Right, let's do this one last time.

Shores of pale cream filled our gazes once again, a sight growing familiar to our observant eyes. The waves seemed calmer today, tranquil in their motion and almost melodic in their noise intertwined with the constant current that enveloped the coasts.

"Everything up and ready?" I asked my dear partner, who this time walked from behind me on the stepping stones of the pathway.

"I have the general message of the script down. Are you sure about not delivering it with a presentation like last time?"

"Sometimes, a less formal approach works," I said with my arms behind my head, turning to her with an assured smile.

"You were too lazy to make one, weren't you?" Her cold stare and blunt statement made me instinctively look away, even if I wasn't being deceitful.

Only you could trigger my fight or flight response so casually. Hey, wait, why'd we choose flight?

"The word you're looking for is busy."

"Oh, really? A few dozen other words came to mind first."

"They were all derogatory in some way, so they don't count. Anyway, are they on standby?"

"Yes, they should be awaiting our call at this moment," Myla replied, but her expression turned slightly doubtful, perhaps as she recounted the plan in her mind.

"How about the pair? No use coming to an empty house."

"I called Lily in advance. She said that Nash is going to be somewhat late, however. Still, as prepared as we are, this is quite the bizarre plan you've conjured."

"Hey, you were the one who wanted me to think of a solution," I replied, the elevated abode growing closer as our conversation continued.

"Something more simple and practical would've been appreciated."

"Impractical problems require equally unorthodox solutions, my dear partner." As confident as I was with my answer,

Or smug, really,

All I earned was a weary sigh and a contemplative expression as Myla looked up at the cloudless sky.

"Well, at the very least, it might have a chance." I took a moment before answering, seriously considering that if we wanted that chance to be realized, we had to ensure we executed this plan nearly perfectly.

"...In all honesty, I hope so too."

Myla's concern was more than justifiable - in fact, it was the most reasonable reaction to my idea that threaded the minuscule line between daring innovation and impractical stupidity. Even so, in the short span of time we had, it wasn't easy looking for an alternative that could match all the criteria of our peculiar pair's situation. In particular, one that would not just allow them to express themselves and learn to become more sociable but also give them people they could rely on and look to for aid. And while it was nothing more than an assumption, if we thought this through well enough, the plan should fit their personalities and circumstances like a glove.

As long as everything goes to plan, that is. Judging by the past few years of my life, I'm pretty sure we'll be fine.

We reached the steps of maple, our last chance to shred away any doubt remaining to convey our message with as much confidence as possible - a product can only be as good as its sale's pitch. And we'd have to make one hell of a case if we wanted to sell this to them.

"You ready?" I asked as I reached the top of the stairs, turning to my dear partner, whose earlier dubiousness faded into her distinctively composed air, looking up at me with cold eyes.

"I'd ask you the same, but you seem more than willing to throw yourself at this."

"You're the one who wanted this. You have such a big ol' heart inside that icy shell." I replied as she made her way beside me, fixing up her coat and causing the pink lining of the cloth to oscillate like a wave of pastel in a white backdrop.

"Right, let's go," I said, straightening my sleeves and walking to one side of the door as Myla took the other. And after a quick nod, I rang the doorbell, a high-pitched ring joining the calming winds of the sea-salted air.

"...I'm coming. Give me a second." A response sounded from inside. It was a pleasant voice - that, while familiar and clear, had a touch of anxiety in its tone. I took one final breath before the door opened to our quiet client, whose gaze seemed lower. And while she donned a set of clothes far removed from her chic and formal outfits, it didn't make her any less charming. It was a mishmash consisting of grey patterned pajamas and an oversized brown sweater with a white tank top under it. And her long black curls were strewn about on her shoulders and face. One could call it a mess, but with how we called on them on such short notice, it was more of a bonus for my tired eyes.

I'd attend a fashion show about comfy casual clothing. Primarily because if a bunch of guys comes walking out in the softest, snuggest stuff I've ever seen, I'd one hundred percent buy it.

"Please, come in. You can sit down in the living room. I've prepared a few drinks." Lily said as she quickly turned around and walked back inside. Myla and I looked at each other and, without a word, followed. I placed myself on the maple seating, Myla taking the other as our client remained standing in front of the table. I grabbed one of the cold glasses of tea and took a sip before beginning,

"So, um, sorry for coming here out of nowhere. We hope it's not too much of a bother since you guys are preparing for the departure and all."

