She sat at the dining room table on a warm summer day, her brow furrowed in frustration as she held the pen between her teeth. Her thoughts moving back and forth like a ping pong ball as she stared down at the paper in her hands. The words seemed to grow bigger and bigger as she read them.  All the words weren’t  making any sense to her as she looked over them all. It was her last year of college and this application for graduate studies was overwhelming. Bio-this, Micro-that, all jumbled words to her yet she needed the classes more than anything.  The sound of laughter caught her attention as she heard the porch door open loudly.

“Oh stop it, Justin!” She heard her mother giggle in delight. Still sitting in her chair, she watched her mother and her much younger boyfriend carry bags upon bags of miscellaneous items into the living room. The thought of those two together made her stomach turn in tight knots of nausea.

“Jamie!”  Justin called her name from the door. “Come help Vita and I with the bags.”

Reluctantly she stood from the chair, dropping the paper and her glasses to the table. She dragged her flip-flop clad feet against the hard wood floor to the front door and immediately felt the heat hit her face. She was soon regretting stepping outside when she saw the truck was loaded with even more stuff. Jamie shook her head at it all. Justin was always buying her mother things that she didn’t need. A new hair dryer here, a dress there, jewelry galore. Vita was forty-three for crying out loud! That’s a fifteen year difference between Justin and her mother but it didn’t matter, at least in Vita’s eyes. Nothing mattered in Vita’s world. ‘We’re all skin and bones’ Vita would always retort when she heard the town gossip on her relationship with this younger man.

But the flesh is weak, Jamie thought to herself as she made  her way towards the truck. Her mother’s back was turned towards her as she giggled while going through the bags. “Mom?” Jamie called to Vita as she turned around and handed her bags.

“Jamie, take these to my room and set them on the bed.” Vita said cheerfully as she handed the large white bags to her daughter. The bags were big, white, and decorated inside by red perfumed tissue paper. Jamie grimaced at the thought of the it’s contents. She didn’t want to even think about Justin and her mother in that way.

As she trudged her way towards the front door, she collided with the hard chest of the aforementioned. She stared up into his blue eyes, apology reading all in their gaze. Those sapphire gem orbs seemed to make her breathe in admiration and hatred all the same. There were times where she’d stare at him, admiring the physiognomy he inherited from his southern ancestors but there were other times-

“Sorry, step-daughter.” Justin said with a chuckle and a pat to her shoulder. She listened as he whistled and jogged down the steps. She gripped the bags tighter in her hands and walked anxiously inside. Just as there were times of admiration of Justin’s beauty, there were times, like the moment that just transpired, where she wanted to gouge his eyes out.

“He has some nerve calling me step-daughter!” Jamie thought aloud as she walked up the stairs and turned down the hall towards Vita’s room.

She dropped the bags on her mother’s bed, watching them fall over on their side. The red paper that peeked form it’s top made her insides boil. They were from a store that she mentioned to Justin in passing. It was a conversation that was private between them, a time that she didn’t want to ponder on. She began to walk out of the room when she heard the truck’s engine roar outside. Walking over to the window, she watched as the truck moved up the street, her mother’s arm waving goodbye as Justin stood behind waving back. Jamie sighed, holding her fist to the window pane.

Jamie didn’t want to face him now. She didn’t want to see Justin or be alone in this house with him.  He was her mother’s boyfriend and that fact alone meant so much. She was suppose to loathe the ground he walked upon, be angry that he was trying to replace her father but she couldn’t conjure those feelings to appear. Especially not when they were so close in age. She was twenty-three years old; six years Justin’s junior. Why or how could Justin possible want Vita always bothered Jamie so much. She couldn’t fathom a reason for such an act. Vita should be dating men that were balding and had fat bellies in Jamie’s view.  Vita shouldn’t be dating a tall, lean bodied twenty-eight year old who is old enough to be her son. It wasn’t right to the protocol of man!

A knock to the door brought Jamie out of her trance. She knew that soft knocked belonged to Justin. He’d knocked on her door many times before in that manner. She looked at his reflection through the window as he walked towards her. Her body became rigid when his arms cover her waist. He bent down to her neck, inhaling her scent while placing a kiss to it. She sighed and felt the guilt envelop her.

“Don’t be angry.” He said softly to her. “I bought you something.”

Jamie closed her eyes, trying to block the stinging tears from falling. It was all lies from a sapphire eyed smooth talker. She tried to break from his grasp but he held her tighter, making the hold warmer than before. She felt herself become weak. She felt her body go to mush underneath his touch. She looked down at his hands, mesmerized by the way they looked and felt against her skin.

“How long will she be gone?” Jamie asked finally able to get out of his grasp. She turned to see Justin’s face look her with a look of lusted happiness.

“ ‘till morning.” He answered huskily lifting Jamie off her feet, wrapping her legs comfortably around his waist. “You’re all mine.”

