It was early Saturday morning when Raoul showed up at the door with two cups of coffee and a paper bag of sweet-smelling pastries, and it took Christine a moment to feel sure that this hadn't been a plan that she'd forgotten.

"Raoul," she smiled, stepping aside to let him come in. "What are you doing here?"

"Good morning to you, too," Raoul said, pausing to give her a peck on the cheek. "I'd hoped that if I caught you early enough you wouldn't be busy. I figured I could bring by some breakfast and we could chat. You're not in the middle of anything already, are you?"

"No, and you know that I always appreciate breakfast," she said. "Thanks."

Settling down at the kitchen table, Raoul handed one of the coffee cups to her and pulled the warm pastries from the bag. They ate quietly for a minute before Christine spoke again.

"So you said you wanted to chat. Was there something in particular you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah, actually." Raoul shifted in his seat and looked at her hesitantly. "Do you feel like things have been kind of… I don't know, weird between us lately?"

Christine looked away. "Um, yeah. It does seem like things have been kind of off."

She couldn't help but feel a little relieved that the difference wasn't only in her own head, but Raoul hardly looked pleased, as if he'd expected assurance that no, nothing was weird and things between them were great. She almost wished she'd been a little less honest—at least then he wouldn't look so upset.

"Sorry," she continued quickly. "I didn't mean that I think things are bad. I think we're doing well. We just… I don't know. You had it right. Things feel a little weird right now."

"Do you want to be with me anymore?"

Christine started at the accusatory tone. Or maybe it wasn't accusatory, she reasoned. Maybe it was just worried. "Of course I want to be with you," she told him. "Do you think I don't?"

"No, I don't think that. It's just that…" Raoul sighed. There was a long pause before he spoke again. "Is he handsome?"

Christine's brow furrowed as she hesitated, trying to understand the question. "Who?"

"Erik," he said, as if she should have been able to easily follow the line of reasoning that led to his question. "Is he handsome?"

She sat for a moment, taken aback by the question and unsure of what to say. That Raoul would even ask seemed absurd at first, but as she thought about it she reasoned that perhaps his concern wasn't entirely unfounded, at least in his mind. She did spend a lot of time with Erik, and if Raoul felt that their relationship was on shaky ground, it wasn't completely irrational for him to worry that her affection might be drawn elsewhere. But had she never told Raoul about the mask? She was sure she'd told him at some point over the past few months. Then again, she didn't often talk about her lessons with Raoul.

Even as she reasoned that there was no logical reason for her not to tell him now, the thought of it somehow felt wrong, like she was exposing a secret to someone who might use the information maliciously. All of this flashed through her mind in a second, so quickly she had hardly processed the thoughts before she found herself speaking.

"Why would it matter if he's handsome or not?"

"Don't be obtuse, Christine."

"Do you not trust me?" she pressed, keeping her voice calm but firm. "Do you think that I would cheat on you if I found another person attractive?"

Raoul exhaled. "No, I don't think that. I just feel like I'm justified being concerned about my girlfriend spending significantly more time with another man than she does with me."

"I know that must be frustrating, and I'm sorry," Christine said. "But you have to understand that it isn't like that. He's my teacher. The time I spend with him is work. I understand where you're coming from, but you need to trust me. I'm with you, and I'm not going anywhere." It left her a little unsettled knowing that this wasn't entirely true. Erik was more than her teacher, and they had spent time together outside of their lessons. But that didn't really matter, she reasoned. It didn't change the fact that there was nothing between her and Erik that Raoul should be concerned about, and knowing would only make Raoul more upset.

"Well, you could stand to make that a little easier to believe," Raoul said. "I don't see all this effort you're supposedly putting into being my girlfriend. I'm clearly more invested in us than you are."

"That's not true, Raoul," Christine insisted. "I'm really sorry if I've given that impression, but it's not true. I love you and I absolutely want to be with you."

"You've done a lot more than give an impression. You canceled our trip, you're not sure about moving our relationship forward, and you don't make any attempt to set aside time for just the two of us. Half the time I see you, Meg's also there. I'm surprised she's not here now."

