Treat yourself like you are someone responsible for helping

 "I just don't know why I have to care so much," Jade's face tensed after she got off the phone with Mona.

"What?" Ari was off in the bathroom cleaning the tub. She had to be thankful he was such a germ freak. Also, she knew he would not want to hear her bring Mona down. Especially, since his niece was in kind of a crisis, being alone now without the boyfriend. 

"Oh, you know..it's.." she sighed. "Mona wants me to... to come over and talk."

She knew she'd have to do it. But.

1. Jade's best friend was Liv and Mona still had no qualms about how much she hated Liv.

2. She wished Liv was family, but instead, Mona was family. After all, she was her husband Ari's family.

"I should go with you," Ari said about the matter when he went to help her fold clothes. There was a pile of it on their bed.

"Oh, I dunno, she just asked for me." Jade shrugged. She'd hate to upset the order of things. "You take care of this, maybe it won't take long."

He looked at her as if she might be holding a secret from him.

"It'll be fine," she grabbed her keys and Levi jacket. After all, it was starting to feel like autumn. Although, it felt as if September was a rollercoaster.  She gave him a kiss on the cheek. She told him she had some burger patties thawing. He could grill them. Naturally, he said to hurry back. He liked cooking the burgers when they were half frozen.

Soon enough, she was at Mona's. No Hoyt. Nor anything that existed of his. Mona certainly didn't waste time making the place her own. 

"What's up?" Jade looked at her brightly, as if to know, this was all about Mona.

"Well, we haven't talked in a while." 

Mona had refreshments waiting, even if it was bottled pop, but Jade opted for water. 

"I didn't think you were that health conscious," Mona looked at her a bit perturbed. Naturally, Jade wanted to say that Mona didn't know her all. But she didn't. Deep down Jade knew Mona was the type that didn't care to know anyone. Everyone was supposed to be thinking of her, instead.

"You know, Hoyt, left me," Mona said. However, she wouldn't look at Jade directly. They sat across from each other at the dining table.

"Are you sure it was all his fault?" Jade was even-lipped as if she could say whatever she wanted to say to her since Ari wasn't here to reprimand her. 

It was odd to Jade how Ari's family never said what was on their mind. It was a golden rule to say nothing. Evidently.

"It's just," Mona was on the verge of tears. 

"You're not coming down with something, are you?" Jade hoped she wasn't contagious. Mona shook her head, no and reached for the the pop. 

"It's just, I want somebody back in my life, but I don't know how..how he really feels about me."

Jade winced. She wondered what Mona wanted her to do.