Rayna ended her conversation with Ethan—or "ET," as he'd whimsically introduced himself—and found herself smiling at her phone. Their exchange had been both exciting and oddly comforting. She leaned back in her chair, lost in thought, when her office door creaked open. "Evie!" Rayna exclaimed, brightening as her best friend entered.

Something about Evelyn seemed different, though Rayna couldn't place it. Evelyn's smile was radiant; her eyes gleamed with a joy Rayna hadn't seen in a while.

"Ray!" Evelyn echoed, and they both laughed.

"Guess what?" Rayna blurted, her excitement bubbling over.

Evelyn laughed softly, setting her bag down. "What?"

"I just got off the phone with the ad guy!" Rayna exclaimed, her voice a mixture of disbelief and delight. "And—get this—he seems to like me!"

Evelyn's eyes widened. "That's fantastic, Ray! Congratulations!" She paused, her expression turning sheepish. "I'm sorry I couldn't check him out before, you know, I was let go."

Rayna waved her hand dismissively, still grinning. "Don't worry. He sounded great. I have a feeling we'll get along really well."

Evelyn leaned against Rayna's desk, crossing her arms. "So, you're still interested in meeting Ethan?"

Rayna giggled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh, I am. It wouldn't be so bad to have two men and then choose! I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket."

Evelyn burst out laughing. "You're crazy!"

Rayna laughed. "I know! Do you hear the 'Ray' in 'crazy'?"

Evelyn grinned. "Crayzy. Yeah, I hear it."

Rayna's gaze softened. Something about her friend transcended typical happiness. "So, what's up? You're different today."

Evelyn's brow furrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

"You're glowing, Evie," Rayna said, awestruck. "Your eyes are gleaming. Is it Derek?"

Evelyn laughed, a warm, musical sound. "It's everything," she admitted, blushing slightly. "I'm just really happy."

Rayna leaned forward, eager to hear more. "Something funny happened this morning," Evelyn began, her eyes twinkling.

But Rayna interrupted. "Wait! How did it go last night with your parents? You never told me."

A dreamy look crossed Evelyn's face. "Derek was there. It was…really good. My father was difficult at first, but Derek handled it amazingly," Evelyn said, then recounted the evening's events.

Rayna leaned back, nodding. "Derek's racking up points. He's a keeper."

Evelyn chuckled, blushing. "He really is. So, you'll never guess where I just came from."

Rayna raised an eyebrow. "Where?"

"My parents' house."

Rayna's eyes widened. "What were you doing there? Did you see Sandra?"

Evelyn laughed, mischievously. "Oh, I saw her. And I put on quite a show."

Rayna leaned forward eagerly. "Tell me everything!"

Evelyn recounted how she'd recorded her conversation with Sandra and played it back when Sandra tried to act up again in front of their parents. Rayna listened, her eyes widening with each word. By the time Evelyn finished, she was clapping.

"That's my girl!" Rayna exclaimed, beaming. "I'm so proud of you, Evie! You finally gave Sandra a taste of her own medicine."

"No," Evelyn corrected. "This is my medicine. Sandra won't know what hit her."

Rayna's eyes sparkled. "You're finally standing up for yourself!"

Evelyn squeezed Rayna's hand. "I couldn't have done it without you, Rayna. I'm so lucky to have a friend like you."

Rayna waved off the compliment. "It's nothing. I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

Evelyn smiled. "Maybe. Maybe not. Thank you for being a friend I can rely on." They basked in the warmth of their friendship. After a while, Rayna noticed Evelyn glancing at the time. "Heading somewhere?"

Evelyn nodded, standing and grabbing her bag. "Yeah, I'm checking out houses. Derek's agent sent photos."

Rayna's eyes lit up. "Ooh, house hunting! I wish I could go, but I'm swamped."

Evelyn smiled. "It's fine. I just wanted to say hello, tell you about my parents, say thank you, and I love you."

Rayna walked Evelyn to the door. "I'm glad you did. It's good to see you so happy again."

Evelyn's eyes brimmed with gratitude. "Thank you, Ray. For everything." They hugged. "Go find your dream house," Rayna said. "And make sure it has a big guest room for me!" Evelyn laughed and waved goodbye.

Rayna felt a sense of contentment. Life was changing for both of them, and the future seemed bright.

Her happy mood was interrupted by a buzzing phone. It was Sandra. Rayna rolled her eyes. "What does the snake want?" she muttered, answering the call.

Sandra sobbed. "Ray… I don't know what I did to Evelyn. She's ruining my life!"

Rayna sighed. "What happened?"

Sandra explained how Evelyn had supposedly manipulated their conversation with her parents and tried to seduce Derek.

Rayna smirked, suspecting Sandra's motives. "Sometimes I just can't believe Evie. What can I do to help?"

"Can we hang out? I need a drink," Sandra sobbed.

"Sure. Seven p.m.? Should I invite Evie? So you two can hash things out?" Rayna offered, knowing Sandra wouldn't want that.

"No, please don't," Sandra sniffled.

"Alright. Seven p.m.," Rayna said, hanging up. She was sure Sandra was up to something.