My Kind of Woman

9. Mrs. Right

A few days later, Jackie and I organised our first official sleepover. The times I'd come over and accidentally fallen asleep in her bed didn't really count to either of us. Despite being an eighteen-year-old woman, I was feeling strangely awkward about it. Jackie was, of course, the person I was most comfortable around, but purposely staying all night in an organised fashion was odd to me. She wasn't nearly as fazed about it as I was, only mentioning it once when we were in art class, sat up front with our art teacher, Ms. Bisset. She was our favourite teacher, she let us escape the hectic canteen at lunch, and was laid-back enough to talk with us about non-work related topics. She was an French-African woman, who only became a full time art teacher the year before, and when she did, most students were thrilled seeing as she was amazingly gorgeous - making her the only good-looking teacher we had. Her voice was gentle, her skin was flawless and she had a head of perfect braids that framed her well-structured face. She was everything I wanted to be, I'd thought a few times.

I made a stop at my house before continuing to Jackie's, picking up my overnight bag. While riding there, I found myself strangely thinking of Eddie Reed, Mio's husband and Jackie's dad. While I'd only seen him once, I felt he was a bigger presence than I imagined in the house. Along the upstairs walls were photos of him, and mostly only him. Holding trophies and shaking hands with older men, playing sport and one of him nearer Jackie's room with her as a baby on his knee, cheeks smeared with food. The only photograph framed I'd seen of him and Mio was in the living room, slightly hidden by the television. It was of their wedding, and in it, Mio looked a little younger - quite teenage in her look; thin cheeks, girlish smile, short stature. I didn't even want to think it spitefully, but I thought the obscuring of the photograph said a lot about their marriage.

I wondered if Mio was lonely.

Pleasantly, she was the one who opened the door for me when I arrived. She looked tired, but still smiled when she saw it was me on the doorstep.

"I expect you're not here for me." She laughed softly. "Jackie's in the pool house I think."

"I can be." I said.

She looked at me like I'd said something strange. "What?"

"Here for you. I can be here for you." I told her, meaning that I would happily sit with her and talk. I know Jackie would only find me strange for thinking so, but Mio was good company.

Her eyes softened. "That's very kind of you, but I was only joking."

"Serious offer." I grinned. Behind her, I saw Jackie's head past the kitchen partition.

Mio chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at me, then sighed. "Go on. Go and see Jackie."

Her tiredness seemed more of a depressiveness then, and I didn't know how to ask if she was truly alright. She waved me inside and seemingly disappeared. I didn't feel finished with our conversation though. I wanted to know what was bothering the older woman, but she'd obviously not wanted to elaborate. I saw why, I was her daughter's best friend.

I trailed into the kitchen with my overnight bag slung over my shoulder. Jackie was sat on the breakfast bar, eating a stick of some kind of sweet. Her tan legs were bare right down to her monkeyish feet, which she wiggled at me in hello. I touched her knee with my palm.

"Is your mom okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, she's the same as always. Why?" Jackie raised an eyebrow, taking another bite out of her sticky bar.

I shrugged. "Just wondering."

"You want some?" She offered with a full mouth, motioning the stick in my direction.