Mara is Coming

“Please, sweetheart… not again,” Jade murmured, staring helplessly at her laptop screen.

It was the 31st of November. Christmas was coming fast, and the streets outside Jade’s apartment were already exploding with music, lights, cinnamon-scented vendors, couples taking photos, and kids chasing fake snow.

But Jade wasn’t a part of any of it.

Inside her cramped apartment, Harper’s cries scraped through the air. 

Harper had been fussing for almost twenty minutes, but Jade kept her eyes glued to the laptop screen as if staring hard enough would magically fix her life. The cursor blinked back at her, impatient and loud in the silence of the tiny apartment. Behind her, Harper let out another frustrated whine… loud, tired, and frustrating. 

“I know, baby. I know.” Jade pinched the bridge of her nose. She ran a hand through her hair as she stared at the empty can of formula, completely rinsed out. 

“I can’t buy more,” she whispered. “Not without losing the rent.”

The baby’s formula have been empty for days now and every time she thought about replacing it, her gaze always landed on the spreadsheet tracking her savings. The numbers were terrifyingly low, ravaged by the sudden, hike in her apartment rent right before the holidays.

The Christmas holiday is fast approaching and the increase is a crazy one.

If she bought the formula now, the meager safety net she was knitting against the developer’s threat would be shredded. She was already working two jobs, running on fumes, and still losing ground. 

She placed her hands on her face and let out a deep breathe. “I need a lifeline.”

She picked up Harper and bounced her lightly as she walked back to seat in front of her laptop.

Harper sobbed harder.

“Okay, okay… think, Jade. Think.”

Her eyes drifted over the glowing screen. And then… an idea hit her so suddenly that she stopped moving.

“A roommate,” she breathed. “Half the rent. That’s… that’s enough to survive.”

Harper hiccupped in her arms.

Jade sat down and typed quickly:

ROOMMATE WANTED… Female only, private room… pay and move in immediately. 

She hesitated only for a second before clicking Post.

“There,” she whispered. “Please let someone answer.”

She rocked Harper while humming a shaky lullaby… until her laptop dinged.

Jade froze. Then rushed to the screen.

New message: J. Morrison 

Her eyes widened.

“Already?”

She clicked.

“Is the room still available? I can move in tomorrow payment is ready.” 

Jade didn’t have the time to think as she typed back fast: 

“Available. Payment confirms reservation.”

She sent her account details and two seconds later… she got the money. 

Jade exhaled a small, choked laugh. “Harper, you’re eating tonight. Thank you Jess…oh sorry or maybe Jenny?” She laughed again as a surge of relief washed over her. With the deposit secured, she could breathe, even if it just for a moment. Happy, Jade quickly pulled on a coat, 

She grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

By evening, Harper was fed, warm, and asleep again. And Jade quickly got herself busy as she started to clean the entire apartment… scrubbing until her knees hurt, folding laundry, reorganizing every corner… preparing for the roommate who would arrive the next morning.

The next morning, December 1st, the doorbell rang precisely at 9:00 AM. Jade’s heart hammered a nervous rhythm against her ribs. She smoothed down her hair and ran to open the door, expecting to see the female roommate she’d pictured in her head.

But the moment the door opened, her heart dropped.

Jace Morrison stood on her doorstep.

She had expected a woman… maybe young, maybe older, maybe friendly. everything but not Jace Morrison.

He stood on her doorstep, looking Tall, Serious, and familiar. carrying a single, high-end suitcase. 

Her best friend’s older brother.

The man she had accidentally slept with last January.

The father of Harper… though he didn’t know yet and will never. 

How? Did she mix things up? Then the sheer, cosmic irony of the name… J. Morrison… hit her like a physical blow.

“Jade?” Jace called, his expression a perfect mirroring of her own shock. “It’s you?”

Jade coughed lightly, forcing herself out of the frozen state. She had to act normal. She was in control. “Y… yes… hi Jace.”