And just like that, she melted away into his hold. The kisses led to Justin walking out of the room and down the hall towards the guest room, a place that was all too familiar to them by the darkness of night or the colorful days, just like this afternoon. He kicked the door opened with Jamie still gripping tight to his body and fingering his closely shaved head. He bent her down to the bed, never breaking their lips as the clothes disappeared; two shirts, her bra, and his boxers fell to the floor.

Their bodies clung to one another in heat as they laid against each other. His torso moved back and forth as he moved in and out of her, Jamie’s legs crossing over Justin’s thighs not wanting to let go. She could feel her orgasm heating up, clenching his dick inside of her with much persistence. Justin gritted his teeth, reaching beneath him and bringing Jamie’s leg up higher, her feet touching the headboard of the bed as he met her depths at a new angle. She felt the tear streaking her face at how good he was getting her. It was good to her, just so good to let go.

He slipped in and out of her folds, letting their bodies mold to one another as their climaxes reached their peak. The high between them came down as they stared at one another. This act between them was black. Black in mind, heart, and soul as they always connected. Justin fell back on the bed beside Jamie, sighing satisfied as they looked out at the bright afternoon sun. 

“Ms. Jamie Leone.” A female voice called to Jamie as she stood from her chair.

She smoothed out the invisible wrinkles she supposed were on her pencil skirt and walked looking straight at the receptionist that called her up.  With a smile, she followed behind her and entered the modest sized office, ready to take on any questions that may come her way.

“Mr. Loving will be with you in a moment.” The receptionist replied sweetly as she closed the door. Jamie sat back in the leather chair and waited for the interview to begin.

Nerves couldn’t describe her feelings right now. She was almost sure that if she clicked her feet together in habit that she would end up in the land of Oz with Dorothy and the little dog Toto that she adored as a child. Jamie loved the movie so much; she saw a lot of her own characteristics in Dorothy. They were both very level headed, always doing the right thing but yet lost on a maze to find their way back home.

Home. Jamie didn’t want to think about home. Unlike Dorothy, there was no yellow brick road for her to follow to see the almighty powerful but truly dimwitted wizard. She could only wish that she could say those magic words and everything would become normal again. Jamie wanted everything to become black and white and she could see it was all a dream but nothing was dream. Nothing in the house she stayed in was a dream.

Now as she debated the scenario of her mother, Justin, and her, it all made sense. Yeah. It was clear in the delusions of her mind, she wasn’t Dorothy at all. She was much like the Tin Man, The Lion, and the Scarecrow; heartless, cowardly, and brainless. Jamie was sleeping with a man out of a need that she couldn’t pin point. It wasn’t a competition to see if Vita would give Justin up and send him packing. It wasn’t about making her feel good when she felt alone and needed a man’s touch, at least she didn’t think it was about that. God help her but Jamie could only find nothing plausible enough to excuse her actions.

“Good Morning, Ms…Leone I presume?” Mr. Loving said as he entered the room, closing the door behind him.

Jamie stood to shake his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

“Oh, please do have a seat.” Mr. Loving said warmly as he took his seat behind the desk. “I take it that you looking to work for the firm as an intern.”

“Yes sir.” Jamie replied crossing her ankles together while folding her hands. “I’m in my last year of undergraduate studies and could use the experience of on hands work.”

Mr. Loving hummed along in agreement, looking over Jamie’s resume. He was a gray haired man. He reminded Jamie of her grandfather, her mother’s father. He died last fall while she was living in the dormitory at school. It was hard news to hear, listening to Vita cry on the telephone in soft whimpers. Jamie could still remember feeling the cool autumn air wind around her legs, the scene of the cemetery staring back at her as she looked at the mahogany casket. Then she remembered the hand that touched her shoulder as she turned her head,  looking into a pair of deep blue eyes.

“…judging by your resume, I think you’re fit for our office, Ms. Leone.” Mr. Loving said bringing Jamie back from her memories. She looked into Mr. Loving’s smiling face and returned the gesture. “We’ll see you next week so you can start. How does that sound?”

“Great!” Jamie said excitedly as she and Mr. Loving stood from their seats and shook hands.

She excited the office on a new high of having accomplished one hurdle. As she made her way down the steps and to the street towards her car, it finally occurred to her. She looked towards the sky, watching the clouds move slightly and smiled. “Thanks, Gramp.”

Inside of her car, she drove down the familiar streets of her home, watching the scenery whirl by her window. She saw the townspeople she’d grown up with laughing and talking with each other, coming in and out of shops, taking care of errands for they day when she stopped at a red light. She saw him walking across the street towards his truck, manila folders held securely under his arm. His head was low, oblivious to the scenes around him. Jamie was awestricken by his beauty and didn’t realize her staring was getting the best of her until she heard a honking horn behind her.

“Come on, Jamie!” the male driver said in a heavy southern accent, “I’ve got deliveries to make over here.”

