A Love Like War

Jessie is frustrated, 25 years old and there's no boyfriend, let alone a marriage, in sight. She doesn't really care herself, but all her friends are either in an happy relationship or already married and they have these annoying couple dates, obviously without her. But Jessica's mom is probably the worst, because she just can't shut up about the sons of her friends. That's also the reason she calls nearly everyday, she once even set up a date with a girl for Jessie. The lines are always the same:

'The son of my best friend is so nice. Don't you want to meet him?'
'Will I even ever get a grand child?'
'You're my last hope, because I won't get a real one from your brother.'

Jessie couldn't hear it anymore. The 50 year old women already got one, but she doesn't really seem to count the adoptive child of Jessie's brother Damien and his husband Jake. The little Marlon was a cute, boisterous, and quite sassy for his 5 years. He lives since 2 and a half years with the loving family. They also have a small dog, called Molly. That poor thing has slight problems with orientation and seeing the difference between an open and a closed door, since she got hit by a door when she was small puppy.

Jessica Wendy Benedict lives in an apartment in Los Angeles, it's nothing big, but has an homey feeling to it. Even though she lives alone here, she rarely feels lonely. Jessie loves being around her friends and family, having fun and laughing, but when she's alone she can dive into her own world. Where nobody annoys her, with finding the man of her life or shows her how it is to have him already, like her friends do.

For Jessie love is a war, she can't win.

~~~

*Jorel*

Jorel is a former soldier, after his training he was sent into different battlegrounds. He has seen the things, that other people watch in movies for their entertainment. Jay just can't understand them, how can one enjoy watching people dying, getting shot or even tortured, without any particular reason. He really had to stop doing this. He couldn't shoot human beings anymore, only because of an order from above. Jorel had seen to many people dying, under them to many friends.

A few weeks before he laid the gun down and stopped working for the army, a friend of his, the sargent, died. On this mission it was Jorel's job to give him backing, but he screwed up. It was just one second of inattentiveness or he would have seen the enemy throw the grenade. But he didn't and he can't change that now. His friend would've never been mad at him, Jay knows that, but he also doesn't know if he can forgive himself. Even though he can't change it now, Jorel doesn't want to fight this battle anymore.

In a try to flee the guilt, he moved back to his hometown LA, where also one of the best psychiatrists in the field of war trauma. Once a week Jorel goes to him, he feels like a psychopath that can't deal with the real world. As an addition he also feels like nothing helps or changes in his behavior and feelings of guilt., but the doc says that is normal.

'These wounds need time to heal.'

Those were the exact words of the doctor, but Jay didn't have time. What woman wants a guy which is broken and old. Exactly, none. By the looks of it, he didn't really have a choice and never really was a charmer either.

For Jorel love is a battle, he wants to win.