Jack didn't know what to say.
Selena kept yelling at him.
"I am not a tree. I need to talk with you not just be next to you!"
Jack was jobless for quite a long time. He finally got a job, and he tried as best as he could. But Selena was not happy that he was constantly working with his new work, not having time ro talk with her anymore. He was hired by an online company recently. He majored in Fine Art. And it wasn't good for making a living.
He struggled to find a job for a long time. Selena didn't nag at him at all whilst he wasn't having a job. She supported him financially and mentally, working 12 hours a day. She was a freelancer designer. They met each other when they were freshmen, majoring in Fine Art. Jack sticked to Fine Art, but Selena changed the path, and started to design logos for local stores.
She gave away her piece of work to shop owners around the town. She designed logos and stickers for each store in the town, and when shopowners were willing to use them fir their shop, Selena got paid.
In the morning, she visited shops around the town, and gave away her designed pieces to shop owners. After that, she would look for other shops that she needs to create logos and stickers for.
In the afternoon and the evening, nearly till 11 p.m., she started to design logos and stickers based on the pictures she took at stores she found in the morning. She searched for the stores on the Internet, and found some information about the stores to be inspired for her design.
She was a full time logo designer. Half of the stores around her and his studio used Selena's logo and stickers. She was trying to expand her business to the stores in downtown area.
Jack felt sorry for that. Because Selena had to work so hard to make a living. He always tried to find a job. But with his major, he couldn't make money. Companies didn't want that major. He thought about working with Selena, but he realized that he had to compete her if he was going to make logos in this city.
He tried to make logos and stickers for online stores across the country, but online stores usually already had their own logos, and ignored Jack's offer. And there was one online company that was offering online classes. Jack sent an email and showed the employee of that company his designs by email to figure out if they were willing to use his designs. But they replied to him with a proposal. He read the email carefully because it was the first time that he received the answer to his email. They proposed a job. They wanted his online lessons. They said that they don't have design classes yet on their website. Jack had to create video lessons on designs to be hired by them.
Jack was happy and said yes immediately. He sent his resume right away. This time, he was not nervous. They specifically wanted the online classes for creating art pieces. He thought that this time his major would be useful for the job.
After he got hired by that online company, he got so excited that he planned several different classes in advance. For example, one class for Fine Art, another class for designing logos, and the other class for coloring practices.
All of these three classes were allowed on the website by the class manager finally, and he started to make video lessons.
Because he was new to video editing, he searched for apps and instructions. Selena even purchased a video editing app for him to use. Now he had the tool, but how to utilize it was another problem.
Everyday, for 3 hours, he focused on learning how to use the app. He searched for instructions on the Internet, and read the text instructions and watched the video instructions with care. Then he needed to remember certain useful functions, he wrote it down in his small notebook, and memorized those notes thoroughly. After that, he ate lunch, and started to film his online classes.
Because he started classes with 3 subjects, the number of videos he had to create was a lot. For the whole afternoon and evening, he solely focused on creating videos.
What Jack feels confused about now is that Selena worked till 11 p.m. everyday. Wasn't she the one who didn't give me the quality time with her? She was busy anyways. Now Jack works from the morning till 11 p.m. too. That's right. But even before Jack started to work like this, Selena was too busy to talk with him.
What did I do wrong by getting hired? Why is she so angry? We couldn't afford to talk to each other anyways.
Jack quietly replied to Selena's shout.
"Even before I got hired, we didn't have time to talk to each other. You were so busy already. Do I have to goof around and do nothing while you are busy at work till 11 p.m.? I'd rather get hired and do something for a living for both of us."
Selena started to sob now.
"I don't want you to get a job."
Selena got on her knees.
"I'm fine working as a breadwinner."
Jack widely opened his eyes.
"Selena, are you perhaps complaining now?"
Selena could hardly speak because she bursted into tears.
"I am so tired."
Selena managed to speak that.
Jack approached Selena, and hugged her.
"Do you want to quit your freelancer job?"
Selena wiped her tears, and said, "I don't want to work till 11 p.m. I want to talk with you. I feel like we are going to go numb about each other if we keep going like this."
Jack asked Selena, "I believe that we deserve to have time to talk with each other in the evening. How about we work till 7 p.m. and after that, we have our quality time everyday?"
"Is it going to be enough if I work till only 7 p.m.?"
"This month's classes will give us money next month. There are already several class takers for my lessons. I think it will grow every month. You don't have to work till 11 p.m. anymore. And, I will go slow with my classes. So far I uploaded 3 videos per day. But from now on I'll make a video per day and finish work before 7 p.m."
Selena stared at Jack with her teary eyes.
"But I'm nervous. What if we get poor for both of us?"
"That's why we need to work till 11 p.m. for now. Class takers for my lessons are not enough yet. Let's say that till I have enough students for my lessons, we work till 11 p.m."
"I don't want to work from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m."
Jack finally understood that Selena didn't like her freelancer job so much. He always looked up on her, but she was feeling tired and burdened all the time. Jack thought Selena was such a creative person to create this freelancer job on her own.
Jack patted Selena and said, "Till I make half of what you make now, we need to work till 11 p.m. We need to do the math. You and I are working really hard, and because I got the work from home job which makes money automatically without my everyday work after I upload certain amount of videos, if I make a lot of money, you don't have to work anymore. You've already done a lot for me."
"When those shop owners reject my designs, I feel so anxious all the time. I want to take a rest, Jack."
"Hey, Selena, you are self-employed. If you want a day off, you can always stay at home for the day. But I know that you worry that you won't make money that day. But I think I already earned your income for a day. It will enter my bank account next month. So this month, you can have a day off."
Selena wiped her tears, and with those wet fingers, grabbed Jack's cheeks.
"It's already past 12 a.m. I have to go to bed for tomorrow's work."
"No, Selena. My classes already saved your income per day. We will get it next month even though you have a day off this month tomorrow."
"I feel nervous to have a day off."
"Please have a rest. You've been working too hard. It's not healthy to work without a break at all."
Selena hugged Jack.
"Are you going to earn much money for me?"
"Yes, Selena, a lot. I will work really hard."
"Come to bed with me, Jack."
Selena grabbed Jack's wrist, and led him to bed.