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Jess tried not to laugh, but they were a funny couple, close enough to give each other a hard time without taking offense. “Jasper and I are just staying with Tony and Rhys until I can save up enough for an apartment. I got behind on some bills after Jasper broke his arm last spring. I didn’t have health insurance and—”
“Ohmigod,” Viv said dramatically. “Donotgetting me going about healthcare and how fucking expensive everything is. Pharmaceutical companies driving up prices. It’s criminal.”
Jess nodded in agreement. “Anyway, Tony and Rhys were nice enough to offer their guest room. I’m close to having enough money. It’s just hard to find an affordable place in a part of the city where I would feel safe living alone with a small boy.”
Viv elbowed her husband. “What about the apartment behind the garage, Bruno?”
“Haven’t had time to clean or paint it yet. That last renter was a fucking slob.”
“You have an apartment?” Jess asked.
“Yeah. It’s out behind the garage, so it’s not exactly quiet during work hours, but we close up shop by six. Last renter moved out a couple weeks ago, and Viv’s been on me to paint it and get someone else in there, but we’ve been slammed at work. You’ve been to the garage, Jess. It’s not a bad neighborhood.”
It really wasn’t. It wasn’t even in a different school district, which meant Jasper wouldn’t have to change schools.
“I’m not sure when I’ll get around to cleaning it up and slapping a coat of paint on the walls, though,” Bruno said.
“I can clean and paint it,” she offered.
Plan B had just presented itself.
“Hey, that sounds good to me. You do something like that and I’ll skip the security deposit. Let me and Viv talk about it and we’ll be in touch, okay?”
Jess smiled. “Okay.”
Viv and Bruno walked away, and Jess tried to feel relief, happiness, hope.
Instead, the weight crushing on her chest tripled, and the only emotion she could summon was the one she’d foolishly thought she could stave off.
Pain.
