The Family Business

Chapter 17 - Quintessential Jade and Althea Pt. 1

Althea opened her eyes to a Jade-empty bed at five in the morning, the coldness made her shiver. It's been a while since the last time she woke up alone in bed and she's no longer used to it. She didn't move - not yet, she didn't even make a sound, she waited with her eyes half-closed. Jade came out from the adjacent bathroom approximately five minutes after Althea woke up (Althea counted), she's in her robe, towel wrapped around her head. It's not sunny outside, in fact, it's pouring - heavily and Althea couldn't figure out where her lovely Yuèliàng got her determination to wake up and to prepare for work rather earlier than they're used to.

Jade didn't seem to notice a pair of sapphires spying on her. Jade proceeds to get dressed pacing back and forth to get her makeup done, put on her earrings, dry her hair, slip into her dress, and gather the contracts she took home last night to review and sign. When Althea noticed Jade would be on her way out any minute, she shot up from the bed and rushed towards the walk-in closet. Jade heard a whoosh from behind her and when she looked over to check on Althea's sleeping figure, she was no longer there. Jade heard an audible twang from their closet making her stop from filing the contracts.

"Althea, honey?" Jade calls out but there was no response, just two more twangs of what she guessed were metal strings. And then she hears it, the precise plucking of a string instrument. "Thea?" Jade calls out again, still no response but there were more plucking, a tune she's not familiar with.

"Can't you see that it's just raining?" She hears Althea say - sing more like sing as she appears by the doorway of their walk-in closet, guitar bearing, with only her soft shirt, boxer shorts, and fuzzy socks on. Jade stood there amused and interested.

"There ain't no need to go outside." Althea continues along with the expert plucking of strings, she's smiling, her eyes never leaving Jade's.

"Babe?" Jade huffs but Althea just smilingly shakes her head, her hands playfully palm stopping the strings according to the tune of the Jack Johnson song Banana Pancakes.

"But baby, you hardly even notice, when I try to show you this song is meant to keep you from doing what you're supposed to. Waking up too early, maybe we could sleep in? Make you banana pancakes, pretend like it's the weekend now. We could pretend it all the time." Althea sings, closing her eyes as she musically asks Jade to stop what she's doing and just go back to bed with her. Jade is giggling now, shaking her head as she abandons the binders on the couch along with her bag and laptop, the action encouraged Althea even more.

"But the telephone's singing, ringing, it's too early don't pick it up." Althea adds as Jade's phone lit up, it was a notification from Jess, asking if she's determined to brave the raging New York storm that morning, that Jade's now contemplating to do, what with the adorable love of her life starting to make her think twice about leaving at all.

"We don't need to, we got everything we need right here and everything we need is enough." Althea huffs pointing a finger to Jade and herself, eliciting a blushing laugh from her wife again.

Thank God they're alone because Jade's a hundred percent sure that if anyone of Ali or Mac is ever present for some bizarre reason, they would absolutely be a butt of jokes for the rest of their lives. But not this one, not now, now it's just raining and for Althea and Jade, there ain't no need to go outside. Althea left her guitar by the bedside as she meets Jade halfway now walking towards her.

Althea hums pulling Jade by the waist with a gentle sway. "Just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms, do we really need to pay attention to the alarm?" Althea points out as her own alarm goes off as if right on cue, that finally did it, Althea broke into hearty laughter.