“Sorry, Mr. Witlow.” Jamie shouted back as she drove off. She looked in her rearview mirror and watched as the manila folder carrying stranger become smaller and smaller in her vision. She’d lived in this place all of her life and had never once seen him before.

“Where is the wizard when you need him.” Jamie said aloud as she made a turn onto the dirt road that was leading to her house. “He can find everything else for people made of straw, metal, and fur but for us humans, we only have ourselves.”

Jamie laughed at her last statement. The wizard she was looking for was going to be able to fix everything in her life. She was certain that he would make her feel like home was place where there was love, there was kindness and no deception. Home would be a place where lies weren’t told and secrets weren’t kept, not even the little white lies she told as a child. Now as a adult, those little white lies were turning into big ones at the place she called home. I’m going to be a friends house translated to being alone with Justin in his office. We were just talking meant fooling around the house until nothing was left between but their bodies synching to one rhythm. All those once innocent words were catching up with her much sooner than she thought.

When she pulled up to the house, she didn’t expect to see any change. Vita’s Yukon truck sat in the driveway next to the blue pickup truck that belonged to Justin; the side door couldn’t give it’s ownership up for anything as it read ‘Timberlake Construction Corp’ in bold red letters on the side. Jamie closed the door to her car and proceeded to the porch where she heard the sounds of Frank Sinatra playing inside. She groaned as she began to open the door. Sinatra tunes meant it was a romantic evening for Vita and Justin, a night that Jamie wanted to avoid.

Jamie walked inside and looked to the kitchen to see Justin standing by the stove, an apron tied around his waist as he swayed back and forth to the music. Vita was sitting in a chair, a glass in her left hand when the shining jewel caught Jamie’s eye. It felt as though her heart had stopped and time was spinning. He couldn’t have, she thought to herself as she inched closer and closer to the kitchen. Maybe it was the momentum of curiosity or the bitter taste of hurt building in her chest but she had to question Vita about this ring she was wearing. She had to know. 

“Evening, Mama.” Jamie said as her mother turned towards her.

“Jamie!” Vita said as she took a sip of her drink, placing it on the table. Vita stood from her chair and greeted her only child with a warm hug. Justin turned from the stove and saw the look Jamie was giving him. Jamie’s eyes read into Justin’s with a dark and fiery glare that made him wish he could go to hell much earlier than God intended for sinners. As Vita pulled back from the hug, she flashed her hand in her daughter’s face.

“We’re getting married, Jamie!” Vita squealed in delight. She walked over to the Justin and grabbed his hand, holding it tight as she looked at him lovingly. “Isn’t that great?”

Jamie looked between her mother and Justin at a lost for words. Her heart thumped much louder in her ears, drowning out the sounds of Sinatra who was singing about a tramp or something; Jamie couldn’t even concentrate on the sound long enough to know. All she saw was the ring that shined in her eyes, the look of pure happiness on her mother’s face, and the look of apology on Justin’s once again. She looked at her mother and smiled lovingly, an act that she’d done many times before.

“Congratulations.” She said happily, walking to give her mother a hug. She looked over to Justin, who stood fumbling with his hands as she said, “I guess that makes you my stepfather. How does it feel to have a child that is only six years younger than you?”

“Jamie!” Vita said sternly. “This is a happy occasion. Apologize to Justin.”

Justin waved off Jamie’s remark with a shrug. “It’s okay, Vita. She’ll be fine with it after awhile.”

Jamie watched Justin as he turned back to the stove and went back to making his meal. She could feel the anger generating from his stance and at the moment, she wanted to claw him. Vita looked between the two, shaking her head as she retook her seat at the kitchen table. Vita said, “I don’t understand why you two don’t just get along.”

“Excuse me?” Jamie said to her mother angrily, watching her take out a cigarette. “How do you expect me to get along with a little boy that is old enough to be my brother, Mom!?”

“But I’m not your brother.” Justin said smugly as Jamie looked towards him, watching him wipe his hands on his apron as he smiled snidely. “That is what makes it all the more beautiful to be with Vita.”

Jamie watched as Justin walked over to Vita and kiss her lips gently, Vita holding his face a little longer than Jamie could stomach. Justin turned towards Jamie and said, “I’d suggest that you and I learn how to get along now, at least cordially for Vita’s sake.”

Vita smiled happily as Jamie looked between the two of them, the sounds of Frank Sinatra still playing in the kitchen. She stormed up to her room and locked her door, making sure Justin got the message that he was up shit’s creek with her. As she undressed and entered her bathroom, she wondered how Justin could do this to her; playing games between her and her mother in the way he did. They couldn’t be any more different than a mother and daughter could be.

