Jesse is sitting on his bed, staring out the window. Stripes of gold glare through the blinds and land on Jesse's face. There is a small park right opposite his house, and a few kids are running up the slides, sliding down one by one. Laughter floats through the air, birds chirping.

Jesse looks at his legs. They are stiff and lifeless, lying on the bed. He puts both hands behind him and props himself up.

"It's Saturday." Jacob leans against the door frame.

"I know." Jesse's gaze stays still at the window. His eyes squint a bit as the rays of sun hovers over his eyes.

Jacob looks out the window as well. "You going out?"

Jesse mumbles, "Don't know." He sits straight up and starts moving his legs to the side of the bed using his right arm.

"Let me help you," says Jacob.

Jesse waves his hand in the air. "Nah, I can do it."

Jacob stares at Jesse. Jesse swings his right leg, then left leg. He is sitting on the edge of the bed now. He reaches the wheelchair, puts one arm on the bed and another on the wheelchair seat, and pushes himself up. Jesse glances at Jacob, who's still standing at the door, and as soon as Jesse meets his older brother's gaze, Jacob looks away immediately.

It is totally fine for Jacob to stare, actually. It does not hurt Jesse anymore, and it seems like Jacob suffers even more just by looking at how difficult getting out of bed is for Jesse. Jesse transfers himself into the wheelchair and wheels out the room.

"Where are you going?" Jacob raises his voice.

"TV," says Jesse.

Jacob sighs. He follows Jesse behind and goes to the kitchen.

"Jesse!" A five-year-old girl rushes to Jesse and climbs up into his lap. She wears her bronze hair as two pigtails with bangs. She has large, beautiful hazel eyes with long lashes.

"What up Rosie." Jesse tickles the girl and she starts giggling.

She is Jesse's youngest sister. He remembers that the day Rosie was born is the happiest day in his life, seeing an adorable baby girl through the glass window in the hospital, imagining how amazing it would be to spend his whole life with her. Till this day, she is still cute and for some reason, Jesse is her favourite sibling.

Rachel is there too, sitting on the couch on her phone. Her brunette brown hair is tied into a long and wavy ponytail with long bangs covering her forehead. Her lips are crimson as her smokey eyeshadows match them, thin and pink blush blending with her cheeks.

She is twenty one and is going to graduate from college soon. She has an amazing boyfriend whom their parents love, and it is rare that Rachel is at home on a weekend, as she is always either on a date or busy with school.

"Do you want to be my first patient?" Rosie asks.

"Ohh so you're a doctor now." Jesse laughs and pinches her nose.

Rosie frowns and lets go of Jesse. She climbs down and reaches the purple toy stethoscope. She places it on Jesse's chest. "You are very healthy."

"Thank you, doctor. When should I come back?" Jesse's grin widens and he leans towards her.

Her face twists and she puts her right hand under her chin. "UM... fifteen minutes later."

Jesse holds her small and round face into his hands. "You're so cute."

Rosie smiles slyly and turns her body towards Jesse. "Thank you."

Jesse grins and kisses her on her cheeks. Rosie kisses him back. Rosie turns back and leans against Jesse's lap.

Jacob sees everything from the kitchen and smiles heartily. Somehow the innocent Rosie is what makes Jesse smile, and it is great to see him being genuine and having fun.

Jesse's phone on the coffee table rings. He receives a notification.

Snapchat: from Ava Morales

Jesse grabs his phone immediately. He opens the text.

Ava Morales
Can you just stop sending me memes.

Jesse Sanders
I don't have your social media. Also, read your text messages!

Ava Morales
Why are you such a weirdo?

Jesse Sanders
Is calling someone else weirdo your habit? You've called me a weirdo forever😉

Ava Morales
You, weirdo, stop sending me memes or I'll block you.

Jesse Sanders
Ouch.

"Who's this?" Rachel's voice startles Jesse.

"Uh, class- classmate." Jesse stutters and looks up to his sister.

Rachel raises her eyebrows. "I've never seen that name before." She wraps her arm around Jesse's shoulder and asks, "Who's Ava? Your new girlfriend that I don't know?"

"What? No!" Jesse exclaims. "We're just... best friends."

"Oh?" Rachel looks at him and smirks. "You were smiling at your phone."

"So? I just saw something funny." Jesse frowns. His gaze follows Rachel as she gets up and walks to the open kitchen table.

Rachel takes a glass cup and starts pouring water into it. She raises her voice as the noise of the pouring water covers a bit. "As your older sister, I'm just purely curious about your love life."

Jesse rolls his eyes. "My God, Chel, not every girl I talk to is my girlfriend."

"Who knows, you might end up liking her." Shrugging, Rachel winks at her brother.

"Oh my." Jesse lets out a teasing smile and props his arm up on the wheels of his chair. He was about to disagree with Rachel, but ends up refraining from saying anything.

After a beat, he tilts his head as he processes Rachel's words. "I don't know actually, I just had the urge to talk to her."

"Why?"

