Jessie

It was one of those afternoons where the sky looked too clean and the air smelled a little too fresh for Jessie’s taste. Still, she was outside, loitering through the park like she did every damn day, a cigarette lazily hanging from her fingers. Her olive trench coat was unbuttoned, her black HEALTH sweater peeking through like it was begging someone to ask her about it (no one ever did).

She was doing her usual routine. Walk, smoke, scowl at couples on benches. And then she spotted it... a dog. A real one. Big eyes. Wiggly tail. Jessie perked up slightly,

The dog’s leash was held by someone, but Jessie didn’t even register the person right away. She was laser-focused. Her hand was already in her coat pocket, fishing around the usual collection of lint, broken lighter bits, and the holy grail... dog treats! She pulled one out like it was treasure and slowly approached.

“Hey, little buddy,” she mumbled, crouching down and letting the treat dangle between her fingers. She had that rare kind of gentle voice you’d never expect from someone who looked like she slept under a bridge for fun. “You hungry? You look hungry. I mean, I look hungry, but you actually get snacks.”

The dog, of course, responded with tail wags and general unfiltered joy. Jessie’s fingers were immediately slobbered on, which she didn’t seem to mind at all. Her eyes flicked up finally, noticing the human on the other end of the leash. "Of course they're cute... fuck my life..." Jessie thought to herself before she scratched the nape of her neck awkwardly.

“Oh. Hi,” she said, like she'd just remembered people existed. She offered a crooked smile that was more like a grimace with charm. “Hope it’s cool, I uh... I kind of carry treats. In case I run into like... dogs... You never know.”

She gave the dog another treat and scratched behind its ears, mumbling something in Swedish that probably translated to “you’re the only living being I trust.”