Is it Fate?

17

Kai moved over to the door where Jennie was standing.

"Hey hon," he said as he pecked Jennie on the lips.

Jennie had been caught so off guard by the action that she hadn't had time to move away or react. She hadn't kissed Kai on the lips since Lisa had woken up. She'd avoided it at all costs so she hadn't expected it. She immediately looked at Lisa hoping she hadn't seen but judging by how Lisa had momentarily frozen—Jennie knew she had. Jennie wanted to strangle Kai for it.

Kai turned to see Lisa's reaction. He had seen how Ella had been clutching hard to Lisa's hand excitedly bouncing up and down as Lisa and his wife talked. Jennie had been smiling so genuinely and it had sent him into a jealous rage. It had been all he ever wanted to have and Lisa hadn't even had to try, both Jennie and Ella had looked smitten. He wanted to assert his superiority despite how childish it had been.

Lisa had tried very hard not to react. She had known of course. Jennie was married so of course she was intimate with someone other than her but she had tried not to imagine it. Tried to push it back.

Seeing it in person though was even worse than she could have imagined. Seeing someone touch Jennie's lips after knowing Lisa had been the first and only one to have claimed them made a heavy crushing weight press against her chest that made it hard to breathe and her throat to close up. She wanted to swallow the sickening feeling that crawled across her body. She wanted to punch the guy and then cry her eyes out.

Instead she froze for a second before leaning down to Ella's eye level. Ella was her comfort. Ella would help her get through this before she broke down in front of the woman she was in love with and the man that had stolen her from Lisa.

"I had fun with you baby girl."

"I had so much fun with you too mama! I love you!" She said before wrapping her tiny arms around Lisa's neck in the tightest hug and giving her a wet kiss on the cheek. It was almost as if Ella knew that Lisa needed it.

Ella did know it. She had seen how her mama's smile had dropped when Kai showed up, she wasn't stupid.

"I love you too, baby girl." Lisa actually smiled genuinely as she said it because it was the first time she had gotten to say it back. Ella jumped on her again at that and almost knocked her down. She held Lisa even longer and tighter than the first time before pulling away. Lisa gave Ella a peck on the cheek as Ella smiled at her mama adoringly.

Lisa got up from her crouch and without looking at Jennie directly she said her goodbyes.

"Taxi's waiting. Thanks for letting me borrow Ella."

She turned on her heel and walked as fast but as normally as she could and got out of there.

She still somehow managed to hear Jennie's faint, "goodbye, Lisa."

Jennie sounded sad but Lisa had no time to think about it.

So much for winning the battle, Lisa thought. Kai was winning the war.

Actually, if Lisa really thought about it, Kai had already won. He had stolen her girl.

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Jennie tried hard not to slam the door when Lisa's taxi was finally out of sight.

"Ella baby, can you go upstairs and put the stuff your mama bought you in your room? I'll be up there in a minute to help."

"Okay mommy."

Jennie was fuming but she controlled herself long enough for Ella to be out of earshot. She would never, ever argue with Kai in front of Ella. She grabbed Kai harshly by the collar and dragged him into the garage, just in case. No sooner had she shut the door before she yelled.