Christine shifted in her seat, looking away. He wasn't wrong, she knew, and the realization sent a wave of shame through her. But it wasn't like she was doing any of that to intentionally frustrate him or to set their relationship back, and she bristled a little bit at the idea that that was what he thought of her.

"I'm really sorry about the trip," she said. "I know, I shouldn't have agreed to go and then backed out at the last minute. That sucked. But I can't go back and do anything differently. Is there any chance that we could just move on?"

Raoul sighed. "Fine. It's forgotten. We're moving on."

Somehow Christine doubted the sincerity of this but decided not to push. "And I'm sorry that you feel like we don't have enough time together. I'll do my best to make more time for just the two of us. But you have to understand that there's only so much I can do. I know that the show will be eating up a lot of the time we thought we'd have, but getting this part is a really big deal for me. And it's experience that could really help me down the line when I'm doing this professionally. I know it's frustrating that this is just one more thing that's going to keep me busy, but what do you want me to do?"

"Isn't there something you can give up to make me a little more of a priority?"

Christine rubbed her eyes. "It's not that you're not a priority. But I obviously can't drop the show or any classes, and I'm already working the absolute fewest hours I can and still afford to live. We've had this conversation before."

"What about your lessons?" Raoul asked, continuing quickly before she could say anything. "I know you've said you need them, but you can't possibly need them every day. I'm sure you could cut back a little."

She hesitated, knowing she couldn't really make him understand. Truthfully, she probably could take fewer lessons and get by okay. But she didn't want to just be okay, just good enough to get by—she had already done that for far too long, and now that she had been trying again, she couldn't imagine feeling okay about doing anything less. Besides, those mornings with Erik in their practice room had become her favorite part of the day. Even if they weren't so important otherwise, it would pain her terribly to cut back on them. But did that make her a bad girlfriend?

"I can't do that," she said softly.

"Why not?" he pressed. "You don't have an audition to practice for, and you've said that you've already been working on the score for the show. It seems to me like you don't really need the lessons anymore. Why couldn't you cut back to just once a week? You said you wanted to make more time for us."

"I do want that," she replied. "But my lessons are early in the morning before class anyway. That's not time we'd be spending together if I didn't have lessons."

"No, but you could use that time to study, or you could move your work schedule around so you're free in the evenings."

"Look, Raoul, I know it might be hard to understand, especially since you're not a musician or a performer, but having that practice time, having that help, makes such a huge difference—the kind of difference that will set me apart when I'm auditioning for the same part as a hundred other talented, pretty girls. I may have improved over the past few months, but that doesn't mean that there's no room to improve more."

"So your lessons and future career are more important to you than our relationship. That's good to know."

"Raoul, please, just stop and listen to me," Christine said, blinking back frustrated tears. They were just going in circles, she knew, but she didn't know what to say to get out of the pattern. "Yes, music and my future career are hugely important to me, and I'm not going to apologize for that. You of all people should understand what it means to value preparing for a career. But those things don't make our relationship less important to me. I want us to work. What can I do to make you feel better about all of this?"

"I keep telling you what you can do, and you keep saying no," he snapped. They were silent for a moment, and Christine closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

"No, you keep asking for things that you know I can't give you. You won't—" she stopped herself; she didn't want to fight with Raoul, and she supposed that her frustration now wasn't entirely fair. She'd been about to say that he wouldn't compromise, wouldn't give her goals and desires as much weight as he gave his own, but maybe that was unfair of her to think. She hadn't exactly made things easy for them, but he'd stayed by her side anyway, supporting her in spite of the difficulties. Maybe she could put in more effort, could set aside more time for the two of them like he wanted. The thought stirred an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, a slight nagging that she should stand her ground, that maybe she was too ready to give in to try to make something work that just wasn't right. But she quickly buried that uncertainty. She wanted this to work. And there were plenty of times when she knew she had been at fault, when she'd been responsible for making things difficult. Didn't she owe it to Raoul to put all the effort she could into their relationship?

"Okay," she said eventually. "I think that you should come to my rehearsals if you still want to. That was a good idea. And no matter what, I promise I'll keep at least two nights a week completely clear for you. Not just nights when we study together or nights when Meg's around too—it'll just be time for the two of us to spend together. Would that help?"

