It started with something small - like most storms do.
A Thursday morning. Sky was in her recliner, robe tied snug, sipping tea. Jade came in balancing a bag of groceries on one arm and a to-go cup in the other.
"Morning," Jade greeted, dropping the bag on the counter. "I grabbed fresh fruit, that cornbread you like, and - "
Sky cut her off. "I told you not to keep spending your money on me."
Jade froze mid-step, her smile faltering. "It's groceries, Sky. We've been over this. You need to eat well while you heal."
"I am eating well," Sky said sharply. "You don't have to keep showing up here like some rescue mission."
The words stung more than Jade wanted to admit. She straightened, setting the coffee on the counter with a soft thud. "I'm here because I want to be. If it's too much for you, say that - but don't act like I'm doing something wrong by caring."
Sky sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I'm just… tired. Tired of feeling like a patient. Tired of feeling like I can't move without someone watching over me."
Jade's voice softened, but it still held an edge. "I'm not here to smother you. I'm here because I thought you wanted me here."
"I do," Sky said quickly, then looked away. "Most of the time."
The pause after those three words was a canyon. Jade didn't try to fill it. She set the rest of the groceries away in silence, her movements measured.
When she left later that afternoon, her goodbye was short - no lingering smile, no playful remark about puzzles. Just, "See you tomorrow."
The Silence
Tomorrow didn't come. Not the next day either.
The first day without Jade, Sky told herself it was fine. She needed the space anyway. She made her own tea, sat at the puzzle table alone. She finished a small section of the sky in the picture they'd been working on, but the colors felt dull without their shared laughter filling the gaps.
The second day, she caught herself glancing at the clock around the time Jade usually arrived. She found the "Comfort and Company" playlist on her phone and pressed play, but it didn't sound the same without Jade humming along under her breath.
By the third day, Sky knew it wasn't just space she'd been given - it was absence.
The Confrontation
On Saturday afternoon, Jade's car finally pulled into the driveway. Sky opened the door before she could knock.
"You weren't coming?" Sky asked, arms crossed loosely.
"I was giving you what you said you wanted - space," Jade replied, her tone calm but guarded.
"I didn't want you gone," Sky said. "I just… I don't know. I had a moment. A bad one."
Jade studied her, eyes steady. "Sky, I can handle you having bad moments. What I can't do is guess whether you want me here or not. If I'm in your life, I need to know it's because you want me there - not because it's convenient until it's uncomfortable."
Sky dropped her gaze, guilt blooming warm in her chest. "You're right. I was wrong to push you away like that."
Jade stepped closer, her voice softening. "I know this isn't easy for you. But I'm not the enemy. I'm here for the long haul - through the bad moods and the quiet days. You just have to let me."
Sky's throat tightened. "I do want you here. Even when I don't say it right."
They stood there for a beat, the air between them heavy but not brittle anymore.
"Alright then," Jade said finally. "Can we get back to our dock scene before I forget which piece goes where?"
Back to the Table
They ended up side by side again that afternoon, TK Soul filling the background like nothing had happened. But it wasn't quite the same - it was better. The air between them felt tested, tempered like steel that had seen the fire and held its shape.
At one point, Sky picked up a puzzle piece and passed it to Jade. "This one's yours," she said.
Jade smiled faintly. "That's a promise?"
Sky nodded. "That's a promise."