Lori was lying on her side on her bed, looking out her bedroom window when Jessi knocked gently on her doorframe.
"What do you want?" She asked in a grumpy, depressed voice.
"To come into your room," Jessi said. "You like it when I knock first."
"Come on in, Jessi," Lori turned over to look at her, "although I have to warn you, I'm terrible company right now."
"You haven't been working on your songs," Jessi said, sitting down.
"Every time I pick up my guitar, I think of Mark and then I start to cry."
"You should put those feelings into a song." Jessi suggested. "You started playing the guitar when you broke up with Declan. You put your feelings about him into your songs."
"I started playing the guitar because it was something different than what I had been doing," Lori explained, "something that I hadn't done when I was with Declan. I needed a change. The songs have always been what Mark and I did together. I can't do it without him."
"Why not?" Jessi asked. "You wrote songs before you met Mark."
"I suppose I did," Lori reluctantly agreed. "But I've gotten used to having him give me advice."
"I could give you advice," Jessi offered.
"Thank you," Lori said with a smile, "but songs …"
"Songs are about people and their feelings." Jessi nodded. "I don't understand people well."
"You're getting better," Lori assured her.
"But you've always been good at it," Jessi said.
"I've had more years of practice." Lori thought for a moment and added, "It's just that everything I've done with my music since I met Mark has been because he helped me. He got me the chance to play at 'Pockets'. He recorded my first demo disk."
"But you are recording demo disks at a studio now. And Gary Baker would still want you to play at 'Pockets', even without Mark."
"Are you sure?" Lori asked. "Mark arranged it with him, that's why he invited me."
"The audience likes you," Jessi assured her. "Their reaction gets stronger every time you play. I can tell."
"Do you really think that?" Lori asked. "You're not just saying it just to make me feel better?"
"I always say what I really think," Jessi responded, puzzled.
"I suppose you do," Lori agreed with a chuckle. "I guess I could call Gary."
"You should. I'm sure he wants you to come back," Jessi stood up and picked up Lori's guitar then held it out to her, "You should practice. The family misses your music."
"Really?"
Jessi just smiled at her and held out the guitar.
"You do say what you really think," Lori nodded. She reached out and took the guitar. "It is a nice instrument," She commented. She tentatively strummed an E minor and listened to it as the melancholy sound echoed off her walls. She pursed her lips and strummed a firm D. She looked up to Jessi and shrugged, "I have to get the anger out first; we can do the minor key songs later."
Jessi smiled and then left her as she concentrated on finding the chord sequence that matched her mood.