"She came back," Maureen sobbed. Lauren stroked her hair, carefully braiding the curls back into an elegant French braid. "She- she came back..."

"I know, baby," Lauren whispered, holding Maureen close and putting her face in Maureen's hair, inhaling the smell of strawberries.

"I never told you about Joanne..."

"That's okay. Do you want to tell me, Honeybear?"

"I need to."

"Okay, c'mon, let's go over to the couch, it's comfier. Just remember, sweetheart, if you ever need to stop, just... just let me know, baby, and I'll understand, okay?" Maureen nodded, letting Lauren scoop her into her wheelchair and push her towards the couch. When they were settled, Maureen started.

"It really started with Mark, I guess. We dated for a while, but there was nothing special, you know? He never looked at me, unless it was behind that dinky little camera of his. So I flirted. With everyone, boys, girls, anything that would look at me. Even if they couldn't see... me... they would look at me, talk, flirt, ask me out. All I was was a pretty face."

"The prettiest," Lauren agreed, tying up her hair.

"Well, then I dumped Mark." Maureen giggled a little.

"What's so funny?"

"The way I dumped him." Maureen giggled again. "I got so sick of that freaking camera... I snatched it out of his hands. He came to get it, but he's so scrawny, I could outrun him and fend him off. Then, some of Mark's friends from this film camp he went to, they came around and... it was really funny... they start talking all cult-like and they're like, 'Do not insult the Power of the Camera' and I laughed, so they started to attack me. Mark was just screaming 'Don't hurt my baby!' At first I thought he was talking to me, but then I realized he was referring to the camera. Joanne yanked the geeks off of me, handed Mark his camera, and took me home. I broke things off with Mark the next day. I realized I really loved Joanne, so we dated, you know, but I couldn't break my habit of flirting, so every other day, we broke up... and then we got engaged... and it all happened so fast... one minute I was talking to the lady serving wine, trying to ignore the fuzzies in my head from the drinks, the next, Joanne and I are breaking up. We got together again, and then her dad died and she needed to take over Jefferson and Jefferson, meaning she had to transfer to Seattle. I wanted to go with, but she said she didn't want me out on the streets or whatever until she found us a place. I knew she meant she didn't want me to blow it. I understood, I mean, I'm me. I told her to call me when she was ready, and she did. A month later. I was in an off-Broadway show, though, and I couldn't miss it. There were going to be talent scouts there and everything! I couldn't just leave." A tiny tear traced down Maureen's cheek, to her lips. "I tried to explain, tried to tell her that as soon as I could, I'd get the heck out of there and be with her. But she didn't care. She settled down in Seattle, and when I came up after the show, she didn't care anymore."

Maureen closed her eyes, drawing in a shaky breath.

"I made it back to New York, and tried to forget about her. Then, one day, I got hit by a truck. I don't remember much about then, but I know I had a punctured lung, other crap like that, and then I went into a coma. When I woke up, the first face I saw was Joanne's. She was begging me to give her another chance... I didn't listen. I told her to go away. She listened. I was put in this wheelchair, but without Joanne to keep me in line, I didn't listen to the doctor's instructions. That's why I'm still in the chair. I can't act again, unless I go into surgery, but I don't want that. That's why I read the plays - I can't act, but I can wish." Maureen frowned. "That's all, I guess."

"Maureen..."

"I can't do this. I can't stay with you. I'm sorry, Lauren. I love you, but..."

"I love you, too, Maureen, but I understand." Lauren leaned in to give Maureen a soft kiss on the nose before she carried Maureen back to her chair, packed her things, and went back to find her brother's appartment. Maureen felt bad about kicking Lauren out, but she just couldn't handle someone who would try to replace Joanne.

Not now.

Not ever.