her to hide her discomfort.

"Well, you're not answering your phone at home either."

It started to creep her out a bit that the guy knew her home phone number when she wasn't even listed. More so was his insistence in talking to her.

"Right. Yes, I've been busy lately."

"Believe me, I know the feeling. And I know that one of the reasons is the plan that you have to present to the town council for Rayvern Park."

"Among other things, yes."

"So how about a deal? Let's go have lunch tomorrow, and I'll never bother you again."

"And what would be the agenda for this lunch?"

She heard him let out a light laugh before answering.

"Does everything have to be about work? Serena, chances are very low that you would likely want to see me again after the Rayvern Case is done. And the truth is, I wouldn't want our relationship to just end with that. So, I'm just asking for a chance for you to let me show you a different side of me. As a friend, maybe?"

"I don't know… I don't think it's proper that we should meet up 'as friends' while the case is still ongoing."

"I'm a very persistent person, Ms. Chambers. I will keep calling until you finally relent."

Serena had no doubt about that. She already felt sorry for Mindy for acting as her 'gatekeeper' as Jed had called her. And she had started feeling like not wanting to check her voice messages at home, knowing there would be at least one message from him.

"Okay. I'll meet up with you, over lunch, this one time until the case is finished."

"Great. Tomorrow?"

"Let me check my schedule." Serena flipped through her agenda. She didn't have meetings between noon and 2pm the next day. Good, she thought. Better to get it over with sooner than later. "Okay, tomorrow."

"It's a date."

Darien watched as Serena was led by the maitre'd to Jed's table who stood up to greet her. His table was in the far corner of the large and busy dining hall of Henri's, and with him were 3 clients he was having a lunch meeting with. With Crane's connections in the city, he managed to get last minute reservations at the upscale restaurant. Although the challenging part had been to find out from Jed Michael's secretary where her boss was having lunch that day. The lunch part he had overheard while Jed and Rob were getting their morning coffee. He knew that he was starting to look suspicious to the two men, so he had to tread more carefully from now on. He excused himself from his guests when the maitre'd left Jed and Serena's table.

He made his way to the bathroom, and then came right out again. Coming out of the bathroom, he would be in Jed's direct line of sight. When their eyes met, Jed half-raised a hand at him in acknowledgement. Whether that was an invitation for him to come over, or just an off-handed greeting, he took the chance the walk up to their table. And as he was walking towards them, Serena turned to see who Jed was waving at. Her eyes widened and there was muted surprise written all over her face. His eyes lingered on her for a moment before turning his full attention back to his colleague.

"Hey Michaels." He said when he reached their table.

"Shields," Jed replied without standing up. "We seem to be running into each other a lot lately."

"Yeah. Weird isn't it? I'm sitting over there with the Katzuo group." He made sure that both Jed and Serena knew where he was sitting, and that he had a good view of them from where he sat.

"The Katzuo group?" Darien saw that Jed was intrigued as he tried to make out the people whose backs were facing him. "So you finally managed to convince them to come."

"Yeah. After weeks of emails and late night conference calls." He turned to Serena. "I see you have a client of your own?"

"Forgive me." Jed turned to Serena. "Darien, this lovely lady is Serena Chambers. Serena, this is my colleague Darien Shields. We both came from the main office almost two months ago, few weeks apart."

"Serena Chambers?" Darien turned to her with an amused smile, although her expression remained guarded and confused. "The Ms. Serena Chambers." He turned to Jed and then back to Serena. "I have heard so much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." He extended his hand out to her.

Still having the confused look on her face she gingerly took the offered and then turned to Jed. "Uh.. Thank you?"

"All the good things, I assure you." He said to her.

She let out a smile. "I rather doubt that." She turned back to Darien, finally getting in on Darien's play. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Shields."

He gave her hand a light squeeze before letting go. "Well, I should be getting back to my clients. Bon appétit."

When he was seated, he saw Serena looking at him over her menu. He held her gaze for a moment before turning his attention back to his clients.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

Serena sat on her couch. It was half past 8 in the evening, and she had expected that he would be calling her to explain things.

"What was that all about?" She didn't bother to hide her annoyance at the lunchtime charade.

"I can't let them know that we know each other."

"But it's okay for Crane to know that I'm having lunch with the person handling the Rayvern Case? What about the conflict of interests issue?"

"It's a bit complicated."

"Enlighten me."

"Let's just say that for certain situations these things happen, management turns a blind eye, to get things done. But you should know, we're not all like that."

"Of course." She deadpanned.

"So, what were you doing there with him?"

"It's none of your concern."

"If it concerns your safety, it is."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, I know that all that's pending for you to win the case is that Rayvern Park renovation plan. But he hasn't given up. When he sees an opportunity, he will still try to get the decision to fall in his favor."

"We didn't even talk about work."

"Just trust me on this, okay? I'm only looking out for you."

"If you knew he was planning on something then why not tell him on it. Tell your superiors."

"I don't have proof. Yet."

Serena let out an exasperated sigh.

"Serena, please. I'm doing my best to protect both our jobs, and our reputations."

"Fine, Darien."

"Be careful. If you suspect anything, don't hesitate to call me. At work I can still watch him, but not all the time."

"Alright. I think this is borderline paranoid, but whatever. Goodnight."

Serena was finding it hard to concentrate on her work. Darien's words kept coming back to her. She knew he had no reason to be making up what he'd said. Darien's job and hers were now starting to come into conflict. As good as his intentions were for her and their child, his work could very well be jeopardized if his bosses found out.

A rap on her door broke her train of thought. "Good morning, girlie."

