Alice ”Still nothin’ from Shane?”

Mark ”Not a thing.  I’ve tried calling.”

Marina ”Carmen…do you wish to speak to Lara?”

Carmen nods.

Marina ”Come to the office.”

Marina and Carmen walk to the office room while Alice and Mark look on.

Alice ”How is she?”

Mark ”She was ready to swear us all off.”

Alice ”Well…good thing yer around.”

Mark ”I told her everybody was worried about her.”

Marina exits the office and walks toward the kitchen.  She opens the door and sees Lara, who is hard at work.

Marina ”Lara!”

Lara looks over at Marina.

Marina ”Come here, please.”

Lara gives some instructions to the other cooks and walks out with Marina.  They go to the office door with Marina opening it for Lara.  Lara sees her standing there.

Lara ”Carmen…”

Carmen is already fighting her emotions as she sees her.

Carmen ”Hey.”

Marina closes the door, leaving the two alone to talk.  Carmen and Lara slowly approach one another.

Carmen ”…I wish there was something I could tell you.”

Lara ”Yeah.  Um…I don’t know what to do, either.  I just know I wanted to see you again.  I don’t want you mad at me.”

Carmen ”…I can’t think of a single reason to be mad at you.  You…were willing to do something…incredible.”

Lara ”…I would have, Carmen.”

Their hands come together.

Carmen ”I couldn’t do that to you.  Not like that.  You deserve so much better than that.  You deserve to be more than a consolation prize.  You’re better than that.”

Lara ”I wasn’t looking at myself…and I don’t care what I was.  I just wanted…you.”

Carmen slides her hands up Lara’s arms, bringing them around the shoulders.  The two are face to face as Lara places her hands on Carmen’s hips.

Carmen ”I wish it could have been you.  I really do.  But for whatever reason…it just never turned out that way.  I met Shane.  You were already with Dana.  …And we’re both…hurting…so much right now.  Mark says you’re not talking.”

Lara ”When I talked to you…you ran.  Forgive me if it…makes me a little gun shy about speaking now.”

Carmen shakes her head.

Carmen ”Lara, that wasn’t because of you.  That was because of Shane.  And you…deserve…better.”

Lara ”I don’t want, ’better.’”