Vita was very boastful, somewhat abrasive, but nurturing all at once. Jamie was the complete opposite. She cared about others, very quiet but not shy, and thoughtful of others. The only feature that Jamie and her mother shared were their looks. Both women had dark, shoulder length brown hair and green eyes that could tell the world their story in their gaze. If Jamie could categorize her mother and she, they were like a solar eclipse; Jamie was the sun covered by Vita, the moon. Yet Justin found an equilibrium amongst these two women aside from their relation to one another. It made Jamie so angry at times.

Jamie was coming out of the shower she heard her doorknob jab back and forth. She sighed and went about getting ready to retire for the evening. The knocking continued following Justin’s voice. “Jamie, I want to talk to you.”

Jamie continued to ignore his calling as she placed the cotton gown over her head and rolled down the sheets over her bed. She sat in bed and began braiding her hair when she heard the car roar off outside her window. She walked over to the window and looked down to see her mother’s Yukon was still in the yard; Justin’s truck was gone.  She smiled as she stepped away from the window and relaxed in her bed, alone, for the evening. 

Jamie stared at the ceiling when she awoke the next morning, thinking about the events that occurred the previous night. She didn’t feel saddened by the engagement, or at least she was convincing herself she otherwise. Justin had every right to make her mother happy; he was her boyfriend after all. It was how she was making Vita feel that made Jamie remain in the comfort of her bed sheets. They were cool to her body and she loved that feeling it gave her in this humid atmosphere; both climatically and rhetorically. The situation was becoming more like a volcano, an explosion waiting to erupt, especially when Justin was concerned. Jamie remembered Justin kissing her mother before her eyes and it hurt her. It hurt her just to watch him be so spiteful towards her. Yet she had to be the bigger person here. If not for herself, then for Vita’s sake, she could shake off this affair and support her mother’s happiness.

Jamie stood to her feet and began for the door when the sound of Justin’s voice stopped her. She pressed her hear to her bedroom door and listened for anything she could hear. All that returned to her were the muffled murmurs of Vita and Justin speaking. She stepped away from the door, feeling her anger reign supreme again inside of her. Justin was the one being unfair! Why did he feel the need to come into their lives and wreck this much chaos? As Jamie stood by her bed, she wondered if Justin even had feelings.

Sighing, she retreated to her bathroom and prepared for her day. After she dressed, she left her room and cautiously walked down the steps. She looked in the kitchen and found it empty. Venturing to the porch, she found Vita sitting on the swing, her legs curled beneath her as she stared down the dirt road. Vita took a drag of her cigarette, blowing the smoke into the dusty air. Jamie saw only her car parked out front; Vita's truck was gone. 

“He took my truck to the shop.” Vita said as she looked over to Jamie. “He wanted to talk to you but I told him you were sleeping.”

Jamie nodded as she walked over to the longue chair sitting beside Vita. She watched Vita for a moment as she smoked her cigarette. Once upon a time, Vita was a vibrant young woman much like Jamie. She could see that timeless part of Vita, especially around Justin. She could see the youth that her mother once exuberated to the fullest in this small town.

Then she happened. Jamie was born while Vita was still very young and very much full of dreams. Her father and Vita married while Vita was still pregnant with her; the pregnancy lasted longer than the marriage did. Jamie still spoke to her father a few times a month but it was all done without Vita around. Much like Jamie felt with Justin right now, Vita felt betrayed by Jamie’s father.

“I love Justin, you know?” Vita began to say, holding the cigarette in her hand. A smile tugged at her lips as she continued. “He makes me feel so…alive.”

Jamie quietly nodded, listening to her mother. Vita took a pull from her cigarette and continued. “Justin is the best thing that has happened to me since your father walked out on us.”

“He didn’t walk out on us, Mom.” Jamie said defensively with a sigh.

“And what exactly do you call being in the delivery room for birth, only coming home when you were sick, and leaving before you were two years old?” Vita said angrily. “It’s not exactly a family full of love that Roger was giving to us.”

“Mom,” Jamie said with a sigh, “Dad still calls. He still cares about us. He asks about you all the time.”

“Probably as a joke.” Vita scuffed as she looked away.

Jamie licked her lips and thought of her words carefully as she spoke. “I approve of you and Justin.” All lies, Jamie thought to herself.

Vita looked at her child skeptically. “Jamie, don’t lie to me. You haven’t liked Justin since he’s been here.”

“I just don’t like the age.” Jamie said. “Justin-”

“Is a man and I am a woman.” Vita retorted with a shrug. “Age is only a number, Jamie.”

“You say that now but what if Justin wanted kids?” Jamie said as quickly as the thought passed her mind.

“Justin doesn’t want kids, Jamie.” Vita replied throwing the bud of her cigarette into the ashtray. She looked to Jamie and said, “We’ve already discussed it and he agreed, no children.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that he’s young, Mom.” Jamie countered as Vita held her head to the side. The women watched each other’s eyes for a moment, surveying the other’s thoughts silently. Jamie became squeamish under her mother’s gaze. She could recognize if it were the guilt making her feel this way or the fact this whole making peace with Vita was becoming a feeble argument.

