Chapter 5

"Thank you again for inviting me," Jaina said right before she took a careful sip from the brown liquid in her cup.

Vereesa leaned back against the soft material of the settee and gave her best friend a small smile. "No need to thank me, Jaina. I really wanted to see you, especially because we didn't spend much time together outside our job. I have to admit that I missed you."

Jaina returned her smile. "I missed you too."

"I assume that you have been pretty busy lately. Does Arthas still show up late at home?" Vereesa asked curiously. One of her silver eyebrows was raised.

"He does. He still works from early in the morning to almost midnight. The situation in his company turned upside down with his father's death. Our family life has changed drastically. Not only do the little ones and I rarely see Arthas, but he also doesn't do himself a favour by overworking every day. He is even working on the weekends. He does not work as long as he does on weekdays but still long enough. We cannot do much together as a family."

"Have you talked to him about this matter?" Vereesa asked and then took a bite of the piece of cake she had put on her small plate.

Jaina also took a bite of the delicious cherry cake she had already tried a few minutes earlier. "I did but nothing has changed yet even though he promised to not work so long. Two days ago he promised the same when he told me that he hired more co-workers.

All I can do is hope for the best. Well, maybe there is something I can do. I thought about visiting him at work and talking to him once again. Maybe my chances to convince him are better when he is not tired from a hard-working day. I just need to talk to him when he is still able to listen and think about what I say. I won't achieve anything if I talk to him when he is struggling to keep his eyes open."

"I hope you two find a solution. I understand that his job is very important to him, but so should be his family. He cannot let you do everything alone. Taking care of the children, running the household and so on. You have a life too. You have friends you want to spend time with not to mention a book you want to finish and publish one day. Nevertheless, keep in mind how important the company is to him. Apart from the memories and the money he inherited, the company is everything Arthas has left of his father."

Jaina nodded, a quiet sigh escaped her lips. "I know that his father built this company out of nothing and lead it for fifty years. It is in some sort of a crisis since Terenas' death and Arthas does everything in his power to save it. He doesn't want it to go down, not after everything his father did since the foundation. I understand that but I still feel forgotten from time to time. So do the little ones. They ask for their father almost every day and I hate that I have to tell them excuses why their father is not able to spend time with them. They are not old enough to understand how important Arthas' work is and what is at stake. It hurts me to see the disappointed looks on their faces whenever I tell them that their father won't come home."

Vereesa leaned forward a little and gave Jaina a comforting look. "Visiting him at work is the best you can do right now. I wish I could help you somehow but my means are limited. In fact, there is not much I can do. Arthas is friends with Rhonin, maybe I can talk to him. Maybe Rhonin can make Arthas understand that he is leaving his family in the lure."

"Leaving us in the lure is a bit harsh but I understand what you mean," replied Jaina. Even though things between her and Arthas were not optimal, she still didn't hesitate to defend him when necessary.

"You are right, I didn't mean to formulate like this. I'm sorry."

Jaina gave her best friend a gentle smile. "No need to be sorry, honey."

The high elf mimicked her smile but said nothing.

"How are things going for you, Vereesa?" Jaina asked to break the silence.

"Well, except that my relationship with my sister doesn't get better no matter what I do, I'm fine."

Jaina tilted her head a little and raised an eyebrow. A questioning look appeared on her face. "Is Sylvanas still mad at you? After all these years?"

Vereesa sighed, considering the right words for a reply. "Well, kinda... She doesn't hate me but she is not very fond of me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I wish I could help you but I barely know her. There is not much I can do."

"I appreciate your will to help me but that is something I have to fix alone. It's my fault that my relationship with Sylvanas is not what it used to be when we were younger. I shouldn't have let her down and back off. It's my fault and I have to deal with the consequences."

Jaina leaned forward as she noticed the sad look in Vereesa's beautiful blue eyes and put a hand on her knee, caressing it softly. The elf stopped to look at her fingers and shifted her gaze to her best friend, finding her smiling at her. "Just keep in mind that I will support you whenever I can, just like you support me whenever I need help. You can come to me anytime if you need advice. Don't forget that."

The silver-haired woman nodded slowly. "Thanks, J. I will keep that in mind."

"I hope that at least your relationship with Alleria is still good."

"Don't worry, we are still very close after all this time. Alleria changed since she returned from Europe. She lived there for ten years with her husband and their son and only came back recently. We met a few times and I didn't notice any changes. Our relationship is still as strong as it was before Alleria left America.

