Looking After You

(46) Ages: 22 & 19

Ages: 22 & 19

“You know Jenny’s back in town,” James said while sitting beside his mother on her living room couch. It had been almost a week since that night in the restaurant and although Jenny had been staying in his apartment, they had barely spoken two words to each other. He had been staying late at the restaurant to avoid any interactions but he wasn’t just avoiding Jenny, he had been avoiding Melony as well. He felt terrible and he needed to speak to the one woman he trusted more than anyone.

“Yes, she came by a few weeks ago,” Denise added with a soft smile before taking a sip of her favorite chamomile tea. “Getting away for a while did that girl some good. She seemed to be a very peaceful state of mind.” He nodded and sat back in the sofa seat in silence. “Is everything okay with you two?”

He turned back to his mother and spoke hesitantly. “You know I was going to ask Melony to marry me.”

Denise nodded with an attentive expression. “Yes, you told your father and I that you were thinking about it. Melony is a very nice girl and if you’re sure then we’ll stand by you 100%.”

“And if I’m not sure?”

“I’m guessing this is about Jenny?” Denise set her cup of tea down on the table and turned to fully face her son.

“I’m angry with her. I mean, dad was in the hospital and she couldn’t even bother to visit.” He pointed out honestly, his heart hurting at the thought. “The one thing in the world I thought I could always count on was her being there if not anything else, I always knew she would be there for me.”

Denise’s forehead wrinkled slightly as she tried to makes sense of his statement. “And you told her this? That you were upset with her for not coming to the hospital?”

He nodded and tosses his head back. “I told her everything.”

“You told her that’s why you were feeling so conflicted and she didn’t say anything?”

He lifted his head to stare back at his mother in confusion. “Yes. What are you thinking about, mom?”

Smiling, she took James’ hand in hers. “James, Jenny came to the hospital. She was there only hours after he was admitted.”

His expression fell flat as he sat up on the sofa. “What?”

“She sat with him for over an hour and even brought a card. It was sitting beside his hospital bed for weeks; I’m surprised you never saw it.” She chuckled softly and squeezed his hand. “You know the type of person Jenny is, James and even if she couldn’t see you, for whatever reason, you have to know she would be there.”

James only had seconds to respond to the news before his phone began ringing in his pants pocket. He quickly glanced at the unfamiliar number before answering. The lady on the other end sent his heartbeat racing at the sound of the all too familiar phone call. No good ever came from that phone call.

~

“No, I’m packing my things right now,” Jenny spoke into the phone cradled between her shoulder and ear as she continued stuffing clothes into her suitcase. “Okay, thanks, Keira. I’ll see you in a bit. Love you too. Bye.” She pulled the phone from her ear and ended the call with a dejected sigh just seconds before a soft knock was heard at the door. She dropped the last shirt into her suitcase and walked over to the door. She stood speechless for just a moment at the sight of Melony on the other side. “Hey, James isn’t here right now.” She managed to mumble out slowly as Melony stepped past her into the apartment.

“I know. I actually came to see you.”

Jenny took a quick glance at her in search of any type of weapon before closing the apartment door. Stepping closer to Melony, she realized the bags beneath her eyes and the sadness to her expression. She had only known Melony for a few weeks, but she didn’t seem like the doom and gloom type of person. “Is everything okay?”