Growing Into You (First Draft; Unedited)

xii.

Aoife

“How do you think Jayen is doing?” I asked as I shoved another piece of fruit in my mouth.

“I think she’s doing fine,” Kuna said. “She’s a lot tougher than she looks.”

“I don’t know about that. You should’ve seen the way the lady looked at her!” Maj said, “I thought she was going to fire her!”

We laughed together, it wasn’t a full-on laugh but more of a nervous giggle.

“Where’s Jinan?” Devi asked, she was drawing circles on the table with her finger. She hadn’t eaten yet.

“I told him that he had to eat somewhere else. I don’t want him around you younger folks.” Maj pointed her fork at the three of us.

“How old is he?” I asked.

“Thirtysomething. I don’t know and I don’t care. I told him that he can’t eat dinner with us tonight but he can later. I don’t want him going to the lady. That’s a battle I can’t win.”

“Okay, well, I’m pretty tired so I’m going to bed.”

“Aoife I already moved your stuff into Jayen’s room to make room for Jinan. I didn’t unpack anything so that’s on you.”

I laughed and stood up. “Thank you, Kuna, I owe you one.”

“They’re going to hold you to that,” Ferni said.

“I absolutely will.”

I waved them off and left the room. When I got into the room I got to moving stuff around. I pushed my bed into the corner of the room, opposite Jaylen’s. I pushed my own dresser to the foot of my bed and started putting my clothes away. I left out a nightgown to change into. It was plain and white and went down to my knees.

After I changed I flopped into bed. I listened to crickets and the winds until I drifted off into a deep sleep.

“Aoife?”

The voice sounded far away as if they were talking to me from behind a thick curtain. 

“Aoife!”

I jerked awake and blinked several times in the darkness. Who was calling my name? I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Jayen still wasn’t in her bed. What time was it? I fell back into bed, already feeling the warmth of sleep starting to welcome me back.