"Did she assimilate your brother's death?"

Vereesa's happy expression faded and was replaced by a neutral one. "I don't know. I didn't mention him so far. You must know that Lirath's death affected her the most of all of us. Wherever she went, she was reminded of him, so she decided to leave the city. She was about to move to a much smaller city when she got a job offer in Europe. I don't know if she managed to cope with his death... I just hope she did..."

"Maybe you should talk to her and approach this topic in slow and careful steps. If his death still troubles her, you should be there for her and help her to find a way to cope with the past."

Vereesa gave her an agreeing nod. "You are right, J."

"Family is more important than we realize. You can always find new friends but you cannot find a new family. We should do everything in our power to keep good relationships with our families. I would do everything in my power to re-establish my relationship with my family, especially with my mom. But as you know, my mother doesn't want to see me..."

Jaina took a deep breath, a small amount of sadness appeared in her eyes as she continued. "She still blames me for my father's death and refuses to meet with me. She ignores my calls and my messages and hasn't shown up at my birthday parties since the accident."

Jaina's voices perfectly reflected that speaking about this topic was not easy for her. It was a sensitive subject for her. A subject she generally did not like to talk about. She often got very emotional when even thinking about her father. She still hadn't gotten over his death, she still blamed herself for what had happened.

If only she had not been so drunk that day... The incident wouldn't have happened then. And her father would still be alive. She was not fully responsible, but in her mother's eyes she was.

Jaina was not sure if she would ever be able to forgive herself. At least not as long as her mother wouldn't forgive her. She could only hope that her mother would see things differently one day. Until then, she had to live with the guilt that was gnawing at her.

Jaina was brought out of her dismal thoughts by a hand that was placed on her shoulder. She lifted her gaze, which had rested on her hands while she had been lost in thoughts, and looked at Vereesa who gave her a comforting look. It was obvious that Vereesa would do anything in her power to make her feel better. She would be there for her friend and help her whenever she could. She wouldn't let her down.

Jaina leaned back eventually, giving her best friend a small nod. Vereesa leaned back too, pouring more coffee into her cup. She picked it up and brought it to her lips, taking a sip. They didn't say anything for the next few minutes, doing nothing but looking at each other. They had no idea what they should talk about. In the end, it was the high elf who cleared her throat and broke the uncomfortable silence that way.

"Your mother will come to her senses one day. You just need to give her more time. One day she will realise that it was not your fault, I'm sure she will."

Jaina barely nodded but said nothing, a conflicted expression could be seen on her face.

Vereesa cleared her throat again after a while, getting Jaina's attention. "Let's talk about something else. Something that doesn't make you depressive."

"I guess we shouldn't talk about my sex life then," Jaina said half-jokingly.

Vereesa scratched her head, not knowing what to answer. She was silent at first but then formulated a response once she wound the right words. "You know you can talk to me about anything. Literally anything. It's not the first time we talked about sex and other intimate topics."

Jaina leaned her head against the settee, exhaling loudly. She turned her head, checking the room. The doors were closed and no one except for them was inside. There was no way anyone could hear her as long as she wouldn't speak too loudly. She knew that her children and Vereesa's twins were in the children's room and played together. There was no way they could hear them. Nevertheless, Jaina leaned forward and lowered her voice a little.

"My sex life has... suffered a little over the past months. I feel neglected. Most of the times, Arthas is either too tired for sex when he comes home or I fall asleep before he comes home. There have not been many opportunities in the past two months and every time something has come up. Sometimes I have the fear that his tiredness is not the reason why he rejects my attempts. Sometimes I fear I'm not attractive enough for him. I'm thirty-six years old after all. What if he no longer finds me attractive? That's my greatest fear."

Vereesa took Jaina's hand and run her thumb over its back, her blue glowing eyes didn't leave Jaina's. "You are a very attractive woman, Jaina. No one who has eyes and is attracted to women would deny that. There is no reason for you to be worried about it."

"Are you sure about that?" Jaina asked insecurely.

Vereesa smiled. "I am. I'm sure you look a lot more attractive without clothes, not to mention in sexy underwear. I'm certain that there is no way Arthas can resist you as long as he is not at the edge of falling asleep."

"Maybe you are right," Jaina muttered.

