Sewing was a good excuse to talk to herself. No doubt that Leni enjoyed the process, the materials involved, and the products she could make. However the long relaxing stream of sliding fabric across the bow, the rhymtic beats of the presser foot, the humming coming from the inside was meditative, creating an environment where reflection was nature and welcomed.

Leni had been doing a lot of that lately, more so than usual. Her free time lately was dominated almost exclusively by making clothes and using her phone. She wasn't mad at any of her family members (far from it). But there were so many clothes she had to get to, whether it was for learning a new skill or experimenting with a new piece of fabric. And then of course there were the ones strictly out of obligation. This shirt she was making was for the next clothes sale being held by the Fashion Club. Given how successful the fall one had been, Leni wanted to raise the bar. That meant more clothes, more sewing, more time.

After all, this was going to an important cause, she reckoned. Those kids at Bartholomew's Helpers "needed" that money so that they could grow up to be better than her. She tightened her lips as she remembered Derek with his speaking tablet. If only she could help him. If only all those kids got the help they needed. They would be beautiful roses, blossoming with their wonderful set of talents, insights, and feelings. Others (like Carol) would have stopped feeling sorry because they couldn't talk or couldn't smile when they saw something they liked. They deserve that chance.

She then imagined her parents' faces. Mom was smiling, watching all of these bright students opening up and becoming appreciated. Dad was awestruck at the stories they were telling, the towers they were building, the paintings they were crafting, the changes they were making. The search for the source was short and definitive. It was their daughter that opened the floodgates to prosperity. Leni stood there, trying to count the number of lives she had saved.

"You forgot one," she heard her Mom say as she pointed towards her.

That was gonna be the moment when everything was proven, where her parents finally realized that their sacrifices and agony had meaning. This atonement needed to happen. It was what kept the sewing machine running and the stitches aligned.

Buzz.

In the corner of her eye, she made out her phone flashing. This only meant one thing. Halting the machine, Leni snatched it and saw a new message from Helen. She didn't recall sending one to her first. Her friend was becoming more assertive.

"Hi Leni. Since we have been friends for a few months now, my parents think it was about time they met you. They are very nice and are happy for the both of us. Would you like to come over my house sometime to meet them?"

Leni's eyes widened. Her tummy churned and her head lightened as she read through the message again.

She knew she had invited Helen over before and it went over well. But now that the roles were reversed, Leni wanted to think that it wasn't any different. It was, though. There was the discomfort that came with asking Mom and Dad, the isolation from everything she was connected to, propelling herself into an unknown abyss. Now, all of her siblings were fearless warriors, indifferent to habitually exploring beyond the safety of the House and school, away from her parents and teachers. This was the real world.

Leni was naked, unprepared to face the uphill battle that awaited her. She ruled out saying no, fearing it would crush poor Helen's spirit. However, Leni was troubled to spout "yes" right off the bat. Would her parents have allowed her to visit her friend? Were her siblings gonna press for all the details? As if her nerves weren't enough, these taunting questions amplified her reservations.

When Leni was nervous, she figured the best way to relax was to return to her precious machine. After all, that shirt wasn't gonna finish itself. A bit of purple fabric was enough to consume her attention, filling her eyes and mind with the clean slab of that same shade. There were no blemishes or stains to be found, making it ripe material.

As her foot pressed down on the pedal and the engine revved up, Leni got on the routine. This wonderful shirt was gonna end up in the closet of a very lucky boy. Perhaps he didn't have any purple in his wardrobe, making this new addition all the more important. He was gonna wear it to school and everyone was gonna gush on how it made that chocolate brown hair blend into a tapestry of eye candy. Sure someone was likely to drool all over their own clothes as they stared intensely at the colorful display, but that was alright! Because Leni was gonna make a nice yellow dress next for that girl to wear instead. And then she was gonna look really pretty. Then the other girls were gonna wonder where she got that dress from. They'll ask and she'll say "I, like, got it from the Fashion Club fundraiser". And then they were gonna buy a drop-dead blue blouse to compliment their brown slacks. Soon enough, there would have more people than fingers on her body that were gonna be better off all because of Leni. It was gloating, yes, however it was the cause that mattered more.

Buzz.

Two minutes flew fast, apparently. Leni was glad that her phone was designed to give her reminders of unaddressed texts; she would have gone the whole afternoon while leaving Helen on alert, waiting with the cruel hope that a response was on the way. Well that hope was gonna turn into a reality. But she was gonna need some help first.

