Page 51 of The Making of Marnie Jones

Jake rose and collected the plates. “We’re glad you're here where you can get some rest.”

“Me, too.” She rose unsteadily, looking fatigued. “Where do I sleep?”

“You take the bedroom.”

When Olivia stood, she was practically eye-to-eye with her uncle. “I’d offer to take the couch, but…” She glanced over at the black leather object. “Uh, I’m too tall.”

Jake laughed. “Yes, you are.”

“What about Jessica?”

“She's out of town.”

Seemingly satisfied, Olivia headed toward the bedroom.

He placed the plates on the counter and moved after her. “I need to get a few of my things.” Following his niece, he disappeared as well.

Marnie rose slowly. Despite being emotionally and physically drained, she loaded the dishwasher. She’d finished putting away the pizza by the time he returned.

His brow furrowed, and he fidgeted. “Jessica doesn't wear pajamas, but I convinced Olivia to wear one of my clean T-shirts.”

“No pajamas?” Did she sound petulant and judgmental? Who cared what Jake’s girlfriend wore to bed?

Now he offered a quick grin. “No pajamas. There’s lots of lingerie, but that seemed inappropriate.” A faint hue crept into his cheeks. “I rarely wear clothes at night either, but I grabbed shorts out of consideration for the ladies, of course.” His hand waved toward the other end of the condo. “There’s a chair in the den which converts into a bed.”

She laughed. “And you’re going to take the couch? Look, I scoped it out earlier today, and I fit perfectly.”

“It’s comfortable.” His eyes shone gratitude for her thoughtfulness.

“Of course.” She was glad sleeping arrangements were now complete, and she could get into bed. Or the couch. “May I take first turn in the bathroom?”

“Sure. Can we talk afterward?”

She shook her head. “I'm tired, she might hear us, and you promised.” She enumerated, using her fingers to emphasize each argument. “If there's nothing else… “

He bowed slightly, pointing toward the bathroom.

She scooped up her bag from the floor by the couch and headed that direction. No long soak in the tub tonight. A quick shower, and hopefully a long, deep sleep.

Chapter nineteen

Hourslater,Marniestilllay awake. Even with the blinds drawn, some traces of city lights filtered through. It never ceased to amaze her, that illumination. Light pollution, they called it. Heaven, in her estimation.

Seven years in a gloomy basement with boarded-up windows gave her a whole new perspective on light. The dark still terrified her.

Someday. Someday, I’ll sleep without a night-light.

She kept repeating her conversation with Olivia over and over in her head. Had she said the right things? Hard to tell. She tried to validate Olivia's concerns without making her feel like she was crazy. In a city as big as Toronto, getting lost in the day-to-day shuffle was easy. What was harder was settling into a new life. Invariably someone recognized you, and people treated you differently—looked at you like you were some specimen under a microscope. If possible, she could help Olivia settle into a more private existence, but how? The girl had few marketable skills, and according to Jake, hadn’t even finished her high school education.

At least Mrs. Grant had found private tutors for Marnie. With concerted effort, she completed high school within a year. Her first year in Mission City, she’d begun taking correspondence courses. In a year or two, she was going to complete her undergraduate degree. Although she’d settled on a general arts degree, she found herself more and more drawn to psychology. If she chose to, she could major in psych, and the irony wasn’t lost on her.

She wouldn’t let her past dictate her future. Would she have chosen psychology otherwise? Hard to say. When she was twelve, she dreamed of being a doctor. By thirteen she dreamed of freedom. When freedom came, she'd been at loose ends.

She held her breath as rubber squeaked on hardwood from the direction of the master bedroom. “Going somewhere?”

An audible sigh.

She shielded her eyes when the kitchen lights were flipped on.

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