More than expected...

Chapter 3

Jay had briefly toured Mara around his apartment when they arrived, before he'd directed her towards the bathroom. While his sister took a shower, he struggled with the fitted sheet in the guest room, fighting it with each corner. It took him a few tries but eventually he managed, standing triumphantly at the end of the bed, hands on his hips and a small smile on his face.

"Jay?" A small voice called. Forgetting the momentary distraction Jay went to his sister.

"Yeah?" He asked, leaving the guest room. Mara stood in the middle of his living room, wet hair falling down her back, and clutching a towel in her hands. She looked a bit better, no longer covered in blood, and seeming to actually process her surroundings. When he'd spoken she'd turned to stare at him, blue eyes filled with a feeling only she could understand.

"Uhh, where- where do you want this?" Her voice was quiet, and he could hear the events of the day underlaid in her tone, as she held up the wet towel. Jay moved forward to take it off her,

"Don't worry about it," He said, tossing it onto the couch behind her, "Are you hungry?" 

She shook her head no, "Just tired."

He understood, leading her over to the guest room, where she hovered in the doorway while he finished making the bed.

"Well, this is your room. I'm just down the hall if you need me." He reassured her. Mara tentatively walked over to the bed and practically fell onto the soft mattress. Jay smiled slightly as he watched her get comfortable, switching the light off as he went to leave.

"Goodnight, Mara." He said, hearing a muffled 'goodnight' in return as he shut the door.

Mara's POV

The night passed painfully slowly. Mara watched the shadows cast on the wall inch closer like they were snails, until she was blinking against the morning light. She found it strange, how so many hours had passed yet she couldn't remember if a single thought had crossed her mind. She had stopped shaking sometime through the early hours, and the steady stream of tears that had been falling since the light turned off had gone dry. She felt...nothing. Her mother wasn't a saint, not by a long shot, still, Mara had expected to feel something. No longer able to bear the sunlight streaming onto her face, she reluctantly sat up. Outside the door she could hear Jay moving around. She listened to him banging around in the kitchen and grimaced, she didn't know her brother well, but she knew he sucked at cooking. She sat staring at the wall for a brief moment and decided she should probably get up.
Stepping into the hallway she barely recalled even coming here the previous night. Yesterday was mostly a blur of faces and emotions so when she looked up into the kitchen, she really saw her brother for the first time in seven years. He looked different, older, more worn, but somehow happier? She managed to watch him unnoticed for a few minutes before he turned around,

"Oh! Jeez!" He jumped back a little, "Mara, you scared me." For some reason, Mara jumped in surprise too, like she hadn't even been aware of what she was doing.

"Sorry, I just...didn't know what to say. Good-morning?" She said. Jay's kitchen was basic, a simple oven, fridge, sink, and bench space set out along one wall, and a small bench-top to the side. Mara moved over to the bench and found herself a spot on one of the stools.

"What's that supposed to be?" She said, pointing at a steaming pile of blackened mush in the frying pan he'd been tending to. She looked at him skeptically,

"Uhh, that...is breakfast?" It seemed to be more of a question

"So...you're gonna eat that?" She raised an eyebrow at him, to which he sighed and abandoned his 'breakfast' to lean on the bench opposite her. They looked at each other in silence for a few short seconds.

"How did you sleep?" Jay asked.

"Good," She lied, "Like a baby." He doubted that was true but let it slide.

"Are you hungry? You didn't eat last night." She glanced behind him at the stove and gulped.

"Well, if you're gonna try to feed me that...then the answer's no." Jay laughed.

"Don't worry, I was thinking we could go out?" He asked hopefully. Mara considered it. She didn't really want to go out anywhere, but she was starving,

"Ok then, where to?"

"How's Will? Do you guys talk?" Mara asked her brother. They'd gone to breakfast at a diner two minutes away from Jay's apartment, and now they were seated opposite one another in a booth, each eating a plate of pancakes.
"He's good. He got a job as an ED Doctor at Med." Jay answered.

"I bet Dad loves that," She said, the sarcasm evident, making him laugh.

"Believe it or not, he has his own opinion."

"Really? I'm shocked." She put a hand on her heart and was silent a second, before they both started laughing. Mara felt surprisingly happy at the moment, reuniting with her brother, taking her mind off of her dead mother for just a minute. Once they both settled down, they went back to eating their pancakes in a comfortable silence, until Jay sat back and started staring at her.

"What?" she asked, "Do I have something on my face?" She asked genuinely concerned as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. Jay just kept looking at her, a small smile on his face.

"You've grown up a-lot." He stated, she looked at him with a confused stare.

"Yeah...I was eight the last time you saw me, it's kinda what happens."

"Still," He shrugged, "You've changed." She smiled at him and took another bite of her food.

"You're different too," She pointed out.

"Yeah? How so?" He honestly wanted to know.

"You seem...happier, or something," they met eyes, "Also you're a little less annoying, and you look older." She said, smirking. He leant his elbow on the table and pointed at her,

"You know what, I'm gonna let that one slide." He said, holding back a grin.

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?"

"Cause you're my little sister," He said, leaning forward to ruffle her hair before sitting back, "And I love you."

"Heyy!" Mara complained, patting her hair back down while laughing.

"Did you guys want anything else?" A waitress interrupted the moment. Jay looked up at her then back to Mara who shrugged at him,

"Uh, nope, I think we're good, thanks." He said. The waitress nodded and went to clean up their plates while they sat in an awkward silence. Once the dishes, and the waitress, were gone, Jay looked at his sister with a cautious expression,

"Hey, I- I wanted to ask if you were okay with coming into work with me today, and uh, giving your statement?" He asked. She looked down and thought about it. Was she really willing to relive yesterday all over again? She actually felt good right now and didn't want to ruin her mood, but then she thought about her mother. Tears gathered in her eyes as she recalled the way she used to smile, the look she would get in her eyes when she thought something was beautiful. Jay, noticing the sorrowful expression on his sister's face was quick to backtrack,

"You don't have to, not if you're not ready. We– we could go in a few days, or–"

"I'll do it." Mara said decisively, "If it'll help you catch the son-of-a-bitch who killed her. I'm in."