Elina slowed to a halt a few steps away, her gaze sharpening as it flitted between Fiona to Kendra. For a moment she said nothing, just studying them both with an unreadable expression. Her eyes lingered on Fiona a second longer, traveling from head to toe in a deliberate, assessing sweep before she spoke.

“Yes,” Elina’s voice had a slightly hesitant tone and a trace of a Sonoran accent, “I appreciate that.”

Sensing the quickly growing awkwardness Kendra immediately said, “Well, I doubt Ash was any competition for you but… Ada is a… you know, a real up and coming prospect.”

“Right,” Elina retorted with obvious dismissiveness to Kendra, turning her head back to Fiona, “well, it has been quite a journey to reach this point. Hasn’t it, Fiona? Just four weeks and yet… it is as if so long has passed. Do you know what I mean?”