Post by Adrien | Adam on Jan 15, 2018 1:11:47 GMT -5
(Make sure Mel gets Jessica credit for this)
Date: Monday, January 15th, 2018
Cameras: OFF
The beautiful estate of Marisol Francesca Cruz in the heart of Manhattan, New York City is peaceful today. Monday afternoon and the weather is as nice as the month of January allows it to be. Past the gates of the gated community and within the first floor, Jessica Sears is finally home and relaxing in the living room. Her furry companion, Daryl, is on top of his bed, chewing on a mint-flavored Milk Bone brushing chew. Wearing her high-quality gaming headset, Jessica plays a round of Team Fortress 2 via Steam, the brand new gaming desktop connected to the fifty-inch, wall-mounted HDTV through the HDMI cord. She’s playing her favorite class on her favorite team color, the Team BLU Sniper. Everyone else is playing offensively with the Heavy/Medic combo, the Soldier, the Scout, or defensively with the Engineer and the Demoman. On occasion, they switch to the other classes like the Pyro and the Spy.
Jessica never switches unless she absolutely has to. Today, she’s focused on sniping on the frontlines. For the sniper class, it’s unheard of, but she’s a professional. This room is actually a professionals-only room. Only the best of the best are allowed access. Rather than use a keyboard and mouse to play the game, she uses a wireless USB universal gaming controller. Her movements with the character are swift and precise. She’s defending their team’s intelligence with headshots.
One.
By.
One.
Apparently, she’s dominating quite a few members of Team RED. She’s only died two times and it was sheer luck. She manipulates her sniper to run in with the Heavy, the Medic, and the Scout. They plan on capturing the enemy’s intelligence while their Engineers are attempting to build their sentries to no avail. They’re being utterly destroyed by one of BLU’s expert Spies. RED’s about to fall, just one more capture of their intelligence and its game. Somehow their BLU Scout goes down and her Sniper actually has the intelligence. The character’s nowhere near as fast, but she has to try.
Jessica: “Well, Sir Heavy and Lady Medic, cover me.”
She’s heading back towards their base and scoring headshots on their pursuers while running backward. Daryl lifts his head up from working on his brushing chew for a moment and he looks towards the front door. His tail begins to wag and he rises up to make his way over there. He sits down in front of the door and happily barks. Jessica picks up on this and glances back, a simple mistake that allows a RED Spy to backstab her BLU Sniper.
Jessica: “Shit! Sorry, I think I have some company. Get the intelligence back, okay?”
That’s her third death. Still, she’s not exactly expecting anyone. She sets her controller down as her character is sent back to one of the respawn points and she rises up from the superb and comfortable-looking gaming chair. She makes her way over to the door and opens it to see who Daryl is so happy about. The short blonde hair was a dead giveaway.
Adrien: “Hey there, Daryl! Looks like someone remembers me!”
The Dropkick King steps inside, closing the door behind him. The first thing he does is kneel down and place his hand on the top of Daryl’s head and rubbing it, resulting in yet another happy bark. Adrien looks up and notices the video game, still going on while Jessica had stepped away from it.
Adrien: “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
Reaching up, Jessica presses a button on a section of her gaming headset. She lowers the headset to hang around her neck and she smiles.
Jessica: “Nah, I’m just playing for fun. It’s a professional-only lobby, but it’s a casual one. Still, I wasn’t expecting company. Take off your shoes and relax.”
Her own shoes are set on the shoe rack by the door. She’s wearing purple fuzzy knee-high socks, a pair of black shorts, and a Dragon Ball Z Vegeta graphic tee. Her long blonde hair is tied back in a loose ponytail. She glances down and notices Daryl rolling over on his back, clearly looking for a belly rub. She giggles and gestures Adrien to the notion.
Jessica: “He missed you. Do you want anything to drink while he takes all of your attention?”
Adrien: “Not at the moment, thank you.”
He begins to remove not only his black Vans shoes but his black leather jacket as well. As a native of Louisiana, he wasn’t quite used to the January temperatures of New York. Underneath the jacket was a green and white plaid long sleeve button down shirt with all but the top three buttoned up, just enough for his white undershirt to be visible. His key-shaped necklace hangs from his neck, and his black jeans barely cover his plain white socks.
Adrien: “Do you want a belly rub, little buddy?”
Adrien obliges the canine’s request for a few moments before he stands back up and looks back at Jessica. Content, for the time being, Daryl gets back up and makes his way back to his mint brushing chew.
Adrien: “I had planned to come up here when you got back to check up on you while things didn’t look so cheery for you. Although things started to look a little bit more optimistic about the surprise that was dropped on your lap a few days ago, I still thought I would check in on you.”
Adrien raised both of his light brown eyebrows to see if he could get a read on how Jessica was holding up. Her eyes lull halfway for a moment before she makes her way across the white carpet floor and back to the recliner. There’s the black couch facing the HDTV and the matching black loveseat facing the direction of the recliner. She turns the recliner to face towards the black loveseat and she settles down on the recliner.
Jessica: “Have a seat. There’s quite a bit to talk about.”
Adrien takes the same trek that Jessica does, taking a seat across from her on the loveseat. He was prepared to sit there for quite a bit as he only knew a part of what was going on, what he could gather from short little tweets on Twitter and the immediate knee-jerk reaction text messages. To be able to get the full background on what was going on, that was Adrien’s intent. Jessica sees that determination in his eyes, but there’s also a sense of compassion within them. She fixes the headset back on for a moment, retrieving her controller and pressing the same button she pressed before.
Jessica: “I’m going to have to leave the lobby for a while, ladies and gents. My friend Adrien Cochrane is here.”
She takes a brief moment to listen to some of their responses. A few of the female professional gamers are fangirling over The Dropkick King and Jessica laughs.
Jessica: “Alright, I’ll see everyone later. CuteGamingBlond, out!”
Reaching up, she turns off the headset, removes it, and peacefully exits the game through some button input. She grabs the remote, turns off the TV, and sets both the controller and the remote on the coffee table to accompany the headset. With peace and quiet between her and Adrien, Jessica makes eye contact and speaks up.
