Push Play – Take 19 | Master Shot

Take 19 | Master Shot

Master Shot

A master shot is a film recording of an entire dramatized scene, from start to finish, from an angle that keeps all the players in view. It is often a long shot and can sometimes perform a double function as an establishing shot. Usually, the master shot is the first shot checked off during the shooting of a scene—it is the foundation of what is called camera coverage, other shots that reveal different aspects of the action, groupings of two or three of the actors at crucial moments, close-ups of individuals, insert shots of various props, and so on.

Historically, the master shot was perhaps the most important shot of any given scene. All shots in a given scene were somehow related to what was happening in the master shot. This is one reason some of the films from the 1930s and 1940s are considered “stagey” by today’s standards. By the 1960s and 1970s, the style of film shooting and editing shifted to include radical angles that conveyed more subjectivity and intimacy within the scenes. Today, the master shot is still a key element of film production, but scenes are not built around the master shot in the same way that they were when professional filmmaking was in its infancy.

“Are you sure you don’t want to let me drive? At least for a bit?”

Alecia glanced at Michael and chuckled, as her car kept cutting through the storm. The wipers were working like crazy and the road was barely visible. It looked as if some deities were unleashing buckets of cold water over the area, and the temperature had dropped to the point that Michael had put his coat on. He hated the cold and he was freezing! Even the light had significantly diminished, and it looked like the afternoon was plunging head-first into the night way before sunset was due.

“Dude? You wanna see your girl or not? No offense but, Lisa told me all about your driving skills. So forget about it. I got this.”

Michael side-eyed her and sulked, sinking deeper into the passenger seat and hoping they would not end up being plastered against a tree before sunset. Alecia was a bit of a smartass and looked confident, but he was not sure she was exactly the best driver in the world. For a moment, he almost regretted having agreed to let her drive over to Seal Beach, instead of sitting her ass into one of his Suburbans and let Malcolm, his chauffeur, take them to their destination. But alas, for now the small security detail following them from afar would have to do: it was one of those moments when Michael didn’t feel like having anybody around. Except for Alecia, but only because she was the messenger and she would be leaving soon anyway.

“I can take you there, if you want. And then I’m gonna head back to my amazing house in Rancho Palos Verdes, which is not even that far. See? No big deal.”

Only, it was a big deal. He had been entirely left out of the loop as far as Lisa’s whereabouts were concerned, just for starters, and Alecia feeling the need to come over to his ranch and talk to him face to face, unbeknown to her best friend, was also not normal. The whole thing made all kinds of alarm bells ring like crazy in Michael’s mind.

Alecia had appeared in front of his door like a hallucination. She was the last person Michael would have expected to see, because he had never even met her in person. And yet there she was. Of course he was concerned.

However, the first thing she had told him had surprised him and made him smile the first genuine half-smile of the day.

“Hey. Hi! …Wow. You’re taller than I thought.”

Michael had snorted and had moved to the side, motioning for her to come in. It was still pouring down and she was soaking wet. It looked like Miss Alecia didn’t like umbrellas.

“I’m Alecia.” Running one hand through her wet hair, sounding slightly out of breath, she had held out her other hand to him and he had shaken it.

“Yes, I know. Lisa talks a lot about you. I’m Michael.”

Leish had smirked up at him and nodded.

“Right…”

Well – yeah. She knew who he was. But Michael had always found it distasteful not to introduce himself, it didn’t matter who stood in front of him. It was all about good manners.

“Hey – Have a seat near the fire. I’m gonna grab a blanket or something – You look like you swam all the way over here. Are you cold? Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’m cool, thanks. I’m here because I need to talk to you – but you gotta promise, KOP, you won’t tell Lisa anything. Not for now, at least.”

He had stopped mid-track, gazing down at her with his eyes narrowed, weighing her up.

“It’s Michael… please.”

Alecia had sat in the armchair near the fire. “Yeah, I know. I just need a moment to get used to this. I mean… get used to you. Man… this is weird. It’s not like seeing you on TV.”

“Indeed.” Michael had frowned. Lisa’s best friend was an odd specimen. But so was his ex-wife… so, nothing new there. “Alright, then. I promise I won’t tell Lisa anything. What’s going on? Is she OK?”

He sounded calm, reasonable, collected. Inside, he was anything but.

“That’s the point. I know for sure she’s alive and well, but is she OK? I can’t say. Last time I heard from her I got a weird feeling, and I don’t really know what to do. She’s been acting real’ odd for the past couple of days… So I thought – you know, given what happened, that you could maybe help me help her. Unless you’re busy patching things up with your girlfriend.”

