Yellowjackets: The Broken Victors

Chapter 16: The Royal Table, Journal, and Hot Chocolate

Clenching her fist upon hearing her mother's words, Jackie threw them one last glance before leaving the table and going to her room.

"I don't think you will ever understand how difficult it is to find the place where you belong."

Jackie went upstairs and entered her room with a sad heart. She roamed her eyes around and stared at the random displays in her old room. The same picture frames, the same paintings, the pink curtains, and the night lamps on both sides of her bed from her girlhood.

She never changed anything in her room after she got back from being rescued; she never wanted to. Aside from the fact that she didn't use it much after they got back home as she left for college, it serves as a reminder of her innocence, the last piece that is left of her old self, which she will never let go of.

But since she didn't have time to brood, Jackie quickly washed herself and changed her clothes. There was a driver she paid to be at their service for the whole day, waiting for her downstairs. When she finished her preparations, she immediately went to the car.

They arrived at her first destination of the day. Jackie got off, then walked towards the house and knocked on the door, ignoring the doorbell on the side. As it opened widely, she was greeted by a young woman with a huge smile painted on her face who rushed for a tight embrace in her direction with excitement.

"Aunt Jackie!" squealed Callie, wrapping her arms around the woman.

"How's my little Ship?" Jackie greeted, circling her right arm on Callie's shoulder as they entered the house together.

"Still waiting to be adopted by you," replied the young woman like her father wasn't in the living room with them.

"Oh, wow," Jeff remarked, staring at his daughter. "Boy, Shauna was right. She's getting a real attitude."

Jackie ignored Jeff's presence and just focused her attention on the young woman, handing Callie some paper bags with the logos of famous designer brands printed on them.

"Got you some things. Go try them on," she told the teen, who once again squealed with delight at the presents that Jackie bought in France just for her.

"This is why you're my favorite person!" said Callie, her eyes beaming with happiness. "Thanks, Aunt Jax!"

The young woman sprinted to her room, too excited to try the new clothes that Jackie never fails to give her every time she goes home to Wiskayok. That leaves Jeff and Jackie alone in the Sadeckis' living room.

"Shauna?" she asked Jeff about her best friend's whereabouts.

"Uhh, in our room, preparing," the man responded.

Jackie nodded at the man and entertained herself with the new collection of books on Shauna's shelves, probably the ones that the woman reviewed for new hopeful authors seeking support. As she was busy exploring the shelf, Jeff ended the silence between them.

"So, how are you?" he asked in an awkward tone.

"Doing fine, having fun with my work," she replied in a flat voice.

"You're staying now for good?" Jeff asked.

The question made Jackie stop on her track.

Wiskayok was her home. She had good memories in her hometown and a few bad ones. But after the tragedy that happened in their lives, the home she was looking for after going back never felt like it anymore when they got rescued.

Sure, the familiarity was nice. There's Shauna in the same town, Taissa and Van, who were living in the same state, and their own Taylors' mansion in the same place, but the desire to venture out far from home grew inside her, which is why she rarely visits Wiskayok, or if she did, it was only a quick one, just like what she was doing now.