“More important than prepping our witnesses?” Juniper’s voice could have frozen flame, but her eyes followed his movement with an intensity that spoke of something far warmer. He was already gone though, leaving only the endless noise from above to fill the space where his expertise should have been.

Sophia kept her focus on the labeled exhibits, pretending not to see how Juniper’s hand had risen to her collarbone - that unconscious gesture she made when trying to hold something inside. Her fingers traced the edge of a particularly detailed tab as she chose her words with deliberate care. “You know, Juni,” she ventured softly, “maybe we could look at how his constitutional angle fits with these moral rights pieces? It might give us another way to…” She let the suggestion trail off, feeling the weight of Juniper’s silent struggle.