My Favorite Stranger

12

Jessie made a face. "What?"

"This back and forth bullshit. I'm tired. Beyond tired actually. I'm past exhaustion and anything else you can think of. I refuse to deal with another adult-child and the last thing I'm going to be is someone's doormat. If I wanted to be that again I would've thrown myself back at my ex already."

Jessie didn't say anything, but she frowned a little. Listening very carefully as if any word missed would result in immediate termination.

"I'm not going to force you to open up and let me in. I have no fight left in me for anyone. Not even myself. You don't even have to give me an explanation. You don't have to—"

"Mya," Jessie stood up. "Just let me explain. I want to, alright? I really do."

Mya folded her arms, thinking for a moment. She knew she wanted to know what was going on. There was no use in refusing her own medicine.

"Fine," Mya replied.

Jessie sighed, "Last night after our talk I ... it was a lot for me. Like I said I haven't been involved with anyone for a long time. And that's mainly because ... um ..."

Mya said the first thing that came to mind. "You have your eyes on someone else?"

Jessie shook her head. "No. No, not even close. This morning I went to go see my father. Whose ... in prison."

Mya's eyes widened and it dawned on her why Jessie ran the shop all by herself.

"I didn't know my dad was selling drugs as a means for us to have extra money back in the day. I didn't know he had a case open and feds were watching him for a long time. Waiting for him to slip up. A close ex-family friend set em' up. Ever since then, we don't bother making new friends. We don't trust anyone and we know the shop is being watched often. Hell, I'm sure I'm being watched too. I'm not sure how we managed to keep the shop, but ... at least we have that."

"Jessie ..."

The woman looked on the verge of tears, but quickly shook her head and swallowed thickly. "The shop is my responsibility. It's the only thing keeping my house and the bills paid. The lawyers. His commissary. Our workers. Everything."

Mya quickly understood what Jessie was trying to say. Jessie couldn't afford to move out on her own because if she did, her family wouldn't be able to stay afloat. They were quite literally depending on the success of the shop.

Jessie continued, feigning composure, "My mother takes care of the twins while I run the shop most of my days. I handle mostly everything with my mother's help of course, but she's extremely stressed all the time and sad. My father hasn't been around to help raise the twins, obviously. It's been hard on them and I'm doing the best I can to keep them safe and fill in his shoes for now."

"And what about you?" Mya asked softly, her heart breaking in her chest.

A tear fell from Jessie's left eye. "What about me?"

"Are you okay? Are you safe?"

Jessie shook her head. "It doesn't matter how I am."

Mya frowned, getting closer. "Don't say that. It does matter. You matter, Jessie."

"I don't have time to sit and catch up with myself. They depend on me and that's that. I hope you understand why I haven't said anything."

Mya nodded, feeling like shit for being so hard on Jessie. She didn't know and didn't have the slightest clue, but that didn't mean it was okay at the same time. Mya had to stick up for herself no matter what. Her feelings were just as important and she was through with letting herself get walked all over.