When Vita chuckled a bit, Jamie became  anxious. As Vita began to speak, the house phone rang. Vita stood to her feet and didn’t say a word as she walked inside. A feeling of relief replaced the anxiousness Jamie felt as she sat on the porch. She was so sure that her mother was about to ask about her feelings for Justin. It’s a question she didn’t know if she was going to be able to answer. The answer was confusing to her. She liked having Justin around yet hated the things he did. She loved when he showed his attention to her but hated when he was indecisive about what and who he wanted. The confusion of it all boiled down to the fact that Jamie herself wasn’t trying to stop it, no matter how guilty she felt.

Vita returned to the door with the telephone in her hand, a look of utter disgust on her face. “It’s your father.”

Jamie took the phone from Vita as she walked back inside and pressed it to her ear. “Hi, Dad.”

“Hi, honey.” Roger said with a laugh. “I see your mother is marrying your older brother.”

Jamie laughed. “Dad, stop. Mom is happy.”

“Ah, that guy is just taking pity on Vita.” Roger said controlling his laugh. “She’s too old to still think I’m going to get jealous.”

“Dad,” Jamie sighed, “I don’t think she’s trying to make you jealous. She just wants to be happy is all.”

“Vita can find happiness with someone her own age.” Roger said sternly, “She’s just being rebellious and has been that way since you were born. Don’t get me wrong, Jamie, Vita is a good mother but, she needs to catch up on the years. She isn’t twenty years old anymore.”

“She’s trying, Dad.” Jamie said looking towards the door to see if Vita was nearby. She didn’t see anything that would indicate her mother’s presence. “Justin makes her happy, so can’t we all be happy for her?”

Roger sighed. “I guess so but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Jamie smiled at her father’s remark. No matter what the issue was at hand, Roger knew how to make anyone laugh and move on from it, after discussing it of course. The two stayed on the phone for a while longer, talking about Jamie’s last year in school, her new job at the laboratory in the city, and Roger’s hopes she would join him in New York for Grad school. After the call ended, Jamie walked inside to place phone in it’s charging dock when she heard the roar of her mother’s truck rev into the yard.

Shit. Jamie thought as she began for the kitchen. The front porch door opened and closed abruptly as Justin and Jamie’s eyes met. Justin seemed like his usual self but his eyes told it all. They told Jamie that he had some much to say to her but couldn’t find the words. Jamie ignored him and walked into the kitchen to make food herself. Vita came down the steps dressed in her nurse smock and greeted Justin.

“Hi, honey.” Vita said happily. She looked into the kitchen, watching Jamie move about it as she made something to eat. Vita turned back to Justin and began talking to him about speaking with Jamie. Justin protested.

“She isn’t going to want to hear what I have to say, Vita.” Justin quietly said, looking from the corner his eye to see Jamie’s back hunch in a sigh. He knew her movements well enough to conclude she was in deed listening.

“Just talk to her, okay?” Vita said as she stroked the side of his face. “I’ll be back home tomorrow night. I have a double shift and then a training to do at the hospital.” Vita reached on the tips of her toes and kissed Justin’s face, the warm feel of the engagement ring feeling like a hot rod engraving the word ‘eternity’ to his cheek.

“Love you.” Vita said aloud to everyone as she walked out of the house and left down the road. Jamie took her plate and sat at the table, trying earnestly to ignore Justin but that wasn’t going to happen. Not while Justin had an opportunity to plead his case.

“Jamie, at least hear me out.” Justin pleaded as he took steps into the kitchen. Jamie continued to eat her food in silence, playing with the fork while he took a seat beside her. She watched him clasp his hands together and lean forward on the table, a habit she noticed he did whenever he was contemplating on a deep matter but this was past being deep.

“I know I should’ve told you I was going to propose but I didn’t know what to do.” Justin began to explain. Jamie continued to play with the food on her plate, not wanting to look at his face as he spoke to her. Justin began to reach for her hand but she pulled back, her head still down. She pushed her hair behind her ear with her free hand and continued to eat. “She found the ring that I was planning to give-”

“Cut the bullshit, Justin!” Jamie said angrily as she looked at him. “You can’t possibly think that I am going to believe you were going to give a ring to me as a gift knowing damn well you are with, Momma.”

Justin straightened his posture and said quietly, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Jamie said biting her lip as she shook her head back and forth. “You’re sorry?”

“Were you sorry before or after you decided it was okay to fuck me over and over again?” Jamie said while standing with her plate in hand. She’d lost her appetite.

“I know this isn’t what was suppose to happen but-“ Justin started to say but was cutoff by the loud crash the dish made with the sink.

“ ‘but what’, Justin?” Jamie angrily yelled, facing him. “You have no ounce of realization of what is going on here. You only care about getting what you want, fuck everyone else in between, right?”

“That isn’t true.” Justin said angrily. “You went along with this also, remember?”

