Looking After You

(7) Ages: 16 & 13

Ages: 16 & 13

"I'm not hungry," Jenny answered when James' mother walked out onto the back patio with a sandwich to comfort Jenny after her fight with James. He had left for his date with Shannon nearly two hours ago and Jenny had been sitting on the back patio ever since.

Denise nodded and set the plate of food down on the outside table before sitting down on a lounge chair beside her. "I take it you're not too fond of Shannon?"

Shaking her head, Jenny quickly wiped away the few tears that had fallen. "No, not exactly."

Denise lied back on the chair and just stared up at the stars a moment. "You know, even with all the make-up, she's not half as pretty as you."

Jenny laughed softly and looked from the stars down to her hands resting peacefully in her lap. "Thanks, Aunt Denise, but I find it hard to believe something that's such an obvious lie."

Denise shook her head and placed a hand on the side of Jenny's face. "Hey," Denise said with firm honesty, "I don't lie and if you can't see it then you need a new mirror."

"If I'm so beautiful then why does everyone at school seem to think otherwise? Why is Jameson out with a girl like Shannon? I'm starting to think that true beauty lies in daisy duke shorts, low cut tops, and bitchy attitudes."

Denise shook her head. "I wondered the same thing when I was your age but the truth is; those girls will turn ugly in the blink of an eye because as you get older, you get wiser and as you get wiser, you realize that those things don't matter and suddenly, everyone else starts to see it too." Denise smiled and wrapped an arm around Jenny's shoulder, resting her chin on the top of her head. "You, my beautiful Jenny, are far more valuable that any number of those stars above. Remember that and remember that you deserve to be treated as such."

Jenny smiled gratefully and began to feel a tightening in her stomach. She needed someone to talk to and while James' mother probably wasn't the best option, her Aunt Denise was. She was the kind of woman you could tell your deepest, darkest secrets to and you never once questioned whether they would see the light of day. Jenny always thought she was so beautiful, the kind of beautiful that didn't have to try. She had light brown hair that fell in waves just below her shoulders and her blue eyes lit up even the darkest rooms. "Will it always hurt this much?"

Denise's attention was immediately torn from the sky and she turned back to Jenny. It didn't take very long for Denise to see what she was referring to. It was a new light she had been seeing in Jenny's eyes for a while now and something broke just a little inside her that night. Denise shook her head with a small, empathetic smile. "No. I know it hurts now and truthfully, it will probably for a long time but if you're very patient," she gave Jenny's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Nothing in your life will be more rewarding."

"How do you know so much?" Denise chuckled softly at Jenny's question.

"Did you know I met Richard when I was fifteen?"

Jenny shook her head and turned slightly to give Denise her full attention. "No."

Denise nodded and focused straight ahead as if gathering her memories and thoughts. "He had just turned nineteen and I was working at a restaurant just a few miles down the road from his college."

"Wow." The realization hit Jenny and her mouth dropped. "Uncle Richard is four years older than you," she chuckled briefly and shook her head. "I never thought about it before."

Denise laughed and jokingly poked Jenny on the nose. "Kind of hard to tell when you're both old and gray, huh?"

"How long did it take for Uncle Richard to ask you out?" Jenny asked, completely devoted to this story.