Raoul looked down, fiddling with his coffee cup. "Yes, that would help."

"And I promise to let you know if I end up with some time during the day to grab lunch or coffee or something," she continued. "Plus the show won't go on forever, and I'll have more time when it's over. It's not ideal, but we're both always going to be busy, aren't we? Wouldn't it be best to just learn how to make the most of whatever time we can find to spend together?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," he said, though he still didn't sound entirely happy. "I'm sorry I got upset. I just don't want to lose you."

"You're not losing me," she said gently. "That's not going to happen. We just… I don't know. We need to work on getting our lives synced up a little more, you know? And I need to work on being more deliberate about making time for us. But that doesn't mean you're losing me. I want to be with you."

Raoul reached across the table and took her hand, smiling a little. "Good. I want that too."

The tightness in her chest began to ease. "Well, then, that's one less thing we have to figure out, isn't it? So, I can be free tonight if you want to do something."

"Sure. That sounds good."

"Good." She paused, examining his expression. "Are we okay?"

He gave a nod, though his expression still seemed more resigned than content. Maybe she was only imagining that, though. "Yeah, we're okay. I, um, actually need to go, though. I'll come by and pick you up at seven tonight?"

"I'll be ready."

"Great." Raoul stood and leaned across the table to kiss her. "See you then."

"Bye."

Christine stayed in her seat as she watched him go, her fingers idly tearing at her mostly uneaten pastry, though she found that she no longer had the appetite for it. The conversation replayed in her head, and while she wasn't entirely sure that the whole thing sat well with her, she knew that Raoul had a point. He wanted to spend time with her and move things forward, and that certainly wasn't an unreasonable thing to want from a relationship. So why did she feel like shying away? That was what she wanted too, wasn't it? She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she stood, knowing she shouldn't delay her day any further. Maybe she really was just being a bad girlfriend. Resolving to do better, she dressed quickly and headed out for work, trying to stop her thoughts from lingering too much on Raoul.

It had been a long rehearsal already, and it wasn't even halfway over. Christine knew it wasn't actually any longer that other rehearsals, but it certainly felt that way. There had been a string of minor things that had gone wrong and seemingly hundreds of tiny issues with the staging that had completely stalled all progress and had left everyone irritable and frustrated. Christine had seen Raoul sit down in the auditorium part way into the rehearsal, and she was sure he must be as bored and frustrated as everyone else, not really even having much of anything to watch. There was a general sigh of relief when the scene they were working on was declared good enough for now and they were given a short break, and Christine wearily climbed down from the stage and sank into the seat beside Raoul.

"Hard day?" he asked with a sympathetic smile.

"You would think that in a group of talented people this far into rehearsals, at least one person would be able to do one thing correctly on the first try. Or even the second try. But it's just one of those days, I guess. Sorry you've had to watch such a terrible rehearsal."

"I'm just glad I'm not one of the people who's stuck up there rehearsing," he replied. "I also have to get going soon. Do you have any more scenes today?"

"Not scheduled, but we're supposed to stay for the whole rehearsal anyway."

"Well, sorry to abandon you, then. Will you be able to find a ride home?"

Christine nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I might be able to catch Meg on her way home, and if not I can just walk."

"Alright. Good luck with this," he said, gesturing vaguely around them.

"I'll need it," she smiled.

He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, and she watched him leave as the rehearsal was called back to order. The quiet chatter reluctantly ceased and the necessary people gathered on the stage while everyone else moved to the peripheries. Christine remained seated in the auditorium, pulling her backpack out from under the seat where she had stored it, determined to at least get a little bit of studying done even if she did have to stay here. Despite her better judgment, though, she did allow herself a quick peek at her phone, reasoning that she hadn't gotten to check it in quite a while and needed to make sure no one was desperately trying to get ahold of her.

There was one new text message—from Erik. Is this rehearsal as difficult to participate in as it is to watch?

Her brow furrowed as she turned in her seat to examine the rest of the auditorium. The seats were mostly empty except for backpacks and a handful of other cast members, and there was no sign of Erik anywhere.

Are you here? she asked him.

The reply came a few seconds later. Yes.

She turned and looked around again, this time peering more carefully into corners and shadows and anywhere else she figured could conceivably conceal a man, but still she could see nothing.