Jessica: “...It was strange, Adrien. When she pulled down her hood and revealed her face, her blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, her regal stance… I saw my father in her. I felt his spirit trying to bring the three of us together. Zachary and I never knew of her existence, but Everalda was sent pictures of us. My brother was angry, but more than anything, he was shocked. I was trying to keep myself together after such a hard week. Being pinned in the triple threat on NGW’s Homecoming sucked. Losing the tag-team match on SAP’s Tim Horton’s show the night after made it worse. This is the fourth year since my father lost his battle against ischemic heart disease. For Everalda to come into our lives on the exact same day… it was almost too much to bear.”
She shakes her head. Her emotions are beginning to surface, the vulnerability in her eyes, simply recollecting everything that’s happened pains her. Adrien nods his head, thinking about how he would have felt if something like this had happened to him last month, on the anniversary of his father’s death. Fortunately, Adrien already knew about his half-siblings from both of his parents’ previous marriages. While he isn’t nearly as close to them as he is Alexis, his only full-blooded siblings, Christmas cards are still exchanged. So Adrien isn’t sure how Jessica was feeling, so he only addressed in a way that someone from the outside looking in could address it.
Adrien: “I know this whole situation was a big roller coaster of emotions. But think about it this way: it’s another person to be in that support system for you. You have another person to love you, listen to you, understand you, to laugh with you, and cry with you. As surprising as all of this is, this might end up being a good thing for you. She at least deserves a chance to show if she’s going to be that for you or not.”
With a firm nod, Jessica stays strong, taking slow, deep breaths before she continues.
Jessica: “Zach’s not willing to give her a chance, not yet anyway. He’s stubborn. He’s going to need more time to open up to her. I was a little hesitant, but you persuaded me to give her a chance, Adrien. Mom invited her over for lunch and the three of us sat down. She showed us the pictures and letters dad sent her. She presented her birth certificate and dad’s name is on the paper. His surname is attached to her name. It’s not a fake. Everalda Ziona Sears-Theron. Theron is her mother’s surname, but her mother is… according to Everalda, her mother’s a cruel woman. I don’t want to go into details without her being here--”
The doorbell rings, and Jessica looks back towards the door. Just finishing his brushing chew, Daryl rises up and trots his way over to the door, his nose twitching slightly as he sniffs the air. He’s not barking. He doesn’t seem to be alert or tense, just curious. Jessica rises to her feet and she makes her way over, looking through the peephole for a brief moment.
Jessica: “Speaking of…”
Adrien’s eyebrows raise once more at Jessica’s words. She opens the door and the same woman she speaks of is standing just outside.
Everalda: “Good afternoon, Jessica! I know I didn’t call you ahead of time, but I wanted to surprise you. I made you some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.”
Everalda presents a hand-woven basket full of cookies. Freshly baked, chocolate chip, exactly the way she described them. Their aroma smells amazing. Jessica takes in the scent and sighs softly. What unexpected but pleasant company. She blinks as Daryl wags his tail in rapid succession. He appears to be just as happy to see Everalda as if he’s seeing his owner. The older sibling happily pets him with a free hand and smiles. As a good host, Jessica accepts the basket and smiles softly.
Jessica: “Oh, Everalda… Thank you. Please come in. I guess ‘surprise’ is the word of the day today. I wasn’t expecting anyone to come over.”
Everalda: “What do you mean?”
Daryl barks and happily runs over to sit by Adrien’s feet. Curious, Everalda looks past her younger sister and sees the man sitting on the loveseat.
Everalda: “Oh! Hello there!”
Jessica steps aside and allows Everalda to come inside. She watches her older half-sister take off her black no-lace casual shoes, place them on the shoe rack, and make her way inside. She’s wearing a long-sleeved green sweater dress, a pair of black leggings, and light pink fuzzy socks. Her blonde hair is nicely brushed, a simple and clean style. She makes her way to the couch and politely bows.
Everalda: “My name is Everalda. How do you do, sir?”
Adrien was prepared for a handshake but was caught off guard by the bow. He awkwardly attempts one back towards his friend’s newfound relative. It’s obvious that bowing is not something Adrien is accustomed to doing but he does so anyway, out of politeness towards the visitor.
Adrien: “My name is Adrien. You interacted with me on Twitter once before. I’m the one with the name that says ‘Believe’ on it.”
Everalda: “That’s right. I remember now. It is good to believe, to have hope and faith in oneself and their cherished ones.”
Everalda’s politeness astounds Jessica a little. She closes the door behind her and brings the basket of cookies over to set on the coffee table. Intrigued, she takes a cookie and enjoys a tiny bite. Her eyes widen and shimmer bright, taken aback by the deliciousness of the cookie. Trying to avoid devouring it like an excited child, she nods.
Jessica: “Um, please have a seat. We were just talking about the past few days.”
Everalda: “Really?”
Reaching over, Everalda takes two cookies from the basket and takes a seat… on the loveseat next to Adrien. She offers him one of the cookies with a sweet, genuine smile.
Everalda: “I hope you don’t mind me sitting next to you. I enjoy getting to know new people.”
Adrien, who was sitting in the middle of the loveseat, scoots over a little bit to give Everalda room to sit down as well. He also graciously accepts the chocolate chip cookie from the young woman. The aroma from the cookie immediately hit him in a way that reminded him of someone else who used to bake cookies all the time in his kitchen.
Adrien: “Yeah, no problem. I don’t bite.”
He says this as he takes a bite of his cookie and smiles. A poor attempt at humor, but in his circle, Eddie was the funny one. Still, Everalda does giggle as she enjoys a bite of her cookie. She glances down to see Daryl sitting at her feet, wagging his tail in rapid succession once again. To him, he sees his precious owner Jessica in the nice lady. He doesn’t quite realize they’re actually related… or does he?
Everalda: “I’ll make you some dog-friendly cookies next time, okay?”
The nice lady pets him, and Daryl happily barks with approval. He circles around for a moment before he lays down in front of her, content where he is. More and more is Jessica surprised. She trained her dog to be friendly, but she didn’t expect him to be this receptive to Everalda. She looks up to her older half-sister and Adrien, seated next to each other on the loveseat, and tilts her head out of sheer curiosity.
Jessica: “...fascinating.”
Everalda: “What is?”
Jessica: “I’m just speculating. Anyway, I was bringing Adrien up to speed with what happened last Wednesday and Thursday. I mentioned your mother, but I didn’t go into detail. It wouldn’t be right to talk about a sensitive subject without your consent.”
Everalda’s eyes soften, a slight change in her cheerful demeanor. She takes another bite of her cookie, chews, and swallows before she speaks up.