"It's alright. We've settled most of what's necessary already, and both of us are off-duty for the time being." She replied, folding her arms and looking out into the thrashing waves through the window.

"Ah, I see."

"And what of Nash? What's the reason for his late arrival?" Myla continued, putting down her glass.

"He was out with family. He'll be returning today, and I've already called to hear he's on his way." Her answers came quickly and plainly - as if she didn't want the conversation to last any longer than it had to. Before I could bring it up, however, the two resumed.

"Understood. It would make sense for them to spend time with Nash before he leaves-"

"Yes." Lily cut her off immediately after she responded. The air felt heavier, far more straining than the free-flowing breeze that resonated with the ocean waves outside. We remained quiet for a second until I tried to get to the root of our client's apprehension.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"Uh, Lily, you can sit down. We're just here to talk to you guys abou-"

"No, I'm fine. Nash will get here soon enough. So, please, don't worry about it so much." Our siren kept answering, yet all her silvery voice communicated was excessive anxiety. Concern crept up onto my spine as well. Her answers came from what seemed like a place of defensiveness. But with how we interacted with the pair for the past few days - I couldn't think of a reason for Lily to act toward us with such restlessness.

"Before we continue, however, I'd like to ask why you're even here. I don't want to be rude. I really don't, but if you're here, there must be a problem, right? And I'm just worried I didn't notice something when we thought we had done so well." Her last line only barely reached our ears as it seemed she was struggling to deliver her words - even so, it wasn't hard to catch her on-edge mood and hurried responses. I somewhat understand her perspective as I gauged as much as I could from her replies. The very idea of her once again not getting to be enough to detect a problem in her enjoyment and failing to meet our expectations translated to the ones she set for herself also being unmet. It must've hit her hard when for one of the first times in her life, she felt she did something to improve herself for the person she loved, only for the people who gave her the idea and supported her to come calling with an unseen issue right as her better half was to leave her side. Not even mentioning how the fact we hadn't told her a sliver of information about our reasoning was probably compounding her inner anxieties.

I just wanted to keep it a surprise. How did it end up like this?

I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to risk carelessly letting loose a statement in such a sensitive air. And yet, as I scanned the room to try and compose myself, my eyes landed on my dear partner. She calmly held the drink up to her mouth, took in a few sips of the sweet drink, and placed it onto the glass table top with a subtle thack before she stared right back at me without a hint of concern or distress. It was a signal - an almost unnoticeable one. But a sign nonetheless. And its message was clear to me, relax. Lily depended on us, and if we were to share her anxiousness in this situation, there was no chance she would heed our words.

Smooth as always. That or your taciturn attitude sometimes comes in handy.

Myla closed her eyes, straightened her posture, and exhaled a soundless breath before revealing her amber orbs and pointing them toward our client.

"Lily, while it's alright to be nervous over us contacting you, we're not just here to point at your problems for the sake of wanting to call you out. We're here to help you, and after considering everything, we want to do more for you and Nash. That's all we're here for."

"But I thought that we did well during the event, that I was able to socialize and let my voice out without my fears getting in the way," Lily replied with more energy this time, but now the emotions she had been masking earlier were showing far more in her words.

"You did do well, Lily. Both you and Nash exceeded our expectations, and you went beyond your own goals during that night. But even with all of that, I want to ask you a question," Myla was cold in her tone, almost emotionless, but as she readied her following statement, her voice turned to one with weight behind it for someone she was genuinely worried about.

"Do you yourself think that you've solved your issues? That once both Nash and the two of us leave, you'll be able to keep improving?" Lily stayed quiet, not because she was refusing to answer, but because her answer painted itself across her defeated expression. For once, it seemed her silence was what spoke for herself the most, and before long, it had overtaken the atmosphere of the room.

"...For now, then, we'll explain the rest when Nash gets here. No use saying it twice, right?" I interjected, trying to kill the dead air and speaking in a welcoming voice to try and change the mood. Lily sat down in response, her face still dejected but subdued as she hugged her knees tightly on top of the maple furnishing. I exhaled a sigh, not making a sound to ensure she wouldn't misinterpret my relief for annoyance before I noticed my dear partner now holding in her hands a file folder, flipping through the pages without a care in the world.

First off, show a touch more concern after such a heavy exchange. Second, where did you keep that? I didn't see you carrying it on the way here.

However, I also glimpsed a few small movements from her hands, small nudges directed towards our quiet client.

