Florecer

Get To The Point

        As she had said, June took Christina to school and let Lily sleep in. It was exactly as Lily needed, apparently, because she didn't react when the alarm went off nor when the scent of breakfast wafted through the house. June took Christina to school and came back, and Lily was still fast asleep with no sign of waking up. Since she didn't absolutely have to go into work, June walked around the house, wondering what to do. She wanted to do something with Lily when she woke up but she wasn't sure when that would be. Her whole plan for the day, and the reason she cleared her schedule, was to help Lily relax. The night before had been a good start... She smiled at remembering how her and Lily had taken full advantage of each other. It was a relief that they were compatible in bed. June had worried that they wouldn't be, and had imagined Lily being repulsed in some way. But Lily was caring, sweet, and considerate. She didn't care and was thrilled to touch June in all those places she was insecure about. June's heart fluttered whenever she thought of Lily being turned on by her. Other places reacted, too, but she didn't think it was the right time to let them.

     Blushing, June looked out of the window, and her eyes landed on the truck across the street. Jorge was still in the driver's seat, looking tired and beat even from afar. June felt sorry for him. It was obvious he wanted to talk to Lily, and was willing to destroy his body to do so, but he was taking the wrong approach. June wondered about the last time the man ate, showered, used a proper bathroom. It seemed to her that he was constantly in his truck without ever leaving.

     In a moment of sympathy, June went to kitchen and made a few snacks to put them in a tupperware bowl. She poured juice into a disposable cup, too, then brought everything outside. It was probably a stupid thing to do, but she wasn't going to let a man die in front of her house.

     At her approach, Jorge rolled down the window. It was an old-school hand crank and June plastered on a close-lipped smile as she waited for the yellowing glass to disappear. "I made these for you," she said, handing the tupperware and drink through the window. "Don't say anything, please, and don't thank me. I just noticed you looked... well, here." She turned to walk away, but stopped at his voice.

     "Does she know you're out here feeding me?" His voice was lightly accented, gruff. He sounded exhausted. Upset, too, but June figured that was because he was tired.

     June turned back around. "No."

     "Does she know you don't ignore me like she does?"

     "...No."

     "How is she?"

     Licking her lips, June looked back toward the house. "You should leave."

     Jorge drank some of the juice he had been given. He coughed fiercely then cleared his throat, wiping his mouth. "Has she ever told you about me?"

     June felt awkward in the middle of the road talking to a stranger, but she hugged herself and said, "No."

     "Did you know I existed?"

     "I assumed."

     He bobbed his head. "Would you like to sit with me?"

     Biting her lip, June looked worriedly at the house. Her alarm bells were going off, but she also wanted to squash that anger Lily had toward her father. She wanted to find a solution so Lily could live in peace. So she stupidly got into the passenger seat of Jorge's truck and sat with him. Immediately she noticed the dirty floor and torn leather seats, the wrappers littering the dashboard, and the soda bottle that held something that appeared eerily similar to urine. She sat close to herself and tried to be small as she discreetly studied the man she had willingly gotten close to. He was large, slightly wrinkled, and clearly haggard. He looked worse because it was obvious he hadn't showered in days. It looked like he hadn't slept, either.