“Of course. I was actually going to offer.”
“What did he say when you handed him the money?” I ask.
“He grunted and mumbled something about an account.” She shrugs. “Why?”
“He put it in an account for me and told me it’s mine and Jerome’s.”
“You mean the kid he doesn’t want?” She raises a brow.
“Yeah.” I look to my feet, biting my lip at the thought. “Isn’t that odd? I mean, it’s not a small amount I owed him.”
“Those men and their money. They work for it, they kill over it, and yet for their woman, they happily would give them every last cent,” she gushes. “I mean, I’m happy in my relationship, but, gosh, maybe in my next life, I’ll find me one of those men.”
“I would say don’t. Too much heartache and fuckery.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “Fuckery, I like that word.” I shrug, huffing a laugh. “So, I don’t want to ask, but…”
“What?”
“Your sister. I checked the cameras today for the shop, and she was there.”
“What?”
“Yep, looking through the window after she stood there knocking for ages.”
“I haven’t heard from her.” I don’t even know where my phone is, so I get up and go to my room to find it on the floor. I put it on the charger, as it’s dead, and as soon as it turns on, I have missed calls from her, Joey, and Merci. Going through the messages, she is asking where I am. Telling me that she needs to get in contact.
“I would suggest you let her be for a bit,” Merci says from the door. “I get she’s your sister, but she’s caused you a lot of trouble. If she wants to try to mend things, make her work for it. Don’t just give in because of who she is to you.”
“You’re right.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “I usually am.” She smirks.
Jerome comes running in, and Merci picks him up, which I am thankful for because I’m too sore.
“Let’s get you bathed. Then I’ll shower, and we can pick some movies and order pizza.” I clap my hands.
“And is Daddy coming?” he asks, his eyes wide and hopeful.
“Not tonight,” I tell him, trying to force a smile, but it’s quite difficult.
“But I will be back tomorrow, and maybe we can get ice cream.” Merci claps, tickling him and carrying him to the bathroom. “Let’s get your stinky bum in the bath, mister.”
“I’m not stinky.”
She leans and smells his shirt. “Pewww, the stinkiest,” she says, scrunching up her face, and he throws his head back and laughs.
I don’t know how to take this.
How to take having such a great support system, Joey included. Thanks to him, I have all these new friends. Friends willing to help me and even get themselves hurt for me. I’ve never had anyone like that in my life.
It’s nice and never something I dreamed of having. It was never on my radar. I guess people who grow up without it aren’t expecting it. Or hoping for it, either.
I did neither.
I always thought I could do everything by myself.
How wrong I was.