Re: LIVING ROOM (Near the fireplace): Hugh C./Rafe J.
Rafe wasn't wrong about Hugh and Zee. The two had been close, and at various points in time, there had definitely been benefitsto that friendship, but they'd always circled back to each other. It seemed in Zee's case even when her Uncle had been sceptical of her desire to do so. Zee had listened and supported, and wanted to stay. Because Hugh might laugh about convincing her to stay, but he'd never pin her down if she didn't want him to hold her to the ground.
"Well, she's around," Hugh laughed, glancing again. "Cute ponytail, plaid dress, a smile that would melt entire glaciers," he grinned. "She's the actual best always. I mean, she puts up with me, which is no small task, no matter how amiable I might seem on the surface," he quipped. Because no, he was terrible at keeping in touch.
"It's hard when people aren't in front of you. I mean, maybe not for everyone, I don't know - I think some people might be better at it, but I feel like I connect to the people I'm around, and there are some people, like Zee that as soon as they're back around we're instantly friends again - and I don't take that for granted because..." he repressed a sigh as he considered all of the people that had just stopped texting him around the trial, or texted him only things that felt as if they just wanted information from him. "Not everyone fits that category," he finished, punctuating his sentence with a drink. "It sounds like your friend may be one of those that you'll be friends again, and if so, then we should both do a better job this time around cause those are friends you want to keep around."