Everalda: “That’s very kind of you, Jessica. It’s true, Elize is a sensitive subject for me... I don’t even like to acknowledge her as my mother. Grandmother Anza told me when she was pregnant with me, she and my ‘grandfather’ Sarel wanted to get an abortion simply because of who I was. The daughter of Franz Sears, a German boy who wasn’t even a young adult yet, and they refused to accept that I was half-German, half South African. They hated us for who we were… If it wasn’t for my grandmother, I would’ve never been born. When I was born, they wanted to give me up for adoption, but Anza took me in. She raised me as her own, all by herself. We lived in a poor upbringing in Pretoria, South Africa, but we were happy. Father would do his best to provide finances, but he’d also send letters and photos…”
A weak yet warm smile crosses her face. There’s a strength to her, a strength Jessica had only seen in her father until now.
Everalda: “I was two years old when Zachary was born, and I was five when you were born, Jessica. I’d see the photos of both of you, and even though we never met, I loved you both so much. I wanted to be there, to grow up alongside my younger brother and sister, but Anza and I were too poor. It would be a long, long time before we had the financial means to leave Pretoria. But every few months, at least twice a year, Franz would help us. The personal checks, the letters, and the photos, they encouraged us to keep going… and then four years ago, everything stopped. Anza and I always wondered why. By this time, I was an established model. I made more than enough money for us to move to New York City. In the last three years, I found my first love in Alexander and we brought a baby boy into the world. He allowed me to name our son Klaus as a devotion to my father… I lost Alexander before our son could turn two last September.”
She shakes her head, trying to avoid intertwining too many scenarios. She just wants to focus on their family for now.
Everalda: “Jessica… I finally found you and Zachary. I know it’s hard to accept that I’m your older half-sister, so we can start as friends. He’s going to need more time, I understand. I don’t fault him for that. But because of this gentleman--”
She smiles at Adrien before she faces Jessica again.
Everalda: “--you gave me a chance. You let me into your mother’s home, even though you were a little scared, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your life. I’m twenty-seven years old. I don’t want to go another day without being there for you. Through our father, we’re sisters… and when our brother’s ready to let me in, we can be a family, something I was deprived of since the beginning of my time.”
Everalda can feel the tears in her piercing blue eyes, yet she does nothing to wipe them away. She continues to smile as the tears fall down her cheeks, such a natural, genuine beauty to show her vulnerability. Jessica doesn’t realize it yet, but there are tears welling up in her own soft blue eyes. One of them rolls down her cheek and drips onto the back of her right hand. That’s when she knows.
Jessica: “...Everalda…”
At this point, Adrien is just stunned at the entire story that Everalda just told. Her life story, the struggles she’s dealt with, the way she’s overcome them...it was astounding to Adrien. It took a lot of willpower not to say anything while Everalda was telling Jessica and Adrien what she had to go through growing up, something that seemed unfathomable for Adrien to try to wrap his head around.
Adrien: “I mean, at this point, I don’t even know what to say. You’ve endured a whole hell of a lot more growing up than I ever did. You’re a stronger person than I could have imagined, Everalda. And I hate that you had to be in a position where you had to be as strong as you’ve had to be.”
Adrien has finished eating his cookie by this point. Everalda turns her head towards him and her smile softens. She allows him to continue, certain he has more to say.
Adrien: “I was telling Jessica that having another person in her support system, to have another person in her life who loves her unconditionally, would be a great thing for her. It sounds like you probably need that too. So in a way, it’s great that, even if it took a lifetime, you two have found each other now.”
The eyes of the youngest Sears sibling looks over at him. Cochrane begins feeling self-aware that he’s speaking while these two were talking about intimate family things.
Adrien: “I’m not overstepping any boundaries, am I? I can leave the room for a moment if you girls need a second or…”
Everalda: “It’s alright, Mr. Adrien. You’re perfectly fine.”
Adrien's eyes widen a bit after being addressed formally with the word mister. Everalda raises her right hand and sets it on his shoulder. There’s brief eye contact between them, a moment of soul searching before she rises to her feet. After she finishes the cookie, she walks over to her younger sister and gently wraps her arms around her in a comforting hug.
Everalda: “...I’m here for you now. All you have to do is let me in.”
This embrace, it feels so much like her father’s. Jessica’s eyes widen, tears spilling down her cheeks, and she throws her arms around Everalda. Their father would have wanted this, for them to finally reunite after being apart since their births. Everalda chooses to be strong for the both of them, gently cradling Jessica in her arms, and she looks up towards Adrien. She extends her right hand towards him, inviting him to join them. Daryl nudges against Adrien’s leg and looks at him with an encouraging bark.
Adrien: “I mean, we’ve just met…”
Daryl barks at Adrien again. Adrien looks down at the pup with raised eyebrows, knowing what Daryl was implying with his bark.
Adrien: “I don’t really have a choice in the matter, do I?”
Jessica shakes her head. Adrien finally obliges, joining in the hug with one of his best friends and her new found sister. Jessica and Everalda both pull him in, tightening the group hug, and Daryl looks on with the happiest tail wag.
Adrien: “You know Alexis is going to be jealous she wasn’t apart of this group hug.”
Everalda knows a little of who he’s talking about. His younger sister. She can’t help but smile and laugh.
Everalda: “Oh, don’t worry, there will be a lot more hugs in the near future.”
Jessica’s a little flustered, but she’s still happy. She looks up at her sister and her longtime friend…
Jessica: “...dammit, I’m still short.”
Adrien: “I mean, I could get on my knees to hug you, but that just seems condescending…”
Jessica: “Shut up!”
Everalda laughs again before she slowly pulls away from them. She looks at both of them before she places her hands on her hips.
Everalda: “Well, are you two hungry? Anza is taking care of Klaus, and I have some free time. Do we make something together, or do we go out somewhere?”
Adrien: “You guys are the ones with home field advantage here. I’m the one who isn’t a New Yorker, so you two are gonna have to figure that one out.”
Jessica and Everalda take a moment to look at each other while they contemplate.
Everalda: “Wolfgang’s Steakhouse on Park Avenue.”
Jessica: “Yes! That’s one of my favorite steakhouses.”
Everalda: “Then it’s decided. My treat, no if’s, and’s, or but’s!”
Adrien: “I’m not sure I’ve ever said no to a steak in my entire life.”
Everalda: “Goodness, I would hope not. I love steak.”
