Juniper maintained her straight face, her head held high with playful pride. “Yeah, I wasn’t born looking like this, you know.”

The two women erupted into laughter once more, their giggles filling the diner with warmth and camaraderie.

As their laughter subsided, Juniper’s expression grew more serious. “But anyway, let’s get back to work. What you two said about me being an examiner.. I don’t know what to make of that yet, but I know it might be something now that the DOJ has come with this unique angle.”

Sophia nodded, her tone reassuring. “I know, Juniper. That’s uncharted territory. We’re going to need to head back to study. We’ve got this.”

Just as Sophia finished speaking, Juniper noticed a change in her friend’s demeanor. Sophia took a deep breath, her posture shifting as she glanced at her device.