When the birds don't sing

Jay was doing his best to keep his cool.

1. he wasn't in jail.

2. nobody knew what a real monster he could be.

3. he had to stop thinking about Janine.

But his heart was broken. No rose-colored glass to look through for the future. What once was was now gone.

He'd decided not to look for her. Maybe this was best, but in his gut he knew that boss of Ivy's mother must have had something to do with Janine vacating like she did.

Of course, he was suffering. He missed Janine. He missed the baby, but he'd gotten on at the grocery store and managed every night to make some door dash deliveries.

He imagined Brian (Janine's brother) was still on his side, but he was even mute about Janine.

"You have to know something." He could barely hold those words under his breath. He felt so lost. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.

But Brian was cold and so indifferent. He couldn't think of him as a brother anymore. It was as if he was waiting for Jay to breakdown, maybe run away.

Jay didn't budge. He was still at Ivy's house. He just needed time to think of what to do.