I built this Home for me, for you

Chapter 20

"Wha- Jennie! You can't cancel your appointments. You've only been back three days, and I have to go back to work as well," Lisa exasperatedly told her, glancing down at her watch.

Smiling widely at her, Jennie crossed over to the coat stand, pulling on hers and picking up her handbag, while Lisa hurried to put her own coat back on, before taking the hand Jennie held out to her. "I own the company, darling, and my mom owns the other one, so we can do whatever we please. Besides, when my wife comes here asking if I've ever fallen out of love with her, it makes me more inclined to skip so I can spend some time with her and make sure she knows that I do."

Laughing, Lisa rolled her eyes, "I never doubted you for a second."

"Still, we're doing something fun," Jennie said, quickly squeezing her hand, "and family will always come before work, and you-" she punctuated her sentence with a kiss, "are the best family I could ever have dreamed of."

"Okay, well, where are we going?" Lisa asked.

"It's a surprise," Jennie said, giving her a quick wink, before fixing the collar of Lisa's coat and leading them both out of the office.

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"The pier?" Lisa asked, looking out at the grey water and the long stretch of old planks stretching out over it. It was windy and Lisa shielded her face with a hand as she looked around at the mostly empty promenade spread out before them.

"Mhm," Jennie said, smiling slightly, shutting the car door behind her and locking it. Rounding the car, she looped her arm through Lisa's, "now, our first first. What was it?"

"Hotdogs," Lisa instantly replied, "we went to the movies. We got hotdogs afterwards, and I got it all over my face. It's a miracle you even wanted to date me."

Jennie laughed, slowly walking towards the start of the pier, "I still thought you were beautiful - I still do - but yes, hotdogs. And what was the second?"

Lisa paused for a moment, frowning slightly as she pursed her lips, "are you testing me? You know I have albums full of every moment, so I'm going to get all the questions right. It was the carnival, near the pi- oh. But there's no carnival at this pier."

Kissing her on the shoulder of her coat, Jennie smiled, "it's not a test, and yes, you're right, we're at the wrong one. You know what they do have though? Hotdogs and arcade games."

Laughing, Lisa let Jennie lead them over to the nearest hotdog vendor, ordering them both one, and, hand in hand, they slowly walked down the pier, watching seagulls wheel around against the grey sky, fighting over fries and garbage. It wasn't too cold that day, but when Jennie shivered slightly as they sat down on a bench at the end of the pier, Lisa wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The sea was choppy, the grey waves rushing towards them as they stared out at the freighter ships in the bay, looking so small that they could've been toys. Jennie smiled as Lisa crumpled her hotdog wrapper and immediately pulled her camera out to snap some pictures. When she turned it on Jennie, she gave her wife and exasperated look and flipped off the camera, making Lisa laugh as she snapped a photo, but then Lisa tickled her, snapping one of Jennie with her head thrown back, her hair being tossed around by the wind.

They spent all of their allotted lunchtime sitting on the bench, talking about anything that came to mind, but staying away from sensitive topics. This was a moment for the two of them to laugh and love each other without the stress of the rest of their lives, and as they walked back up the pier, to the small building with the arcade games, they stopped at another stall, buying candy floss and soft pretzels. Their cheeks were rosy from the cold, and their eyes were bright as they walked into the arcade.