For a moment, Jessica looks at them and tilts her head one way, then the other way. A simple idea seems to be floating around her head, but she decides to keep it to herself for now.
Jessica: “Alright, let me get dressed into something nicer and then we can go!”
She takes a step away, but then she turns around and hugs her older sister. Everalda’s a little surprised, but she smiles and returns the embrace. Letting go, she watches Jessica head down the hall and into her bedroom. Then she looks up at Adrien and politely bows her head.
Everalda: “Thank you.”
Adrien looks back up at Everalda, taking a second to realize what she was thanking him for.
Adrien: “For getting her to give you a chance? Yeah, don’t even worry about it.”
Adrien thinks about his family for a moment before continuing.
Adrien: “Family can be a strange thing. But when you have that kind of bond with someone, they deserve at least an opportunity to be in your life. Sure, someone can squander that opportunity. But they deserve that shot, at the very least.”
Everalda looks into his eyes, a gentle smile crossing her face, and she reaches out to him. She places her right hand on the side of his face and she nods.
Everalda: “You have a pure and kind heart. That’s a rarity in the world. Never change that.”
Adrien is surprised by the physical contact. Though at this point, perhaps he shouldn't. He responds without showing it.
Adrien: “I will do my best to remain with that way.”
He tries to offer a smile to solidify that comment. She smiles before she draws her hand away and takes a seat on the couch. Daryl makes his way over to her and she happily pets him. She looks up to Adrien while she continues to pet Daryl.
Everalda: “You speak of family with such dignity and respect. Tell me about your family. Tell me about yourself.”
Adrien takes a seat across from Everalda, exactly where Jessica was sitting previously.
Adrien: “Well, you’ve met my sister...online anyway. We had a much more typical childhood than you, fortunately. Both my mom and dad were involved in raising me and my sister, the one you know anyway. I have four older half-siblings that I’m not as close to per se, but I do know they are around. I lost my dad a year and a month ago. I’m obviously not from around here, I’m actually from the New Orleans area...umm...let’s see, what else is there?”
Adrien scratches the bit of stubble on his face, trying to think of what else he should say to give Everalda a quick summary of his life.
Adrien: “Is there anything specific you’re wanting to know or want me to keep just spouting off the first thing that pops into my head?”
Everalda: “Anything you’re comfortable with sharing.”
She thinks back to one of the things he just said and folds her hands on her lap.
Everalda: “I know it’s a sensitive subject to everyone here, but I’m sorry for your loss. Fathers are very precious. I wish I had the chance to meet mine in person. Still, I’m grateful for the letters, photos, and the occasional international calls. Franz was such a sweetheart. He loved his children unconditionally and sacrificed so much for all three of us. I’m sure your father and mine are watching over us now, proud of the people we have become today.”
Adrien looks up towards the sky for a moment.
Adrien: “I certainly hope so. I’ve basically become my dad with different career choices and blonde hair at this point.”
Everalda nods and looks down as Daryl rolls over on his back. Reaching down with a smile on her face, she rubs his belly in a circular motion and he seems to be in love. A soft giggle escapes her as she looks back to Adrien.
Everalda: “Above all things, I am a woman of family first. A mother, an older half-sister, and perhaps one day…”
Shaking her head, she giggles softly.
Everalda: “I’m a professional model and dancer. I know that you and Jessica are both wrestlers. She’s also a gamer. What about you?”
Adrien: “I also have a music career. I am a singer-songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist. I actually own a recording studio that I run with my manager, Eddie Walker. Which has me occasionally having to produce music for other artists as well.”
Everalda: “Oh that’s lovely. You can sing and play the music while I dance to the music, yes?”
She smiles and winks. Adrien reflects back at something Everalda mentioned way earlier.
Adrien: “I’m sorry about your more recent loss.”
At first, Everalda’s confused by what he means. Then she realizes it for herself, taken aback by his observation skill, and she frowns a little.
Everalda: “It… it was an accident. This is the city that never sleeps. Alexander went on a late-night run to purchase formula for our son and…”
Lowering her head, she closes her eyes and sighs. Adrien’s eyes lower. He begins regretting bringing it up at all.
Adrien: “I can’t imagine a lot of the things you’ve had to endure. But that one right there, that one I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around. Other than repeating how sorry I am that you’ve had to go through that, I’m not sure what more to say about it.”
This time, it’s Adrien placing a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer some form of comfort. He clearly opened a still fresh wound for her and feels bad for mentioning it. Opening her eyes, she lifts her head up and looks to him. They make eye contact again, only this time it’s for a moment longer than the last. There’s something about her eyes, the way they can easily gaze into someone and 'read' their soul. They’re powerful. Even with the open wound, she still manages to smile.
Everalda: “It’s alright. I would rather express myself and set my emotions free than keep them bottled inside. Nothing good comes out of keeping your feelings to yourself.”
To return his kindness, she places her hand over his and nods. Before she can say anything, Daryl rolls onto his feet and nudges his head under their hands so they can focus on petting him instead. Everalda laughs, and she indulges the furry boy.
Everalda: “Somebody loves attention.”
Jessica: “Anytime there’s company, Daryl’s always in the center.”
Everalda looks up as Jessica stands at the end of the hall in a nice winter-themed dress with purple leggings, but of course, the knee-high fuzzy socks remain. She looks at her sister and her friend and raises an eyebrow.
Jessica: “I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”
The three-time World Heavyweight Champion simply smiles.
Adrien: “We were just discussing some things about one another that hasn’t been covered yet by the previous discussions. Nothing that you don’t already know, honestly. Unless it’s topics she never got to with you.”
Everalda: “We can go over anything you want at the steakhouse, Jessica.”
Jessica blinks before she lightly, playfully facepalms. She shakes her head, giggles, and lowers her hand.
Jessica: “Fair enough. Alright, let’s get going. I’m starving!”
If I could open my arms
And span the length of the isle of Manhattan,
I'd bring it to where you are
Making a lake of the East River and Hudson
If I could open my mouth
Wide enough for a marching band to march out
They would make your name sing
And bend through alleys and bounce off all the buildings.
I wish we could open our eyes
To see in all directions at the same time
Oh what a beautiful view
If you were never aware of what was around you
And it is true what you said
That I live like a hermit in my own head
But when the sun shines again
I'll pull the curtains and blinds to let the light in.
