Loved You First (Jenlisa) COMPLETED

27

"Nini, do you want the copper mixing bowls in the big box or packed separately?"

Nayeon placed her hands on her hips as she awaited an answer.

"Big box is fine," Jennie answered absently.

She stared at the framed photo on the wall of her and her dad when she was six years old. Her face and hands were covered in flour, and she was standing on a step stool to reach the counter. Her father beamed at the camera from alongside her.

She loved that photo.

Her eyes brushed past it daily in the course of customers and recipes and deliveries. But that photo was what it had been all about.

Reverently, she lifted it from the hook on the wall and held it in her hands. It was so lightweight for the amount of value it carried within.

This was the end of an era. There seemed to be a lot of that lately. There were two days left until she closed the doors of Flour Child for good. She tried to imagine what it would be like, but she'd never known life without this place.

She felt hands on her shoulders and turned to face Nayeon who regarded her with sympathetic eyes.

"Don't let yourself get caught up and sad. You had a lot of good years in this little shop. We all did. Concentrate on the good times. Meanwhile, we got a lot of work to do. So let's pack this place in two shakes of a sheep's tail. Got me?"

Jennie stared at her blankly. "I have no idea what that means, but I'm up for the challenge of figuring it out."

They divided their time between the daily grind of running the shop and packed during lulls in customer traffic.

"Nayeon," Jennie said as she examined the various pans for what to keep and what to trash. "What do you think you'll do now?"

Nayeon stood from the box she was packing.

"Well, I wanted to wait for the right time to tell you, but I think I'll be planning a wedding."

She pulled the work gloves off her hand, and there, displayed in all its glory, was a small, shiny engagement ring.

"Whoa." Jennie placed her hand over her heart. "Nayeon, it's so beautiful. Oh my God, come here right now." She held her arms out and Nayeon moved immediately into them. "Congratulations. When did this happen?"

"A couple of days ago. Kai shocked the hell out of me. Got down on his knee in the middle of my living room. Even made me cry. Can you believe that? Me crying?"

"I can't. But I love it. Vulnerability could be your new thing." She looked at her in wonder. "You're going to be a wife, Nayeon. I'm shaking with excitement right now, if you haven't noticed. Where will you live? Your place? His apartment? Your place is cuter."

"Kai's got a job interview in Namgu. If he gets it, we'll be good to go, and I think we'll shop around for a new place of our own. If not, we've talked about moving back home. Make things easier on us financially. My folks have a nice guest house on their property."

It was a horrible idea. The worst ever. "To Jeju? Oh, Nayeon, no. You can't leave. You're my best friend. I've never had an honest to goodness best friend before."

Tears formed in Nayeon's eyes. "Well, you're my best friend too. And now I've gone and started crying again. What is this all about? It's these stupid hormones. That's what it is. I'm not a crier."

Jennie's eyes widened as a whole new suspicion took hold. "Nayeon, are you hinting at what I think you're hinting at, because I'm about to freak out here."