“Cora.” Frazer turned to her. “This is Emma. Emma, this is my friend, Cora.”

Emma flashed an abnormally pretty grin at her. The blue of her eyes seemed insanely bright. “Hi, Cora. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

Cora swallowed what felt like rocks in her throat and shook the hand Emma held out for her. Of course she had a great handshake.

“Well, I won’t intrude.” Emma smiled again. Why was she so happy? “Frazer, I hope to hear from you soon.”

Frazer smiled back at her. It wasn’t crooked, though. “You will. Bye!”

“Bye, Cora.”

“Bye, Emma.”

Cora watched her walk away. When she turned back to Frazer, she was staring at Cora.

“Sorry about that.”

That rock was still in Cora’s throat. “It’s okay.”

When Frazer offered up no more information, instead taking a sip of her beer, Cora couldn’t help herself. “Where do you know her from? I don’t think I’ve seen her around the hospital.”

“We, uh, had a date last night.”

Cora made herself smile even as something ugly reared up inside. “Oh. That’s nice.” What was she supposed to say now? “She had a nice smile.”

Staring at her beer, Frazer shrugged. “She does.” Then she looked up. “My friends set us up.”

“That’s nice.” No it wasn’t. But it should be, this should be something two friends talked about. Cora’s heart was hammering strangely; she could practically hear it. The thought that Frazer had stressed that Cora was her friend occurred to her.

“I, uh, have to go.” Cora stood up. That panicked feeling was back.

“Cora.”

“Sorry, I don’t feel well.” Grabbing her purse, Cora turned and fled, leaving Frazer calling her name again with two beers she probably didn’t even want.

Maybe Frazer could call Emma back over and they could share them.

* * *

“She just ran off?”

“Yeah.”

Instead of watching Jemma, Frazer watched her fish. The tank was lit with a soft blue light, and she’d cleaned it that day. In her imagination, her little fish world was extremely happy. They were active, darting all over the place, and two of them were hanging near the new plant she’d put in.

She loved her fish. Such a neat, organised little world.

A piece of popcorn hit Frazer in the face. Responding to Jemma with a glare, Frazer picked it off from her chest and ate it. “What was that for?”

On the armchair, Jemma raised her eyebrows. “You don’t find that weird?”

“Being hit in the face with popcorn? Yes, yes I do.”

“Don’t be an arse. Her running away was weird.”

“Well.” Frazer tucked her hands under her head and went back to staring at her aquarium. “It was less of a run, and more of a storm-off.”

Frazer still didn’t look away when she heard her sister’s sharp sigh. “And that is weird.”