Leni got up, grabbing her phone, and went out into the hallway. The first thing she saw was a door fly open. Lana darted out gripping a Barbie doll with a devilish grimace on her face. As the toddler rushed down the steps, Lola quickly caught her tail. The younger twin was screaming, begging her sister to return her prized doll. Leni recalled the day Lori gave up that silly piece of plastic to Lola. Since then, Lola has come to love Barbie way more than Lori ever did.

Once the space was clear, Leni descended the steps at her own leisurely pace. No need to rush down to grab something that was taken away. Leni thought more of the situation before her. For all she knew, Helen's parents could have been hyper critical, taking full advantage of the fact that they aren't obligated to love her. They would call her all sorts of things, like a loser or a jerk. They probably had the courage to do it. Now they just had to see the horror for themselves.

Lori was on the couch watching TV. With her phone resting on her lap, though, it was unclear how invested she was in the programming. It was the best time to ask. With a social life as active as her's, any silent moment for Lori was open season.

"Hey, Lori," Leni said, holding out her phone.

"Hey," she replied, her uninterested eyes lying before the screen.

As she got closer to the couch, Leni turned to see what was playing. Judging by the vibrant green lanes of grass intersliced with massive yellow divets, she concluded it was golf. A Lori thing, something only she did.

"So, like, my friend asked me to, like, come over her house some time," Leni said pensively, her hands tightening their grip on the device. Lori, though, only saw a grown woman gracefully swing her club.

"Okay," Lori said, "what's the big deal?"

That was Lori. This was all just another typical case for her, as if someone were asking her to teach them how to breathe or chew food. Such should have been expected.

"I don't know what to say," Leni said.

"Well are you busy on the day she asked you?"

Uncertain of her memory, Leni opened up her inbox and read the message again. Looking through the gentle tone and proper grammar, the offer was open-ended. No wonder Helen was so nice.

"No..." Leni said as her mind started poking holes in her entire temperament. All she could hope for at this point was that Lori didn't notice her hesitate.

"So if there's nothing stopping you, why don't you just say yes?" Lori asked. Even though she was still watching the match, she occasionally darted her vision to her little sister.

Leni, though, wished it was an easy answer to give. The feeling she had about this situation didn't lend itself well to words. Even analyzing the sensation required some serious effort. It was fear? Pain? Discomfort? What would have been the best way to craft this statement was the question before her. It didn't help that Lori wasn't looking straight on at her face; maybe it was already doing the work for her.

It appeared like words were gonna be required. Lori wasn't gonna jump to conclusions based on half-observed faces. With a few more seconds, Leni cobbled together what she thought might have conveyed her point.

"Like, I dunno if Mom and Dad will, like, like that. They don't wanna worry about me being over someone's house? And, like, I'm scared and...stuff," Leni said, her eyes preferring to gaze at an imaginary point in the wall. It was comforting to have that nonjudgmental beige calming her. It was like talking to herself, even.

Suddenly, her ears felt a sharp cut. Breaking away from the wall, Leni notices her big sister holding the remote. The TV was still playing, but no sound was coming from the speakers. Finally, Lori had her full attention.

"First of all, Mom and Dad let us go over people's houses all the time. Even Lincoln is allowed to visit his friends right after school. And he's in first grade! I don't think they'll say no to you," Lori said, her face full of conviction.

"But...they won't be mad? They won't be waiting at the door, not doing the stuff they're supposed to because, like, they need to watch me?" Leni replied, no more assertive. Her voice was uncertain and shaky. She gripped her phone even tighter, nudging it closer to her chest.

Lori's face lightened, especially around her cheeks. She made out some sounds that resembled chuckles. All Leni could do was speculate what she had done to her sister due to her drastic act of opening her mouth.

"What are you talking about?" Lori said, her voice noticeably more lifted, "Mom and Dad don't just stand at the door for hours on end. They have enough confidence in us to know that we're be in safe hands and that we'll make the right decisions. You don't have to worry about that!"

"For you at least" Leni thought as she gazed down at her phone again. She impulsively tapped the circular button along the bottom to check the time. Only three minutes had passed since she was last notified of the unaddressed text. All she could contemplate was what sweet Helen was thinking, waiting anxiously for a response.

"Okay," Leni said. Perhaps that was enough cover for the moment.