My turn, huh?

"Right, on a lighter note, Lily, you never told us you could sing so well. As random as it is, we never really got to the bottom of your hidden talent." I asked in a cordial tone, doing the equivalent of raising the figurative thermostat of the suffocatingly lifeless undercurrent of the room.

Ha! And my dad's not here to stop me!

Lily raised her head from the cage, which her arms created as she held her legs closed. Her cloud-grey eyes looked at me with surprise, but to me, any emotion other than dismay was a welcome step in the right direction.

"...Nash. Somewhere near the start of our relationship, when we started to become more open about each other's issues, he suggested I try taking voice lessons." Our quiet client replied after a moment of reluctance, perhaps out of simple courtesy, but I'd like to think she wanted to start trusting us again. Either way, Myla and I leaned in ever-so-slightly to listen to her continue.

"Looking back, it was a silly idea. He said it could improve with my desire to be heard. And that even if that didn't work, it would make for a great conversation starter." She spoke with a more relaxed tone now, and while a smile was still absent from her face, the sentimental voice that accompanied her anecdote almost soothed me enough to fall into slumber.

"For the longest time, I thought I would never get to use it, though I didn't mind having memories of Nash always waiting for me to get done and listening to me sing every day. I thought that's what it would all amount to, but with what happened during the ball, I've only come to appreciate his gesture more." Lily placed her legs back onto the floor, putting her arms on the couch, and looked far more at ease as she recounted her better half's act of love that unintentionally resulted in her success the few nights prior. Finally, her lips curved just a tiny bit upwards, and the air felt lighter as a similar emotion made its way onto my face. Not wanting to miss a beat, I glanced at Myla, who similarly seemed to be enjoying our client's raised spirits, only far more subtly, to keep up the ambiance.

"It's good to hear your efforts paid off. Seeing as Nash still isn't here, perhaps another story from your experiences with him would do to pass the time?"

"I wouldn't mind." Our siren spoke in a pleasantly warm tone before my dear partner presented her request.

"How did your first meeting with Nash go?" Myla asked in a very casual tone, a surprisingly personal question. Lily and I reacted similarly, taken aback by her query. Unlike me, however, Lily recovered from her shock quickly, and after a few seconds of recollection, she opened her lips to speak.

"It was quite some time back, but I still vividly remember it - particularly, what I felt at the time - nervousness." She began as she looked up into the wooden ceiling, leaning back into the cushions and recounting her tale.

"I was sat there waiting at the restaurant by myself, as our meeting was to take place without surveyors. I was so worried, as all I had of my date was his photo that almost looked like a mugshot and the few bits and pieces of information our surveyors gave us. It felt as though impending dread could be right outside the glass doors of the establishment at any moment, and when I finally heard heavy footsteps coming in my direction, I braced myself for the worst."

And as she prepared her following line, a full-on smile finally appeared on her face, as beautiful and rare as the diamonds I could so easily compare it to.

"There he arrived, the most sharply dressed man I've ever seen. His attire was so clean yet - so ideal that it almost looked like a stereotype. What truly caught my eye, however, was the incredibly worried look he had on his face. This well-built man in formal clothing with his head down, throwing his eyes out in ten different directions trying to look for me, was such a disparity that I couldn't help but nearly let out a laugh." She continued, placing a hand to her mouth to hide her giggling.

"After that, he finally found me, and I did the best I could to suppress my delight, but it seemed he was far too conscious to ignore it and, in a panic, asked if he had already done something wrong. Admittedly, some of my amusement came from having my expectations so delightfully subverted, but I told him it was nothing to be worked up about. And with it, our date began. We ate, chatted, wandered, rode, conversed, and just enjoyed ourselves, much of what you'd expect from such a meeting, and I enjoyed every second of it. It was something I'd always wished for, a relationship that would just be simple and sweet, not being flashy or over the top solely because of my looks. And yet, as the day went on, joy slowly faded to concern as I realized something. I didn't want to burden such a kind and innocent person with my problems. I didn't want to have someone who deserved a person far better than myself to be stuck with someone he may soon regret having as his partner." While her words seemed bleak and apologetic, the smile she had on her face said otherwise about the outcome of the event.

"I hope I'm not getting lost in my reminiscing," Lily commented, but before we could reassure her and await the rest of our siren's tale, the door opened to welcome both the coastal winds and the sound of heavy footsteps.

Time to get this show on the road.