A little thing called love

 Just what Macy needed, her grandmother showing up Easter weekend. Of course, lately she was either on the phone with Jake or texting him. They both seemed to be in limbo, but her grandmother was here to straighten her out.

"I can't believe you're here," Macy did her best to be enthusiastic. 

"Well, why haven't you come home?" She snapped.

Macy felt shattered, wishing she could just lie on the couch and fall into a deep sleep, but that didn't happen.

"I've..I've been busy." Macy looked at her blankly.

"So busy, you couldn't even call me," Her grandmother put her hands on her hips and looked at the mess Macy hadn't even attempted, like dirty dishes and laundry.

"I'm sorry." Macy sighed. She knew that using the excuse of being overwhelmed wouldn't mean a thing to Gram, who was old-school. Being busy was therapeutic to her. Still, Macy felt a little shaky. Maybe she'd drunk too much coffee. Maybe she'd forgotten to eat.

"Well, I'm making banana bread," her Gram said, inspecting a blackened banana on the counter. In fact, she found a whole bunch of bananas. She made the batter from scratch.  Honestly, Macy didn't even know she had all the ingredients for bread. Thankfully, Jake had helped her fill her small pantry with the basics.

Maybe Gram would get along with Jake after all.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Gram asked after she got the muffin tin in the oven.

"Oh, well.." Macy felt certain she'd let Gram down, somehow. "I'm..I'm getting a roommate." She nodded.

"A roommate?" Gram winced with her hands on her hips.

Macy nodded, uncertain she dared to tell her who.

it's the little things

 

I'm so happy my brother is back. I didn't know how much I would miss him. He's my lifeline, you know. Yeah, I hate to say it, but it's true. I feel awful without him. 

I don't want him to go back to Chicago, but I can't seem to keep him here, so I've been helping him as much as I can.

And to think, we were doing well to see each other like once a week for Sunday dinner with the parents. Now I just want him to know he's been the best brother I ever had.

It makes me sad, but I'm trying to keep going. Be happy for him. I mean, I know I'm not one to even think about a soul mate, but evidently, Macy is his and so...

God, it's making me so sick. Like this huge lump of sadness in my throat. I just gotta find a way for us to be together. Cause I know he needs a brother around, and I'm that someone.

Jonas

Moving with the winds down the highways of goodbye

 Jake didn't want to be a procrastinator, but there was so much to do and think ahead. It felt impossible to get back to Chicago quick enough.

"I don't mean to keep putting you off, but I still have to train somebody for my job at the library," he said to Macy over the phone. "I've still got to get things packed in the apartment. And well, I'm trying to get my resume ready. I don't want you thinking I'm a freeloader."

Honestly, this whole upheaval was making him sick. He guessed he didn't like change any more than his brother Jonas. What was weird was that Jonas was doing his best to help him make this move.

It would probably be the middle of next month before he could move, but Jonas wouldn't hear of it. He came over to start packing his stuff. He'd even set up a time for him to use a U-Haul trailer.

"What is going on?" Jake felt so overwhelmed.

"Bro, you need all the help you can get," was Jonas' favorite line. Jake guessed he was right.

Back at the library, his supervisor was trying to help him get on at the University where he'd taken his library classes.

"You can teach online classes anywhere," she told him. This seemed too good to be true. 

"How long will that take?" Jake felt restless. Could he actually get through this? 

"Oh, I don't know, maybe by the fall." She said about the matter.

"THE FALL?" That was too far away. Jake needed a job now. He just couldn't think straight, but she went ahead and sent in a good recommendation for him.

"We'll have to wait and see."

Jake wasn't optimistic, but he did at least train a library clerk to take over his interlibrary loan job.

"I'm sure you'll find something." Still, he felt lukewarm about the idea.

For the first time, he'd never felt he was walking on a tightwire. Was this the right thing to do? Still, every night, Macy gave him hope that it would be OK. "We'll get by somehow, I promise."

Yet, he felt a little shaky as if the future wasn't as bright as he'd hoped.