"Second of all, you're not alone. Helen looked very nervous when she was over the House some time back," Lori said, recalling the sight she saw from her own bed. The one Leni didn't catch due to the allure of her sewing machine. "Obviously, it's not because she's scared of you. But take a st- I mean, think about what Helen must have felt when you invited her over here. She might have been having the same feelings you're having now, but she ended up coming here anyway and you were so happy," Indeed, Leni was smiling as she was sewing away that day, "and I have the slightest hunch that she would also be happy if you took her up on that offer," she then took a risk by kicking up her legs, revealing her blue slippers, "put yourself in Helen's shoes."

Leni stared down at her sandals and waddled her toes. She immediately thought of those sneakers she recognized on Helen's feet (or at least, she assumed they were sneakers).

"Helen doesn't wear these," Leni responded, pointing to her sandals.

"I walked right into that one," Lori told herself. However, Leni was staring at her intensely. It was clear that nothing was working. What would it have taken to get this girl on her way? Was there something Leni wasn't telling her? Either way, she wasn't too willing to figure it out. She wasn't about to have a twenty minute lecture about what she thought was best. It was pretty obvious.

"Look, just tell her yes," Lori said, sighing, "once you got a date in place, you'll be fine."

Lori grabbed the remote and unmuted the speakers. As the room filled with garbled commentary, Leni struggled to figure out what to say next. However, Lori's gaze at the moving screen told her it was probably best to leave.

Walking to the dining room, Leni tried to extrapolate something from whatever Lori said. Her big sister's words were overwhelming, too much information to have really learned something. She didn't notice Helen feeling scared from that day; whenever she asked her friend a question, she got an answer. Besides, wouldn't Helen have said something if she wasn't alright?

Over by the table, she saw Luna writing on a worksheet. Leni found it odd that her little sister decided to do her homework down here, out in the open when anyone could just dawdle in.

"Hi Luna," Leni said. Immediately, the girl gazed up.

"Hey Leni," she answered softly. The first thing she noticed was the phone in her hand, "what ya doing?"

Leni shrugged.

"I dunno. I'm just trying to figure out if I should go over someone's house. What do you think?" Leni asked innocently.

She could have sworn she saw something in her eyes change. Leni recalled the countless lunches they had in elementary school, in those times where things weren't as complicated. After all this time in junior high, though, Leni regretted that she hadn't given her younger sister more mind. They were in different schools and Luna wasn't gonna be entering seventh grade until the fall. How have things been over there? Had Luan or Lynn or Linky picked up where she left off? Those were questions she felt needed to be asked at some point. Today seemed cramped, though.

"Go for it!" Luna exclaimed, although she wasn't smiling. And those eyes.

There had to have been an answer just from that, however Leni only made out the general shape. Within there was some more depth, details that told an unimaginable story. So much for being a big protective sister. Leni wished she would just grow up and take action, to be an investigator in the face of injustice.

On the other hand, now wasn't the best time. The girl was busy with her homework and an impromptu probe would have taken precious time away. Even if a talk only took a few minutes, who knew what effect it would have had on her. Luna could fall into one of those silly funks that consumed an entire afternoon (and a chance to finish her assignment). It wasn't worth the potential plan. She didn't want to transfer.

"Thanks," Leni said before walking off. All she could do was speculate what the damage was gonna be.

She then took out her phone and examined Helen's message again.

"Ok. Fryday?"

Leni had her head transfixed at the line of houses she and Lori passed on the walk. The colors were pretty and blended well with each other. It was like each of the homes were in their own outfits, showing off to the word how stylish it was.

Of course the main objective was scanning the numbers. Leni had told Lori the address in sight, however it was the older sister that was following behind. While she normally would take the lead in this, it appeared Leni was more observant in this case. Besides, it was a good experience for Leni to find things on her own.

Ultimately, the address wasn't very hard to find. Once there, the two girls stopped and gazed at the abode. It was smaller than their own House, with a small circular window serving as the only indicator of a second story. The front yard was the same size, which only made the building appear tinier. In the driveway there was a single car parked. It was maroon and was clearly a newer model than the endearing hunk of junk known as Vanzilla.

Leni checked the message again to verify that this was the right stop. She checked again and again, her head jerking back and forth between the number printed on the front and the one written on her phone. All Lori could do was watch as Leni stood there in inaction.

