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If there was one thing that you could say about Janine, without a hint of doubt is that she would never let something go, not before trying everything to fix it or to make it better. She would be found dead in a ditch before accepting her defeat in a subject before fighting for a solution, and when that something was related to her beloved work family, oh Lord, she wouldn’t cave! After all, she was a Sagittarius.
So when she found out about Melissa's beef with her own sister, she felt pulled into the very private life of the older teacher, determined to make things better between the two south Philly women. She even had a plan, to make Melissa feel comfortable enough, to be able to share her feelings about the situation, and then, open up about how Janine could fix their relationship. Easy peasy.
The younger teacher had her head in the game, completely focused, and it was with that focus that she marched into Melissa's house on a Wednesday after school, for a cooking lesson and a chance to chat.
"So Melissa, where did you learn how to cook?". She starts, trying to sound interested, and also, nonchalant. She read somewhere that that was a thing to initiate small talk, and was willing to try.
"With my nonna, when I was a kid". The italian answers quickly, but there’s a fondness in her voice and soft smile displayed on her lips. "My mama was a teacher, she was working all the time, and my pa wasn't in the picture, so I had a lotta free time in my nonnas kitchen."
"That sounds nice", Janine comments, a smile on her own lips, feeling that warm and nice feeling spreading on her chest, imagining what would be like to have that kind of relationship.
"Yeah, was really nice. She taught me every dish that she had stored in that lil' head of hers, and wrote it down the rest", for a moment, Melissa seems to lose herself in memories, and a smile spreads over her face. "It's nice to teach it to someone", she adds, taking Janine by surprise.
"Ow, Melissa, that's so sweet!", the younger one says, with a pout and both of her hands over her chest, moved by the soft words, as Melissa rolls her eyes.
"Yes, sugary. Now come over here and put an apron. You don't wanna stain your lovely sweater", she teases, pointing at the too bright and colorful choice of outfit, and Janine shrugs, before doing what she said. For a while, she forgets about her plan and enjoys her cooking lesson.
"Oh Melissa, that is so good. I bet your family love your cooking!", Janine points, after a while, as soon as she tastes the tomato sauce that was simmering at the stove, and Melissa smiles proudly.
"Yeah, those who get to taste it, never forgets" she plays, her innuendo on point and Janine laughs, not used to be so at easy with her colleague - who she lately started to think as her second work mom.
"I bet you're the best cook in your family!".
"Yeah, agreed. But my bocchinara cousin Anette insists that she's the best. Vacca!" she mumbles, seemingly annoyed, and Janine doesn't need to speak italian to understand that she's clearly offending her cousin, and those weren't nice offenses.
"Hmm, what about your sisters?", one more time, Janine tries for nonchalant, but her curiosity is peaking.
"Sister, singular. And we're not talking about that puttana", Melissa warns, her disdain dripping on her voice, offended by the mention of her sister, but Janine won't let it go.
"Why not?", she asks, genuinely interested, and gets a deep and loud breath as an answer.
"I know what you trying to do, Janine, and I'm warning you, leave it", once again, the warning tone, combined with that green death stare and pursed lips.
One year ago, the younger teacher would be scared as hell, but now, she knows that deep down - or not so deep at all - Melissa was a softie, with the biggest heart in Philly, so she pushes the subject further.
"I'm just worried about you! The other day, when you saw her, you seemed so hurt, and I hate seeing you like that!"
“Drop it Janine, I’m done with her!"
“But Melissa, she’s your…”, she tries but gets interrupted by the annoyed tone of the italian one.
“Sister, I know! But what she did to me? Nope, I’m not forgiving or forgetting”, Melissa sounds resolute, and again, a bit hurt.
“You said that day on the school district that you miss your sister!”
“I know what I said, yeah, and I also said that she blackmailed me”, Melissa remembers, pointing her finger at her own chest, getting angrier by the minute.