“Hardly. Why? What happened?” Gosh, what else had happened?

He had grabbed a blanket from the love-seat nearby and handed it to Leish.

Her eyebrows had sprung up.

“Ah… that new video plastered all over the internet?”

Michael had rolled his eyes and sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, his elbows resting on his knees.

“Oh… Right… That.” He had scratched his cheek, feeling his face go up in flames. “You think Lisa is upset because of that?”

Had he been so wrong when he had thought she wouldn’t be bothered by something so trivial? Was she pulling back for real, just because of a stupid video?

“Well, the timing sure is odd. The footage came out and she was already gone. Boom, disappeared from my radar. But I’m not sure. Something must have happened with her mom, or maybe Roman, that boring dude she’s been dating for a while… By the way, just so you know, I’m totally team Michael in this. I don’t like Roman at all.”

“Ah, thank you, I guess…? What do you mean she’s been acting weird?” He had paused and scrunched his eyebrows. “Lisa and I are just friends.”

“Oh, you guys are friendly alright!” Alecia had snickered, then had taken off her shoes and had curled up like a little ball on the armchair, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. “But that thing that almost melted my computer is not what I’m here to talk about. Maybe some other time.”

And so he had listened to what she had to say, trying very hard to forget about Alecia – and half of the world, for that matter – knowing pretty much everything about his and Lisa’s sex routine.

She was not entirely in the know about what was going on with Lisa, but she had sensed that something was wrong with her. Lisa had been at Priscilla’s, and she had initially planned to be there for the whole weekend – with only one quick interlude: she was supposed to have lunch with Alecia. Only, at the last moment she had bailed. The strange thing was that she hadn’t even called Leish, which was so unlike Lisa. She had only sent her a text, telling her that something had come up with Roman, and that they would have to postpone their date.

It all had been OK until Alecia, a few hours later, had tried to get in touch with Lisa again and had found out that she was no longer at her mother’s. Of course, Leish had picked up the phone and called Lisa’s cell phone right away.

It had been nothing but a quick conversation. Lisa had told Alecia that Danny had come to take the kids for a few days, and that she would have to take some time for herself. And that certainly she didn’t want her mom around. She had also added that she would be going to “her place” to regroup and take care of some stuff. And that Alecia would hear from her in a week, maybe two.

Which was even weirder, given that it was so unlike Lisa to be so secretive, to haul ass that way or to be separated from her kids for so long. She didn’t like being alone – loneliness would always cause her to overthink shit. Michael knew all about that. He remembered very well how many times he too had made her feel alone in the past, and how she would always tend to have knee-jerk reactions because of that. Insecurity would eat at her.

But anyway, the quick convo over the phone had been enough to spook Alecia. The only problem? She didn’t know who she could get in touch with. The main players were no longer on the chessboard: Roman, Priscilla, Danny… they were all people Lisa clearly was trying to get away from, at least for the time being. The only person left to ask help to, was Michael. And so Alecia had driven over to the ranch.

“Alright – please, tell me once again why you thought that talking to me was the best option.” Staring at the hailstorm outside the car, Michael unwrapped a chewing gum and tossed it into his mouth. “Want a gum?”

“No, but I would love a hot toddy right now. Shit, it’s getting cold.” Leish turned on the heat. “Michael, what else do you want me to say? I told you everything I know, which isn’t much.”

“Yeah, but still, I feel something is missing…”

“Yeah, something is missing for sure: it’s what we don’t know. That’s why we’re driving through a fucking apocalypse while we should both be home. Don’t you think I’d rather be snuggling in bed with my boyfriend right now? But my girl is all alone in that little house, I ain’t gonna leave her there.”

Right – what was about the house at Seal Beach? Michael didn’t know anything about that! How many things had flown under his radar, in the past year, when it came to Lisa? How many things had she kept from him?

“And you said she purchased it last year, just like that?” He snapped his fingers.

“Yes. After you guys broke up for the last time. Impulse buying at its finest. I think I’m one of the few people who know about that house.”

“Well, I had no idea.”

“Of course not. You were never supposed to know. Which kinda fucks me over, ’cause the moment she sees you, she’s gonna realize that I’m the mastermind behind this. But whatever. That was the place she used to go to whenever she wanted to get away from everyone, you especially. To get better and try to forget about you… Only, I’m not sure it ever really worked.” Her blue-grey eyes still fixed on the road, Alecia’s face distorted in a slight grimace. “Lisa… She’s softer than she would like to be. She thinks that’s a weakness, but I think she’s wrong.”

