Sweet Lies | Nathan Young [Misfits]

- 27 -

Jade took a deep breath to brace herself as she smoothed the material of her skirt. She had put her hair in a bun with a couple strands framing her face and wore very light makeup. It was far from her usual look, but she wanted to make a good first impression on Nathan's mum.

She knocked on the door, and she chewed on her bottom lip in nervosity as she waited.

Maybe that was stupid...

Her thoughts about running away were cut short when the door opened, making Jade jump a little in surprise.

Louise's head poked rom behind the door, her eyes tired and wrinkled. A small smile spread over her lips when she saw the young woman on the porch and she opened the door wider to let her in.

"Jade, how are you?" She asked in a soft voice.

"Good, miss Young." She smiled as she shyly made her way inside.

"Please call me Louise." The woman said as she went to the living room, Jade following her.

"O-okay." Jade said, her hands playing with the strap of her purse in nervosity.

"Please take a sit." Louise said as she pointed at the couch. "I'm bringing our tea, do you like cupcakes?"

"I love everything that's bad for my liver." Jade joked with a small, lopsided smile, and she heard a chuckle from the kitchen, followed by clanking sounds as Louise prepared everything.

She came back and set a tray on the coffee table before taking a seat on a chair accross from Jade. The girl fidgeted as she pursed her lips.

"So... How are you?" Louise asked as she poured the steaming amber liquid in a cup covered in a flower pattern. "Really."

Jade sighed. "I'm... I don't know... One minute I'm okay, the next minute I'm not."

When Louise said nothing, Jade gave her a timid look. "Am I making any sense?"

Nathan's mother let out a small sigh, her blue eyes setting on Jade with a kind glint. "I understand exactly what you're saying."

She then proceeded to grab the cup and hand it to Jade. "Be careful, it's hot."

Jade nodded as she took the cup from her hands, and she set it on her lap.

"You don't need to be so nervous around me... I just wanted to get to know you."

"Oh." Jade's eyes widened, and she chuckled in relief. "What do you want to know?"

She didn't know having a chat with Louise Young could be so pleasant. The woman was funny, smart and had so much wisdom that it felt comforting to listen to her.

She answered as many questions as she could, and after a while she felt bold enough to ask some questions herself, which Louise happily answered.

That precious woman was everything Jade ever dreamt of in a mother.

When she told her about her family (well, the most Jade could tell without outing herself, which consisted in telling her her father had died, her mother was abusive and her brother had helped her run away), Louise's eyes crinkled in sadness, and she listened with patience and kindness.

Jade could tell there was a question burning on Louise's tongue ever since Jade had set foot in the house. She could tell from the way she sometimes would tap her fingernails on her teacup with a thoughful look.

"Can I ask you something personal, Jade?"

Ah, there it was, the burning question.

Jade set her cup on the tray, and she took a deep breath. "Go ahead."