"Hey John, good morning." Serena smiled at their 64 year old messenger.

"This came for you." He handed her a small brown envelope. "When I came by last week they said you'd gone on vacation. Where'd you go?"

"I just stayed at home actually. To rest." She examined the package that didn't come with the sender's name and address. "Did someone drop this off here?"

"Eh.. Hmm." John rubbed his chin with his fingers. "Now that you mention it, I don't remember the postman dropping it at the reception. Weird letter that. Maybe you shouldn't open it. Maybe it ain't safe."

Serena looked at the old man and smiled. "It wouldn't be the first weird letter, John."

"Yeah, well. Don't let it trouble 'ya until maybe you're bored. If it was important it would've come with a sender's name, like normal post."

"You're right." She put the envelope aside to look at the other mails given by the messenger.

"Well, I gotta get going now. See you around girlie."

The idea was to not let the curiosity get to her, and distract her further from the work she needed to do. But since she was already distracted by her last conversation with Darien, and now this strange envelope, she thought it best to just get it over with. Then maybe her mind would have some peace. She took a deep breath and moved closer to her desk to give the package another once over before she started to carefully peel off the masking tape that sealed it. It was light, and there were no hard surfaces inside when she felt it so she assumed it was likely to contain just papers inside.

When she saw the contents, she leaned back and let out a sigh. In cut and pasted letters of different sizes and colors, it read: "We don't need your stinkin' park. We need jobs! Take your community services to Africa where wild animals might care." The greatest reward in her job was knowing that she was doing something good for her community, as the pay was nothing spectacular. The downside was when the community viewed things differently and couldn't see the good that her firm was trying to accomplish. She had anticipated something like this would come her way, only that she had expected it to come sooner before the town meeting. Perhaps they didn't think she could win the desolate Rayvern Park from the clutches of Crane Developers. She checked the back page and the insides of the even lope again, but didn't find anything more as to who was against her this time. The method of intimidation was not entirely new, nor original. Though it was slightly improved from the usual complaint letters to their firm, usually addressed to their boss. She replaced the letter back in its envelope, crumpling it before throwing it into the trash bin under her desk.

"I really appreciate you meeting with me on such short notice, Greg," Serena said to the man who sat across from her on the table inside Uncle Ben's. It was a little past lunchtime and the place was near seating capacity. "I know you're quite busy these days with your projects at the City Engineer's office, plus preparing for the wedding and all."

"No problem," Greg smiled. "Work is hectic lately, but as for the wedding preparation and all that, I think I'm pretty much covered with Mina and Raye on the front line. So, you have the data I mentioned over the phone earlier?"

"Right here." Serena took out a big envelope that contained information about Rayvern Park, along with the most recent photos. Gregory Colbert was the engineer that their firm worked with for the community projects. And in one of her cupid inspired moments, she introduced him to Amy and the rest was history.

Greg went over the proposed plans and then at the photos of Rayvern Park from 10 years ago to the present. Small creases formed in his forehead, making Serena nervous at his verdict. What she had was a proposed plan, what she needed was someone from the City Engineer's office to concretize it. Or at least, give her an assurance that what she had in mind was doable, feasible. This she needed to present to the head of the city council with numbers and dates for them to grant her the go ahead for her renovation project.

"How long have we got?"

"5 days, including the weekend."

Greg's eyes went up from the pictures to look at her.

"I know, I know." She went on. "I should have contacted you sooner. It's just a lot of things happened over the past 2 weeks and I am just now getting my life back in order. And I didn't want to come to you until I had all the info you needed."

Greg sighed. "So I heard. You even missed last Wednesday's dinner."

She flinched inwardly. It was almost sacrilege to miss the weekly dinner that she and her friends had. A tradition they started since they started working. It was a time for them to catch up on each other, and meet the new people—or men for those who were still unattached. And for the missed dinner, Raye was on her for about 30 minutes on the phone about it. Although mostly it was because Mina came with Andrew, Amy with Greg, Lita brought a new date, and she didn't have one.

"But you're in luck," Greg went on. "A friend of mine just flew in yesterday. He's a city landscaper—not from around here. A bit famous, and specializes in parks."

She drew in a breath. "I can't be so lucky." She held onto his arm. "But please, tell me you're not pulling my leg here."

Greg chuckled. "Nope, no joke. He's here because we need to consult with him on a few projects. And he's a former college buddy of mine. I can probably arrange for us to meet—"

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow… Saturday? You don't ask for much huh?"

"I know I am. And I'm sure I'm already playing the friends-for-so-long, and introducing-you-to-your-future-wife cards, but I am desperate."

Greg let out a light laugh. "Yeah. Okay, you win. Morning, okay? I'll meet up with him later and maybe we can start something over Friday night's end-of-the-workweek dinner."

"Thank you, Greg."

A cold breeze welcomed her when she entered her dark apartment making her frown slightly. She always closed the window before she leaving the house, and lately she hadn't even bothered opening up in the morning as she was always rushing out. She flicked on the living room lights and immediately her eyes found the broken windows facing the main street. With careful steps, she crossed the room until she stepped on one of the broken shards of glass which broken under the pressure of her weight. A piece of crumpled paper caught her sight a few feet from where she stood. She walked over to it, trying to step over the other broken pieces of glass on the wood tiled floor. The paper was used to wrap a rock the size of her fist, and she then noticed that there were two more in the room near the second window that was broken. Her fingers trembled as she held the crumpled sheet in her hands. It was the same letter she had thrown in her wastebasket that morning. She reached for a phone on the desk nearby and dialed a number.

"Mina," she said when she heard her friend's voice on the other line. "Can I come over?"