Keith didn't have ti to look into it until his first break the next day. It looked like a lot of those hobbies either required going outside or buying a lot of stuff for it.
He brought Joss those books as requested but still had to think of what else she could do. At least he had so ti. He didn't know how fast she read but those should last her at least a week even if all she did was read.
Wrong. He was very wrong about that. She finished them all in less than four days!
Since she finished the last one before noon she spent the rest of the day testing out different TV show pilots when she finally got a free trial on a streaming service. She was still watching on her laptop when he arrived and was simultaneously playing gas on her phone, likely to have sothing to do with her hands as she was unable to move much else.
If Joss needed to have sothing to do with her hands regularly she should try sothing like crocheting or origami. Crocheting could get expensive though.
Paper was cheap. If she used printer paper instead of specialized origami paper she could get a whole lot of it for less than ten bucks at the right place. He would have to bring her so tomorrow. He still rembered how to fold ninja stars from middle school and could show her how.
Speaking of buying things…had she been able to get groceries at all since her surgery? Or been able to do laundry? She probably needed help with that but hadn't wanted to ask and be a bother.
She had said things like that multiple tis but it really wasn't a bother. He had wanted to see her anyway and being her personal errand boy gave him the perfect excuse.
"Do you need any groceries or help with laundry?" Keith asked.
Joss sighed, which he knew ant yes before she even said anything. "Yeah. I should really stop having so much takeout. I can make you a list. And I could use laundry help too but you really don't have to. I can manage."
"That's not happening. You're using crutches; you can't carry anything. Tell where your laundry basket is and I'll bring it with mine when I go to the laundromat."
"…it's in the bathroom."
Keith went to go find it and discovered it was a black popup hamper rather than a true basket. That would make things easier. He had one of those too. He could sling one over each shoulder.
"Thanks, Keith," Joss said softly.
"No problem!"
She didn't send him that grocery list until the next day but when he saw it he frowned. Aside from apples, bananas, and bread everything on it was microwaveable or toaster oven junk. He knew that was all she had to work with but still. She should really be eating better than this while recovering from surgery. At least she was having so fruit.
Keith decided to be a busybody and get her so canned vegetables too. They were less than eighty cents a can so it wouldn't make much of a difference for her grocery bill.
He arrived at her apartnt later than usual laden with things for her. She seed rather surprised by the vegetables and the ream of paper.
"I didn't ask for these."
"No, but vegetables are important! Oh geez, I've never sounded like such an adult. I didn't an to overstep but you are recovering from surgery and could probably use them," Keith said apologetically.
Joss scrutinized him. "And the paper?"
"That's for origami. I thought it would be a good way to keep your hands busy while you watch TV. I only know how to make ninja stars but I can show you how to do them. I'm sure you can find all sorts of free tutorials online for anything else. I already folded your laundry for you. Where does everything go? I can put it away too so you don't have to strain yourself."
"Behind that curtain in my closet of sorts. Thank you."
Keith was relieved she was getting more used to him doing things to help her out without protesting that he didn't need to. That was a good thing.
He was in the middle of hanging up a blouse when she spoke again several minutes later. "Why are you doing all of this for ? Surely you have better things to be doing with your ti."
"I can't think of any better way to spend my ti than with you."
"That's different than doing things for . I'm not doing anything to entertain you and you're running all of these errands and doing chores like it's no big deal. Why?"
Keith looked at Joss and smiled warmly despite the ache in his heart seeing the genuine confusion on her face. She really didn't get it, did she? She didn't understand that she deserved to be helped when she was having a hard ti.
"I don't need you to entertain . I just need you to be happy and taken care of," he said honestly.
"Why?" she repeated.
Because he liked her more than he had ever liked anyone. But he couldn't force the words out. Not like this. If he was going to tell her the truth about his feelings it couldn't be now. It would have to be when she was doing better.
"Because you're my best friend, Joss. I take care of my friends."
"You go far and beyond the call of duty. I've never been taken care of like this in my life," Joss said with a sense of disbelieving wonder about her.
Yet another similarity between her and Frostine. Neither of them had anyone watching out for them. But that wasn't true anymore, at least in Joss's case. He wasn't the most reliable person in the world but she had him.
"You don't have to worry about that anymore," Keith said lightly.
Her words saddened him though. He knew what that was like. Being alone…not having anyone who truly cared about you…having to deal with things yourself. No wonder she was so independent.
Joss didn't have to live like that though. And neither did he. He was certain that if the situations were reversed that she would do the sa for him. It was simply the kind of person she was. A helper. But even helpers needed to be helped sotis.
"I don't understand," she admitted.
Keith was already back to hanging up laundry. "What's not to understand?"
"All of this. I'm not…I'm not worth this. You're doing too much for and I don't want you to feel burdened or get sick of since I'm mostly immobilized right now. You can go ho. We can hang out again once I'm recovered."
"I don't want to go months without seeing you! And I don't feel burdened at all. You're the one who said you could never get sick of . So why can't you believe the sa in reverse?"
Joss blinked at him as if the thought had never occurred to her. Did she think so little of herself? She usually seed so self-assured. Was that all a front? What on earth went on inside that woman's head?
"You like that much?"
Keith's heart hamred against his ribs. He had to play it cool here. He couldn't let her know how much he liked her in a not-so-friendly way.
"Duh," he said, drawing out the word. "We wouldn't be best friends if I didn't."
"Keith, I…" Joss faltered.
"Yeah?"
"Never mind. Can you show how to do those ninja stars after you're done with that?"
Keith was dying to know what she had been about to say but afraid to push it. He turned to smile at her. "Of course. I'll need to put the groceries away too though. You take it easy and get back to your show. I'll be over there soon."
"Alright. Thanks," Joss said softly.
He had never done a load of won's laundry before this and was slightly embarrassed but he had lived with enough foster sisters over the years that it wasn't that big of a deal. He didn't want to make her feel worse so he acted like this was a perfectly normal thing to do.
Finding space in the tiny fridge and "pantry" (which was just a couple of storage bins with food boxes in them) was more difficult. How on earth did she live like this?
Joss could probably afford better even if she didn't want roommates. She had a master's degree for crying out loud! So why choose to live in a shoebox? He couldn't understand the rationale behind that at all.
He had learned more about the sort of person she was in the past week than he had in all the ti they had known each other. And he wasn't sure how to feel about the picture it was painting. Sothing had seriously hurt her at so point for her to be like this.
Not having any real roots. Constantly keeping herself busy. Being fiercely independent and not wanting to bother anyone else with her problems while always helping other people with theirs.
Keith recognized those signs even if he wasn't a therapist. That was a coping chanism. One he was sowhat familiar with.. They were more similar than he originally thought.
Reviews
All reviews (0)