Jace’s face held no readable emotion. He was simply composed, professional, and surprised. He let out a deep breath, the sound barely audible. “Never knew it was you…”

“I didn’t know it was… you either,” she whispered.

Before she could think of anything else to say, Harper crawled right up beside her leg and stopped at the doorway, staring up at the stranger.

“Silly girl, you could have stayed there”, Jade cursed in her head.

Jace’s gaze dropped from Jade to the child. His surprise deepened. “You’ve a baby?”

Jade swallowed hard and nervously nodded, moving slightly to shield Harper from his view. 

Jace let out another deep breath and ran a hand through his dark, thick hair, clearly frustrated. “Why didn’t you say it in the ad? How am I supposed to cope with a baby?”

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “She won’t bother you. I’ll keep her in our room. She’s quiet most times. You won’t even…”

“Jade.” His tone cut her sentence in half. “A baby is not something you hide in an ad. Not everyone like babies and I’m not a fan of noise.”

“I needed to secure this apartment,” she replied softly. “And the payment is non-refundable. So.. If you back out now, we both lose the place and our money.”

Jace paused. His jaw flexed. He looked at the hallway behind her, the apartment, then back at her tired eyes.

Finally he muttered, “Fine.”

Relief slipped out of her in a silent breath. 

“Thank you.”

Left with no choice, Jace stepped into the apartment, rolling his suitcase inside. Jade followed behind. making a silent vow: 

“Harper won’t be a problem. I’ll keep her away from you.” 

“Which room is mine?” he asked. 

She pointed down the hall. “Second door on the right.”

He nodded and disappeared inside inside the hall, shutting the door behind him.

Jade quickly scooped up Harper and swiftly locked her back into her room, placing a selection of quiet toys in her crib.

A few minutes later, Jace appeared wearing fresh clothes, hair damp from a shower. His expression was unreadable. the apartment was quiet. Harper was nowhere in sight.

He came to meet Jade in the living room. “Rules need to be made,” he stated, his tone businesslike. “For the smooth running of the apartment and to keep everyone in their private space. Since you are the leaseholder, you start.

Jade quickly agreed and laid out her boundaries: use of the kitchen must be scheduled, shared spaces must be clean immediately, and their interaction would be minimal. 

Jace nodded crisply. “Fine. And my rules are as follows: quiet hours are 10 PM to 7 AM, do not touch my belongings, and keep noise to an absolute minimum.” He paused, his gaze hardening slightly. “And the most important one: keep the baby in your space. I don’t want to see her dirty the place or hear her annoying cries.”

Jade’s stomach twisted with a mixture of offense and relief. She had been dreading this exact conversation, but this rule played right into her secret agenda.

Jade pressed her lips together. “Understood. I’ll keep Harper close.”

That being said, Jace decided to retreat back to his room. But he stopped abruptly at his doorway, turning back to Jade.

“And another thing,” he added, his voice low. “Don’t tell Mara that I’m here.” 

“Sure,” Jade replied immediately. She was already planning on keeping this from her best friend; Mara’s protective, 'friends don't touch brothers' rule was strict enough without the history she shared with Jace.

Jade waited until she heard his door lock shut before heaving a shaky sigh of relief. She muttered softly, “Thank goodness. This will be more easy than I think.”

Just then, her phone rang. 

Mara. 

Jade froze, staring at the name flashing on the screen. She answered.

Mara’s voice, filled with her usual vibrant excitement, came through the speaker. “Jade, are you home?”

“Yes,” Jade said carefully.

“Good,” Mara’s voice came again, cheerier than ever. “I’m on my way! I got Harper a gift, and I need to see my favorite girl!”

Jade’s blood ran cold. Jace. She had promised him silence. She had agreed to the rules.

Jade’s eyes widened. “Mara… wait… don’t come” 

“Hello? Hello?” Mara sounded confused, but before Jade could construct an excuse, the line went dead. Mara had already ended the call.

Jade stared at the phone, a cold, sickening wave of panic washing over her. 

And then… 

Jace stepped out of his room.

Their eyes met.

Jace ignored her, walking towards the door.