Date: Monday, January 15th, 2018
Cameras: OFF
The beautiful estate of Marisol Francesca Cruz in the heart of Manhattan, New York City is peaceful today. Monday afternoon and the weather is as nice as the month of January allows it to be. Past the gates of the gated community and within the first floor, Jessica Sears is finally home and relaxing in the living room. Her furry companion, Daryl, is on top of his bed, chewing on a mint-flavored Milk Bone brushing chew. Wearing her high-quality gaming headset, Jessica plays a round of Team Fortress 2 via Steam, the brand new gaming desktop connected to the fifty-inch, wall-mounted HDTV through the HDMI cord. She’s playing her favorite class on her favorite team color, the Team BLU Sniper. Everyone else is playing offensively with the Heavy/Medic combo, the Soldier, the Scout, or defensively with the Engineer and the Demoman. On occasion, they switch to the other classes like the Pyro and the Spy.
Jessica never switches unless she absolutely has to. Today, she’s focused on sniping on the frontlines. For the sniper class, it’s unheard of, but she’s a professional. This room is actually a professionals-only room. Only the best of the best are allowed access. Rather than use a keyboard and mouse to play the game, she uses a wireless USB universal gaming controller. Her movements with the character are swift and precise. She’s defending their team’s intelligence with headshots.
One.
By.
One.
Apparently, she’s dominating quite a few members of Team RED. She’s only died two times and it was sheer luck. She manipulates her sniper to run in with the Heavy, the Medic, and the Scout. They plan on capturing the enemy’s intelligence while their Engineers are attempting to build their sentries to no avail. They’re being utterly destroyed by one of BLU’s expert Spies. RED’s about to fall, just one more capture of their intelligence and its game. Somehow their BLU Scout goes down and her Sniper actually has the intelligence. The character’s nowhere near as fast, but she has to try.
Jessica: “Well, Sir Heavy and Lady Medic, cover me.”
She’s heading back towards their base and scoring headshots on their pursuers while running backward. Daryl lifts his head up from working on his brushing chew for a moment and he looks towards the front door. His tail begins to wag and he rises up to make his way over there. He sits down in front of the door and happily barks. Jessica picks up on this and glances back, a simple mistake that allows a RED Spy to backstab her BLU Sniper.
Jessica: “Shit! Sorry, I think I have some company. Get the intelligence back, okay?”
That’s her third death. Still, she’s not exactly expecting anyone. She sets her controller down as her character is sent back to one of the respawn points and she rises up from the superb and comfortable-looking gaming chair. She makes her way over to the door and opens it to see who Daryl is so happy about. The short blonde hair was a dead giveaway.
Adrien: “Hey there, Daryl! Looks like someone remembers me!”
The Dropkick King steps inside, closing the door behind him. The first thing he does is kneel down and place his hand on the top of Daryl’s head and rubbing it, resulting in yet another happy bark. Adrien looks up and notices the video game, still going on while Jessica had stepped away from it.
Adrien: “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
Reaching up, Jessica presses a button on a section of her gaming headset. She lowers the headset to hang around her neck and she smiles.
Jessica: “Nah, I’m just playing for fun. It’s a professional-only lobby, but it’s a casual one. Still, I wasn’t expecting company. Take off your shoes and relax.”
Her own shoes are set on the shoe rack by the door. She’s wearing purple fuzzy knee-high socks, a pair of black shorts, and a Dragon Ball Z Vegeta graphic tee. Her long blonde hair is tied back in a loose ponytail. She glances down and notices Daryl rolling over on his back, clearly looking for a belly rub. She giggles and gestures Adrien to the notion.
Jessica: “He missed you. Do you want anything to drink while he takes all of your attention?”
Adrien: “Not at the moment, thank you.”
He begins to remove not only his black Vans shoes but his black leather jacket as well. As a native of Louisiana, he wasn’t quite used to the January temperatures of New York. Underneath the jacket was a green and white plaid long sleeve button down shirt with all but the top three buttoned up, just enough for his white undershirt to be visible. His key-shaped necklace hangs from his neck, and his black jeans barely cover his plain white socks.
Adrien: “Do you want a belly rub, little buddy?”
Adrien obliges the canine’s request for a few moments before he stands back up and looks back at Jessica. Content, for the time being, Daryl gets back up and makes his way back to his mint brushing chew.
Adrien: “I had planned to come up here when you got back to check up on you while things didn’t look so cheery for you. Although things started to look a little bit more optimistic about the surprise that was dropped on your lap a few days ago, I still thought I would check in on you.”
Adrien raised both of his light brown eyebrows to see if he could get a read on how Jessica was holding up. Her eyes lull halfway for a moment before she makes her way across the white carpet floor and back to the recliner. There’s the black couch facing the HDTV and the matching black loveseat facing the direction of the recliner. She turns the recliner to face towards the black loveseat and she settles down on the recliner.
Jessica: “Have a seat. There’s quite a bit to talk about.”
Adrien takes the same trek that Jessica does, taking a seat across from her on the loveseat. He was prepared to sit there for quite a bit as he only knew a part of what was going on, what he could gather from short little tweets on Twitter and the immediate knee-jerk reaction text messages. To be able to get the full background on what was going on, that was Adrien’s intent. Jessica sees that determination in his eyes, but there’s also a sense of compassion within them. She fixes the headset back on for a moment, retrieving her controller and pressing the same button she pressed before.
Jessica: “I’m going to have to leave the lobby for a while, ladies and gents. My friend Adrien Cochrane is here.”
She takes a brief moment to listen to some of their responses. A few of the female professional gamers are fangirling over The Dropkick King and Jessica laughs.
Jessica: “Alright, I’ll see everyone later. CuteGamingBlond, out!”
Reaching up, she turns off the headset, removes it, and peacefully exits the game through some button input. She grabs the remote, turns off the TV, and sets both the controller and the remote on the coffee table to accompany the headset. With peace and quiet between her and Adrien, Jessica makes eye contact and speaks up.
Jessica: “...It was strange, Adrien. When she pulled down her hood and revealed her face, her blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, her regal stance… I saw my father in her. I felt his spirit trying to bring the three of us together. Zachary and I never knew of her existence, but Everalda was sent pictures of us. My brother was angry, but more than anything, he was shocked. I was trying to keep myself together after such a hard week. Being pinned in the triple threat on NGW’s Homecoming sucked. Losing the tag-team match on SAP’s Tim Horton’s show the night after made it worse. This is the fourth year since my father lost his battle against ischemic heart disease. For Everalda to come into our lives on the exact same day… it was almost too much to bear.”
