Be With Someone...

“I just don’t get it,” Kris shook his head. “How can she live like that?”

“She’s a free spirit!” Janine said. “She just doesn’t care.”

She and Kris were currently curled up on her couch, watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It was their third movie night in two weeks and, as Kris promised, they were watching all the classics.

The two drifted back into a comfortable silence as they watched Holly sing on her windowsill. The only sound was the munching of popcorn our sipping of beverages.

“I wish I was like that,” Janine sighed a few minutes later.

“Like what?” Kris asked turning to her.

“She… takes everything in stride,” she shrugged. “Like with her brother, she-,” Kris cut her off.

“LALALALA!” he plugged his ears. “I can’t hear you! We haven’t gotten there in the movie yet!”

Janine put her hands up in the air. “Sorry, sorry! But I just wish I could be so calm about everything.”

“You are,” Kris reminded her. “You kept Rory together after the accident.”

“But I wasn’t keeping myself together, Kris,” she said quietly.

“What do you mean?” he cocked his head to the side.

Pausing the movie, she shifted in her seat and pulled her knees up to her chin. “I got really bad. I lost weight, like, a lot of weight. Rory was busy getting her swimming career back on track and figuring out what to do about Sidney and I just didn’t need to give her anymore stress after the accident.”

“We talked about that, Jeanie,” Kris pulled her into a hug and wiped away the few tears that had slipped over. “You don’t need to keep anything bottled up anymore.”

“I know,” she sniffled. “I just wonder what he would say if he were here.”

Kris understood exactly who she was talking about. Ryan. It was an unspoken rule between their group of friends that you didn’t bring up his name in front of Rory or Janine, unless they did.

“He’d be proud,” Kris said quietly. “You’re carrying on and getting by. I know that when I lost Luc, I was a wreck.”

Janine looked up at him. Kris had never brought look up during their time together, but she knew plenty.

“You don’t need to talk about it,” she said. “You don’t need to go there.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “I just want you to know that you’re not alone.”

“You tell me all the time,” Janine giggled despite herself. “How could I forget?”

“I just want to make sure you know, that’s all,” Kris said rubbing her back as she sat back up.

“I do,” Janine nodded. “Ready to finish the movie?”

“If you are,” he said.

She was.

*****

Extra early the next morning, Kris was leaving Janine’s apartment after their second movie of the night.

Driving the familiar route home, Kris thought about what Janine had told him during her little crying jag.

She had unraveled, Kris remembered. How? He didn’t know. But with what he knew about Janine, it was probably very well hidden. It shocked him that Rory hadn’t brought it up.

A thought hit Kris all of a sudden. Had Rory even known about the struggles Janine went through? Janine had said it herself, Rory was busy getting healthy and sorting out her relationship with Sid.

Pulling into his driveway, Kris shook his head. It had been a long night and he had been given a lot of information. His brain was on overload.

Getting into bed, he sent Janine a text, letting her know he had gotten in okay.

From Jeanie: Glad to know you’re okay. Same time next week after the game?

The two had gotten into the habit of bypassing the clubs after night games and instead watched movies.

From Kris: Sounds good. Are you sure you’re okay?

From Jeanie: *rolls eyes* I’m fine, stop worrying. Get some sleep. Dan will have my head on a platter if you don’t show up on time to practice.