“I agree.”

Her softness. How quickly he had fallen in love with that part of her. That treasure chest had opened, the solid locks of her devil may care attitude had snapped open and he had seen what was hidden inside of her. So much beauty. So much magic. So much tragedy. How was he supposed not to love her? How could he stop loving her? She was the opposite of so many people gravitating in his life. With all her flaws, Lisa was honest to a fault.

“But still! I get why she has to be tough sometimes. It’s her way to survive and the only defense mechanism she has ever known. I just wish she could allow herself to be vulnerable every now and then.”

“And you don’t think she can?”

“With you, you mean? Or with Roman?”

Michael bit the inside of his cheek. “Both.”

Leish just shrugged.

“I guess she doesn’t think she can be totally vulnerable and open with neither one of you two. But for different reasons.”

“She had I… we have some baggage.”

“Yeah… No shit, champ.”

“But believe it or not, that darn tape being leaked showed us that we still can be great together. I mean – we took care of it just fine and we never even fought.”

Well, seldom, but still – the past few months had been an improvement compared to the shit they had subjected one another to, one year earlier.

“I know, she told me all about your… teamwork.” Leish chuckled and sighed.

Michael shifted in his seat. “Look, there really is no need to be ultra-detailed, OK? The only thing that matters is that she wasn’t too upset about the whole thing.”

“You mean the tape? Or the sex?”

His blush intensified. “No, the tape.”

Alecia tilted her head, lost in thought for a moment.

“No, I don’t think she was. If she was, she sure is a great actress. And I think you know just like I do that Lisa’s acting skills aren’t exactly Oscar-worthy. But anyway… I remember calling her right away when that thing came out. She was not in the least distressed. She was…”

“What…?”

“…Amused. As if she thought it was funny. Fucked up, but funny in that dry way she loves, you know? And I think it was because it was you, in that tape with her. I mean, the only thing that worried her, was how you were going to react to the whole thing. She wasn’t really thinking about herself.”

Michael stared at his own hands, clasped in his lap.

“So… I guess it’s safe to assume that whatever upset her, has nothing to do with this new tape that’s now out.”

Leish kept staring ahead.

“I don’t know what to say about that. When I last heard from her, the news hadn’t come out yet. But I don’t think she cares about that, no. Roman, on the other hand…”

Michael snorted.

“Roman isn’t the most sensitive dude on the planet. He asked me if there was any chance to capitalize on it, the first time around.”

“Oh, did he? Color me shocked.” Her deadpan tone told Michael that she was not in the least surprised. “You understand now, why Lisa never totally opened up with him?”

“I do. But I’m no Roman.”

“No, you’re not. And that’s precisely the point.” Alecia threw Michael a glance, then slowed down the car a bit – as it looked like they were driving through a car-wash tunnel. “I’ve seen her, Michael. Last year, after you guys broke up. There was nothing cute about that. I was there and I’ve seen her and, in a way, I have even seen you through her. The whole thing was fucked up.”

He set his jaw and just stared at her as composedly as he could.

“I saw her shattering. It was like she was made of crystal, always on the verge of breaking. I mean, she would play it cool, but it was clear that she needed time to get over you. But then she found out she wasn’t over you at all. I guess the new footage on the internet kinda gives it away a bit.”

“It wasn’t our doing. I mean… Yeah, of course it’s Lisa and me in that tape. But we didn’t know we were being recorded. Zoe did it.”

“Zoe leaked the thing? That Zoe? You mean that statuesque creature you’ve been accompanying yourself with for the past several months?” Alecia chuckled without any warmth. “Yeah… That was another blow to Lisa’s self-esteem.”

Michael turned on the seat and kept staring at Alecia, not uttering a word. No, she was wrong. This had to be nothing but her interpretation of what she believed Lisa felt. Because there was not a chance in the world that his woman, his beautiful, perfect girl, the woman he had wanted to marry with all his heart and soul, believed he could find anyone else more desirable than she was.

“Well, it’s over. We broke up. As a matter of fact, I think that’s exactly why she leaked the tape.”

“Hell has no fury like a woman scorned.” This time, Alecia’s laugh sounded more genuine. “Finding out that you’ve been boning your ex-wife behind her back mustn’t have helped either.”

“I guess.” Michael turned back to the road.

