It began just like any other day in Jesse's adult life. A brisk morning jog, a cold cereal breakfast, and a perusal of the morning edition. At 28, Jesse lives a pretty solitary life. Growing up as an orphan, he never knew the love of parents. He spent his whole life pushing people away for fear of being abandoned again. Very few people have managed to slip through the barriers he had built up. One such person being Jennifer Watson, an upper class, high society woman just two years older, whom he had known since his childhood days.
Their meeting was a strange one. It was a cold winter night, and Jesse had mad his way onto a ranch just outside of town. After searching around for a few minutes he found a warm place in the hayloft above the stables. As he laid there drifting off to sleep he failed to notice the little girl peering at him from behind a couple of bales. As she edged closer for a better look Jesse jumped up.
"What are you doing here?" asked the little girl.
"I'm sorry, I was just looking for someplace to sleep." said Jesse.
"Why don't you sleep at your house?" she asked.
"I don't have a house."
"Where are your parents?"
"What are those?"
"You know, you mommy and daddy."
"Oh, I don't have those either."
"I don't have a dad, he died in the war."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Hey, what's your name?"
"Jesse Ryan."
"My name's Jennifer Watson. Nice to meet you, Jesse."
"You too."
"Hey, hold on a minute. I'll be right back."
"Okay."
After a few minutes of waiting, Jennifer climbed back up to the loft.
"Guess what." she said.
"What?"
"My mom said you could stay with us. She's cooking you some food right now, and while you eat she's gonna get our extra room ready for you. So, let's go inside."
"Thanks."
From that day on the two of them had been inseperable, which is why Jesse wasn't surprised to hear his phone ring while he read his paper.
"Hello?" he said as he picked up the reciever.
"Jesse, it's me."
"Jen, what is it?"
"I need someone to talk to. Can you come over?"
"Give me a half an hour, and I'll be there."
"Okay, please hurry."
After hanging up the phone Jesse began to get dressed and his mind began to wander. He thought, "What could she need to talk to about?" And then he thought about the sound of her voice. Why did it sound like she'd been crying? After getting dressed Jesse grabbed his car keys off his nightstand and went to the garage. With everything that had been running through his mind he got into his pickup and looked into his rear view mirror.
"Why do you get the feeling that you're not gonna enjoy this trip to Jen's?" he asked himself as he backed out of his drive.
Ten minutes later his pickup pulled onto the long dirt road leading up to the Watson Ranch, and memories just started flooding back. The most prominent of which being the day a sweet little sixteen year old girl saved a lonely little fourteen year old boy from probably the worst life he could have possibly imagined. Still driving down memory lane Jesse pulled around the circle drive and parked in front of the front steps. Before he could get out of the truck and walk to the front door Jennifer was in her doorway, leaning against the door frame, arms across her chest, hair hanging down over her right eye.
"Are you alright?" said Jesse.
"No, but I will be." said Jennifer. "Come on in." she said as she turned to go inside.
"Wait a second, what happened?"
"What are you talking about?" she said as she turned back toward him.