It's been three weeks today.
Three freaking weeks since she heard from Alex.
Three weeks since their last text message.
Since he told her that he's going through something.
That he's with his mom, that she's doing better but that he needs time because he is going through something.
Jo's nerves are blank.
She has no idea what is going on.
She's missing him. She can't sleep without him. She can't eat. She can't breathe.
And this morning she found something out that she desperately wants to tell him, but he's not answering his damn phone. He's not reading her messages, he's not answering her calls.
So Jo made a decision. Even though she knows that he hates it when she's not trusting him, but she needs answers. And when she won't get those from Alex she has to get them from someone else.
So now she's sitting on their white couch, covered in their blue blanket, clicking on the contact in her contact list of her phone. She puts it to her ear and hears the connecting sound.
After a couple rings the other side accepts the call.
"Hello?" The voice is a little confused but polite.
Taking a deep breath Jo's answering.
"Hi Helen, it's Jo."
The voice on the other end changes to cheerful, now that she knows who she's talking to.
"Jo, hi. How are you, sweetheart?"
Jo isn't quite sure how to answer that, without worrying Helen to much. After all she probably doesn't know that Alex hadn't called or texted in three weeks.
"I'm good, thanks Helen. Ahm- to get right to the point why I'm calling-"
"Whats up, honey? You sound sad. Everything ok with you and Alex?"
Great, now her mother-in-law is concerned too.
"Ahm- yeah. No. To be honest no. I don't want to concern you Helen. But I haven't heard from him in three weeks, is everything ok with you?"
Helen's voice changes to confused.
"Yes everything is fine here. But- what does that have to do with Alex? Is he not with you in Seattle?"
Jo can't answer. The biggest lump is forming in her throught and tears start to blur her vision.
"Honey, are you still there?"
"Yes- yes, Helen I'm still here."
Jo's voice is cracking and tears start to roll down her cheeks.
"Oh no. Sweetheart don't cry. Tell me what happened."
Her voice is so sweet and concerned. Jo really couldn't wish for a better mother-in-law. Helen really is like the mother she never had.
"A- Alex left almost four weeks ago and told me that he's visiting you because you had some things going on. He called me the night he arrived. We texted but after a week he stopped answering. He's not answering my texts or calls and now I have no idea where he is." Sobbing between every word Jo is now crying hysterically.
"Shhhh, honey please don't cry. It breaks my heart to hear you crying. I'm so sorry to hear that, sweetie. And I'm so sorry to tell you that Alex has never been here. The last time I talked to him was also three weeks ago. He asked how I'm doing, if I take my meds, we talked a little and that's it. I thought that he was with you. I'm so sorry, sweetheart." She really is sorry, you can hear it in her voice.
Jo takes another deep breath and tries to calm down a little. "You don't have to be sorry Helen. It's not your fault. I just thought that he is with you and because he didn't answer my calls I decided to call you-"
"Oh Jo but I am sorry. I thought I taught my son a little better than that. But looks like I failed in raising my kids."
"Oh no. No Helen. Don't say that. You've done the best you could. This has nothing to do with you. Please don't believe that. This is on Alex"
She swears to god if she gets hold of her husband anytime soon, she will kill him. Now his mother blames herself for Alex ghosting her.