She shakes her head. Her emotions are beginning to surface, the vulnerability in her eyes, simply recollecting everything that’s happened pains her. Adrien nods his head, thinking about how he would have felt if something like this had happened to him last month, on the anniversary of his father’s death. Fortunately, Adrien already knew about his half-siblings from both of his parents’ previous marriages. While he isn’t nearly as close to them as he is Alexis, his only full-blooded siblings, Christmas cards are still exchanged. So Adrien isn’t sure how Jessica was feeling, so he only addressed in a way that someone from the outside looking in could address it.
Adrien: “I know this whole situation was a big roller coaster of emotions. But think about it this way: it’s another person to be in that support system for you. You have another person to love you, listen to you, understand you, to laugh with you, and cry with you. As surprising as all of this is, this might end up being a good thing for you. She at least deserves a chance to show if she’s going to be that for you or not.”
With a firm nod, Jessica stays strong, taking slow, deep breaths before she continues.
Jessica: “Zach’s not willing to give her a chance, not yet anyway. He’s stubborn. He’s going to need more time to open up to her. I was a little hesitant, but you persuaded me to give her a chance, Adrien. Mom invited her over for lunch and the three of us sat down. She showed us the pictures and letters dad sent her. She presented her birth certificate and dad’s name is on the paper. His surname is attached to her name. It’s not a fake. Everalda Ziona Sears-Theron. Theron is her mother’s surname, but her mother is… according to Everalda, her mother’s a cruel woman. I don’t want to go into details without her being here--”
The doorbell rings, and Jessica looks back towards the door. Just finishing his brushing chew, Daryl rises up and trots his way over to the door, his nose twitching slightly as he sniffs the air. He’s not barking. He doesn’t seem to be alert or tense, just curious. Jessica rises to her feet and she makes her way over, looking through the peephole for a brief moment.
Jessica: “Speaking of…”
Adrien’s eyebrows raise once more at Jessica’s words. She opens the door and the same woman she speaks of is standing just outside.
Everalda: “Good afternoon, Jessica! I know I didn’t call you ahead of time, but I wanted to surprise you. I made you some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.”
Everalda presents a hand-woven basket full of cookies. Freshly baked, chocolate chip, exactly the way she described them. Their aroma smells amazing. Jessica takes in the scent and sighs softly. What unexpected but pleasant company. She blinks as Daryl wags his tail in rapid succession. He appears to be just as happy to see Everalda as if he’s seeing his owner. The older sibling happily pets him with a free hand and smiles. As a good host, Jessica accepts the basket and smiles softly.
Jessica: “Oh, Everalda… Thank you. Please come in. I guess ‘surprise’ is the word of the day today. I wasn’t expecting anyone to come over.”
Everalda: “What do you mean?”
Daryl barks and happily runs over to sit by Adrien’s feet. Curious, Everalda looks past her younger sister and sees the man sitting on the loveseat.
Everalda: “Oh! Hello there!”
Jessica steps aside and allows Everalda to come inside. She watches her older half-sister take off her black no-lace casual shoes, place them on the shoe rack, and make her way inside. She’s wearing a long-sleeved green sweater dress, a pair of black leggings, and light pink fuzzy socks. Her blonde hair is nicely brushed, a simple and clean style. She makes her way to the couch and politely bows.
Everalda: “My name is Everalda. How do you do, sir?”
Adrien was prepared for a handshake but was caught off guard by the bow. He awkwardly attempts one back towards his friend’s newfound relative. It’s obvious that bowing is not something Adrien is accustomed to doing but he does so anyway, out of politeness towards the visitor.
Adrien: “My name is Adrien. You interacted with me on Twitter once before. I’m the one with the name that says ‘Believe’ on it.”
Everalda: “That’s right. I remember now. It is good to believe, to have hope and faith in oneself and their cherished ones.”
Everalda’s politeness astounds Jessica a little. She closes the door behind her and brings the basket of cookies over to set on the coffee table. Intrigued, she takes a cookie and enjoys a tiny bite. Her eyes widen and shimmer bright, taken aback by the deliciousness of the cookie. Trying to avoid devouring it like an excited child, she nods.
Jessica: “Um, please have a seat. We were just talking about the past few days.”
Everalda: “Really?”
Reaching over, Everalda takes two cookies from the basket and takes a seat… on the loveseat next to Adrien. She offers him one of the cookies with a sweet, genuine smile.
Everalda: “I hope you don’t mind me sitting next to you. I enjoy getting to know new people.”
Adrien, who was sitting in the middle of the loveseat, scoots over a little bit to give Everalda room to sit down as well. He also graciously accepts the chocolate chip cookie from the young woman. The aroma from the cookie immediately hit him in a way that reminded him of someone else who used to bake cookies all the time in his kitchen.
Adrien: “Yeah, no problem. I don’t bite.”
He says this as he takes a bite of his cookie and smiles. A poor attempt at humor, but in his circle, Eddie was the funny one. Still, Everalda does giggle as she enjoys a bite of her cookie. She glances down to see Daryl sitting at her feet, wagging his tail in rapid succession once again. To him, he sees his precious owner Jessica in the nice lady. He doesn’t quite realize they’re actually related… or does he?
Everalda: “I’ll make you some dog-friendly cookies next time, okay?”
The nice lady pets him, and Daryl happily barks with approval. He circles around for a moment before he lays down in front of her, content where he is. More and more is Jessica surprised. She trained her dog to be friendly, but she didn’t expect him to be this receptive to Everalda. She looks up to her older half-sister and Adrien, seated next to each other on the loveseat, and tilts her head out of sheer curiosity.
Jessica: “...fascinating.”
Everalda: “What is?”
Jessica: “I’m just speculating. Anyway, I was bringing Adrien up to speed with what happened last Wednesday and Thursday. I mentioned your mother, but I didn’t go into detail. It wouldn’t be right to talk about a sensitive subject without your consent.”
Everalda’s eyes soften, a slight change in her cheerful demeanor. She takes another bite of her cookie, chews, and swallows before she speaks up.
