Vanessa, to Charlotte's delight, was weirdly easy to talk to.
Even when she clearly disagreed on something, she listened first, raised her doubts, and then gave her honest opinion.
Charlotte knew that it had only been two hours with her but, she felt safe. Like home.
Vanessa might seem serious and unbothered at first glance, with her dry dark humor and sarcastic nature but, she cared deeply about everything around her.
They arrived at her house a bit after midnight, only to find a man at her doorway.
Vanessa cursed before she went ahead to kick the man awake. He was drunk.
"Woah… What…?"
"You're here again, that's what!" Vanessa argued, disgusted.
The man smiled lazily at her. "Godmother! You came…"
Vanessa sighed, tired and just about done emotionally.
"Ethan, you can't keep doing this to yourself."
Ethan's smile grew even more. "I knew you'd care."
Vanessa was evidently tired, so she turned to the silent Charlotte.
"This pathetic drunk here is my good friend, Ethan. Going through puberty once more."
Ethan laughed aloud.
His voice was breathy, melodious, and very… very infectious.
Charlotte didn't know what to say to that. Should she just nod? Well, she chose to stick to shrugging. It made her seem cool in her head, and that was enough.
Vanessa then went to lift Ethan, up from the ground. He was all dirty and wet.
"And Ethan? This is my niece from a sister, from another mother and father. Her name is Charlotte, and she'll be living with me."
Ethan flashed Charlotte a big smile. "Hello, sister. I'm usually very pretty."
Charlotte blushed a deep shade of red.
Vanessa rolled her eyes as she struggled with her door lock. "He's gayer than gay."
The door got unlocked, and Ethan cheered. Vanessa frowned.
Charlotte smiled, entered, then dropped her bag on the floor near Vanessa's bed.
Vanessa was busy undressing Ethan. "You can put your clothes in my closet. Lord knows there's more space in there than on my bed."
Charlotte smiled again, amazed and impressed by Vanessa.
She was already done unpacking when Ethan got out of the shower, deliciously naked, beautiful, and perfect.
Ethan smiled when he saw her face. "I'm still gay, though… we could kiss?"
Charlotte blushed, and Vanessa threw him a bar of soap from the bathroom.
"Don't you dare!" thundered Vanessa, making Ethan laugh.
He seemed sober enough. Or was he just faking it before? Charlotte wondered.
"So what's your story?" Ethan asked as he put on his clean boxers from the closet.
Charlotte blinked.
"My story?" she then asked, puzzled.
"I meant no judgment," Ethan said seriously. "Mother Nessa is famous for her love of picking up strays."
Charlotte felt a pang in her heart. A stray?
"She's family, and you're not. I'd behave, if I were you," Vanessa said, getting out of the bathroom before turning to Charlotte.
"There's hot water." Vanessa gestured to the bathroom. Charlotte nodded before she went in.
Vanessa was a good person, Charlotte observed. Her house wasn't massive, not beautiful nor expensive, but it was cozy… simple.
It screamed Vanessa.
Charlotte could hear her nagging Ethan about his crude personality, and she couldn't help the smile that forced its way onto her face.
This was it.
This was her life.
***
Ethan cleared his throat some time later, when they were all in bed.
It was a big bed.
"I left him," he said quietly, and Vanessa tensed.
"I couldn't go on," he continued. "He found out about Matt and threatened to withdraw his college sponsorship."
Vanessa exhaled. "That sucks… So what now?"
Ethan snorted. "Good thing he thinks it's just a crush on my part. Unrequited love."
Vanessa gasped, mortified. "He doesn't know that you guys did it on his bed?"
Ethan laughed, and Charlotte scoffed.
"And we even used his condoms!" he said proudly.
"Did they fit, Matt?" Vanessa asked, invested.
Ethan scoffed. "After three tears… we decided to go raw."
"You pigs!" chided Vanessa, and they all laughed.
"Thank you for paying my rent," Vanessa said on a serious note. "I was so sure I was going to find my things on the street."
Silence.
It was obvious that he wasn't used to Vanessa's soft side.
"I'm glad I can help," he said at last.
"Did you talk to your mom?" Vanessa asked suddenly, and Ethan shifted on the bed.
"I don't think I can," he replied sadly. "She's still fragile and traumatized by her past with me."
"So you are her trigger?" Charlotte found herself asking aloud, and before she could take anything back, Ethan breathed out in frustration.
"It's worse when it's face to face. The last time, she had to be sedated after meeting me," Ethan explained.
Charlotte had so many follow-up questions, but she figured that Ethan had had enough for one day.
That was something she obviously didn't share with Vanessa.
"She still needs to know, Ethan," Vanessa pointed out.
And Ethan, bless his heart… he agreed.