“Excuse me!?” Jamie said bewildered. “I didn’t ask you to start this, Justin. I’m not the one waking up in the middle of the night, going to someone’s bedroom to have a good rock in the hay just to feel good.”

“You weren’t stopping me, now were you?” Justin retorted, scoffing at Jamie as she could only nod. She started walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs when it finally hit him. The realization that he’d made a huge mistake by speaking to her in that way. The two of them were wrong, he knew it but he didn’t want it to stop. He didn’t want it to end. Not like this.

“Jamie, wait!” Justin said as he followed her upstairs. He sprinted to her room before she could close the door and grabbed her arm.

“Get off of me!” Jamie said snatching her arm away. “You have no business touching me! Ever!”

“I’m sorry.” He said again. “I need you.”

“For what? You made it clear you don’t want me by kissing her in front of me and even moreso by proposing.”

“She found the ring I was giving to you and I couldn’t tell her no.”

“That still doesn’t make it right.” Jamie said angrily. Justin came towards her but was greeted with a slap to his chest. “I hate you!” She said angrily as Justin continued to take the blows that were coming.  Slowly the blows became cries as Jamie showed her weakness in front of him, crumbling to the floor as Justin crouched down beside her and held her. Jamie was becoming angry at herself for liking the comfort. She was angry that she was enjoying his arms comforting her.

“Why, Justin?” She said looking into his face. Justin looked down at her and couldn’t take her face like this. He liked to see her smile, to see her laughing but all he was bringing to her was pain.

“It’s over.” He said, rocking Jamie back and forth. “It’s over.”

Jamie blinked back her tears as she left Justin’s embrace and stood to her feet. “Just like that? You’re going to end us, with no remorse. You’re so selfish.”

“What do you want out of me?” Justin said, pushing himself up on the bed.

“I want...” Jamie stopped herself as she felt the tears coming on again. “I’m going to go.” She went about her room, grabbing her keys and purse.

“Jamie, I lo-“

“Don’t!” Jamie said looking Justin in the eyes. “Don’t you say-”

“I love you.” Justin said despite Jamie’s protest. “I do love you but I love her also.”

Jamie shook her head at him. “You are the most incredibly selfish asshole I have ever met. Go to hell, Justin.” She began walking out of the door briskly and down the steps with Justin close behind.

“Jamie, look, I’ll do anything you want me to.” He said as they walked outside towards her car. She got inside and closed the door, starting it up as Justin beat the window hoping for her attention. “Jamie, please, just tell me what you want.”

Jamie rolled down her window and looked at Justin. She took in his worrisome face and thought about it all. Her mother needed space as well as Jamie herself. They only way she was going to be able to do that was to leave it all behind. Leave the house and Justin all behind.

“I want you to tell mama, I love her and I’ll be back for my things.” Jamie said quietly as the tears stung her. She pulled the car in reverse and backed up before making her turn down the road. As she saw Justin’s frame become smaller and smaller in view, she knew her time in the nest was over and her wings were spreading to fly but much like a baby bird, her misguidance about where to fly might bring her a few flaps short to land safely without being harmed. 

His name was Langston. Langston Dean and he worked in Ms. Deville’s law office a block down from Mr. Loving’s office where Jamie just started. Fate would have it that the very apartment building she’d been calling home for the past few weeks was also the home of the stranger she saw not so long ago. He was…suave. Jamie never thought she would hear herself use that word to describe someone but that is what Langston exuded whenever he came near. He was a good listener, always cracking a joke to make her laugh and his accent was out of this world. Jamie thought the minute she spoke his name that he was going to sound much like everyone else in town; a country twang to their speech but not him. When Langston spoke, Jamie felt as though she’d fallen right into those English pubs where they spoke very regal and their voices never croaked when putting extra annunciation on the letter “O”.

Those were only a few of the things Jamie thought about whenever she listened to Langston speak, much like today. The summer heat wasn’t much relief to Jamie as she sat inside of the office, typing away at a report on the experiments Mr. Loving needed to be filed. She was hoping to be inside of the laboratory but today, it was another coworkers assignment to be there while Jamie was stuck with the clerical duties. She was so into her work that she didn’t hear Langston approaching her from behind.

He pressed his hands upon the sides of Jamie’s neck as she shrieked from the cool touch. Langston laughed very heartedly as the scowl that was beginning to form turned to a cooked smile. “Not funny.” Jamie said wiping the sides of her neck.

“Ice water does good for a day like this.” Langston replied as he leaned on her desk. Jamie noticed he never liked to sit down. No matter if they were in each other’s apartments or in their offices, Langston never took a seat.

“Yes. To drink, not to scare the good senses out of me.”

“We wouldn’t want that,” Langston said as he leaned closer to her ear to whisper, “then we wouldn’t be able to talk about your godly and very not so subtly slutty coworker.”

