"You look happy. Actually, that grin is a little unsettling."
"I'm in such a good mood, I find you barely even annoying today."
Jack gave her an even toothier grin, and Jane sat down next to her.
"Well, I'm happy for you."
Jack snorted.
"Yeah, whatever." Then she rolled her eyes. "Okay, you helped some. Not that I don't think you're a pain in the ass and meddlesome and pushy."
"You're very welcome," Jane said with an annoying air of smugness. "Where is your girlfriend, by the way?"
"Busy being studious. Said she really needed to study for a biology test."
"Well, more time for us to bond!" Jane smirked.
Jack just shook her head.
"I hate you so much. How does your girlfriend bear with you?"
"Between my charm, my stunningly good looks and winning personality, how could she not? Oh, you don't mind the others coming over, sitting with us?"
Jane waved over some of her friends and Jack rolled her eyes again, but decided to stay, just until she was done with her dinner.
. . . . .
"How did your test go?"
Miranda smiled and sat down in the grass next to Jack, carefully smoothing down her skirt.
"Good."
Jack frowned at her.
"You seem nervous."
For a moment, Miranda was torn between telling her or not, but then she made up her mind.
"I am. I'm going to meet my sister. I called her mom, and she said it's not my fault my father's a jerk, her words, and she'll let me come by Friday afternoon. And I'm a little worried, I don't know the first thing about kids, I'm not very good at dealing with them, but she's my little sister, and I am not usually that nervous about anything."
"Relax. She's what? Two?"
"Closer to three, actually."
"At that age all they care about is whether or not you're going to lie down on the floor and roll around with them, read them some stupid story in an annoying non-linear way, immitating all the animal noises as you go. But don't teach her swear words, her mom will hate you if you do that."
"That would not have occurred to me in the first place, Jack!"
"Oh, but it's fun."
Jack shrugged, giving her a crooked grin.
"What's her mom like?"
Miranda thought about it for a moment.
"I really don't know her all that well. He didn't bring her home often. The few times he did, she struck me as, well, the word that comes to mind is competent, really. Just smart and attractive and knew what she wanted. Turned out not to be him after all."
"Huh. I can't imagine anyone wanting your dad."
Miranda grimaced.
"You've always just been at the receiving end of his disapproval. He can be really charming. The other kids' moms used to fawn over him at any school event he deigned to honor with his presence. Going on about how brave it was of him to raise a daughter on his own. On his own! As if."
She pursed her lips. Jack just kept frowning.
"I can't imagine your dad at school events, either."
"Oh. He was there often enough. To make sure I was better than everyone else. To hear teachers sing my praise. Checking up on his investment, really." Her voice grew quiet. "All my achievements were always actually his."
Jack gave her a deeply irritated look.
"You know that's bullshit, though, do you?"
"I don't know." Miranda shrugged. "Without all the money he spent on preschool and private tutors and music teachers, I might just be, well... average."
"It's not his money that worked hard and diligent. Come on, I've seen you study, I've seen your fucking schedule, that's not his money's effort, that's yours! It may have helped a little, but they're still your achievements. Don't put yourself down like that. You're not an investment, and your dad's such a jerk."
Miranda sighed.
"Every time you say something like that part of me really wants to defend him, even though you're kind of right."
"Well, he is your dad after all. How come he didn't do that with your sister, though?"
"Oh, he tried. For a while he was convinced she'd live with us, even though they'd already broken up. He was talking to his lawyers a lot. But then that just stopped from one day to the next, and her name was never mentioned again in our household."
"How come?"
Miranda frowned.
"Frankly, I think the only thing that might have changed his mind is... Oh, but that's just my idea, really. But if she'd known something about him, or his business, something that could have been used to blackmail him..."
"Wow." Jack stared at her. "You really think that about your dad? I mean, I wouldn't put that past him, but you saying so is strong stuff."
"I know. But he usually doesn't change his mind like that. Never, actually, until, well, now, with you and me, and I don't trust him on that."
Jack laughed and shook her head.
"Still think he's scheming?"
"If you knew him, you'd be worried, too!"
She bumped her shoulder against Miranda's.
"What could he possibly do?"
Miranda gave her a small smile.
"How was you day, anyway?"
