A secondhand emotion

 "She's such a baby," L festered a look of discontent when she couldn't stop thinking about Macy. Usually, she was in her tank and sleep pants about now, but she still had on her trusty hoodie and work pants along with her clunky shoes.

"She's an infant." She bellowed to no one in particular, but Jax had his back to her as he finished up the dishes that hadn't been done in the last few days. He was slow at chores, but eventually he got them done.

After all, Jax was her man-child she found at the park. That's where he used to play chess with the old timers. It felt like ages ago instead of a few years. Yes, she'd been drawn to him like one would want an abandoned puppy. 

She imagined even then how he got by. Did he just sleep at the park? Of course, it took some kids to beat him up before she took charge of him. He was all of twenty-two then, but he came home with her and has been here ever since. She helped him sharpen his chess skills, and he'd blazed through the last few years winning prize money at chess showdowns. If it wasn't for him, she might still be in the studio in the basement. Now she lived in a spacious two-bedroom apartment. Still, Jax was always on monotone and said very little, but usually it was profound.

"It's love." 

Did she imagine him saying it?

"No, it's not!" She was getting testy. She looked for the box wine in the fridge just as her phone beeped telling her that her blood sugar was too high. Of course, she didn't believe the sensor, but she knew the red wine would bring it down. She poured some wine in her drink cup "Sipping through Winter" and added some Fresca. It was half and half.

"It's love."  

Again, Jax was annoying her, but he went to the fridge and got out the eggs. He would make the usual scrambled eggs dotted with a few red peppers and onions. 

L got into her favorite chair and propped her feet on the ottoman to relax, but not for too long. Macy might text her about something so she couldn't drink herself silly. Before she knew it, Jax had dinner waiting.

He reminded her when they sat down to eat that he was on a team now and they would be flying him to Shanghai for a tournament soon.

"Do you really have to go?" She didn't think they played chess in China.

"Stop." He interrupted her. "Go." He looked at her as if she had forgotten he played another game.

She sighed. 

"It's love." Jax looked at her blankly.

"Be quiet, will you?" She frowned back and ate a forkful of eggs with the brown rice.

Suddenly, her phone rang.  It rattled her. It was well into the evening. Of course, it was Macy. L hoped she hadn't gotten lost in the building.

"What?"

"Can you take me to the airport?" She asked as if she were already in a rush.

"Why?" She hoped she wasn't leaving already.

"My friend's on his way here," Macy told her.

"Well, can't- What?" L winced. Damn, L thought, that fellow who made Macy so happy would be here for Valentine's Day. L gritted. She was going to have to chaprone the whole weekend.

After she got off the phone, she pointed her fork at Jax. "You aren't going anywhere."

"I leave with the team on Monday." He might as well have rattled off her itinerary for the whole weekend. She was to have dinner with her co-worker Wade and his fiancée. "Steak night."

L felt as if he was pouring in sweat. There were too many people wanting her to do things, and all she wanted was to be there for Macy. It was getting impossible.