“But anyway, Michael… what I meant to say is that Lisa never fully opened up with Roman because she never was in love with him. And she didn’t think she could open up with you any longer because she loves you way too much.”

He just swallowed and stayed quiet.

“I know you get what I mean. You too seem a bit guarded, my friend.”

“Yeah, I know. But…” Michael sighed and shook his head. Alecia was right. He was guarded. With her. And with Lisa, too. “… It’s complicated.” The only word he could come up with was the one he had used with Zoe.

“That’s exactly what she tells me… all the time.”

“And what else does she tell you?”

“Hey, did you change your mind? You’re not asking me to betray my best friend’s trust, are you? It’s private stuff.”

“Well, OK. I get that. Tell me something you can share, then.”

“You know what? I’ll tell you what I think.” Up until that point, the radio had been on in the car. People blabbering about the weather, some stupid songs, nothing noteworthy. Now Alecia turned it off and silence fell in the car abruptly. The rain ramming the hood was the only noise left. “I think you guys are amazing together, but also so destructive. And looking in from the outside, it’s fascinating and scary to observe these two people who clearly care so much about each other, but at the same time can’t stop fucking up.”

“That’s a pretty simplistic way to see a relationship, don’t you think?” Michael kept a bland tone, but he had to admit that Alecia wasn’t wrong. In a nutshell, she had just described what was at the core of his and Lisa’s relationship.

So much love. So much fear. And with fear, it would always come pain. It was so simple and yet so hard to grasp… or fix. And it all came with a burden that, over time, had turned into a festering wound that he and Lisa seemed unable to disinfect thoroughly.

“Maybe. I’m no philosopher, you know. But the point is, when are you guys going to be ready to let go of the past and start again, clean slate?” Another vague shoulder-shrug. “And if you think that time will never come, maybe you should just be one-hundred percent honest, and let it go once and for all. I mean, Lisa told me you’re friends, now… You said the same thing, but come on…” She glanced at him for a moment, her eyebrow arched. The expression on her face told Michael that she didn’t buy that friendship crap for one minute.

The point was that he didn’t either.

“And you said she didn’t sound well, when she called you…”

“She was very calm, very collected. Her words sounded a bit rehearsed, if I gotta be honest. I asked her if Roman was with her, and she just said that he wasn’t and that she wasn’t planning to meet him either. What alarmed me was that I knew that Danny wasn’t supposed to have the kids for the weekend. That was the big red flag for me. She never leaves Riley and Ben with Danny if they’re supposed to be with her.”

“And you said her voice sounded odd…”

“Yeah. She sounded as if she had a cold.”

Which could also mean that she might have cried. Who had made her cry?

Michael glanced at his watch.

“How long ’til we get there?”

Undemanding, and yet so cute. That was the first thought crossing Michael’s mind as Alecia’s car stopped across the street and she pointed at Lisa’s little house by the beach. The one she had bought in secret and that she used as a safe haven to get away from everything. According to Alecia, that “everything” also included pretty much everyone: her mother, sometimes Danny, people from the sect and… Michael, too. More than from Michael, Lisa seemed to get away from the memories that haunted her and that involved him. After all, that was a place Michael had never seen. Spaces he and Lisa had never shared. It wasn’t tainted by their love and their loss, it was still clean, and so it worked.

Michael’s heart sank a bit. There had been a time when he and Lisa would share everything. There was absolutely nothing they didn’t know about each other. They were lovers, friends, confidants. Back then, he would have been the first to know about the house, he would have visited it with her and maybe Lisa would have even asked for his advice. But back then was not now. Things had changed… and he was looking at the physical representation of it. One of the many.

A lovely little house with a sweeping open floor plan, steps away from the sea. The neutral color palette almost camouflaged the tiny building with the surroundings. Michael understood why Lisa had chosen it – it was pretty much the opposite of Hidden Hills. Intimate, secluded, snug. Different looks, different feels. What better example of her need to get away from everything and everyone?

“Well, buster, I guess you can go now. So far we’ve been stealthy and I’m sure she didn’t notice my car… otherwise, she would have called.”

“Hard to notice anything with this fu… freaking rain.” Michael glanced up at the black sky through the car window and squinted. It was about six in the evening, but it felt as if it was night.

“Well, I hope it thins out… or I’m gonna need Noah’s ark to go home”.

“Hey…” Michael turned and looked at Alecia. “You don’t have to go. I mean, you can come with me. I’m sure Lisa won’t be mad at you.” He smirked. “Whenever I’m around, I’m her favorite target.”