"Well-" Jesse pauses as he looks at Rachel, who is propping her chin up with her elbow on the table. He continues, "She has four classes with me, Chel, and she had the best grade in history last year. Of course I would notice her."

"And then?" Rachel raises her eyebrows, showing hints of interest.

Jesse checks his phone screen again. Ava is not replying. He speaks again after a second, "Then we're in the same research club this year, and I saw her sitting alone. I don't have friends in that club anyway."

"Ah, makes sense." Rachel nods. "So is she pretty?"

"Well..." Jesse sits straight and swallows, then proceeds to narrow his eyes. "Why do I have to tell you?"

A laugh escapes from Rachel's nostril as she stares at him, amused. She walks back to the sofa and pats Jesse's shoulder. "Of course you don't have to. It's just funny seeing my little brother crushing on someone."

Jesse rolls his eyes on his sister's big grin.

Rachel grabs her phone from the coffee table and leaves without a word.

Rosie is still in Jesse's lap. Jesse plays with her pigtails with his finger and no one speaks. Rachel words still whirl in Jesse's mind. The room is quiet until he grabs his phone from the table again.

Jesse Sanders
R u free?

Ava Morales
No, why

Jesse Sanders
U wanna grab lunch tgt?

Ava's Bitmoji appears and disappears. It appears again after a few seconds. After about two minutes, Ava sends the message.

Ava Morales
Where?

Jesse Sanders
Where do u live?

Ava Morales
15-minute walk from school.

Jesse Sanders
12:30 pm at Lola's next to the ice cream shop, down?

Ava Morales
Yea

Jesse Sanders
See u😌

Jesse puts his phone on his legs and notices that Rosie is already on the floor playing with her stuffed animals. He stares at her, smiles, and wheels back to his room.

—

The air conditioner inside the diner embraces Ava as she opens the glass door. She takes a few seconds to register the bustle and bustle, then gaze across the tables.

It's not difficult to spot him, for his wheelchair replaces the normal metal chair—with an empty booth seat saved for Ava opposite to him.

Now that she's already here, there's no backing out. Why exactly did she say yes to lunch with Jesse? As much as she was used to being alone, she just couldn't resist going out with someone the moment she was typing. It's been a while since she's done that, and she doesn't know she longs for accompaniment.

"Hey, weirdo." Ava snaps her finger in front of Jesse's face from beside.

"Hey, nerd!" Jesse's face lights up.

Ava slides into the booth and sits. "Am I late?"

"No! I was early."

Ava's eyes meet Jesse's hazel ones. Shit, Ava widens her eyes and lowers her head immediately. At this rate I can't even meet his eyes when talking without feeling awkward.

She seizes the menu out of the menu holder in an attempt to breaking the tension.

"Nacho cheese and chocolate milkshake," Ava says while scanning the menu swiftly.

"That's fat," Jesse shrugs and turns away, putting both of his hands in front of his chest defensively.

Ava is amused by his reaction and grins. "Do I look like I have to be on a diet?"

Jesse laughs away the joke and orders their meal. He leans in after the waiter is away. "So, you like chocolate?"

Ava nods. "Yeah."

"Can tell." Jesse puts his hand into his bag and places a pack of Ava's favourite original chocolate Chips Ahoy onto the table.

Ava's eyes widen while she stares at the pack, then to Jesse. Does he read minds?

"Haha, you're welcome, I actually bought quite a lot, if you want some more just ask." Jesse shrugs.

"I'm not in poverty." Ava picks up the Chips Ahoy and laughs, playing with the corner of the package.

"I'll be your food bank." Jesse leans in a bit and chuckles.

Ava snaps her gaze at Jesse's, feeling a fist of warmth. His laugh rings in the air, so tender and gentle.

"My God, thank you."

Ava doesn't speak, neither does Jesse. He just inspects Ava playing with the packet, tempting to open it but never does.

He swears to himself that he will give her more Chips Ahoy.

Ten minutes later their meals arrive. Ava starts dipping one of her cheese fries into the ketchup and tucks it into her mouth. When she is doing the same with another one, Jesse swiftly leans in and steals a fry away. Ava looks up and catches a glimpse of him putting the fry into his mouth as he smirks.

"Huh." Ava stares at him in disbelief.

Jesse says as he chews the fry, "It's really good."

Ava narrows her eyes and places her arm in front of her fries to "protect" them from Jesse. "Don't try to steal, food bank." She lowers her voice and tucks another fry into her mouth.

"You can have my salad." Jesse holds his bowl of salad up.

"I said I'm not on a diet so," she looks up and smiles, "no thanks, and my fries are expensive."

"C'mon!" Jesse exclaims.

The customers from the other tables glance over in their direction. Ava frowns and places her finger in front of her lips, "Shut up!"

Jesse purses his lips, so does Ava. They stare at each other for a few seconds and bust up laughing.

And Ava realizes how long it's been since she laughs like that. She inspects Jesse, with a corner of her lips tucked up — she like the feeling of laughing.