Lena hit play. The rough cut of julian's film flickered on the screen, his voice directing from off- camera. Her fingers hovered over the keys. Then, her voice - low, raw, unrehearsed - slipped into the room.
Julian froze behind her. "That's you?"
She didn't turn. "it's not for the final cut."
"why not?"
"because it's real".
A beat. He stepped closer, voice quiet but firm. "Then it's just exactly what I NEED."
She didn't reply. but she didn't press stop either