Jamie looked slightly towards the other desks that sat across the room and watched her coworker, Gillian, switch her hips and fling her hair in an effort to get Langston’s attention. She only laughed at Gillian’s attempts at subtle seduction with the not to subtle clothes she wore. In the back of her mind, Jamie figured she was either a relative of Mr. Loving or loving Mr. Loving in order to maintain her position here. It had to be between those two options.

“Are you going to be awhile?” Langston asked rubbing his stomach. “The baby is hungry.”

“You are not pregnant.” Jamie said with laugh as she continued to type. “Just give me about ten minutes and we can get our corn dogs with mustard and cokes to go.”

“But mummsy, I don’t want another fried contraption that will make my thighs feel like Wilber the pig.” Langston pouted with his arms folded over his chest.

“And how many times did you read Charolette’s Web, Langston?”

“About as many times as you have read those romance novels of yours.” He retorted as he grabbed the plastic ring Jamie had hanging on her desk. He got down on one knee and took Jamie’s left hand into his. With the most sincere look, he said, “Oh, Jamie, love of my life, the air beneath my wings, the duchess to my prince, the Rudolph to my Santa, the Princess Peach to my Mario-”

Jamie laughed hysterically as she withdrew her hand and took the ring from Langston. “Come on, Heathcliff. Lunch awaits us.”

“My darling Katherine,” Langston said as the two walked into the summer heat, “let us dine.”

Jamie laughed as they walked down the street. They took refuge into a diner some blocks down, a local hangout for the teenagers that were working at the beach or in the offices for deliveries. They took a table that sat a few tables away from the large window, where it was slightly secluded for the two of them. Langston pulled out Jamie’s chair and awaited for her to take her seat when she stopped. Everything around her slowed in motion as she watched the black Yukon truck park across the street at the grocery store, the driver’s side door opening and revealing the one person she hadn’t seen in weeks. He stood tall in his jeans, a navy blue shirt adorning his chest as he closed his door and walked over to the other side. Jamie didn’t realize she was holding her breath until Langston shook her.

“Are you alright?” He asked Jamie with concern as she took her seat. He looked out of the window and saw only the Yukon truck that she was staring at. “What’s the matter?”

Jamie shook her head. She put on a smile and said, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

Langston returned the smile with one of his own. “For a second there, I thought you were going to jump and run towards the car. You aren’t one of those crazed car lovers are you?”

“Oh no!” Jamie exclaimed with a light laugh. “I only know how to drive one. Nothing more.”

“Good.” Langston replied as a busboy came to take their orders. “For a second, I thought I was going to have to invest in monster truck tickets or something.”

Jamie laughed at Langston but looked through the corner of her eye and saw Justin staring in her direction. His arms were folded over his chest as cars passed by him and if she weren’t mistaken, she’d thought he had a look of hurt and jealousy on his face. She averted her attention back to enjoying her lunch and enjoying Langston’s company for their break.

The work day had finally wined down as Jamie shut the computer off and prepared to lock her desk when Mr. Loving called her into his office. She walked inside nervously and took a seat as Mr. Loving whirled around in his chair to face her.

“Jamie, I wanted to ask you for a huge favor.” Mr. Loving said folding his hands together as he looked at Jamie, “It’s a very serious case we have here.”

“Yes, sir?” Jamie said nervously as her mind twirled. She was hoping it would be laboratory work, a field study, something that would take her away from the desk for awhile.

“We have a new shipment of aromatics coming in, and we need someone to run a trial of subjects. Do you think you could do it?” Mr. Loving said while reaching behind him to get a file.

Jamie’s face lit up in excitement. “Yes, sir. I’d be more than happy to do it.”

“Great.” Mr. Loving said as he opened the file. He handed her papers as Jamie read over them. “Now, you and Gillian will be working together on this so…”

Mr. Loving’s voice became humdrum as Jamie ran over the details on paper. She was finally getting in some laboratory work. Something concrete and experience in the field was no in her grasp. As she walked out of the office and into the street, she was excited to get into her car and drive…home. Home. She was actually going home.

------

“I can’t believe that I got the job, Momma.” Jamie exasperated over the phone to Vita. She’d kept in contact with her mother by phone for the most part. She’d had no desire to venture back towards the house and see her in person. Seeing her in person meant seeing Justin and that equated to trouble. It was too much trouble for her to handle.

“That’s great, Jamie.” Vita said happily. “You know…I miss you here at the house.”

Jamie bit her lip as she folded her legs beneath her. She was sitting on her bed, holding the phone to her ear as she bit down on her bottom lip. “I know, Momma.”

“It’s been really quiet since you left. Justin is hardly home and-”

“He’s hardly home?” Jamie asked alarmed. “What do you mean? You two didn’t break up did you?”

“No, Jamie!” Vita replied quickly. “It’s just that Justin has been busy with work so he’s been in and out mostly. I’ve been working too so that doesn’t help the situation.”