"I have seen you naked a few times already. The last time is not so long ago. Remember the hot spring in Calistoga?"

Soft laughter escaped Jaina's lips as she remembered the day and the funny things that had happened there. "I do indeed. The water was so warm and pleasant. I would never have left the hot spring if you hadn't dragged me out."

"That was a fun day indeed. We have to do that again one day. Anyway, I just wanted to say that you are a very attractive woman, one of the most beautiful women I know. I often notice the glances men and women give you every day. You don't need to be worried about the way you look. You may be thirty-six years old but you don't look older than twenty-eight."

Jaina blushed. "Now you are flattering me, V."

Vereesa smiled. "I'm just telling the truth."

"So, do you have any tips for me?"

"You mean how to revive our sex life?"

Jaina nodded, a slight blush could be seen on her cheeks.

A thoughtful look appeared on the high elf's face. "Give me a few moments."

Jaina nodded again.

"What are Arthas' preferences again?" the high elf asked eventually. "I think you already told me that a while time ago, but it doesn't hurt to renew my memories."

Jaina told her quickly about Arthas' and her preferences, going into detail when necessary.

"It's no wonder Arthas focuses your breasts so much. They are so huge and full...I understand him even though I'm neither a man and nor am I attracted to women. I'm just stating facts. You have been blessed by nature and you know how to take advantage of what was given to you."

"I take that as a compliment."

"It was meant as a compliment," Vereesa replied with a smile on her lips.

"So, what do you recommend me to do?"

"Well, obviously you have to look for a day where Arthas is not too tired. He doesn't work overtime during the weekend, so maybe you have an opportunity on Friday or Saturday night after you brought the kids to bed. You could watch a romantic but also action-packed movie together. Start to kiss him and then try to seduce him when you notice that he is in the mood for more. Wearing sexy underwear beneath your clothes doesn't hurt either. Just do me a favour and don't make out on the settee. You don't want to scandalize the kids in case they get up and leave their rooms, do you?"

Jaina shook her head. "Of course not. I don't want them to see things that are not meant for their eyes. We have a TV in our bedroom, so we don't have to watch the movie in the living room. Also, Uther and Jasmine know that they have to knock at our bedroom door and wait for our response. They know that they are not allowed to enter without our permission."

"I assume I don't need to tell you what to do once you remove your clothes," Vereesa said with a teasing tone in her voice.

Jaina's cheeks took on a slight red shade as she shook her head again.

"I tried roleplay with Rhonin once, maybe that is something for you too."

"We'll never know if we don't try," responded Jaina.

Vereesa smiled but said nothing in return. She emptied her cup and ate another piece of cake, offering Jaina a piece. The blonde woman refused but thanked Vereesa who at least poured coffee into her cup. Jaina thanked her again and took a big gulp. They said nothing for a while and enjoyed the comfortable silence.

Jaina pulled her backpack, which laid on the settee since she had sat down, closer to her and opened it, taking a folder out. Vereesa raised an eyebrow and gave her friend a curious look, saying nothing.

"I need to show you something," Jaina said and handed the folder to the elf. Vereesa accepted it and regarded it curiously, looking up at Jaina again once she was one. "What is this?"

"This folder contains drawings one of my students made. I'm sure he made lots of them during my courses instead of listening to me."

Vereesa opened the folder carefully and took out the stack of drawings. She regarded the first, putting it on top of the coffee table once she had seen enough. She took a closer look at each drawing and put them on the coffee table one after one. Her face reflected confusion at first but that certain expression quickly changed. It turned into worry and then into heavy surprise and shock.

Jaina didn't need to look at the drawing to know which one Vereesa was currently looking at. Her red cheeks, open mouth and widened eyes made her suspect that it could only be the same drawing that had shocked her too. Vereesa said nothing while her gaze repeatedly switched back and forth between Jaina and the drawing.

It took her a while to find her voice. "This is..."

"Well-drawn?"

"That might be right but... I was looking for another word."

"Disgusting?"

Vereesa shook her head. "Inappropriate."

"I think the same."

"What is wrong with the student? Being obsessed with a teacher is one thing but drawing filthy stuff about them is another story..."

"I agree with you, V."

