A little while after this
Matilda sat on her living room sofa, having already welcomed her three guests into her basement apartment. It was late. Emotionally spent without being physically tired was a strange feeling but Matilda pushed it all aside to focus on the present. They couldn't think about the past anymore. With the clutch dissolving and Dani's unexpected turning, Tilda had a lot on her plate to figure out and limited time to do so. She had to do right by the woman she'd left behind.
Even if she hadn't been anywhere near the zoo the night Dani was attacked, Tilda couldn't help but feel a little responsible. Guilty. If she'd been stronger, perhaps Daniella would have stayed in New York and perhaps none of this would have happened.
She needed to be strong though, and that meant focusing on what came next for them. She would check in with Jaime and Zara soon once she knew things were going to work out okay for Dani. Well. As okay as someone could be with dying violently and becoming a vampire. Tilda had made it through okay though, hadn't she? Maybe she'd put her trust in the wrong leader but overall, she had done alright for herself, right?
Pleasantries had, more or less, been addressed in the car ride from Cheyenne Point to Lauderhill. There was Catrina, who Matilda had yet to fully introduce beyond stating she was a friend. Matilda didn't know Elena at all but she'd helped them that evening and had the trust of the domina, so that was enough for her.
Then there was Dani. Gosh. Poor Dani.
Once everyone was settled wherever they wanted to sit - or stand - Tilda would look around the room and clear her throat a little.
"Thank you again for helping us out tonight," She spoke to both Catrina and Elena before surrendering the floor to Catrina, should she want to take over from here.