Next Day.

Von awoke from his sleep, yawning as his eyes fluttered open. He looked at the clock on the wall, seeing that it was 11 in the morning.

He stared at the ceiling, everything but his head under the thick covers as he basically melted into the soft bed in the warm room.

He hadn't slept in a nice bed since he was a little kid. Even before he went to prison, he was either sleeping on the floor or somebody's couch. He never wanted to leave the bed.

He wished he could tell Jayda how appreciative he was of her helping and checking on him for the last month, but he didn't know how to communicate his feelings.

All he could do was tell her thank you, because he really was so thankful for her.

There was a hard knock on the door, making him snap out of his thoughts as the door opened.

"Too hard?" She asked, and he chuckled, knowing she'd probably knocked softer before she did the hard one, but he couldn't hear since his hearing aid wasn't in.

"I brought you some breakfast from ihop. I don't know what you eat, or if you eat a certain way. So I got you a little bit of everything." She sat two bags on the bed, then opened the blinds, making him flinch, covering his eyes.

"Sorry." She laughed, slightly closing them, still allowing the sunlight to shine through.

"Can I sit?" She asked as he opened one of the bags.

"This your house." He mumbled, and she chuckled, sitting down on the edge of the bed with her phone in her hand.

"I have some errands to run today. Do you wanna stay here?" She asked without looking up from her phone.

"I will rob you." He spoke, and she laughed, looking up.

"I have cameras. Do what you please." She chuckled, and he did as well.

"Anyways, I have a photoshoot, I need to go grocery shopping, and I have to get my hair done. You're probably uncomfortable in my space, so if you want I can get you a hotel? Or you can stay here. I just don't want you outside because it's cold as shit." She said, standing up out of the bed.

"I'll stay." He mumbled, and she nodded.

"Ima go get you some fresh clothes. Hold on." Jayda walked out of the room, and Von ate some of the eggs on the plate.

Last night, he'd took a hot shower for the first time in years. As well as gotten his hair washed and retwisted, ate a home cooked meal, and put on brand new clothes. He felt so refreshed, but he didn't want to slouch off her.

Jayda walked back in the room with a pair of shoes, sweats, a shirt, and a hoodie. Von absentmindedly tapped his chin with the tip of his fingers, looking back down at his food.

"How do I say you're welcome?" She asked, and he looked up at her, frowning, tilting his head to the side.

"You just said thank you in sign language right? Like this?" She tapped her chin the way he did, and he nodded.

"I didn't even realize." He mumbled, finishing the plate of food.

"How do I say you're welcome?" She repeated, and he looked up again.

He held up 5 fingers, pulling his thumb to his chest.

"It's means like it's fine. Most people say you're welcome by just signing thank you back, it kind of means the same thing." He mumbled, drinking from his apple juice, and she smiled.

"Okay okay, do it again, come on." She sat at the edge of the bed, and he chuckled, signing thank you.

Jayda signed you're welcome back, a bright smile on her face, and he gave her a small smile.

"Good job ma. Like this. Good-job." Von used his fingertips on his left hand to tap his chin, before bringing it down in his right palm, then using his right fist to tap his left one twice.

Jayda repeated his actions, and he nodded in approval.

"When did you learn ASL?" She asked.

"Three years ago." He mumbled, and she nodded. She wanted to ask more questions, but she decided not to.

"Ima go take a shower. I'll be back." She told him, and he nodded, watching her walk out.

Von stood up out of the bed, throwing the empty plates in the trash, before making the bed back up.

He took a brief shower, dressing in the clothes she gave him. He put on the shoes, before putting the other clothes in the hamper.

He quietly walked out of the room, and to the front of her house, hearing her shower water running.

He unlocked her front door, about to walk out, when he turned around, looking up at the came. He signed thank you at the camera, before waving, then walking out of the door.

He softly closed the door behind him, then ran out of her neighborhood. He ran for about twenty minutes, before stopping to rest, leaning against the outside wall of Walmart.

