They’ve been so close, the four of them. But what about now?

There’s always something different in Ella’s room, something new, something trending, but at the same time, fitting right into the design as if it had been there all along. This time, it’s a new desk chair: delicate whitewashed woodwork, a perfect match to the bookshelves that Ella’s had for years.

“Niiice,” Mimi says.

Ella gives it a careless glance. “Oh, that? Yeah, my mother ordered it the other day.”

Mimi rolls her eyes. To Ella, getting new furniture is about as mundane as changing her linen.

Shoshana spreads out her notes on the floor. She’s still acting too quiet. Mimi glances at her, at Ella, and back again.

“Going to get us some refreshments,” Ella says, jumping to her feet. The clatter of footsteps echoes behind her.

“Totally awkward,” Shoshana mutters in Mimi’s direction.

Mimi shrugs. She’s not going to agree, make Shoshana feel even more out of place. But she can’t exactly lie, either.