Where are you?

She continued to search the room until her attention was drawn back to her phone. If I told you, it would spoil the fun.

She laughed a little to herself and continued to scan the room for a few seconds before turning back to her phone. It won't be much fun if you make me guess, either. I have no idea where you are. Her focus was momentarily drawn back to the rehearsal by a bit of commotion on stage, and when she looked back at her phone no reply had come yet. If you have a minute, could we meet when rehearsal is over? she typed. I have a question about a part we went over earlier and it'd be nice to look at it while it's fresh in my mind.

Of course, came the quick reply. Meet at our practice room?

Thanks. See you there.

Sitting back in her seat, Christine turned her attention back to the rehearsal, spending the rest of the evening alternately watching the scenes and studying. And then it was finally over and everyone rushed from the auditorium in relief, eager to leave behind the frustration and tedium which hadn't really improved in the second part of the rehearsal. Only Christine lingered, pulling out her phone as she made her way to the practice room. Meg would be heading home from work soon and had offered to give Christine a ride, so Christine texted her that they were finished but that she needed a few minutes to meet with Erik. Meg replied that that would work perfectly for her and that she'd be there in a bit, and with her plans confirmed, Christine quickened her pace down the mostly-empty halls.

She found Erik already waiting in the practice room, greeting her with a knowing smile. "Long rehearsal?"

She smiled and gave an exaggerated sigh. "Very. And I wasn't even involved in the second half. Just watching it was still stressful."

"It was quite trying to watch at points," Erik agreed. "Some days are just like that. But I thought that you did well."

"Thanks for saying that. And thanks for meeting with me. I promise I'll keep this short—I don't feel much like working on this anyway after all that. I just thought it'd be easier to go over sooner rather than later."

"I don't mind at all," he told her. "But we'll make this quick for your sake. I'm sure you're ready to go home."

"I really am." Pulling her hastily packed-away music out of her backpack, she turned to the section that had been a snag during the rehearsal, grateful that Erik had been there to witness it and probably knew what the issue was before she even showed him the part.

True to his word, he worked with her quickly, giving her clear instructions with that patience she knew so well from him, soothing any lingering agitation in her. It would probably be good to work on it a little more, he told her, but that could wait until their lesson in the morning. She was putting the music away again a short time later, feeling much better about the section and the rehearsal as a whole, now that it hadn't been entirely fruitless.

"Do you always watch the rehearsals?" she asked as she finished packing up, suddenly realizing that the idea seemed a bit odd given that he had never mentioned it before.

Erik shook his head. "I come sometimes, but I haven't been at every one."

"Maybe one of these days I'll convince you to show me your secret hiding spot," Christine teased, and Erik smiled a little.

"Perhaps."

"So how do you think everything's coming along overall? It seems to me like we're doing fairly well compared to last year, but I was in the chorus then and the process feels different now."

"Today aside, it does seem like rehearsals are progressing well. I believe the show will come together just fine by opening night."

"It's so soon," Christine mused. "It felt soon when rehearsals first started, too, but now it feels like we're running out of time."

"You'll be ready," Erik assured her. "You're doing very well. Don't worry."

"You're not nervous?" she pressed with a small smile. "Not even a little bit? You're that confident that everything will be up to your very high standards?"

"No. Not everything. But I'm confident that you will be."

Her smile grew a little at this. "You're always saying that. I hope it's really what you think."

Before Erik could reply, there was a knock at the door, and a second later Meg poked her head into the room. "Oh good, there you are. Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting. I tried texting you but this building is a weird dead zone for me."

"It's fine," Christine told her. "I think we're finished. I was just about to come meet you."

"Don't let me rush you if you need another minute."

Christine turned and looked at Erik questioningly, and he shook his head. "I won't keep you."

"Alright." Christine swung her backpack over her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Erik met her gaze, and for a moment he relaxed a little from the more rigid stance he had assumed when Meg had entered, giving her a soft smile. "See you tomorrow."

"It was nice to see you again, Erik," Meg offered over her shoulder as she turned to leave.

"You too."

With that, Christine followed Meg from the room, turning to give Erik a little wave before the door closed behind her.