Patrick cradled a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and held out the other to Vera with a small smile. “Morning,” he said, voice quiet over the hum of the crew setting up. “How’s your day started?”

Vera accepted the cup, letting the warmth seep into her fingers as she glanced down at the script in her lap. “Better now,” she replied with a grin, flipping through the pages. They settled onto the couch together, reading over lines in comfortable silence, the chatter of arriving co-stars and rolling cameras blending into the background. For a few minutes, the haunted house set felt surprisingly normal