"Aren't you gonna go?" Lori asked, annoyed by the wasted seconds.

Leni turned to her big sister, as if she were awaiting an answer. Lori always had answers on tap. The two stared at each other for some time, the older growing annoyed while the younger growing tense. It took a little bit for Lori to pick up on what was going on.

"Leni," she said calmly, "you just have to go up there and ring that bell. Once you do that, you won't be so scared. Trust me."

Was that it? Was the fear really just gonna fizzle away like a grain of salt in water? The younger sister had her reservations, only now they were even harder to explain. But feelings didn't always have the clearest reasons attached to them.

Regardless, Leni knew that this feeling wasn't going away anytime soon (neither was Lori). The sour sensation in her gullet was gonna sit there until something happened. And if Helen was left waiting, it probably would have become even more toxic. There wasn't much a choice left over.

Finding the energy in her legs, Leni pushed forward. As she approached that door, she felt like an alien that just arrived on a new planet, completely out of place. Occasionally, she turned back and saw Lori standing on sidewalk watching her (probably judging her as well). There was everything (what little there was) to lose from turning back at this crucial moment. Any shred of respect Lori had for her, any inkling of joy Helen got from her presence, and any iota of pride she had just from getting to this point would have been set ablaze if she turned back now. She supposed the only benefit was that there was no screaming or sweating, things that would have alerted even the most distant observer of her anxiety.

She had been making tangible process, getting across the walkway and up the steps. Now, the only obstacle remaining was the doorbell. There was little sound emanating from behind the white wooden door. It must have been peaceful over there or someone must have been super busy with a super important project. Leni debated whether it was worth it to interrupt this quiet equilibrium, one where work too grand and intricate for her simple mind to comprehend. She didn't want to bother anyone.

Then again, it was that silly voice speaking up. Was it really gonna get in the way of her friendship? Leni had done everything the voice said she couldn't and here it was trying to big her down once again. Well, not today. Leni gulped in a ton of fresh air before pressing the doorbell.

As the harmonious tone rang through the house, Leni heard some rustling underneath the sound. It only took several seconds for the door to swing open. She was greeted by a skinny yet domineering woman. Her black curly hair was all over the place, strands tangled in her ears, tucked between her T-shirt and zip-up jacket, and reminded Leni too much of Rosy Cake. But most of all, the woman carried a nice smirk on her face. It was oddly comforting.

"Are you Helen's friend?" she asked.

Leni turned around. Sure enough, Lori was still standing there. It was like a beam of moral support, the one she never thought she would need. Turning back around, Leni tried to find something that wouldn't be so distracting. Without much to work with, she thought the woman's left ear would do.

"Are you a lost kid? Do your parents know where you are?"

"A...B...C, D," Leni told herself, her eyes transfixed on that ear. As she recited each letter by rote, she found that smoldering bulge in her throat soften. It was like drinking a glass of cold, refreshing water after downing a peanut butter sandwich. Her eyes relaxed and she found herself at peace. Was it that simple?

"Are you okay, sweetie?" the woman asked, concerned.

"Yes," Leni said confidently. Upon reaching J, she found it in her to smile, "I'm Helen's friend."

It was magic. The woman jumped to life and that grin exploded into a shiny, toothy display.

"Well you should've spoken up, dear," she exclaimed.

Before Leni could have done anything, she felt her hand being yanked by a mighty grip. Her whole body stumbled as it was dragged into the house by this powerful person.

"You have no idea how happy we are to finally meet you! Helen has said some wonderful things about her new friend and now," she then halted and turned around, "here you are!"

It was only then that Leni was allowed a chance to absorb the surroundings. The inside was just as cozy and quaint as the outside. There was a small living room that connected to a kitchen in the back. Much of the space was dominated by a brick wall and emerald carpet. The one exception was a few patches of tile that marked the kitchen's territory. Aside from the typical equipment, the only defining feature of that space was the table, where a grown man was typing away at his laptop. Along the side was a narrow staircase leading upward.

"I'm Jane, Helen's mom," she said as she jerked her hand out, "and your's?"

Even with the mother's clear excitement, Leni still had some nerves running through her. Luckily, Jane's left ear was still in sight.

"Leni," she said.

"Well that's the same name Helen said!" Jane shot back, "Well then I'm glad to meet ya."

The two proceeded to the kitchen while Jane rambled about some of the sights before them. All the while, Leni was left with some simmering thoughts.

