The Trouble With Apples and Trees

Pet

Tullisa couldn’t remember the last time that Jesse had referred to her by that silly, little moniker he’d invented for her all those years ago. Pet. Ever since he'd used it almost twelve nights ago, it's been tormenting her.

Not only had hearing it done a number on her heart, the sound of his voice when he’d said the name, had plucked her spinal cord like a guitarist’s fingers commanding his instrument. Hearing it again, after all these years, must have set her recovery from him back a few paces as well because, every night since then he's featured as the leading role in each and every one of her dreams. 

She sighs in the early morning light seeping through the flimsy curtains and tries to hold on to the fraying ends of the one she’d just woken up from. When she comes up empty, she figures that steering clear of Jesse these past few days must mean that she is back to being weaned off her drug of choice. And being in love with Jesse is the equivalent of a drug addiction. One dose of him -- whether it’s a smile, a word or a mere look in her direction -- has her flying high until the inevitable crash. It’s just not good for her mental -- and as of very recently -- her physical health as well. 

The only reason that she makes a move to get out of bed this morning, is that she has to get to work. That's why she'd loved her college experience. Sometimes, it had been okay to just lie back and mope. Now, she's responsible for opening the office at 7 in the morning for those early birds whose pets' heath is more important than her need to sleep or sulk. 

Normally, when there is a rift between Jesse and her, she always feels under the weather. Usually, it’s more an ailment of the heart and spirit rather than anything else. As of yesterday morning, her blues had begun to manifest itself in her body as well.

Tullisa brushes the sheet off her body. Just that small movement roils her stomach a bit. She lets out a little moan of discomfort but swings her legs off the bed anyway. Her stomach curls in on itself again, causing her to pull in a deep breath in an attempt to get rid of the nausea. This silly cat and mouse/ hide and seek game, she’s been playing to avoid crossing paths with Jesse for a week and a half is putting her under unparalleled amounts of stress.

Every morning, before she leaves home, she spends some time hiding behind her curtain to track his movements. Only when she’s certain that she is in the clear and the possibility of running into him are slim to none that she will hazard darting outside and making a beeline out of his line of sight for her trusted little coup.

It reminds her a little of when they were children and she’d stalked his every move more than his own shadow. That was around the time that he’d coined the name Pet for her. Not because she’d followed him around like a lost puppy or anything but because she'd been little, so had he and they'd both had a hard time sounding out her last name -- Petrosyan. So he'd shortened it. After that, it had become a Jesse and Tullisa thing since no one else has ever used it. 

She’s kept to herself that she’d loved when he’d used those little monikers to address her by. Out of all the others that he’s used, including Tulip, this one had secretly been her favorite. That is until he’d stopped using it or any other nickname to address her by altogether.

The difference between now and then is that, rather than track his movements to gain a chance to spend time with him, once she’d zeroed in on his location, she fled in the opposite direction.

It’s ridiculous really but necessary for her sanity's sake.

The night of the show, when she’d heard him say, “Hey Pet,” her heart had literally quivered. It had quivered in her chest and the pit of her stomach had felt like a sanctuary for butterflies. The hopefulness that had built inside her had died just as quickly as it had gained life once she’d realized just why he’d come calling.

Seeing Clive at his side had confirmed what she’d already known. Jesse had only been there fishing for information from her. He might not know it, but it had been cruel of him to resurrect that special name for his own ends.

That's why she'd decided in that moment to let him wallow in his misery and pretend that she had no idea what he'd wanted. After all, she’s been living with this crippling sense of hopelessness and sorrow in her heart, for almost half her life now. It's only fair. 

Once her stomach settles a little bit, Tullisa busies herself with getting ready. From her vantage point of her bedroom window, she peeks around the curtain to survey her surroundings. Thankfully, Jesse’s morning routine is like clockwork and he very rarely deviates from it.

She makes out his form moving around in his kitchen, most likely having his coffee. After that, he’ll move deeper into his house to his upstairs bedroom which he had shared with his wife. He’ll sit on the bed for a bit, doing God knows what. She’s not sure what occupies his time during those moments and she’s curious to know. However, it’s not like she can go ahead and ask him. Besides avoiding him so fervently standing in her way, what exactly would she say?

Hey there, Jesse. I’ve been observing you from my bedroom window every morning and I noticed that, after you’ve had your coffee, you walk upstairs to sit on your bed for a little while with your head bowed. What are you doing then? Praying?

Not likely.

After he’s finished with that morning ritual, he either disappears deeper into the house for a few seconds or holes himself up in what is now his workshop. Whichever he does, it presents Tullisa with the opportunity to sneak away.

And so she does this morning. 

Small as Fresh Water is, Dr. Schumacher's Veterinary clinic is always busy on account of him being the most seasoned and revered animal doctor in the entire county. Plus, he's very keen on customer service and his rates do not reflect that of this capitalist society. If Dr. Schumacher could survive on just the love of his patients and their owners, he'd do just that.