Everalda: “That’s very kind of you, Jessica. It’s true, Elize is a sensitive subject for me... I don’t even like to acknowledge her as my mother. Grandmother Anza told me when she was pregnant with me, she and my ‘grandfather’ Sarel wanted to get an abortion simply because of who I was. The daughter of Franz Sears, a German boy who wasn’t even a young adult yet, and they refused to accept that I was half-German, half South African. They hated us for who we were… If it wasn’t for my grandmother, I would’ve never been born. When I was born, they wanted to give me up for adoption, but Anza took me in. She raised me as her own, all by herself. We lived in a poor upbringing in Pretoria, South Africa, but we were happy. Father would do his best to provide finances, but he’d also send letters and photos…”
A weak yet warm smile crosses her face. There’s a strength to her, a strength Jessica had only seen in her father until now.
Everalda: “I was two years old when Zachary was born, and I was five when you were born, Jessica. I’d see the photos of both of you, and even though we never met, I loved you both so much. I wanted to be there, to grow up alongside my younger brother and sister, but Anza and I were too poor. It would be a long, long time before we had the financial means to leave Pretoria. But every few months, at least twice a year, Franz would help us. The personal checks, the letters, and the photos, they encouraged us to keep going… and then four years ago, everything stopped. Anza and I always wondered why. By this time, I was an established model. I made more than enough money for us to move to New York City. In the last three years, I found my first love in Alexander and we brought a baby boy into the world. He allowed me to name our son Klaus as a devotion to my father… I lost Alexander before our son could turn two last September.”
She shakes her head, trying to avoid intertwining too many scenarios. She just wants to focus on their family for now.
Everalda: “Jessica… I finally found you and Zachary. I know it’s hard to accept that I’m your older half-sister, so we can start as friends. He’s going to need more time, I understand. I don’t fault him for that. But because of this gentleman--”
She smiles at Adrien before she faces Jessica again.
Everalda: “--you gave me a chance. You let me into your mother’s home, even though you were a little scared, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your life. I’m twenty-seven years old. I don’t want to go another day without being there for you. Through our father, we’re sisters… and when our brother’s ready to let me in, we can be a family, something I was deprived of since the beginning of my time.”
Everalda can feel the tears in her piercing blue eyes, yet she does nothing to wipe them away. She continues to smile as the tears fall down her cheeks, such a natural, genuine beauty to show her vulnerability. Jessica doesn’t realize it yet, but there are tears welling up in her own soft blue eyes. One of them rolls down her cheek and drips onto the back of her right hand. That’s when she knows.
Jessica: “...Everalda…”
At this point, Adrien is just stunned at the entire story that Everalda just told. Her life story, the struggles she’s dealt with, the way she’s overcome them...it was astounding to Adrien. It took a lot of willpower not to say anything while Everalda was telling Jessica and Adrien what she had to go through growing up, something that seemed unfathomable for Adrien to try to wrap his head around.
Adrien: “I mean, at this point, I don’t even know what to say. You’ve endured a whole hell of a lot more growing up than I ever did. You’re a stronger person than I could have imagined, Everalda. And I hate that you had to be in a position where you had to be as strong as you’ve had to be.”
Adrien has finished eating his cookie by this point. Everalda turns her head towards him and her smile softens. She allows him to continue, certain he has more to say.
Adrien: “I was telling Jessica that having another person in her support system, to have another person in her life who loves her unconditionally, would be a great thing for her. It sounds like you probably need that too. So in a way, it’s great that, even if it took a lifetime, you two have found each other now.”
The eyes of the youngest Sears sibling looks over at him. Cochrane begins feeling self-aware that he’s speaking while these two were talking about intimate family things.
Adrien: “I’m not overstepping any boundaries, am I? I can leave the room for a moment if you girls need a second or…”
Everalda: “It’s alright, Mr. Adrien. You’re perfectly fine.”
Adrien's eyes widen a bit after being addressed formally with the word mister. Everalda raises her right hand and sets it on his shoulder. There’s brief eye contact between them, a moment of soul searching before she rises to her feet. After she finishes the cookie, she walks over to her younger sister and gently wraps her arms around her in a comforting hug.
Everalda: “...I’m here for you now. All you have to do is let me in.”
This embrace, it feels so much like her father’s. Jessica’s eyes widen, tears spilling down her cheeks, and she throws her arms around Everalda. Their father would have wanted this, for them to finally reunite after being apart since their births. Everalda chooses to be strong for the both of them, gently cradling Jessica in her arms, and she looks up towards Adrien. She extends her right hand towards him, inviting him to join them. Daryl nudges against Adrien’s leg and looks at him with an encouraging bark.
Adrien: “I mean, we’ve just met…”
Daryl barks at Adrien again. Adrien looks down at the pup with raised eyebrows, knowing what Daryl was implying with his bark.
Adrien: “I don’t really have a choice in the matter, do I?”
Jessica shakes her head. Adrien finally obliges, joining in the hug with one of his best friends and her new found sister. Jessica and Everalda both pull him in, tightening the group hug, and Daryl looks on with the happiest tail wag.
Adrien: “You know Alexis is going to be jealous she wasn’t apart of this group hug.”
Everalda knows a little of who he’s talking about. His younger sister. She can’t help but smile and laugh.
Everalda: “Oh, don’t worry, there will be a lot more hugs in the near future.”
Jessica’s a little flustered, but she’s still happy. She looks up at her sister and her longtime friend…
Jessica: “...dammit, I’m still short.”
Adrien: “I mean, I could get on my knees to hug you, but that just seems condescending…”
Jessica: “Shut up!”
Everalda laughs again before she slowly pulls away from them. She looks at both of them before she places her hands on her hips.
Everalda: “Well, are you two hungry? Anza is taking care of Klaus, and I have some free time. Do we make something together, or do we go out somewhere?”
Adrien: “You guys are the ones with home field advantage here. I’m the one who isn’t a New Yorker, so you two are gonna have to figure that one out.”
Jessica and Everalda take a moment to look at each other while they contemplate.
Everalda: “Wolfgang’s Steakhouse on Park Avenue.”
Jessica: “Yes! That’s one of my favorite steakhouses.”
Everalda: “Then it’s decided. My treat, no if’s, and’s, or but’s!”
Adrien: “I’m not sure I’ve ever said no to a steak in my entire life.”
Everalda: “Goodness, I would hope not. I love steak.”
For a moment, Jessica looks at them and tilts her head one way, then the other way. A simple idea seems to be floating around her head, but she decides to keep it to herself for now.
