When Rona came home she found half a chocolate cake on the kitchen counter, and Miranda and Eric both on the sofa next to each other watching T.V. "The cake's burned" she said.

"It's fine."

Rona didn't argue. She was too distracted by the fact that Miranda was resting her head on Eric's shoulder. "You two look comfy."

"Eric's shoulder's knobbly" Miranda complained. She poked him in the ribs. "You're all skin and bone!"

"Ahh!" Eric winced. He didn't have enough flesh over his ribs to cushion the blow. "You're bony" he said. "Bony little fingers."

"Are you insulting me again?"

"You'll get over it" Eric assured her. "And besides . . ." He turned to Rona. "Hey, Rona, would you consider it an insult if I called you a waitress?"

Miranda rolled her eyes, but Rona didn't notice. "I honestly don't know how to even begin answering that" Rona blinked.

"Ignore him" Miranda advised. "I was just a bit snippy after work. I was tired."

"Yeah but you've had a nap now" Eric smiled.

"A nana-nap."

"It was more than that, you were snoring!"

"I was not!"

"Oh, you're right, I must have been imagining it" Eric said, frowning sarcastically and shaking his head at the foolishness of Miranda's comment.

Rona couldn't imagine when this familiarity had grown between the two of them. It was as if they'd been working on it in private, in secret without her. She couldn't help feeling a little jealous, a little angry at the both of them for it - she tried not to but she couldn't help it. She became a little resentful of both of them, of Miranda in particular, for making her feel this way, for making her feel like she was missing out.

But by now she knew how to recognise the worst aspects of her own nature when they rose up within her. She gritted her teeth, and told herself not to be silly, and reassured herself with the thought that Miranda was probably needlessly complicating her relationship with Eric because they were both still pretty sure he was gay and what exactly was she doing? - and she sat down on the other end of the sofa and set to watching T.V. with them.