FOR MONEY, I'LL MARRY YOU.......

12

👉🏻👈🏻

"So, when you coming?"

Jade got off the bus a stop early. She'd be on this call for a while, and she knew how much it sucked listening to someone else's phone conversation on public transportation.

The wind swirled around her neck, and she hunched her shoulders, kicking herself for forgetting her scarf in her locker. She held the phone to her ear and sidestepped someone whose gaze was glued to the ground.

"Grandma, soon. I promise."

"Yes, but when? We talked weeks ago."

Jade was grinning in spite of herself.

"Althea and I were talking yesterday. We think we can both get a weekend off in a couple of weeks."

"Sorry, you said one weekend? A weekend? Just one."

"Yes."

"We don't see you in months and months, and you come for one weekend? Three nights is nada?"

Jade winced. "Probably two."

Silence on the phone. Jade took a left at the next block and glanced around. Was she walking the right way to Althea's house?

Her house?

Their house?

Whatever.

Her gaze fell on a tiny magazine stand that was run by a happy guy with the biggest beard she'd ever seen. Yes, right way. She was still getting used to this. This fancy-ass area was still a bit of a mystery, even after a month.

"Grandma."

"Two nights?"

"It's really hard to get time off at work at the moment."

Which was true.

"You get married to someone we no know and then only come visit with us two nights?"

"Grandma. I'm sorry. I'll try come for longer next time."

Without Althea. More than two nights in a house they had to pretend to be very married in? No, thank you. A weekend was stupid enough. The shine of her getting back at Althea and dragging her down with her had faded quickly, and it had left Jade with gnawing anxiety.

Grandma huffed. "I will believe that when I see it."

"How's mom?"

A pause.

"She is the same. No better, no worse."

Grandma's voice had changed; it was softer. It always was when she spoke about her daughter. Jade's heart tripped over in her chest.

"She will love to see you when you come, I'm sure."

"Good."

Jade's throat seemed to have closed over; a prickling crawling up the inside of it.

"Okay."

"You are okay?"

"Yes, yes." Jade swallowed hard and kept her voice as normal as she could.

"I'm fine."

"Magkwento ka tungkol kay Althea."

Jade laughed, dodging a guy on a bike who shouldn't even be on the sidewalk.

"Sinabi ko na po lahat."

"If that is all that you know and have to say about your wife, I am worried."