"Has Helen, like, told you about me?" Leni asked innocently.

"Are you kiddin'," she exclaimed as she planted her feet on the kitchen tile, "you're all she talks about with us! Every day she comes home and tells us what's new with that Leni. And she's so excited to, it's like you flipped a switch in her," she then eagerly leaned in and affectionately pointed at her, "she adores you."

Adore? Leni knew she liked Helen, but she didn't think herself as a great friend to her. It wasn't that Leni didn't try with Helen, quite the opposite. She just didn't think she had that great of an impact on her. Maybe it had to do with her expressions. Helen wasn't one to communicate how she felt. Leni didn't recall her smiling or laughing very much when she was in person. Was there more going on behind those eyes, things that weren't on the face cards?

Leni turned to the nearby table, where the man was still typing away. His eyes were glued to the monitor.

"And this right here is George," Jane said, "he may not be much of a talker, but he's just as excited as I am. Ain't that right, honey?"

"You bet," he said simply.

Just then, the door opened. Jane and Leni turned and saw Helen slip in.

"Hey sweetie! Your friend's here!" Jane shouted enthusiastically.

Even from opposite ends of the floor, the two girls locked their eyes at each other. Leni suddenly felt weird as she saw her friend for the second time that same day. She smiled instinctively as she walked towards Helen. As the two got closer to each, she could have sworn Helen's eyes twinkled and a smirk of her own appeared on her face. There was suddenly everything in the world to do, to discuss, and she didn't feel like there was anyone to stop her. Lori was right after all.

"How was your day?" Leni asked.

"Good," Helen replied through that smile.

"Aww!" they heard. Both of them jerked their heads to see Jane watching from the table. As if it wasn't corny enough, the woman had her hands pressed against her cheeks, "You two are so cute together!"

"Mom!" Helen whined. Leni never thought she would see the day where her friend spoke with any level of passion. She thought if anything, it was restricted to texting.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," Jane said, still smiling. The visitor peered between the two, noticing Helen's flustered face and Jane's proud swagger, "you two don't have to stay down here. Why don't you take your friend up to your room?"

The two looked at each other silently. Wasn't the whole plan to do that from the start? Leni imagined herself hanging out Helen the same way Lori and Carol did. She had no idea how much of a personality Jane would be. If her own Mom were like that, she most likely would have gotten embarrassed herself. Thankfully, she was more laid back.

With a mutual understanding in place, the two headed off. Helen took the lead as she ascended the narrow staircase. Leni tensed up as she felt boxed in by the tight space. How was Helen able to come home to such cramped quarters? So much for being an only child and having a whole house to yourself.

The hallway was little better, probably only a few inches wider. Regardless, Helen strolled along comfortably before opening the second door on the right.

Helen's bedroom was a little larger than Lincoln's, however there was also a door that led to a separate closet. The ceiling was slanted, making up part of the roof's shape. The defining colors were white and pink, whether it was woven into the blankets, painted on a poster, or ingrained into the bookshelf. Scattered across the space were various memorabilia. Some of it jumped out as Princess Pony while others were from other franchises, ones that Leni wasn't too familiar with. Another dominating feature was the compact TV nestled on a stand against the wall.

"Sorry about the mess. I forgot to clean up," Helen said, pointing to T-shirts, sweaters, white socks, and yoga pants strewn across the carpet. Yet even with the questionable fashion choices, Leni couldn't care less.

"That's okay. Your room looks pretty," she replied as she automatically moved her feet. Her eyes were drawn to multiple details, whether it was the Rosy Cake plushy or the Twily alarm clock. Helen remained in the doorway and allowed her friend to explore the premises, picking up on the various features. She didn't even notice her mouth was hanging open, "I wish I could have some of this stuff."

"Did you want to take them home?"

"What?" Leni cried, nearly stumbling forward. She turned to see Helen just standing there with her hands locked together. Her eyes were looking at her with such conviction that it was frightening, "I would never take your stuff! It's your's and you have the right to, like, have it."

Now she was nervous again. Her mind began to get to the bottom of this, why Helen would lie herself down like a doormat. The first thing she turned to was herself. No good friend would ever take advantage of someone like that. It was wrong and caused Helen more harm than good. And for what? A little fleeting bit of joy that masked a greater depletion. Leni hated being a parasite when she could help it. She wasn't gonna let this one get away.