Leish snorted. “Nah, it’s fine. I’m sure you guys have a lot to talk about, I’ll just be on my way. I wouldn’t wanna end up in one of your tapes. Even though I gotta admit, they sure look interesting.”

“Very funny…”

“I felt the hype. Look – seriously, though. I’m a bit worried, Michael. Something just doesn’t feel right and I just want her to be OK. And I think you might accomplish the feat… if you guys finally find a way to pull your heads out of your asses.” She touched his arm and stared at him, all serious all of a sudden. “She does love you, you know. Like crazy. No matter how imperfect it is.”

“It’s not…” Michael’s voice came out raspy, the words choked in his throat. He didn’t know why, but keeping up the collected facade was becoming difficult. It wasn’t that Leish had said anything especially touching, but the past couple of days had been disconcerting in so many ways and just like that, the idea of spending the night out, away from everything he knew – the ranch, even the Hideout – started to make sense for him too. He missed the kids, but he was OK with them being at his mom’s, right now. He was not at his best. And he needed to be. For them. For Lisa. For himself. It wasn’t an easy task, but at this point it had to be done. He had dragged himself on his elbows and knees far too long, way too scared to acknowledge what was truly going on with him. He had been lost. He still was. The cycle had to be broken.

“Cool. Even better, then. Go get her, Tiger.” Leish pushed him lightly, and he smiled.

“Hey… Thanks a lot, Alecia, for trusting me with this. And for taking me to her.”

“I must be crazy, I know. ‘Cause Lisa told me how impossible you can be. But maybe that’s what she needs right now. Her impossible possibility.”

Without even thinking, Michael leaned over and kissed her cheek, and blushed when she laughed and shoved him again, playfully.

Sighing, he glanced at her one last time before mustering the courage to open the car door and throw himself out there, in the torrential rain. Of course, the rainstorm wasn’t the problem: it was having to face Lisa without knowing what was going on with her that made him nervous.

Pulling up the lapels of his coat, he pushed his fedora down on his forehead and trotted across the street, still staring at the house. The lights were on inside. Michael only hoped Lisa was alone – because the idea of finding her holed up in there with Roman surely wasn’t the most appealing scenario. Yes, Alecia had told him that Roman was not there, but still. It was painful to realize how insecure he had become when it came to Lisa. For such a long time, Michael had always taken everything for granted: not only her love for him, but also her presence by his side, no matter what. And that had been the biggest pitfall: at one point she was gone, and a part of him was gone as well.

Stopping right before the front door, Michael straightened his back and held his breath as he rang the doorbell. All the tension of wanting, needing to talk to her, came back to him.

Several seconds passed, and nothing happened. Not a move, not a sound. His hand came up again and, this time, he knocked.

Something shifted, and he heard her even before she opened the door. When she did, she just stood there in the doorframe, in the semi-darkness, illuminated only by a small table lamp on a sideboard, in the living hall behind her back.

Lisa looked up at him as if she had just seen a ghost, and Michael fidgeted, swallowing.

“Hey…” He cleared his throat. “Did you miss me?”

The cocky one-liner didn’t come out as well as it once would have. His voice had faltered a bit. He was getting older. He felt old and tired.

Lisa opened her mouth, then closed it again.

She looked… beautiful and not entirely like her usual self. She wore baggy pajama pants and a heavy sweater that made her look even younger and more petite than she already was. Scanning her quickly from head to toe, Michael noticed her fluffy red socks and the tenderness he felt in his heart almost broke it in two. Lisa’s hair was down, a bit wild, and in his eyes there had never been anything more gorgeous than her, just standing there like a deer caught in the headlights. Surprised to see him, but not necessarily displeased. Just caught off guard.

Given her stunned silence, Michael almost expected a snarky remark. But it didn’t come. Instead, her eyes seemed to shine even more in the evening light and he saw her shake her head, ever so slightly.

“What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

Her voice sounded frail and insecure.

“I was worried. You wouldn’t pick up the phone. You wouldn’t text.” He stared at her, barely making out her face as her hair seemed to hide pretty much half of it. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

“How did you find me, Michael? This place is…”

Secret. Private. Hers.

“All yours. Yeah… I know.” Tentatively, he reached out as if he wanted to touch her, but then his hand fell flat by his side. A bolt of lightning broke the sky open and he flinched, realizing that he was soaking wet. “I have my ways. Are you really going to leave me out here?”

