How she had missed the quick, contagious smile that sparkled on his face and disappeared with the same ease. “The greater the trust, the greater the downfall,” she said.

“If you need help, please let me know. I mean it. I’ll be in New York for a while.”

“Thanks.” She planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll call you for lunch as soon as I’m myself again.”

She walked up to the first landing, where her skipped heartbeat made the connection before her mind did. At the door to the vast living room stood her mom, except that it was Jenna. Nola clamped a hand over her mouth, remembering on time that Jenna hated public displays.

Jenna ambled over, a reserved smile gracing her beautiful face. Her features hadn’t changed much, yet they showed the maturity of twenty-three.

The band started playing again. “Jenna,” Nola said, choosing her words as she stepped down again. “Wonderful to see you.”

Jenna stopped walking, too far for Nola to try to hug her. “Oh, I thought I’d drop in,” she said in that indifferent tone of hers, as if it hadn’t been three years since they had last seen each other. She tilted her chin toward Lulu. “So I’m an aunt?”

Nola laughed. It hurt to hold back from falling into Jenna's arms. “What about you? Have you given birth to a novel?”

“A couple of full-length plays.” Jenna let out a cryptic laugh.

They walked upstairs into a sitting room and sat on the couch. Nola took Jenna's hand, and Jenna let her hold it, but it was deadweight against Nola's palm. “I’m so happy to see you,” Nola said again, wanting to add, “looking well,” but figured that Jenna might take it as a value judgment. “Tell me more about the plays.”

Jenna chatted for a while. She was living in a small writers’ community upstate, she said, and hated the big city, but had to come in to see plays. She asked no questions about Nola, her life, or her singing. Not a single comment about Nola's recent China tour and ordeal. Nola’s discomfort grew.

After a while Nola said, “Look, Jenna. I’m truly happy that you are back here, and I hope that you’ll stay in my life. However, I’m already on edge trying to tiptoe around you. Your indifference wraps around me like it did just before you left. I’m trying to adjust to something you want, but I’m not sure what it is. What do you want? Why are you here?”

Jenna shrugged. “If it’s one and the same for you, I can leave.”