Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)

Geneva kept talking to me in a hushed voice, "I just can't let Catherine in on this yet. Sure, she's got ties to DragonLord, but I've got this nagging feeling that the fewer people who know, the better, and that

includes Janice."

I nodded, my smile fading to a serious expression, "I get it."

"After all, Noah and Baber are working for the government. And who knows if there's even anything to this rumor? If I stir up a storm over nothing, wouldn't I just be shooting myself in the foot?"

Hearing her put it like that, I couldn't suppress a laugh. "Talk about a self-own."

Geneva joined in, chuckling, "Exactly."

I added, with a knowing look, "We're on the same page. It's not about being paranoid, it's about being cautious. After what I've been through, I've come to think that even in a marriage, no matter how close, you've gotta keep your eyes open. It's not unreasonable, is it?"

I was using my own experience as a wake-up call for Geneva. Though she didn't respond right away, I could tell she was listening intently.

"Sometimes, being a bit selfish is the way to go. Have a backup plan, just in case. That way, you're not caught off guard if something does happen. You've got to be prepared for anything."

Geneva slammed her hand on the table with resolve, "Then you have to talk to Logan for me. I just can't bring myself to do it. It's too embarrassing."

I nodded solemnly, "I'll tell Logan to keep an eye out. I'll say I want to check into it myself, not at your request."

She seemed relieved by my answer and pressed, "And what exactly will you say?"

I glanced at her slyly and said, "Simple. I'll tell him I thought I saw Noah on the street one day and got worried, so I asked him to look into it."

We clicked instantly on the plan, and I was surprised at how naturally a good strategy had emerged from our chatter. It provided Geneva with both a buffer and a plausible reason to bring up the matter later. That's the thing about problems - you shouldn't panic. Keep calm, and the solutions will start to present themselves.

We settled back down in the gazebo, and Geneva's mood visibly improved, "You're the one feeling down, yet you end up solving my problems."

She said it with a sigh, then offered me a piece of dried sweet potato.

"The only thing that'll cure my heartache is getting my kid back," I sighed, "But it sure helps to have someone to talk to, eases the load a bit."

"Yeah, I used to bottle everything up. Too proud to share my troubles. Who could I trust? People are hardly reliable. If I'm confiding in someone, it's all over town."

"I understand," I nodded, "But bottling things up only leads to trouble. It either drives you crazy or drives the other person crazy. It's not worth it. Better to face the issue head-on, get to the heart of it, and cut ou the problem. Life's too short, and no time to waste. Like me, I lost over 3,000 days stewing over things. Drives me nuts just thinking about it."

"Don't dwell on it," she advised, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"Easy to say, but the process is hell," I replied, then suddenly asked, "How did you and Noah meet?"

Geneva smirked, a mix of amusement and irony, "Nothing special about us, absolutely unromantic."

I egged her on with pure curiosity, "Tell me anyway."

I wanted to know more about Noah.

Geneva seemed genuinely happy today and started to share.

"We were at the same college. He was two years ahead of me, studying economics. He came from a poor background, a kid from the mountain area. He broke free when he got to college, thanks to scholarships. His folks are down-to-earth, hard-working people. They scrimped and saved, went into debt for his education, and then worked even harder to pay it off. They'd clear one debt only to take on another."

Geneva shook her head in resignation and gave a faint smile as she reached that point in her story.

I couldn't help but curse inwardly, thinking of yet he was another ingrate who forgot where he came from.

"Noah was tough, though. He went to school and worked jobs, at least two a day. He wasn't just earning his tuition, he was trying to pay off his family's debts, too. And eventually, it wore him down." I watched Geneva's face, listening intently to her story.