“Oh, that can’t be too big. It’s not like you committed a crime… right? You didn’t commit a crime…”, Janine doesn't sound too sure of herself, 'cause there's a small part in her that believes that Melissa could commit a crime, given the circumstances and opportunity.
“No, and that’s worse!", the older one is quick to point out. "She’s a heartless monster”
“C’mon Melissa, what could’ve been so bad that she blackmailed you?”
“Let. It. Go. Janine!”, she says slowly, punctuating her sentence, almost reaching breaking point, ‘cause that subject can really crawl under her skin, and she doesn’t want to lose it on Janine. She has nothing to do with that mess.
“No, you’re clearly hurt ‘cause you miss your sister, and I bet that she loves you!”, God, how can someone be so annoying? Melissa muses, but she gets carried away by the argument.
“Yeah?" she asks, ironically, and before she can stop herself, she's spitting the next words: "She should’ve thought of this love when she blackmailed me about my sexuality”. There it was, and Melissa regrets instantly, watching Janine's face fall.
“Your…what?”, she asks, confused, completely thrown in a loop.
“There, I said it. Now drop it”, Melissa states, ready to beg the young one to really let that subject go, 'cause it causes a whole lot of pain and bad memories.
“What? Melissa, you’re…”, she tries to find the words, but she's struggling with shock.
“Straight? Hell no!”
“But you date…”
“Gary, and he’s a man, but sexuality isn’t black or white. C’mon, you should be giving me this talk, no the other way around”, she gestures her hand between the both of them, annoyed that the gen-z lady in the conversation isn't catching up on the fluid sexuality and all that Twitter debate.
“You’re bi?”, Janine finally manages to form a whole sentence, and Melissa huffs out a breath.
“Yes, thank you for catching up!"
"Since when?", she's asking before she can stop herself.
"Since 1989, when that wasn’t a very nice thing to be”, Melissa rolls her eyes, and this time, she's the one trying to sound nonchalant.
“And you were… open?”
“Hum, have you know my family? 'Course I wasn’t open!”, she deadpans, touching her temple as if asking if Janine had lost her mind, and shakes her head negatively.
“And that’s why your sister blackmailed you!” Oh! Realization daws painfully, and she feels sorry for Melissa.
“Yeah, she wanted our nonna's old recipe book for herself, and she threatened to tell the whole family about my ‘sinful life choices”
“She did it for a cooking book?”, she almost yells, too shocked, mad, and overwhelmed by the conversation, and Melissa nods.
“And the cash that was inside it”.
"Melissa, I'm so sorry!" Janine manages to say, after a beat, and she crosses the kitchen in a quick stride, hugging Melissa without a warning. "You shouldn't have to be through this, and I'm so sorry that this happened".
Oh shit, Janine was going to make her cry. Melissa fought back tears and so surprised by the hug, that took her a second to wrap her arms around the little one, before closing her eyes and fully accepting the embrace. It was nice to feel this acceptance.
"Thank you, Janine", she sniffs back her tears and tries to contain her runing nose, and Janine pulls back, without breaking their hug.
"Does anyone knows?", she asks, hesitantly.
"My ex-husband knows and isn't very kind about it, and the priest from my church also knows and also isn't nice about it", she deflates, letting herself be vulnerable in the presence of the younger one.
"Anyone in school knows?"
"Barbara does. She always knew, even before I told her." She shrugs and makes a joke, to try to distract Janine from that information. She already shared too much. "That one is a hell of a perceptive woman"
"She is", Janine agrees, smiling softly, and her chest constricts. "I'm sorry for pushing you about your sister. I wouldn't if I..."
"Relax Janine, I'm fine, and I'll continue to be fine".
"Thank you for telling me."
"Yeah, you basically pulled the truth out of me. Like a Schemmenti would", the comment takes Janine - once again by surprise - and the younger one smiles widely, feeling, even more, closer to Melissa.
Definitely her second work mom.