Fleeting Flames - Jenna Ortega x Fem Reader

Part 25

The days had become a blur. Another weekend spent on a plane, another short trip to Miami, another long stretch of time away from Jenna. She had left for her upcoming movie press tour, and despite the fleeting moments of connection, it was hard not having her nearby. You'd wake up early, get through your workday, then board a flight to Miami every Friday night—arriving in time to spend the weekend with your mom before heading back to LA to work on Monday. The exhaustion was starting to catch up with you. Physically, mentally—everything.

But you were determined. You couldn't afford to let go now. Your mom needed you.

The test results had come back, and the rheumatologist suspected an autoimmune disease, something that made your heart clench every time you thought about it. Inflammation levels were high, and the antinuclear antibody had tested positive. Your mom was anxious—of course she was—and so were you and your whole family. But you couldn't bring yourself to say it out loud. What if the worst was true?

Every day, you called Jenna. Even if it was just a quick text, a message to say you loved her, you missed her, just something to keep that thread of connection alive. You didn't want to face your thoughts alone, especially with everything happening with your mom. It was hard. But you couldn't ask her to stop her press tour to come home. She was busy, doing what she loved. You didn't want to burden her.

You were working one afternoon, tapping away at your laptop, when the phone call came.

"Hey, it's your dad," he said, his voice strained. "Your mom's in the hospital. She's been having trouble breathing, and her fever won't break. She's too weak, Y/N. I... I'm really worried."

Your heart plummeted. "I'll be on the first flight to Miami," was all you could say before hanging up. There was no time for anything else.

You dialed Jenna, but it went straight to voicemail.

Frustration and panic were bubbling up inside you, but you shoved it down, keeping your composure. You couldn't waste time. You needed to get to your mom.

You knocked on your boss's door, already prepared for the worst. The second semester was always a busy time, projects piling up and deadlines looming. You had just returned from a meeting, but you didn't care about that now.

"Hey, Mr. Hargrove," you said, walking in quickly. "I was wondering if I could work from home for the rest of the week. My mom's in the hospital, and I need to be with her."

He looked up, his brow furrowing at first, the concern in his eyes clear. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm not sure yet," you said, trying to hold it together. "But she's been really sick, and I need to be there. I promise I'll make up the work, just need to be with her now."

He sighed, leaning back in his chair, and for a moment, you wondered if he was going to say no. But then he nodded, his tone softening. "Of course, Y/N. Take care of your mom. If you can get work done, great. If not, we'll figure it out."

You nodded, grateful for the understanding. "Thank you. I'll keep in touch."

You returned to your apartment, grabbed your suitcase, threw your laptop in, and booked the first available flight to Miami.

Still no answer from Jenna.

You texted her quickly, your fingers moving faster than your mind could process: Hey, I'm heading to Miami. Mom's been hospitalized. I'll keep you posted.

You stared at the message for a moment before hitting send, then rushed to catch your flight. Time felt like it was slipping away from you, but you didn't have any more time to waste. Your mom needed you.