The Clean Break

Aria just smiled silently at her friend's passionate ranting.

She didn't interrupt, didn't defend, didn't agree. She just let Beatrix vent until she ran out of steam.

Only then did Aria murmur, almost too softly, "Thanks for handling it."

"Handle it? Girl, please. I'll set everything up for tomorrow night. I'll be back in the afternoon anyway," Beatrix said, already shifting into problem-solving m