Destined Love (Jenlisa Adaptation)

Part 25

Lisa oscillated torely knocked on the back door. It seemed to her that in the sweltering silence of the late summer evening, the pounding of her heart echoed throughout the neighborhood. Lisa's senses sharpened to the extreme, every moment filled with extraordinary meaning and all because in a few seconds she would see Jennie. It was the only thing she could think about for the last few hours, and every thought of it made her stomach cramp and her breath catch in her throat.

"Lisa?"

"Irene." Lisa blushed, glad for the twilight that hid her emotions. "I'm sorry. I thought Jennie said 8:30. I'm just for..."

"Jennie's upstairs," Irene laughed and pushed the door open in front of Lisa. "She's put Minji down and I believe she's taking a shower right now. Come on in."

Lisa embarrassedly followed Irene into the dimly lit kitchen. Lisa was struck by the family atmosphere that pervaded everything and the acute sense that someone was missing. She turned and looked at Irene, who was looking at Lisa with a kind, yet questioning gaze.

"Do you want coffee?" she asked, "I just brewed some."

"That would be great. Thank you." Accepting the mug from Irene's hands, she added: "Too bad you weren't at today's match.Minji was great."

"I went into town for an afternoon session of <Arents>." Irene picked up her mug and gestured for Lisa to come to the porch, "Let's go outside. It's such a beautiful evening tonight."

Shoulder to shoulder, leaning against the metal handrail as they breathed in the warm summer air, Lisa wondered if Jennie had told Irene anything about their relationship. She didn't want to bring it up herself because she didn't want to interfere with Jennie's personal life, but she wasn't good at hiding things like that. And Irene was too important a person to Jennie and Minji to keep her in the dark.

"Did you enjoy the concert last night?" asked Irene to keep the conversation going.

"Very." It was something. Everything about that night was so special.

Irene turned to her, rested her hip on the railing and smiled. "Quite an unusual situation, isn't it?"

"Yes," to her own surprise Lisa felt no discomfort, on the contrary her shyness began to fade away. She was used to meeting problems face to face. And although, only Jennie could decide what Lisa meant to her, the initiative was now in Irene's hands. If Jennie hadn't been so tormented by the loss of Jieun, Lisa would have pursued her with the same persistence and tenacity as she had done everything in her life. But all she had to do was take one look at Jennie to see the indecision in her eyes and feel the sharp pain of a heart still reeling from the loss. It was only when they touched each other that it became clear how things should be between them.

"If it helps," Lisa continued, "I'd like to say that Jennie is the most extraordinary woman I've ever met in my life, and Minji is an amazing child. I would never do anything to hurt them." Lisa calmly held Irene's gaze. "Or you, Irene. I would try my best to avoid it. But I won't let Jennie leave me unless she asks to be let go herself."

"If Jieun were alive," Irene said calmly, without a shadow of irritation. "You wouldn't be here with Jennie."

"I wouldn't want to disturb them myself," Lisa's voice was barely audible, but her face remained calm.

"I know," Irene smiled softly and patted Lisa's shoulder gently, "And that's why I'm glad you're there for her."

Lisa exhaled slowly. "Thank you. It means a lot to me, but even more to Jennie."