"Don't get me wrong, Jaina. You are a very beautiful woman but I would never...I mean I have imagined it from time to time but that's it." Vereesa bit her bottom lip nervously, her cheeks were almost as red as a tomato. "I just regard you as a friend and I know you feel the same about me." She cleared her throat, the redness of her cheeks faded slowly. "I have no idea why I just mentioned this..." she said quietly as she saw Jaina raising an eyebrow at her.

"Calm down, Vereesa. There is nothing you have to prove to me. You are acting as if you are the one who drew this but you didn't. A pervert did this. A pervert who lives in their own world and have no clue about reality. The students know that you and Rhonin are married and Arthas and I are married. Most students are aware of our close friendship. The artist must know that something between us will never happen, even if we would be single. We shouldn't rack our brains about the reason why the person drew this. Instead, we should figure out what we do about it."

"Is there anything we can do about it?" Vereesa asked. "It's freedom of art after all..."

"That might be right but I don't tolerate porn in my class. If he wants to draw his perverted stuff then he should do it in his free time and not in my class. Of course, I would prefer if he wouldn't do it at all but...," Jaina told.

"Do you have any idea what we should do?"

Jaina shook her head. "Not really. I have a few ideas but I'm not sure about them yet. That's why I ask for your opinion."

"Tell me about the ideas you have in mind."

"I don't want to go to the headteacher, so I suggest we talk to the student first but I'm not sure if that will help. What if he is too nervous to talk to us or if he refuses to talk to us?"

"Have you thought about someone else talking to him instead of us? Maybe the person won't be so nervous or feel ashamed in that case," Vereesa replied.

Jaina caressed her chin with her fingers, a thoughtful look could be seen on her face. "But who would do that? I don't want rumours to spread, so it should be someone we trust. Someone who knows us well enough and would never tell the other teachers about the drawings."

"What about Rhonin?" Vereesa asked. "I will tell him about the drawing anyway because we have no secrets from each other."

"Rhonin is a good choice. He is one of the most popular teachers. The chances that the student will talk if Rhonin approaches him alone are much higher than if we approach him alone or together," explained Jaina.

"I will talk to him when I see him."

"Where is he anyway?"

"He is hanging out with some of his friends. Nothing special. He will be back before the evening meal."

Jaina smiled. "That's great. That way, I can still see him and we can spend some time together before I have to bring the little ones home."

"If you don't mind, I would talk to Rhonin after you left."

"I don't mind at all. Do as you prefer."

Vereesa gave her a small smile. "Now that we came to an agreement, is there anything else you want to talk about?"

Jaina thought about it for a few moments but then shook her head. "There is nothing I want to talk about."

"Did you receive any news from your car?" the elf asked interested.

"I did. They found the problem and managed to fix it. But don't ask me what it was. I have no clue about cars nor do I remember what they told me exactly. The important thing is that it works again."

"Repairs usually are not cheap but money is not one of your worries, is it? You earn pretty well, not to mention that Arthas must earn a lot. I doubt you have any money problems," replied Vereesa.

"Arthas does earn well indeed. Much more than just well, to be honest. He does earn by far more than I do. I only work part-time and I'm just a teacher after all. There are worlds between Arthas' earnings and mine but that's understandable. He runs one of the most successful law firms in California and they are not lacking contracts."

"You have three cars and live in a beautiful house in a rich area. Sometimes I envy you, Jaina," Vereesa said with a small smile on her lips.

"I envy you because of your unproblematic marriage. If only Arthas and I would spend as much time together as you and Rhonin do. You don't seem to have any problems while things between Arthas and me have not been easy in the past months."

Vereesa leaned forward and put a hand on Jaina's left shoulder, patting it softly. "Chin up, J. Everything will get better soon. I'm sure it will."

Jaina nodded but said nothing in return, staring at the empty plate in front of her. She only lifted her gaze when the door on the other side of the room was opened and four familiar persons rushed into the room.

Two blond humans and two red-haired half-elves. Jaina's children and Vereesa's and Rhonin's twins.

They rushed to the other side of the room, paying no attention to the adults on the settee. They left the room as quickly as they had entered it, leaving the door open so that their laughter can still be clearly heard minutes later.

Jaina chuckled. "Seems they have a lot of fun."

"Guess who won't have fun cleaning the house?" asked Vereesa amused.

"Don't worry, I will help you before I go."

Vereesa lifted a hand. "No need to."

"But I still want."

"Fine. At least we have plenty of time left before we have to do that."

Jaina smiled. "There is nothing better than chilling on the settee with my best friend."