Vanessa walked into the coffee shop and looked around. She didn't see Jalissa so she went to the counter and ordered hot tea and a pack of mandolins to share with her son.
When she turned to find a table, she saw Jalissa enter the shop while holding the hand of a little boy. They locked eyes and then Jalissa's eyes moved to Crash where she took in everything from his feet to the blond hair that stuck out from beneath his hat.
And while Jalissa was doing that Vanessa was doing the same thing to her and her son.
Jalissa had changed. Gone were her long braids. Her hair was now natural and cut into a short afro that looked fantastic on her. She had slimmed as well. The coat she wore showed that much.
But the most drastic change was that the smile or scowl that was usually present on her face had disappeared and her dimples weren't showing. Her expression did not show an ounce of her emotion.
But she was here and that said a lot.