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Somewhere in the last twenty minutes, my mother has acquired Serena's rapt attention.

She is delighted to learn that Serena's mother once organized an unofficial neighborhood watch because the official one wasn't sufficiently vigilant. Serena seems equally fascinated by my mother's willingness to outsource reconnaissance to psychic mediums.

I make a mental note that these two women can never meet.

Or, if they do, there needs to be supervision. Possibly law enforcement.

My mother and Serena's mother exchanging phone numbers would create an information-gathering apparatus I don't think the federal government is equipped to contain.

I stand behind them, staring at the backs of their heads, and accept that I have made a grave miscalculation.

I was worried Serena wouldn't like my mother.

I should have been worried she'd like her too much.

Eventually, my mother’s attention drifts back to the laptop. She leans forward, resting her forearms on her knees, and taps one fingernail against the edge of the screen. “Now. Show me what you were going to show me.”

The shift in Serena is small but immediate. Her smile disappears.

She looks at the screen, then away. “I can't watch them again.”

It surprises me for half a second. Then I remember how many times she's watched her dead best friend come back to life on that screen, and I'm surprised she lasted this long.

Serena pushes to her feet, still holding Faun. She just stands there with him licking the side of her neck, her fingers moving absently through the fur behind his ears.

Then, with visible reluctance, she lowers him onto the bed.

Faun immediately burrows into the pillows.

She watches him settle for a beat longer than necessary before her fingers find the silver band on her thumb. “I've watched them enough. I've paused them, enlarged them, listened to the same sections over and over. I'm just... done with them for a while.”

I reach for her without thinking and brush my knuckles against the back of her hand. Her fingers open beneath mine, an invitation I take immediately. “You don't have to.”

“I know.” She exhales and looks toward the window. “I think I'm going to take a walk.”

“Okay.”

She picks up her jacket from the back of the chair. When she passes me, I catch her lightly by the wrist and pull her close enough to press a kiss to her forehead.

I ignore the delighted little hum my mother makes, presumably while mentally selecting Faun’s ring bearer tuxedo.

“Don’t go too far.” I tug her a little closer, kiss her again. This time on the lips. May as well jump straight into the deep end. “I miss you alarmingly fast.”

Her expression softens. “I won't.”

Then, before she leaves, she looks past me. “Bye, Nora.”

“Goodbye, darling.” She gives her a little wave.

Serena makes it halfway through the door before stopping. “The thing you said about objects retaining emotional memory.”

My mother perks up. “Psychometry.”

Serena turns back toward her. “You said there were studies.”

“Several.” Nora practically glows.

Serena nods once, satisfied. “Send them to Baryn.”