“But, Mom, you just got engaged.” Jamie said hearing a knock coming from her door. “Momma, can you hold on a second?”

Vita hummed in response as Jamie put down her phone. She pushed her hair atop of her head in a messy bun and sighed as she opened her door. Langston smiled towards her with a puzzle and bottle of sparkling grape juice in hand. Jamie smiled as she let him inside.

“I thought we should celebrate your new found success.” Langston said as Jamie closed the door. “It’s only fair to drink responsibly here. We wouldn’t want to stagger into work snogging the bosses now.”

Jamie crinkled her nose in response. “So nasty. Give me a second okay, Langston?”

She walked back towards her room and picked up the phone. Before saying hello, she listened into the back ground as she heard her mother yelling loudly in the background. She pressed her ear closer to the receiver and heard Vita cursing followed by a loud crash. She hung up the phone quickly and scrambled to find clothes. She rushed putting them on, stumbling as she put on her shoes. When she walked back into the living room, she saw Langston placing the glasses down on the coffee table. She looked at him with alarm as she grabbed her car keys that sat in a bowl by the door.

“I have to go to my mom’s house.” Jamie said quickly as Langston followed behind her.

“I’ll come with you just in case.” Langston said as he closed the door behind them. Jamie locked it and decided to take the stairs to get to her car faster. Langston wasn’t too far behind her as they made it to the street and into her car. As the climbed inside, Jamie could only think of the worse.

The drive to the house was a quiet and tense one. Jamie began to think that it was a bad idea for her to have moved out. She felt responsible for whatever she was about to come about in her old home. If it weren’t for her being so weak, she wouldn’t have done anything with Justin. She wouldn’t have continued on with an affair that was unfair to both her mother as well as herself. Jamie felt selfish for her actions now.

As she pulled onto the dirt road that led to the house, she saw the red and blue lights in the distance. Panic set in. She prayed to herself, gripping the wheel tighter that she would see her mother crying on the doorstep as they led Justin off to jail. She would see her mother alive, breathing, and healthy. There wouldn’t be a homicide scene to witness. There wouldn’t be blood shed or a stretcher as she approached. Everything would be settled and she would be there to comfort her mother.

Langston looked on in anguish as they approached the house. Two squad cars sat outside. The sheriff walked out of the house and down the steps in a flurry as Jamie nearly jumped out of the car before turning it off. Langston grabbed the keys and put the car into park before turning it off. He followed quickly behind Jamie who had stormed into the house and saw the broken glass. He saw the knocked over lamps as police officers snapped shots of the scene. As he followed Jamie further into the house, he saw an older woman that favored Jamie standing in the rear of the house, a cigarette to her lips as Jamie ran to her.

“Momma, are you ok?” Jamie said alarmed.

Vita turned towards her daughter, her tear stained face speaking before she could. Vita broke down into Jamie’s arms as Langston looked on. Jamie tried to comfort her mother, leading her towards the kitchen table at least to sit down.

“Momma, it’s going to be okay.” Jamie said as she motioned for Langston to her some water. She took the cigarette out of her hand and crushed it into the ash tray on the table. “Just take your time.”

“He-he-he…” Vita trembled over her words as Langston handed her water. She drank nearly half of it and set the glass on the table. She looked over into the living room and saw it all. “I can’t believe he took it.”

“Who, Momma?” Jamie asked concerned. “Who did this?”

Vita swallowed her breath before she spoke. “I was on the phone with you and when you put me on hold, a guy dressed in black came inside and just started throwing things. He broke Gramps crystal vase, and some other little things before he hit me. He—took my ring, Jamie. He stole my engagement ring.”

Jamie looked up towards Langston and sighed angrily. He nodded in understanding before she turned her gaze back towards her mother. “Did you see who did this?”

“No.” Vita said taking another drink of her water. “He had on a mask. Justin came as soon as he left and called the cops for me.”

Jamie saw through all of it. It was a ploy. An extravagant ploy to get her back into the house. She stayed with her mother a bit longer, watching her mother answer questions about the crime. She begged her mother to come with her back to her apartment but Vita couldn’t bear it. She didn’t want to leave the house out of fear they might return again. Jamie relented and decided to stay long enough to help her mother clean. After making sure Vita had fallen asleep. Jamie made sure all the doors and windows were locked as she ventured out towards her car.

When she arrived back to her apartment, she told Langston goodnight. He offered to stay with her but she needed to be alone. He stood by her door, as she unlocked it to get inside. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”

Jamie nodded solemnly. “I’m sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She closed and locked the door behind before trudging towards her bedroom. When she flopped down on her bed, she began to lie down just a knock sounded on her door. She didn’t want visitors at the moment. All she wanted were her thoughts but the knocking persisted.

“No fucking peace!” Jamie seethed angrily as she went towards her door. She unlocked and swung the door angrily, looking into Justin’s face on the other side.