He stuffed his cold hands in the pocket of the hoodie Jayda gave him, before frowning, feeling something in there.

He pulled out a stack of cash, seeing a band around it that read $1,000. A piece of paper fell from the stack, and he leaned over, picking it up off the ground.

I had a feeling you'd leave. Get a hotel, please. Come back if you want. Call if you ever need anything. 404-267-2219 xoxo - Jayda <3

Von watched as a water droplet dropped on the piece of paper, and he looked up, seeing that it wasn't raining.

He sniffed, before realizing he was crying. He wiped his face, placing the paper and cash back in his pocket, sitting on the ground.

It made his heart warm to see that she cared. He hadn't felt that from nobody, ever. Whether she was doing it because she sympathized for him or not, he appreciated it.

He put his face in his hands, clearing his throat as he wiped his eyes. He tied his dreads back in a ponytail, pulling his hood on and standing up.

Today was Tuesday, and he needed to call Luda. Before today, he'd been using the phone inside the gas station, but he didn't want to go back there, knowing Jayda would look there first for him.

He didn't want to be a burden to her. He hated leeching, and he also hated people feeling bad for him. He'd done some very bad things in his life, he didn't deserve sympathy.

Von walked in the store, walking straight back to the electronics aisle. He signaled a worker, seeing a girl walking towards him.

"How can I help you?" She perkily asked.

"Can I get that phone right there." He pointed to a cheap flip phone that costed $27.

"Of course. It's prepaid, so you have 1,000 minutes. After those minutes are up, it'll be $17 a month." She spoke, taking the phone from the locked tech, leading him to the counter.

Von watched as she sat the phone up using the computer, rubbing his ear.

"Alright, all set. $29.92." She said, and Von pulled three tens off the stack of money Jayda gave him, sitting it on the counter.

Von took the phone and charger from her, walking away from the counter.

He walked out of the store, keeping his head down as he walked the streets. Sometimes he wished he'd had a different upbringing.

He wished he had a happy, normal family. Even if the family was dead broke, he just wanted to feel the love.

Maybe if he grew up with love, he wouldn't have been such a trouble maker, T Roy probably wouldn't have died, and he would've been a good person; instead of a killer.

Von pulled out the phone, dialing his twin brother, Trayvon's number.

"Tray?" Von rasped, walking down the street, seeing motel 6 a few blocks head as it began to rain.

"Von?" Tray question, and Von rubbed his hand.

"Yeah, it's me." Von mumbled, hearing shuffling on the other side.

"W-when did y-man. When you get out Grandson?" Trayvon asked.

"Over a month and a half ago. I'm in Atlanta now." Von said, speeding up his pace.

"Atlanta?! What the fuck you doing in Atlanta folks?" Trayvon retorted, and Von chuckled.

"I got sent here by my PO. Said either come here or stay locked up. Where you at?" Von asked.

"Switzerland. I'm deployed out here on a 12 month mission. It's like heaven on earth out here, it's beautiful as hell." He told Von, who nodded.

"Yeah? You doing good lil folks?" Von crossed the street, walking into the lobby just as the rain began to pick up.

"Yeah. I love being in the army. I get to travel for free. Seeing the world just like I wanted to do as a kid shorty." Tray said, and Von nodded, his hand in his pocket.

"That's good, I'm proud of you. I was just calling to check on you. I miss you." Von mumbled, hearing Trayvon sigh.

"I miss you too folks. I luh' you." Trayvon told him, and Von hummed in response, hanging up. He wiped his face, sniffing and clearing his throat.

Von walked to the receptionist desk, pulling the stack of cash out.

"Three nights please." Von rasped, then he paid the total, grabbing his key card, and walking down the hall to the room he was given.

He sat down on the bed, his face in his hands. He looked up at the notebook and pen on the dresser, grabbing it.

He began to write down a plan to help himself get back on his feet.

"I got this."

I miss Von sm.