What's Next?

Painted Ladies

Rory closed her book and tried to sleep. However, she tossed and turned the whole night.

Jess, not happy that he was awoken, whispered strictly, "Hey, why don't you settle down there?"

"I can't sleep. Thoughts keep rolling through my mind,"

Jess sat up and turned on the lamp on his bedside table. "If you're worrying about the job situation, you can stop. I'm not taking the position in Los Angeles."

"What?" Rory shook her head. "Jess, you can't just turn down an offer like that."

"Well, I'm going to. There's no way we can make it work if you're in Seattle and I'm in Los Angeles. Take the job, we can move to Seattle."

"Jess, I'm not letting you give up so easily. I'm sure we'll be able to work something out. We always do, don't we?" She rubbed Jess's hand reassuringly.

Jess pulled his hand away. "It's not that simple. Not everything is so easy to accommodate. Get with it, Rory." When he saw the sad look on her face, Jess softened his tone. "I'm sorry but honey...we're living in the real world."

Rory curled herself up and tried to get some more sleep.

*****

"Puppy!" Rosalyn pointed to the television where a small kitten ran around.

"Actually, Rosalyn. That's a cat. But, look at you assimilating your schema of a dog to that image of a cat," Rory laughed.

Jess rolled his eyes. "Do you always have to talk like that?" He whispered under his breath.

"What?" Rory turned around. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing, Rory," He sighed and closed the door behind him as he went into the office.

"Mommy, I'm hungry!" Haeven exclaimed.

"Didn't daddy make you breakfast?" Rory asked.

"He told me to ask you,"

Rory tried to keep her composure. "Okay, honey." She prepared the girls' breakfasts for the first time in months. Jess always did that for them, it was his specialty.

Rory didn't feel much like talking and hoped that her daughters would eat their food and keep busy with that. But, Haeven was too wise to let things get by her.

"What's wrong, mommy?" The inquisitive child asked, noticing how quiet her normally energetic mother was.

"I'm tired, baby. But I'm okay," This wasn't entirely a lie, but Rory felt bad for the slight manipulation.

"I'm tired too,"

"And why is that?" Her daughter hadn't complained about being tired since she was a very young toddler. Haeven used to have bad insomnia. Then, it hit her. "Did you stay up and watch that movie with daddy?"

Haeven diverted her eyes to her plate of eggs and toast.

"Haeven?"

"Daddy said I could!" The little girl blurted.

Rory sighed. "He knows not to let you stay up that late," She said in volume that only she, herself could her. Then, she spoke in a louder manner. "It's okay. It's not your fault."

When she regained some composure, Rory went over to talk to Jess. "You let her stay up?"

Jess rubbed his face with his hands. "Who?"

"Haeven!" Rory sighed. "You know who."

"It was like an hour!" Jess said defensively. "She's fine,"