Jessica: “Alright, let me get dressed into something nicer and then we can go!”
She takes a step away, but then she turns around and hugs her older sister. Everalda’s a little surprised, but she smiles and returns the embrace. Letting go, she watches Jessica head down the hall and into her bedroom. Then she looks up at Adrien and politely bows her head.
Everalda: “Thank you.”
Adrien looks back up at Everalda, taking a second to realize what she was thanking him for.
Adrien: “For getting her to give you a chance? Yeah, don’t even worry about it.”
Adrien thinks about his family for a moment before continuing.
Adrien: “Family can be a strange thing. But when you have that kind of bond with someone, they deserve at least an opportunity to be in your life. Sure, someone can squander that opportunity. But they deserve that shot, at the very least.”
Everalda looks into his eyes, a gentle smile crossing her face, and she reaches out to him. She places her right hand on the side of his face and she nods.
Everalda: “You have a pure and kind heart. That’s a rarity in the world. Never change that.”
Adrien is surprised by the physical contact. Though at this point, perhaps he shouldn't. He responds without showing it.
Adrien: “I will do my best to remain with that way.”
He tries to offer a smile to solidify that comment. She smiles before she draws her hand away and takes a seat on the couch. Daryl makes his way over to her and she happily pets him. She looks up to Adrien while she continues to pet Daryl.
Everalda: “You speak of family with such dignity and respect. Tell me about your family. Tell me about yourself.”
Adrien takes a seat across from Everalda, exactly where Jessica was sitting previously.
Adrien: “Well, you’ve met my sister...online anyway. We had a much more typical childhood than you, fortunately. Both my mom and dad were involved in raising me and my sister, the one you know anyway. I have four older half-siblings that I’m not as close to per se, but I do know they are around. I lost my dad a year and a month ago. I’m obviously not from around here, I’m actually from the New Orleans area...umm...let’s see, what else is there?”
Adrien scratches the bit of stubble on his face, trying to think of what else he should say to give Everalda a quick summary of his life.
Adrien: “Is there anything specific you’re wanting to know or want me to keep just spouting off the first thing that pops into my head?”
Everalda: “Anything you’re comfortable with sharing.”
She thinks back to one of the things he just said and folds her hands on her lap.
Everalda: “I know it’s a sensitive subject to everyone here, but I’m sorry for your loss. Fathers are very precious. I wish I had the chance to meet mine in person. Still, I’m grateful for the letters, photos, and the occasional international calls. Franz was such a sweetheart. He loved his children unconditionally and sacrificed so much for all three of us. I’m sure your father and mine are watching over us now, proud of the people we have become today.”
Adrien looks up towards the sky for a moment.
Adrien: “I certainly hope so. I’ve basically become my dad with different career choices and blonde hair at this point.”
Everalda nods and looks down as Daryl rolls over on his back. Reaching down with a smile on her face, she rubs his belly in a circular motion and he seems to be in love. A soft giggle escapes her as she looks back to Adrien.
Everalda: “Above all things, I am a woman of family first. A mother, an older half-sister, and perhaps one day…”
Shaking her head, she giggles softly.
Everalda: “I’m a professional model and dancer. I know that you and Jessica are both wrestlers. She’s also a gamer. What about you?”
Adrien: “I also have a music career. I am a singer-songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist. I actually own a recording studio that I run with my manager, Eddie Walker. Which has me occasionally having to produce music for other artists as well.”
Everalda: “Oh that’s lovely. You can sing and play the music while I dance to the music, yes?”
She smiles and winks. Adrien reflects back at something Everalda mentioned way earlier.
Adrien: “I’m sorry about your more recent loss.”
At first, Everalda’s confused by what he means. Then she realizes it for herself, taken aback by his observation skill, and she frowns a little.
Everalda: “It… it was an accident. This is the city that never sleeps. Alexander went on a late-night run to purchase formula for our son and…”
Lowering her head, she closes her eyes and sighs. Adrien’s eyes lower. He begins regretting bringing it up at all.
Adrien: “I can’t imagine a lot of the things you’ve had to endure. But that one right there, that one I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around. Other than repeating how sorry I am that you’ve had to go through that, I’m not sure what more to say about it.”
This time, it’s Adrien placing a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer some form of comfort. He clearly opened a still fresh wound for her and feels bad for mentioning it. Opening her eyes, she lifts her head up and looks to him. They make eye contact again, only this time it’s for a moment longer than the last. There’s something about her eyes, the way they can easily gaze into someone and 'read' their soul. They’re powerful. Even with the open wound, she still manages to smile.
Everalda: “It’s alright. I would rather express myself and set my emotions free than keep them bottled inside. Nothing good comes out of keeping your feelings to yourself.”
To return his kindness, she places her hand over his and nods. Before she can say anything, Daryl rolls onto his feet and nudges his head under their hands so they can focus on petting him instead. Everalda laughs, and she indulges the furry boy.
Everalda: “Somebody loves attention.”
Jessica: “Anytime there’s company, Daryl’s always in the center.”
Everalda looks up as Jessica stands at the end of the hall in a nice winter-themed dress with purple leggings, but of course, the knee-high fuzzy socks remain. She looks at her sister and her friend and raises an eyebrow.
Jessica: “I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”
The three-time World Heavyweight Champion simply smiles.
Adrien: “We were just discussing some things about one another that hasn’t been covered yet by the previous discussions. Nothing that you don’t already know, honestly. Unless it’s topics she never got to with you.”
Everalda: “We can go over anything you want at the steakhouse, Jessica.”
Jessica blinks before she lightly, playfully facepalms. She shakes her head, giggles, and lowers her hand.
Jessica: “Fair enough. Alright, let’s get going. I’m starving!”
Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole
Just like a faucet that leaks and there is comfort in the sound
But while you debate half empty or half full
It slowly rises, your love is gonna drown
Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole
Just like a faucet that leaks and there is comfort in the sound
But while you debate half empty or half full
It slowly rises, your love is gonna drown
Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole
Just like a faucet that leaks and there is comfort in the sound
But while you debate half empty or half full
It slowly rises, your love is gonna drown
Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole
Just like a faucet that leaks and there is comfort in the sound
But while you debate half empty or half full
It slowly rises, your love is gonna drown
Your love is gonna drown
Your love is gonna drown
Your love is gonna drown
Your love is gonna drown
Your love is gonna...
