here. It was very kind of you.”
He grinned as he lifted out her suitcase and handed it to Will, who took it. “Don’t think a thing of it. See you tomorrow, Jess.”
“I might not come in. I think I want to hang with Lindsey. I’ll let you know.”
Lindsey cringed. Jessie couldn’t actually be announcing to her boss she wasn’t coming in, or could she? “No, I didn’t mean to disrupt your schedule just because I showed up.”
Noah shook his head, still grinning. “You didn’t disrupt anything Jessie does. Don’t worry, I’m used to it. She’ll let me know. Oh hey, Jessie, you’re supposed to call your doctor back tonight. He left a message. Wants to make sure things are okay.”
Lindsey slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, no! I forgot! Yes, you were supposed to call tonight. He said you had the number.”
Will’s mouth tightened. Jessie smiled and touched his arm. “It’s okay, Will. I expected the call. It’s not the end of the world.”
Lindsey stared at the small, white hand her sister pressed on Will’s bare, strong forearm. She swallowed the sudden lump that formed in her throat. What was it like? To simply touch in affection? In support? In love? All those years when she believed she was so lucky to be their father’s treasured daughter. But not once did General Travis Bains, touch her with affection, support or love. And Elliot only did on the nights or days after beating her, when he felt the fleeting urge to make restitution; and that’s how real or genuine it felt.
Noah waved goodbye and pulled away. Will gently squeezed Jessie’s hand before grabbing Lindsey’s suitcase and hefting it into the house. He walked out, leaving them alone. Jessie pulled Lindsey’s hand and dragged her inside.
Lindsey paused in the entryway. It was big and airy, with beige, patterned tile that flowed into a large, square living room. It had a long, open kitchen in the back with a cozy nook for the dining table. The setup was one large, open common area. A big, stone fireplace took up the wall opposite the couch, and a large TV hung over it. The furnishings were comfortable and cushy with a pretty beige-and-black design that highlighted the black craftsman-style furniture Jessie selected as the main theme. It was a lovely house, warm and inviting, and so unlike anything she ever thought Jessie would choose. It was nothing like the overdone, stuffy, formal, yet beautiful house that she lived in.
“Jessie, it’s absolutely beautiful!”
Jessie smiled brightly and touched a hand over her stomach. “I never dreamed I’d own such a place. Wait until you see the land, and the views, and the animals. I’ll show you everything tomorrow. Now, come, let’s have some dinner. I’ll call the doctor, get you settled in, and then you have to tell me everything that is going on with you.”
Dinner was a bean with vegetables stew and freshly baked bread that was easily extended to include her. She didn’t eat very much anymore. She would have sworn her stomach just shriveled. But in truth, she never tasted food. It was like ashes in her mouth. She ate to live, never to enjoy the wonderful tastes. But she kept that from her sister. Shuffling her food around, as if eating, she quickly got up to dump the contents in the disposal and conceal the awful sin that she didn’t eat. Then, the three of them talked happily and endlessly for hours. They pushed away from the table after coffee and relaxed in the living room. It was enchanting. Fun. Relaxed. It felt like years since she was relaxed.
Jessie called her doctor who said she was to come in the next day to be checked. They were worried she was at risk of developing preeclampsia. She already had gestational diabetes; although so far, she successfully managed it with diet and exercise.
“So how did you finally get away? And how long can you stay?”
Did Jessie sense more to her story? She always seemed to grasp that Lindsey had to get permission from Elliot.
He grinned as he lifted out her suitcase and handed it to Will, who took it. “Don’t think a thing of it. See you tomorrow, Jess.”
“I might not come in. I think I want to hang with Lindsey. I’ll let you know.”
Lindsey cringed. Jessie couldn’t actually be announcing to her boss she wasn’t coming in, or could she? “No, I didn’t mean to disrupt your schedule just because I showed up.”
Noah shook his head, still grinning. “You didn’t disrupt anything Jessie does. Don’t worry, I’m used to it. She’ll let me know. Oh hey, Jessie, you’re supposed to call your doctor back tonight. He left a message. Wants to make sure things are okay.”
Lindsey slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, no! I forgot! Yes, you were supposed to call tonight. He said you had the number.”
Will’s mouth tightened. Jessie smiled and touched his arm. “It’s okay, Will. I expected the call. It’s not the end of the world.”
Lindsey stared at the small, white hand her sister pressed on Will’s bare, strong forearm. She swallowed the sudden lump that formed in her throat. What was it like? To simply touch in affection? In support? In love? All those years when she believed she was so lucky to be their father’s treasured daughter. But not once did General Travis Bains, touch her with affection, support or love. And Elliot only did on the nights or days after beating her, when he felt the fleeting urge to make restitution; and that’s how real or genuine it felt.
Noah waved goodbye and pulled away. Will gently squeezed Jessie’s hand before grabbing Lindsey’s suitcase and hefting it into the house. He walked out, leaving them alone. Jessie pulled Lindsey’s hand and dragged her inside.
Lindsey paused in the entryway. It was big and airy, with beige, patterned tile that flowed into a large, square living room. It had a long, open kitchen in the back with a cozy nook for the dining table. The setup was one large, open common area. A big, stone fireplace took up the wall opposite the couch, and a large TV hung over it. The furnishings were comfortable and cushy with a pretty beige-and-black design that highlighted the black craftsman-style furniture Jessie selected as the main theme. It was a lovely house, warm and inviting, and so unlike anything she ever thought Jessie would choose. It was nothing like the overdone, stuffy, formal, yet beautiful house that she lived in.
“Jessie, it’s absolutely beautiful!”
Jessie smiled brightly and touched a hand over her stomach. “I never dreamed I’d own such a place. Wait until you see the land, and the views, and the animals. I’ll show you everything tomorrow. Now, come, let’s have some dinner. I’ll call the doctor, get you settled in, and then you have to tell me everything that is going on with you.”
Dinner was a bean with vegetables stew and freshly baked bread that was easily extended to include her. She didn’t eat very much anymore. She would have sworn her stomach just shriveled. But in truth, she never tasted food. It was like ashes in her mouth. She ate to live, never to enjoy the wonderful tastes. But she kept that from her sister. Shuffling her food around, as if eating, she quickly got up to dump the contents in the disposal and conceal the awful sin that she didn’t eat. Then, the three of them talked happily and endlessly for hours. They pushed away from the table after coffee and relaxed in the living room. It was enchanting. Fun. Relaxed. It felt like years since she was relaxed.
Jessie called her doctor who said she was to come in the next day to be checked. They were worried she was at risk of developing preeclampsia. She already had gestational diabetes; although so far, she successfully managed it with diet and exercise.
“So how did you finally get away? And how long can you stay?”
Did Jessie sense more to her story? She always seemed to grasp that Lindsey had to get permission from Elliot.
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