"You know," Leni added, trying to find words to say, "maybe...for Christmas I could ask for one of these."

"Oh," was all Helen could say.

Deep down, Leni knew there was no way that could happen. She had already explained to Helen the whole Princess Pony situation in her House, how she could never admit to liking what her siblings thought was mindless garbage. It was a tightly held secret, one gripped in her fist or tucked in her bag. There was no way a stuffed animal could have fit in so small a safe.

"So, like," Leni quipped, trying desperately to change the subject, "what are all these other things you have?"

Indeed, there was a lot of it. It ranged from other plushies to statuettes to small posters along the wall. Luckily, Helen entered her own room to explain her own possessions. The first one she went to was a poster filled with wacky cartoon characters.

"Well this is a show called Mystery Woods," Helen explained, pointing to the title popping in large letters, "it's about a family that goes on vacation traveling along the Canadian countryside. Every week, they stop at a new place, but all sorts of weird things happen," she then pointed to a girl with braces smiling away, "That's Ariel and she's my favorite character! She's just a big ball of energy and every week she always has a new headband on and it's always so cute! I even started making my own."

Helen swiftly slid to to one of her dressers and opened one of the drawers. She eagerly pulled out a pink fuzzy headband with stars attached to springs. Without a moment's hesitation, she placed it on her head like a tiara.

"Ta da!" she said, trying to smile as big as Ariel.

"Wow! You look great in that!" Leni said, mirroring that grin. It was remarkable that her friend also had an eye for making types of clothing, even if it was technically considered an "accessory". Outside of that, she genuinely found it adorable. It was just like that Rosy Cake phone case, only better (it was some she could see Rosy Cake wearing herself).

"Thanks," Helen said, eagerly, "you know, I think you would really like Mystery Woods. How about I show you the first few episodes?"

"Okay."

Leni took a seat on the cushy carpet while Helen dug through her dresser for the remote. Luckily, it didn't take that long to track it down and rev up the screen.

"So is this show, like, scary?" Leni asked while she stared at the static.

"Is there anything you're scared of?" Helen asked as she sat down on her bed.

"Well," Leni said softly, "um..."

She debated whether she should make it known. What was so bad about fears? Everyone had them? She knew Lori had a big fear of heights, Linky had stage fright, and Luna had a passionate disdain for wasps. Still, her head heated up as she found the resolve to speak.

"I don't like spiders," Leni said pensively. She hugged herself as she kept speaking, "When I see one, I can't help but, like, scream. I don't like being scared and, like, even when it's just on TV or in a book, I still think it's real...I'm sorry."

Several seconds of silence (aside from the TV) persisted. Leni tried her best to not think about those creepy, crawly, eight-legged pests. She couldn't believe that she just admitted a negative feeling to her friend. Real friends don't get upset to other friends. Helen didn't have time for something like that. Nobody did.

A touch. Leni jolted as she felt a hand meet her right shoulder. She turned over and saw Helen sitting on her bed reaching out to her.

"It's okay," Helen said gently, "there are a few spiders here or there, but you won't be alone. If you wanna look away or hold my hand, that's okay."

She couldn't believe it. Even after forcing herself onto others, Leni still had a friend by her side, willing to listen. Was Helen bothered by this and just too ashamed to admit it? Did she wish she had a better friend and wanted any way out of this? If not already, Leni felt like today made Helen regret that decision to stay. Helen shouldn't be forced to deal with this.

"You don't, like, think it's dumb that I feel that way?" Leni asked timidly.

"Of course not. You're just like me and there's nothing wrong with that. I like you, Helen said.

Still uncertain, Leni turned to the screen where the theme song was playing. It was a disorienting instrumental track with unusual shots of the rural Canadian landscape. Mountains, trees, and rivers being filmed under a vintage filter.

As she saw the animation unfold, Leni thought more about the friendship. She liked Helen. Really liked how Helen was willing to stand by her side. Leni knew that she had a lot of work to do to make it up to her, especially after Helen made the noble act of choosing to like her. She owed it to her. She owed it to her family who appeared tired of putting up with her weaknesses. Perhaps this work could fulfill both those goals. Perhaps this was the key to finally having worth.

"Hey Helen," Leni said.

"Yeah?"

She briefly thought of whether to say it. Was this gonna bring about more suspicion, especially after that horrible display? Well, it was too late to turn back now.

"Thanks."