Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)

I glanced at Janice with a hint of envy and asked, "Another promotion?"

Janice's smile was pure contentment, her nod shy but proud, "Yep, He is heading to the head office now."

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, "Does that mean you're moving to Zephyr Hollow?"

"Yes. But he's going first. The kids and I will stay put in Goldenvale Town," Janice said with modesty, "We might not even join him. The kids are still too young, and I can't bear to leave Janetta. She needs me right now."

"He is climbing the ladder at warp speed." I remarked, "He hasn't been at the state level for that long, right? You really hit the jackpot. You're okay with him going off to Zephyr Hollow alone?"

I teased Janice with a playful look.

Janice laughed with self-assurance, "What's there to worry about? The saying goes, an ugly wife is a treasure at home, and I've got no concerns wherever he goes because he is not handsome. I picked him for that very reason."

Geneva chimed in with a tease, "Oh, please! Don't be so sure of yourself. Haven't you heard money makes even the lame and the blind lovable?"

We all burst into laughter.

"He's not rich, so who'd love a broke guy with a face like his?" Janice shot back.

"But how did you fall for him?" I pressed on, pinpointing the heart of the matter.

I had always wanted to ask but had held back, thinking it might be impolite. Now that Janice had broached the topic of Baber's appearance, I couldn't let this chance slip away.

"I saw he was a solid guy," Janice confessed.

"Come on, give us the real scoop. We're your sisters from another mister." Catherine was the first to call her out.

I quickly joined in, "Exactly, no beating around the bush. Spill the beans, and I've been dying to ask you."

Janice playfully pushed me away, "Curiosity killed the cat. You're all about looks, so of course Baber wouldn't catch your eye."

"That sounds kinda harsh, doesn't it? It's not like I have a shot anyway." I admitted candidly, "I can't see the forest for the trees. But you, you've got that special vision, spotted a diamond in the rough from a mile away. So, you have to satisfy my curiosity today. This has nothing to do with looks. And for the record, nobody said Baber's ugly."

"Looks are just superficial anyway. In the dark, it's all the same, isn't it?" Janice's reply was down-to-earth.

"That's a bit too frank for my taste. Don't act all high and mighty, saying like that. Do you keep the lights off during the day too? Just tell us the truth. There must be something special about Baber that won him your heart," Catherine teased with a twinkle in her eye.

I couldn't help but look her way, our eyes meeting, and she blushed, avoiding my gaze.

I smirked knowingly.

Geneva, always perceptive, had been watching our exchange. She laughed and said to Catherine, "You're getting bolder with your words, aren't you? If Aaliyah said that, I wouldn't be surprised, but coming from you calls for some serious analysis."

Janice, Hannah, and I all turned to look at Catherine, who tried to change the subject, "Don't change the subject! We're talking about Janice's honey here."

Janetta, who was always a bit tongue-tied, giggled, "No use hiding, and your words are too direct."

Janice quickly pointed at Janetta, "See, you got her talking now."

Everyone burst into laughter again.

Geneva teased Catherine, "Looks like things with your DragonLord are heating up?"

"Oh, stop. There's nothing going on. Can we have a little order here? We're talking about Janice, don't interrupt. Allie, if you keep sidetracking us, we'll never get the answer." Catherine said to me. I had to take the bait, "Alright, no more diversions. We're talking about Baber. You need to give us the full story. How did you spot Babert and leap into this firepit without looking back?"

This comment set off another round of hearty laughter, with Catherine giving me a thumbs up, "Way to go! We all want to hear about your love story."

I looked straight at Catherine, "After she's done, you're up next. You really need to fill us in on your progress. Using phrases like 'something special', and it's time we got the lowdown." My words sparked another uproar of cheers and laughter among us.