Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Zara lowered the sign she was holding and turned around to see Thomas standing behind her. "Hey, where have you been? We had to start without you."
"Can we talk?" he asked, motioning away from the group.
Zara nodded and followed him down the sidewalk a few feet away from where the rest of their group was chanting slogans and waving signs.
"Have you found anything yet?" he asked.
"No," she reluctantly admitted. She wasn't sure which was worse, admitting she had doubts about this plan or looking like she wasn't able to handle it, but either way she hated to let Thomas and the cause down. "Honestly, I'm not exactly sure what we're looking for."
"Anything. Everything. There must be something in one of these guys' past that they don't want anyone to know about. Something that is worth more to them than the money they're going to make on this project."
"Right," Zara said doubtfully as she looked down at the ground. The only secret that she could think about was her own. What would the others think of her if they knew one of the men they were protesting against was her own cousin?
"Listen, Zara, if you aren't serious about this tell me now and I'll put someone else on the job. I can't have anyone on my team who isn't 100% committed to the cause and to their own beliefs."
"No, I'm serious," Zara insisted. "I'll keep looking, but so far, I haven't had much to go on."
"This is it," Quentin said as he rode with Edward and Lawrence towards the protest site. "They've been at it all morning and they've already been to the planning commission to voice their complaints."
"How bad is this for us?" Edward asked.
"It depends. If there is enough opposition from the public, the commission might be pressured to reject the proposal. If these protestors can't get enough support, they might dismiss them as a bunch of kooks and let the proposal go through."
Lawrence looked out the back window at the booing crowd and noticed a familiar face. He knew that Zara recognized him too when she lowered her sign and stared directly at the back window of the car. He turned to the men in the front seat. "Maybe we can find a way to compromise."
"Hello," Vanessa greeted her sister cheerfully as she entered the apartment. "I brought you a housewarming gift," she said, handing Alma a vase of flowers. "Good thing I did," she remarked, looking the over the apartment. "This place could use a feminine touch, couldn't it?"
"I'm working on it," Alma said, taking the gift from Vanessa and setting it on the end table. "We won't be living here long anyway, just until our house is built."
"How is the building going?"
"Not bad. We've gotten the plans drawn up, so as soon as they get the building permit they can start construction."
"How exciting!"
"It's hard to believe this is all happening," Alma replied absently as she adjusted her wedding ring.
"I'm sure it must be. I remember what a huge change it was for me when I got married. Well, for me, it was mostly adjusting to suddenly having two teenage daughters. At least you don't have that to worry about." She smiled, but Alma seemed to be in a world of her own. "Alma? What are you thinking about, hun?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course. You can ask me anything."
"Why did you decide to get married?"
"Well, I was in love. When I met him, he was so charming and suave. He swept me right off my feet."
"That's the way it should be, shouldn't it?"
"Not necessarily," Vanessa assured her. "Look where marrying for passion got me, a husband who lied about his very identity . . . Of course, I know I'm the one-in-a-million, rare exception, but looking back I wish I had been more practical about things. But then again, I never have been the most practical of people."
Alma looked at Vanessa skeptically. She could hardly imagine being anything but practical. She had never been a passionate person herself and the sooner she accepted that she wasn't and probably never would be, the happier she would be with her life.
She mulled over that thought as she answered the door.
"Hi Alma," Amanda greeted her sister from the other side of the door. "I hope you don't mind that I just dropped by. I've been wanting to see your new place and with the day I've had, I need someone to talk to about anything besides office politics."
"It's fine. Come in," Alma welcomed her inside.
Amanda stopped in her tracks when she saw that Vanessa was already there. "Oh. I didn't know she was here." Amanda waited for Alma or Vanessa to say or do something, but when the only response she received was a friendly hello from Vanessa she looked back and forth between them suspiciously and asked, "What's going on?"
"We're just visiting," Alma answered. "Have a seat and join us."
"I don't think so," Amanda said hesitantly and backed away. "I guess the next time I feel like dropping by I'll have to call first and make sure you don't already have company."
"Don't be ridiculous. You're welcome to stay."
As Alma's tone became more scolding, Amanda's grew more bitter.
"No, no, I don't want to interrupt. I'd like to spend some time with my sister, but I don't want to butt in where I'm not wanted," she said with a pointed look Vanessa.
Feeling uneasy with the tension in the room, Vanessa moved towards the door. "I really should be going anyway."
"No, don't go," Alma insisted, before turning back to Amanda. "I've had enough of this. I'm not arranging my life just to suit you. You aren't going to get everything your own way this time."
"I do not get everything-" Amanda started to protest, but she'd already gotten Alma started and Alma wasn't going to back down.
"I don't understand why you're being so childish about this. You never cared about how much time we spent together before. Why are you acting like we're suddenly so close?"
Amanda gasped, shocked that Alma could say something like that. She had to fumble for her next words, "If that's what you think, I'll go."
Exasperated Alma called after her, "Amanda," but Amanda marched out of the apartment without looking back.
After the door slammed shut, Vanessa asked, "Shouldn't one of us go after her? What you said was a little harsh, hun, and she seemed pretty upset."
Alma shook her head. "Amanda's just being over-dramatic. She'll get over it."
Vanessa wasn't so sure, but given Amanda's opinion of her, she was afraid any gesture she made would only make things worse.
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