Seven Months Later

Cass pulled onto the highway, checked her mirrors, then settled back in her seat. She glanced down at the clock, a smile growing on her face when she saw it was just a few minutes until nine.

Her phone rang moments later, and Cass answered it with a tap to her earpiece. "Hey."

Veronica's still-sleepy voice sounded like home. "Morning. Are you already driving?"

"Yep. Gonna try and make it to St. Louis before noon if I can." Cass smiled at Veronica's drowsy hum. "Sleep okay?"

"Mm. Could've used a cuddle buddy." Veronica's smile was audible in her voice, and Cass heard her roll over in bed. "I miss you."

"Me too." Cass made sure the road was clear of any immediate hazards before checking her planner. "Might be able to drop by the diner this weekend, though."

"Yeah? I'll make sure to save you some pie."

"You're an angel," Cass teased as Veronica stifled a yawn. "Hey, y'know you can go back to sleep. It's, what, seven o'clock there?"

"And give up time I could spend talking to my beautiful girlfriend?" Veronica retorted. "Surely you jest, Miss Cassidy."

The trucker laughed and let Veronica's voice wash over her as the brunette began telling her about a wild dream she'd had. The miles rolled past underneath her, but Cass found herself not caring until Veronica grew quiet.

Cass' heart sank. "Time to get off the phone?" she asked, keeping her voice light.

"Almost," Veronica replied. "I just... Look, there's something I want to tell you."

Uncertainty wormed its way into the trucker's gut. "Okay...?"

Veronica sighed. "Crap. That was creepy, sorry. I'm just nervous. I... You know how you keep saying I should try and find an acting job or something?"

"Yeah." Her uncertainty gave way to guarded excitement, and the beginnings of a smile started on Cass' face at the uncertain tone of Veronica's voice.

Veronica hesitated, the silence crackling over the phone line. "So okay, there's this little community theater here in town. It's not very fancy or anything, but... well, they're putting on A Streetcar Named Desire, and that was always one of my favorites. And I just—I don't know."

"You gonna do it?" Cass asked gently.

"Auditions are tonight," Veronica admitted. "I'm terrified, but I'm... thinking about going."

"You should." Cass couldn't keep the smile out of her voice. "C'mon, babe, go for it! You been wantin' an opportunity forever."

"I know." The brunette was quiet for a moment, and when she spoke, her voice was small. "But what if I'm not any good?"

"Won't know until you try. They might love you, Ronnie. An' you do have talent."

"You're biased."

"A little," Cass allowed. "But I still think you oughta go for it. You're gonna regret it if you don't. Worst that could happen is that they say no."

Veronica exhaled slowly. "I knew you'd say that."

The redhead grinned. "Did it help?"

"Yeah." Her voice held hints of a smile. "Thanks, Rose."

"Knock 'em dead, sweetheart."

Veronica laughed at that, then sighed again. "Okay, now it's time to get off the phone. Ugh. Sorry."

"Don't be. Thanks for telling me. Got my fingers crossed for you, babe."

"Thanks. Now I just have to survive the morning shift without dying of nerves or spilling coffee on anyone if my hands start shaking."

"You'll be fine." Cass wished she was there to give her girlfriend a hug. "Let me know how it goes, okay?"

"I will. I love you."

Cass smiled. "Love you too, Ronnie. Have a good day. Try not to freak out."

Veronica snorted. "Too late. Drive safe, okay?"

Cass promised she would and made a mental note to buy flowers on her way back to the diner. She glanced up at her visor when she hung up the phone, reaching up to touch a photo of herself and Veronica grinning at each other, and smiled to herself as she drove on.

Thank you for reading!