She seemed to hesitate and for a second, Michael though she would end up slamming the door back in his face. But then something unthinkable happened. As if propelled forward by an invisible force, Lisa threw herself into his arms, holding onto him for dear life. Automatically, he wrapped his arms around her body and lifted her off the threshold.

“You’re dunking your cute little socks… There’s a puddle here….”

Gosh, what a stupid thing to say! But his mind wasn’t really working. His rationale had been swept away by that sudden, unexpected contact and she was all he felt and everything that existed. And the truth, the absolute truth finished its long, drunken road back home and dawned on him fully. Michael realized that he loved her way too much for anything else to matter.

Lisa mumbled something and hid her face in the hollow of his neck, and he just held her, not moving.

“So… I guess you did miss me…” He inhaled the scent of her hair and closed his eyes for a moment.

“You can come in…”

Her warm breath against his cold skin snapped him back to reality. Noticing that she was shivering, he quietly stepped into the house and closed the door behind his back, then put Lisa back down.

She just stood there, her head lowered.

“You’re not supposed to know about this place. I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I know.”

“…Actually, I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

Michael bent his head and searched her eyes, but she kept her gaze downcast.

“I needed to see you. Are you alright?”

“Yeah. I know I didn’t pick up the phone… But I would have called, you know… Just, not now.”

Lisa turned her back to him and walked into the living room. The whole house was pretty much in the darkness. Michael followed her, slowly, trying as best as he could to ignore the sudden feeling of discomfort that once again was emerging within.

“Not now? Then when? And why?”

“What’s with the third degree, Michael?” Standing by the kitchen counter, she opened the fridge. Her back to him, still. “Want something to drink?”

“I’m not here to pester you with questions. I just wanna know… I’m just trying to understand…”

“What?”

“If you’re OK for real. And why you won’t look at me.” Michael moved a step closer and Lisa’s head dipped forward. “Is it because of what happened the other night? Over the phone? Or because of the… you know, news?”

“What news?”

“You don’t know?” This time, when he reached out, he did touch her. He rested his hand on Lisa’s shoulder and still, she didn’t move. “Didn’t you check the news?”

“There’s no internet connection in here, so… No.”

“Lisa Marie…” His voice softened. But the need to see her eyes became almost uncontrollable. “Can you please just look at me?”

Seconds passed, and the atmosphere felt heavy and charged in the room. Then, Lisa sighed and turned. She lifted her head and her eyes met Michael’s. And he saw what she was trying to hide from him – and possibly from everyone.

“What happened to your face?” His voice came out a big higher than he intended, but he could not help it. He would not have expected anything like that, not in a million years. Lisa’s face was bruised. There was an ecchymosis on the left side of it, near her eye, cheekbone and temple. The color of the bruise – bluish – told Michael that whatever had caused it, had occurred one or two days earlier. “Lisa?!”

“It’s nothing. Just a small accident. I was just waiting for it to get better before going back home. I didn’t want the kids to see me like this. Or you.”

She sounded calm, but also very tired. And possibly defeated.

Very slowly, not really registering her words, Michael stepped closer and into her personal face and lowered his head just as his hand cradled the left side of her face. Almost in an automatic reaction, Lisa melted into his touch and his heart expanded.

“What accident? What happened?”

He didn’t like this. He didn’t have any good vibes at all about this. But her mood also concerned him greatly. It was the only reason why he forced himself not to flip out and kept his voice low and reassuring instead. Lisa looked as if she had been struck. Not terribly hard, but hard enough to leave a mark. And she was not a clumsy woman. She was very much a tomboy and athletic and very coordinated. Sure, an accident could happen to anyone, but the timing was too suspicious for Michael not to notice. He needed to know more and he had to be careful how he treaded this.

“I just… stupidly bumped into a car door. It’s nothing, Michael, it’s…” She tried to step away from his touch and he reached out with his free hand, grabbing hers, pulling her close gently.

“Lise… Baby…”

She shook her head and the dam opened. Before he could say anything else, tears streamed down her face and she closed her eyes. Her lower lip trembled, as if she was exerting the best control over herself and yet it was not working at all.

As concern, confusion and rage mixed inside of him in equal parts, Michael just pulled her into his embrace once again and held her as she started to cry, her face hidden against his chest, her body finally softening.

He was there now. He was there and she was too and he would not be useless this time. He would know what to say. He was exactly where he was supposed to be, where he had always belonged.

“Shush, baby. It’s OK. We got this.” Michael kissed the top of her head. “Whatever it is, we got this. I came here because I needed to talk to you…. But looks like you too have so much to say, girl. It’s alright. It’s alright.”