"Hey, Tullisa," he calls to her. 

"Yes, Dr. Schumacher," she answers. 

"I'm gonna need you to drive the next town over to pick up a few supplies for our stock," he explains. 

"I know, doc," she says. "I've been putting it off for a bit until this place slows down. We're not at critical levels as yet, are we?"

What she doesn't say is that the long drive will probably exacerbated her nauseated tummy. 

"Not yet but better safe than sorry."

"You'll be alright on your own?" she asks. "It's a bit busy."

He waves off her concern. "Sure, I will. I'm an old goat in this."

Two hours later, Tullisa pulls out of the VetMeds supply chain in the town of Boeri. It's both larger and more progressive than Fresh Water which is why most people from her small community make the four or so hour two way trip to shop and conduct business. 

She pushes her trolley to her car and pops the trunk to deposit the three boxes. Her discomfort has kicked into overdrive so she walks across to the pharmacy in the strip mall for something that help soothe her stomach. 

The isle glaring at her as soon as she enters is lined with pregnancy tests and other feminine products.

Tullisa's eyes widen.

It's not possible. Could it be? It has to be too early to tell. Besides, she'd ensured that Jesse had used protection. 

She rifles in her bag for her phone with trembling hands. After waking the screen, she fiddles with the device while trying to think of what to type into the search engine. Eventually, she searches for signs of early pregnancy and balks even further. 

Trepidation suddenly replaces the churning in her stomach but she takes a few timid steps into the isle. It would be just her luck to have s*x for the first time with a drunk man who doesn't even remember it and wind up pregnant. As a matter of fact, it would probably serve her right for being so stupid. 

"I need you," Jesse had said to her that night. "Please, Tully, I just need..."

All she'd intended to do was offer a hug but when he'd held her, his hands had began to wander down her back and over her butt. He'd kissed her neck and palmed her breasts and his touch had turned her to putty in his hands. 

Of their own volition, her hand reaches up to take the box of the shelf. Sometimes, this place is crawling with residents from Fresh Water so she turns quickly to double back to the cashier near the exit. 

It's just her luck indeed, because right then she runs smack into none other than Liza-Beth. 

Tullisa's face turns white as a sheet as all the blood in her body drains to her toes. 

"I...I...it's..." she sputters. 

But one glance at the look on Liza's face confirms all of Tullisa's fears. Liza won't believe a thing she has to say. Not only that, it's very doubtful that by the time she gets home, the entire county won't know that she's probably pregnant. 

The pregnancy test feels like a boulder where it's tucked into the pocket of her back. She'd wrapped it up in brown paper bag and secreted it away but even if she hadn't run into Liza-Beth, pregnancy is not something that can be kept a secret. If no one noticed her growing belly, they'd sure as hell notice a baby crying on her shoulder or sucking on her breast. 

Her biggest worry, more than her mother going batshit over this -- getting impregnated by a man who doesn't even love her -- is what Jesse will say. Even if she decides the best thing to do now is move out of Fresh Water in the dead of night before anyone can find out, could she really rob him of this?

Unfortunately, by the time she makes it back to Dr. Schumacher's office and opens the door, she comes face to face with her mother. Her red face and the smoke coming out of her ears says it all.

Liza-Beth hadn't kept her mouth shut longer than a minute. 

"What the hell, Tullisa?" Lily fumes. 

"Calm down, mom," Tullisa says dryly to downplay the drama before it gets out of hand. 

She deposits the large box onto the counter and adopts a defensive stance. "I hardly think that the reception area at the Vet is the place to discuss this."

Lily grabs her by the upper arm and without any concern for where she's going, pushes into the first door she comes across. She spreads her arms out indicating to the unoccupied space and demands, "is this a good place, then? You tell me who the bastard was and I will have him strung up in a minute."

"It was Jesse," Tullisa sighs without hesitation. "But to be fair..." she starts to explain.

Lily's eyes almost bug out of her head. 

"Jesse?" she hisses. "How? When did this happen? How did it?"

"Mom, I'm not giving you any details," Tullisa sulks. "Just leave it alone, alright? it was a mistake."

"A mistake?" Lily seethes. "Did he say that you? Because if he did...

Without waiting for Tullisa to reply, she stomps towards the door and yanks it open. 

"He didn't say that," Tullisa chases after her to say. "I'm saying that to I me."

"I don't care," Lily growls. "That son of a..."

A happy whistling tune informs them both of Dr. Schumacher's approach. He pokes his head back into the reception area and calls, "Tullisa, I'm glad you're back. Amy Fuller's cat's got a piece of metal stuck in his paw, poor little guy. Won't you give him a look over for me?"

"Sure thing, doc," she looks at him to answer. 

By the time Tullisa turns to give her mother her attention and warn her against any sort of retribution, all she sees is the back of her head and the door swinging shut behind her. 

"It's going to be a long day," Tullisa mumbles to herself.