The falls

chapter 18

Jessica sat at a small wooden desk in the corner of the Mystery Shack, carefully folding letters and slipping them into envelopes. The window beside her offered a glimpse of Gravity Falls' quiet morning, with the trees swaying gently in the breeze. She had already written a handful of letters to her family, but there was something about sending them from here that felt more personal, more important. The town had already changed her so much, and she wanted to share that with her family.

Neomi sat on the couch nearby, flipping through one of Dipper's old journals about the strange happenings in Gravity Falls. Every now and then, she'd glance up at Jessica, watching as she worked. It wasn't long before her curiosity got the better of her.

"Hey, Jess... What's with all the letters?" Neomi asked, setting the journal down and walking over to the desk. Her eyes scanned the pile of envelopes, but one, in particular, caught her attention. "This one says 'Mother Lucy.' And this one just says 'Mom.' What's that about?"

Jessica paused mid-fold, feeling a lump form in her throat. She had known this conversation would come up sooner or later, especially with how close she and Neomi had gotten. But talking about her family—about everything that had happened—was always complicated.

She took a deep breath, setting the letter down and turning toward Neomi. "It's... a long story. And honestly, I haven't told many people about it. But I think... I think it's time I tell you."

Neomi's expression softened, and she pulled up a chair beside Jessica. "You don't have to tell me if you're not ready."

"No, I want to," Jessica said, her voice steady but a little nervous. "I think you should know, especially since... well, we've gotten pretty close."

Neomi nodded, her full attention on Jessica.

Jessica picked up the letter addressed to "Mother Lucy" and stared at it for a moment before speaking. "I have two moms. Well, kind of. There's Lucy—she's the one I call 'Mother Lucy'—and then there's Amelia, who I just call 'Mom.' My family's... complicated."

Neomi raised an eyebrow. "Complicated how?"

Jessica hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Amelia is... she's my biological mom, but I was born under some really messed-up circumstances. My dad... he was raped by Amelia. That's how I was conceived."

Neomi's eyes widened, and her mouth opened slightly, but she didn't interrupt. She could tell that Jessica needed to get this out.

"And because of what happened, Amelia's been under house arrest for a long time. I was only allowed to see her during supervised visits," Jessica continued, her voice quieter now. "Lucy, my other mom, isn't related to me by blood. She's my dad's wife. She's the one who raised me. And her daughter, my sister Madeline My family's been through a lot, and it's hard for me to talk about it because... well, it's not exactly something you hear about every day."

Neomi remained silent for a moment, processing everything. Then she reached out and gently took Jessica's hand. "That's... a lot to deal with. I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

Jessica smiled faintly, appreciating Neomi's support. "Yeah, it hasn't been easy, but my family's been trying to work through it. Lucy's not on house arrest anymore, and Henry—my dad—is trying to forgive her. It's complicated, like I said. But I figured you should know. Especially with how close we've been getting... I don't want there to be any secrets between us."

Neomi squeezed her hand, her eyes full of understanding. "Thanks for telling me. I know that couldn't have been easy."

Jessica nodded, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. "It wasn't. But it's good to talk about it, I guess. And honestly, Gravity Falls has helped me in ways I didn't expect. Being here with you has helped too."

Neomi grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, you know me. I'm pretty awesome."

Jessica chuckled, feeling a sense of warmth settle in her chest. "Yeah, you are."

They sat in silence for a moment, the sound of the wind rustling through the trees outside filling the room. Jessica could feel the bond between her and Neomi growing even stronger, and it made her heart ache with gratitude. Despite everything, she was glad to have Neomi by her side.

"So, what's next?" Neomi asked, leaning back in her chair. "More letters?"

Jessica smiled and glanced at the pile. "that's it, let's watch a movie. But I'm glad we talked."

"Me too," Neomi said softly. Then, with a playful grin, she added, "And hey, no more secrets, okay?"

"No more secrets," Jessica agreed, feeling more at peace than she had in a long time.