Work Text:
Jamie loved Dani.
She loved the way that Dani listened to her when she needed a shoulder to lean on. Jamie had never had that kind of support before. Not in the way that Dani gave it, anyways. Yes, Jamie had gotten some levels of support from the Wingraves when they had taken a chance and hired her. And yes, she had gotten support from Owen and Hannah when things got tough at the manor. But, it wasn’t the same as what she got from Dani. Dani never wavered, just kept her steady on the days that she couldn’t be the strong one. When Jamie had nightmares, when she felt defeated by rude customers, when she was worried about reconnecting with Mikey after all these years. Dani was there for all of it.
She loved the way that Dani tried so hard to help in the shop, not just because she was trying to do something nice to Jamie, but because she genuinely loved doing the work. Besides, Dani understood numbers in a way that Jamie never could, so having her around to do the bookkeeping was a blessing. It was more than that, though. Dani had neverending patience and could handle the customers that Jamie couldn’t. She seemed to find the good in those people, to empathize with them and listen in ways that Jamie couldn’t. Yet, she never caved to them, never abandoned their store policies or her own values just because a customer was angry. She held her own, always. Jamie reckoned that Dani was the strongest woman she’d ever met.
She loved the way that Dani found joy in the little things. Both of them had been through so much in their lives, so much trauma. It was enough to break a person, to make them lose all hope. But it didn’t break either of them. Jamie always believed that she survived all of it because she had Dani showing her how. She watched the way that Dani got so excited when she finally made a good cup of tea. She watched the way that Dani tried and failed to hide a smile when Jamie brought home yet another plant to be saved. She watched the way that Dani’s eyes lit up every morning when they sat in the garden with their coffee and laughed about the birds overhead. She watched Dani, who had everything to lose, find joy in even the tiniest parts of their lives. Jamie learned to do the same, and her life was better for it.
Jamie loved Dani. She loved her enough to let her go when the time came. Their time together had been shorter than they had wanted, but they had changed each other’s lives for the better just the same. What they’d had was perfect, just the way it was.
And Jamie loved Dani.
