Unrequited Love

57

"Did I leave anything?" Samantha asked for the thousandth time, clutching her duffel bag to her chest. Finally, it was time for her to go back home and Fabian had come to retrieve her for their early flight.

"You didn't." Novel assured her, keeping her water works in check because Samantha wouldn't be able to control hers if she started.

"This feels so hard." Samantha sniffled, hugging Novel. "You promise to come visit before the baby's born?"

"No promises but I'll definitely be there when she's born." Novel said. "Before or after, anytime. I'll be there."

"I'm going to miss you so much." Samantha dabbed below her eyes, pulling Jane into a hug. "I'll miss you too, don't give your mother too much of a hard time and you don't need to go back to school if you don't want to."

Jane had made the decision to return to school, even though Novel had wanted to get her homeschooled till the end of semester.

"It's alright. I'll only fear being bullied if I shy away from it." Jane lifted her shoulders and let them drop. "Besides I have to learn to stand up for myself, one way or another. Mom's not always going to be there."

"You're right and wrong." Novel corrected her daughter. "I'm always going to be there, even when I'm old, gray and ugly."

"I don't think you can ever be ugly." Gena blurted out, she was leaning on the wall a few feet away from the emotional goodbyes being exchanged, not wanting to intrude.

"That's all you got from that?" Jane smirked.

Novel blushed, smacking her daughter in the head. "You could have been the one to say it first."

Jane grumbled, rubbing where her mother had hit her. "I'm not the one in love with you."

Novel was about to smack her daughter again when her hand was snatched in the air and lowered.

"Don't hit her, she didn't do anything wrong." Gena caressed Novel's hand, interlocking their fingers. "She's a good kid."

"You see!" Jane visibly brightened at the compliment. "Gena knows what's up, I really like her mom."

"We do not use those type of words in this house." Novel tutted. "She's older than you so speak properly."

"Now you're making me feel older than twenty-two." Gena wiggled her brows. "Of course Jane knows I know what's up."

"You're encouraging her." Novel frowned. "I don't even know how that goes into a sentence."

"Me either." Gena confessed, laughing when Novel smacked her arm.

"Aunt Samantha, please don't leave me with these two oldies." Jane whined. "They're going to be making gooey eyes at each other."

"That's what they call love my darling. You'll understand more when it's your turn."

"Over my dead body." Novel snapped out of her love haze, "She's not going to be experiencing anything under my roof."

"But love is a beautiful thing." Gena didn't realize what she'd said until the words left her mouth.

"I know it is." Novel looked away from the intensity in Gena's eyes into the knowing ones of her best friend. "You can't keep Fabian waiting."

"I know." Samantha nodded at Gena. "Take care of my best friend or you'll have to deal with me."

Samantha was truly a sight to behold: puffy eyes, wild hair, ugly maternity gown, swollen ankles but she radiated a glow that almost made Gena ache with want.