Consummate Love

|32|

"Then he can take my hand and shake it."

"Not even a kiss?"

Jisoo chuckled softly and brushed a stray strand from the little girl's face. "Sure. Maybe a kiss for old time's sake."

"On the hand only? What about the cheeks? Or your lips?"

"He can get a kiss or two on the cheeks, I guess." She leaned down and kissed Hara goodnight on the forehead. Then she pat her lips with the tips of her fingers. "But not on these lips. I've got this reserved for the person I like."

The little girl smiled and opened her mouth wide before she nodded for finally understanding. She's the first one that got to know that Jisoo likes someone else so the older girl made a shushing gesture. Hara giggled again before closing her eyes as Jisoo caressed her face for some comfort. Soon enough, all of them were asleep that there was only one more thing to take care of before she could rest for the night and wake up for the next day.

'Now... next are the boys, huh? May they agree to sleep already...'

~***~

"Jisoo?"

"Neh eommoni?"

Jisoo answered from her helping with preparation of utensils and plates for their Christmas feast. It's not much but wanting to give more since she has too much to spare, there are greater number of dishes and, of course, flavors of chicken she couldn't resist. There was an even bigger cake and some desserts she thought the kids would love to have just like how her eyes lightened up with the sight of them when she was younger.

"So how is it? Working in that place? You haven't been sharing to me what has been happening to you."

"Oh great. Just great, eommonim." She smiled because though it was tiring sometimes and difficult, the last ones that lingers in her memory was of Jennie's smiles and laughs before she left. "I mean, draining sometimes but I get enough rest and good time."

'Lots of good time.' She sarcastically said internally.

"So they've been treating you nicely?"

"Neh, eommonim."

'So nice lately that I wonder what's going on Jennie's mind...'

"Well would they mind if you stay here for a longer time?"

"Neh?"

"You didn't hear what I said? You seem to space off a lot now, Jisoo-ah."

Song Sae Ra is already an old woman but she could still notice every little change that happens with Jisoo. They had kept her in the orphanage and treated her as one of her own but there was always something special about Jisoo. She wouldn't say she has favorites but Jisoo is really the one closest to her heart and the woman missed her just as much, maybe even more than the children do.

"Sorry, eommonim. It's just..." Jisoo prevented herself for letting out a sigh or mentioning all about Jennie. Because she might go overboard and make the latter having too much information to comprehend. "Wait, you want me to stay here and not come back to them by tomorrow?"

"That's what I said if you were listening." She chuckled at the pout Jisoo showed her. Sometimes she could still see the little girl in the teenager one. "Maybe you could ask them a favor? Do they need you back immediately? At least stay until Friday?"