Problems of adults

Chapter 32 : Quarrel

Jane was allowed to leave hospital after three days. Well, it sounded more like they were kicking her out, but she didn't complain, she hated being in there. Only Constance came. The blonde teen didn't come back home since she learned what their father did. Constance took care of the paperwork and helped Jane with all the medical stuff she had. The bus ride was complicated and long, but they made it. Jane struggles with the stairs, as her lungs were weak, she was becoming out of breath quickly. When Constance opened the door, the two girls saw their father on the couch. The man stood while the sisters were entering the apartment. He seemed embarrassed, but he went to Jane and wrapped his arms around her.

- "I'm so sorry, if you knew..."

- "Get off her," Constance ordered.

She grabbed him and pushed him away. Jane didn't say anything, she decided to ignore him the best she could. The two sisters continued their way and arrived in their bedroom. Jane noticed that her pillow was on the bottom bed now. She sat on it while Constance was installing all the medical stuff in the room. Jane was physically and mentally exhausted. But the worst part was her new diet, full of vegetables and empty of fat.

She spent the day in her bed, trying to accept her new condition. Constance tried to force her to eat, but Jane definitely didn't want to eat what her father prepared for her. He could have put some poison in it! But she was tired to stay in her room, doing nothing. Constance was at work, so Jane took this opportunity to go outside.

When she closed her door, she met her neighbor, Mary, with her daughter. Emily ran to her and raised her arms in her direction to ask her to take her in her arms. Jane was embarrassed, she knew she was too weak to hold her in her arms. Mary had a weak smile to her and wrapped her arms around her daughter to raise her at Jane's level. The blonde young girl wrapped her arms around Jane's head, warming the brunette's heart.

- "I found another babysitter," Mary said.

- "Oh..."

- "I'm sorry."

- "I understand."

Jane clenched her jaw, angry to lose a job again. She liked babysitting Emily, it was a good way for her to think of something else, and she really needed that right now.

- "Jane—"

- "I'm fine," Jane cut sharply.

She was understanding, but it didn't mean she was accepting it. Emily kissed Jane's cheek before letting her mother take her away.

Max and Will were busy with a work for after Christmas. As they were living together now, it was easier for them to do group works like this. But they were cut by knocks at the door. Joyce, who was in the living-room, stood to open it.

- "Jane? What are you doing here?" the mother asked.

- "Is Max here!?" Jane answered with a sharp tone.

Joyce frowned and moved aside to let enter the brunette while Will and Max stood from the table. Max could see in Jane's eyes that she was angry, and she was sure to know why.

- "So, you live here now!?" Jane stated.

- "I...yes," Max said.

- "And you couldn't tell me!? I had to find it out myself by going to your mother who clearly told me that you were no longer living with them and to go fuck myself!?"

- "Jane, maybe you shouldn't be so angry," Joyce intervened.

- "Don't tell me what to do, I'm talking to her, not to you!" Jane replied. "Why didn't you tell me!? What kind of excuse do you have to hide me something so big as that!?"

- "You really wanna talk about hidden things!? If Will hadn't found the paper about your yard sale, none of us would have known that you were selling your house!"

- "This is not the same!"

- "Oh yeah!? And why!?"

- "Because I wouldn't have waited weeks to tell you like you did! And it's not even you who told me!"

- "Yeah, and when you kissed Clara, it wasn't you who told me, right!?"

- "Because you're jealous now!?"

- "No, I'm not! But you blame me for something you had done for months! You sound so hypocritical right now!"

- "Enough girls!" Joyce intervened.

Joyce placed herself between the two girls. Jane and Max looked at each other with angry eyes, breathing heavily.

- "Yelling at each other won't help."

- "She is the one yelling!"

- "Max, I said enough!"

The redhead clenched her jaw and looked away before crossing her arms of frustration. Joyce was going to talk to Jane, but the brunette didn't want to stay here, so she began to leave. The mother told Max to wait for her in her room while she was running after Jane who was waiting for the elevator.

- "Jane, don't do that."

- "Do what!?"

- "Blaming everyone for everything just because you're in pain."

Jane clenched her jaw and looked down. When the doors of the elevator opened, Jane entered, followed by Joyce.

- "When you were not ready to talk about your problems, she didn't say anything. Maybe she is still not ready to talk about this with you for now. Her own family abandoned her."

- "Yeah, I know what it's like."

- "You're mad at him, not at her."

- "I'm not mad at him. I'm mad at me."

- "Why?" Joyce frowned.

- "Because...I had felt weird those last weeks, I felt pain in my chest many times, but I just ignored it, because I thought it would pass."

- "Jane, you can't blame yourself for this, you had lots of stress, anger, and an accumulation of tiredness, you had every reason to think it was because of these and not because of your heart."

- "Maybe..."

- "Look, you both are scared, even if it doesn't touch her directly, seeing you like that is hard for all of us."

- "Sorry for being sick!"

- "Jane, you know what I mean."

- "I know."

Joyce pinched her lips together, understanding that Jane didn't want to talk. The mother placed her hand on Jane's back to rub it, wanting her to know that she could count on her. Joyce knew well Jane; she could have a very bad temper when she wasn't feeling great. 

When the elevator reopened, Joyce offered Jane to bring her back home, but Jane refused, wanting to be alone, so Joyce asked her to send her a message when she arrived. She went back to her apartment and saw Will who told her that Max was in her room. Joyce nodded and went to it. She lightly knocked at the door and slowly opened it. Max was laying down on her bed, looking at her ceiling.

- "Hey, are you okay?" Joyce asked with a soft tone.

- "I don't know. I feel like I betrayed her."

- "No, don't worry for her, she will understand. She needs some time; she has lots of things to deal with lately."

- "I know, but it doesn't give her the right to yell at me like that!"

- "I agree."

- "I'll call her to apologize," Max sighed.

- "It's a great idea. I'm sure she will apologize too."

Max nodded while Joyce was warmly smiling to her. The woman left the bedroom to give some privacy to the redhead. Max was mad at herself. She wanted to tell Jane many times about her new situation, but something blocked her every time. She was feeling ashamed for being treated like that by people who should have loved her and supported her. But she never had this chance.