Lean on Me || Jill Roord

4. Stolen Glances

Jill had kindly made both of us chicken noodle soup when dinner time rolled around. We ate on the couch once again, as it was the most comfortable place for me to sit other than my bed. I hadn't moved from the couch practically all day except for going to the bathroom or just to simply stand up. It was frustrating not being able to do much, but I knew it was going to be like this for a while judging by the pain I was in.

"Do you need any medication right now? How bad is the pain?" Jill asked while setting her soup down on the table in front of the couch and turning her attention to me before sitting down.

I sighed, "Yes, please." She gave me a reassuring look before disappearing into my bedroom to grab my pain medication. She handed me two small pills as she sat down next to me, giving me room to move around though. "Thank you," I quietly mumbled once I'd swallowed the pills and downed some water. Jill gave me a smile in return that made me smile as well. I loved her smile.

While we ate, it was quiet for the most part; only the sound of the Premier League highlights from last weekend played on the television. Neither of us seemed entirely interested, yet neither of us felt the need to change the channel. I felt my eyes drift over to Jill for a moment. Jill was most definitely a quiet person, at least when she wanted to be; she always gave off a sense of calmness that helped greatly to ease my own mind.

My phone began to ring beside me, tearing my attention away from Jill before she could catch me staring. Realising the number, I answered.

"Fleura? How was surgery? How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling okay given the circumstances. Surgery went well; they said everything went smoothly and according to plan. I got released late yesterday afternoon, and Alanna drove me home."

"Oh, that's wonderful. Is she staying with you for a while? Are you alone? Fleura, you need someone to help you if anything goes wrong. I don't want you to be alone. I'll even fly out if I need to. Carol-" I stole a quick glance at Jill, who had returned her attention back to the television to give me some privacy.

"Mum! I'm okay. I'm not alone. My teammate and friend Jill is staying with me for the next month. I'll be okay."

"Oh. Okay. I just want you to be safe, sweetie."

"I know mum."

My mum and I talked for a while longer; she caught me up on her and Mat's lives and how I should come visit them during my recovery. I told her I would when I'm cleared to fly. I hadn't been home for more than a weekend for a long time. Sure, I was in Australia for national team duty, but I never fully had time to go home, and I knew that was straining me immensely.

When Jill finally took hold of the remote to change the channel, I ended the call with my mum so we could watch another episode of Killing Eve. We'd both become very fond of the show and wouldn't let each other jump ahead, and we could only watch it together, which didn't bother me in the slightest.

"Why does your mother call you Fleura?" Jill asked during the show's intro. I glanced in her direction; she'd turned to me almost like she was searching for an answer.

I smiled softly, thinking back to how that name came around. "It's my middle name, actually. It's also my father's mother's name. I only met her once though; she sadly passed away due to cancer when I was three. But that's not entirely important because it isn't the reason she calls me Fleura. That's actually due to the fact that my stepfather, Mathias, called me Fleura the first time he met me." I laughed before continuing.

"I don't know how or why, but that's what he thought my name was. And it kind of just stuck, to be honest. Both my parents call me that, but everyone else calls me Caroline or Caro. Except for my stepbrother, who calls me Carl." I rolled my eyes at the memory with my stepbrother.