Two Love

Chapter 13

Jade: Hey Marty

Jade: Can you come over to mine today, please?

Marty saw these two texts as he lifted his head from his pillow at noon. It looked like Jade was writing something more, so he waited awhile.

Jade: It's the anniversary of Mum's death

Marty sighed in sadness. He couldn't imagine what it was like for Jade to go through every single day without her mum there to encourage her, talk to her and cook her delicious Filipino meals. If his own mum died, he'd probably go mad with sadness.

Marty: Of course, be there in 10

So he put on his favourite green T-shirt and beige shorts and walked to Jade's house. When Jade opened the door, Marty could see trails of tear stains on her caramel-coloured cheeks.

"Are you okay?" said Marty; tears started flowing afresh from Jade's brown eyes. She shook her head, and Marty motioned towards the sofa so they could sit down. He put an arm around her as she cried. Without a word, she flicked through family albums from the years when her mum was alive. Jade always looked so happy with her mum. Spinning around on a roundabout together or celebrating Jade's first-place prize at the local spelling bee, her mum was always there for her daughter.

Until she wasn't.

"We always used to get an ice cream when Mum got a promotion at work," said Jade, then with a little laugh, she added: "That was quite often as she had such a strong work ethic."

"Wonder where she got that from," said Marty, but Jade shook her head.

"No, I got it from her, not the other way round. Though she started working harder once she returned to work after having me. She worked so hard to get me and Will nice things. Toys, books, educational trips. I'll never forget our trip to the Natural History Museum. I was so obsessed with dinosaurs at 10 years old, and there were hundreds of fossils there. It was heaven."

She smiled, wistful nostalgia in her watery eyes. "Does anything ever feel like heaven now your mum's not here?" asked Marty, putting his arm around Jade again.

Jade relaxed into Marty's arm. "For at least a year, everything was hell. But I've grown to enjoy life again, and I've even found my own heaven."

"I'm guessing that's when you're nerding out with your filmmaking?"

Jade looked at Marty strangely. "No, though that's pretty damn close. It's whenever I'm with you. Marty Pocock... I'm hopelessly, endlessly in love with you."

Just like when she'd said something similar back in the summer, Marty was shocked. His arm flinched away from Jade's back. Why, the two of them were great as friends, but he couldn't bring himself to think of her in a romantic light. She was his second sister, a girl he could banter with and discuss films with, but nothing more.

"I told you before, I only see you as a friend," said Marty coldly. Frankly, he was feeling a bit irritated. Why did Jade have to believe in the stupid friends-to-lovers trope?

"But... why?" blurted out Jade.

"My heart doesn't quicken when I'm around you. And, to be honest, I don't find you very physically attractive."

Marty thought he'd made his case adequately, and was about to resume reminiscence of Jade's mum, but Jade was persistent.

"Love isn't all about looks, Marty. What about personality?"

He sighed. How could he explain their mismatch without offending her? A book that Parisa had given him came to mind.

"Have you ever read Little Women?"