LANA MASON
Just as I have for the last couple of months, I brace myself before walking into Allison's apartment. Lately, I'm not quite sure what to expect. Some days she's obviously frustrated and upset, and some days she seems perfectly normal. Either way, I'm happy that I only have to see her for the amount of time it takes for her to get her things together for work and leave. That's long enough.
"Hello?" I call out as I close the door, and then I notice a Jane-sized lump on the couch underneath one of the throw blankets.
"I'm not sure where Jane is, Lana!" Allison responds from down the hall, playing along. "Could you help me find her, please?"
Jane giggles and moves under the blanket, warming my heart.
"Yeah, I'll look around!" I set my tote bag on the entry table and walk over to the kitchen first, circling the island and checking in the dining room area. "Oh, wait...what is this thing on the couch?"
Jane stays still, but the blanket still moves in time with her breathing before I yank the blanket off of her. She loses it in a fit of giggles as I gasp with wide eyes, and her laughs go silent as I start tickling her belly in her pajamas. As she makes it up to her feet to jump into my arms, I feel completely at ease.
"Hi, sweet girl," I hug her tightly the same way she's doing to me. "How was your weekend?"
"I missed you, Miss Lana," she says sweetly, pulling back to see me while still hugging my neck.
"I missed you, too," I assure her, and it's funny because I actually mean it. I loved the kids I watched before, but I loved having my weekends to myself as well. With Jane, I actually do miss her when we're not together.
"Good morning, Lana," Allison strides down the hallway in a pair of low-rise pinstripe trousers with a terribly small white button-down underneath, paired with a fitted blazer to match the pants. Her hair appears to be fuller and her makeup is intact. She's glowing and it's hard to believe she's the same woman who was sobbing with her hair in a ratty bun a few weeks ago.
"Morning," I'm still holding Jane, suspiciously watching her smile to herself as she grabs her usual salad from the refrigerator. Why is she happy? "How was your weekend?"
"Honestly, it was great," she laughs to herself. "I met with my personal trainer at DOGPOUND, which I haven't done in I don't know how long. Months, probably."
I stare begrudgingly at the back of her head. DOGPOUND costs about $800 a month and that's just for the first tier membership. I'm sure she pays far more. "Oh, that's nice."
"And Jane and I had another playdate with my friend from work," she smiles as she turns with a yellow juice from Whole Foods, closing the fridge with her hip. "I'm really starting to feel like myself again, you know?"
I fucking hate you.
"That's great," I force something of a laugh and finally let Jane down on the ground.
The most obnoxious thing is that she doesn't know that I know what she said about me to Harry behind my back. I guess we're even, considering she doesn't know that I'm fucking Harry behind her back.
"Miss Lana?" Jane earns my attention back.
"Yeah?"
"Can we go to the playground today?"
"Of course," I smooth down her wild bedhead curls. "Why don't you go pick an outfit and then I'll do your hair."
"Okay!" She spins around and gallops to her room down the hall.