"All the people in my classes behaved expectedly idiotic, and Jane bothered me during lunch, but I was in a good mood, I didn't let anything inane get to me."
"Is it my influence? Tell me it's my influence." Miranda winked.
"If by 'influence' you mean the thought of you naked, then yes, definitely your influence."
. . . . .
Miranda got off the bus and walked another ten minutes to Jack's apartment. The ride had made her feel queasy, but not even that could stop her from smiling.
When she walked up the stairs, Jack was already opening the door.
"Saw you from the kitchen window. Wow, you look happy. So your playdate went well?"
"Oh Jack." Miranda hugged her and let herself be kissed for a moment, before pulling away, words positively gushing from her. "I should have done that so much sooner. She's adorable. And she can talk so much, and she called me 'Randa' the entire time, and she really liked my necklace. I would have given it to her, but I was scared she'd strangle herself. But she can have it later, if she wants."
There was a sort of dreamy expression on her face that was entirely new to Jack.
"Well, someone's obviously in love."
Miranda kissed her again.
"Jealous?"
Jack laughed.
"Not much. I really don't want to question anything that puts that kind of smile on your face. You're gorgeous." Her hands rested on Miranda's waist, sorely tempted to just take off her shirt there and then.
"I'd really like you to come the next time I visit. If you'd like to. You don't have to."
"Oh." The hopeful expression on Miranda's face was too fucking endearing. "Sure. Why not?"
Miranda smiled and kissed her again. Jack pulled her close and let her hands wander below her shirt.
"Ugh, don't, I'm so sticky." Miranda pulled away. "Busses are hell, I swear."
"I don't mind." Jack protested, making Miranda grin.
"But I do. Can I take a shower?"
"Okay, but my special lasagna's going to be done in ten minutes, so hurry."
"What's special about it?"
"Hopefully that it's neither burned nor underdone," Jack muttered under her breath.
. . . . .
Jack watched with a small smirk as Miranda cut her food slowly and daintily, before eventually trying some.
"You know, this is good lasagna. Barely even burned."
"Screw you."
She gave Jack a grin.
"I hoped you were going to do that later. Oh look, that actually made you blush. I didn't think it possible."
"You just caught me off guard with that pretty, dirty mouth is all. You know, unexpected from someone who can make cutting food look posh."
Miranda looked down at her hands in confusion.
"What?"
"Nothing. So, what was it like? Beside your sister being the cutest fucking thing on earth? And do you think her mom will be okay with me coming along?"
Miranda swallowed quickly, coughed for a moment, then nodded.
"She is really pretty cool, although I don't think she trusted me at first. Probably thought I was spying for my father. But we talked and I told her a little about what had been going on, and I guess she'd be happy to see you, if only as proof that I didn't make it all up."
Jack shook her head.
"Your dad has a way of making people really paranoid. Charming. Did you tell him you'd stay the night, by the way?"
"Yes, and he seemed okay with that. Not happy. More in a 'do what you think is necessary' way."
"You didn't tell him about Oriana?"
Miranda laughed.
"Of course not."
"Of course not," Jack repeated, shaking her head.
. . . . .
"Tell me more about you?"
Jack's fingers slowly travelled up and down Miranda's spine.
"About me?" she muttered, then was silent for quite a while.
"I don't know. It's just that I don't like dwelling on the past. I could list different cities and foster families and tell you about all the fights I got into, but I'd like to think it all doesn't matter that much."
Miranda lifted her head off Jack's shoulder to look at her. She reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.
"What about friends? Lovers?"
Jack huffed.
"People who got you into trouble. People who didn't acknowledge your fucking existence during the day. No one ever really wanting you..."
She turned her head away and swallowed hard.
"Look, I... I wish I had something interesting to tell you. But it was all just a mess. I was a mess. This here – the apartment, and you – they're the best things that have happened to me in ages."
When Jack turned back to look at Miranda, she was still watching her quietly.
"I'm sorry," Jack muttered.
Miranda shook her head.
"It's okay." She bent down and kissed Jack's shoulder. "It really is."
Jack wasn't sure if she'd disappointed her. But there was nothing she could have told her that wouldn't have been even more disappointing. Still, her fingers traveled down Miranda's arm until she reached her hand, relieved when Miranda threaded her fingers through hers, then pulled her as close as she could.