Deeply Devoted - A JeanxMarco AU

Sketchbook

Jean's POV:

When I got home from Marco's, Em wasn't there.  My eyes glanced over the household chores that weren't done, just like they never were when I'm not home.  

Thanks, Emily.

I dropped off my keys on the hook by the door, taking off my shoes and putting them away in the small closet near the front door.  

Luckily, it was a Saturday, so sleeping at Marco's last night wasn't going to affect my job.  

I showered and got ready for the day before I decided to clean the apartment, wanting it to be clean when Emily got home so she didn't nag me about that either.  Before starting anything, I snatched my charger from the shared bedroom, soon plugging it into an outlet in the kitchen and charging my phone.  

I started a random radio from Spotfy.

I honestly didn't have any ideas of what I wanted to listen to, so it was just the first playlist that I saw. 

Suddenly, I found my fingers typing a message to Marco.  

Me:

'Hey, I wanted to say thank you once more for your hospitality.  I would love to see you again if you're okay with that?  I had a lot of fun with you.'

I set my phone down and began the dishes, most of them weren't mine.  At this point, I didn't care anymore.  No matter how much I talk to her about pulling her weight around the apartment, she won't listen.  It was never a problem before when she first moved in, but she's getting too comfortable with me doing everything.  And of course, I'm falling for her tricks.  

It took me a few hours to do everything.  I didn't even realize how late into the day it was until my stomach started hurting from hunger.  It was almost three in the afternoon and I have gotten the trash taken out, the dishes done, the counters cleaned, the floors swept, and now I'm going to get groceries for the week.  

I have decided that I wanted to make dinner for Em using a recipe my mom taught me when she was alive.  I still have her recipe book that I refer to all the time.  Even if I have the recipes memorized, I liked seeing her handwriting. 

She is responsible for my skills in the kitchen.  We used to always make dinner together for the rest of my family when I lived with them.  My older sister and dad always loved it.  

Not only did I get my cooking and baking skills from her, she also loved to sketch with me.  Before she died, she sketched a picture of her and I together and gave it to me.  I was working on the same picture in my style to show her, but I didn't get it finished before she died.  Every year on the anniversary of her death, I take both of our sketches to her grave to show her.  

As one can tell, my mom and I were close.  It never bothered me that other kids my age weren't as close as I was - they all wanted their alone time and pushed their families away.  

But, when my mom got sick while I was in high school, I just wanted to spend my time with her since I didn't know how much time she had left.

Before I knew it, I was at the store.  I grabbed a whole bunch of fruits and vegetables to snack on before getting what I actually needed for tonight's dinner.  

I called Emily.

"Hello?"  

"Hey babe, when are you going to be home?"  I ask, pushing the shopping cart around the store.

"Uh, I don't know, maybe around 5:30?"  She seemed super calm, which gave me hope for tonight.

"Awesome, I'm making dinner for us, so don't eat anything.  It's one of my moms favorites!"