Carmen buries her head against Lara’s right shoulder as Lara brings her hands up Carmen’s back, running through her hair.

Carmen ”Lara…we’ve got a lot of hurt to get through.”

Lara nods.

Lara ”Yeah…”

Carmen ”You deserve to be loved.”

Lara ”…So do you.”

Lara raises Carmen’s face to hers, her voice shaking.

Lara ”Please stay.”

Both fighting their emotions, Carmen cracks a smile, their foreheads leaned together.

Carmen ”I will.  Just for you.  …And…also so Mark doesn’t show up so awkwardly in my front yard.”

Lara laughs, confused.

Lara ”What?”

Carmen ”Mark came and got me.”

Lara ”That’s our brother.”

Carmen smiles.

Carmen ”Si.”

Lara ”Si.”

Carmen ”My mother asked about you.”

Lara ”Tell her I said, ’Hola y lo siento por lo que pasó.’”

Carmen ”There’s no need to apologize.  She is interested in how well you cook.”

Lara smiles.

Carmen ”Speaking of which…I need to let you get back to work.”

Lara ”As long you promise to still be here.  The world sucks without D.J. Sugar playing songs.”

Carmen ”I promise.”

Lara ”Swear to it.”

Lara brings up her right hand between them, her right pinky finger stuck out.  Carmen looks at Lara and brings her right hand up the same way, the pinky fingers wrapping around each other.

Carmen ”I…promise.”

Lara ”Okay.  I’ll stay, too.”

Slowly, they pull away from one another.  Carmen gets to the door and starts to open it.

Carmen ” Estoy feliz que eres en mi vida.”

Lara ”Volví para usted.”

Carmen ”…You’re why I’m here, too.”

Carmen exits with Lara sighing, feeling a lump in her throat.  Carmen meets up with Mark.  Alice is on her laptop as Mark has just finished his coffee.

Carmen ”Can you please take me home?”

Mark ”Sure.”

Carmen ”I do mean home.  Not back to East L.A.”

Mark grins.

Mark ”Of course.”

Mark and Carmen exit as Alice closes her laptop, noticing Lara has yet to leave the office.  Marina looks on, keeping herself uninvolved as Alice carries her laptop to the office.  Alice opens the door and sees Lara wiping away some tears.

Alice ”Everything okay?”

Lara nods.

Lara ”Yeah.  Um…I’m just…trying…”

Alice places the laptop on the desk and wraps her arms around Lara’s waist.

Alice ”It’s okay.”

Lara buries her face against Alice’s right shoulder as Alice holds her, her own expression leaning into a hopelessness that she dare not let Lara see.

Soon this day shall end, leading to more as this new life continues to unfold for everyone.