I built this Home for me, for you

Chapter 22

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Hearing the front door open, Jennie closed her book and set it down on the stuffed armchair in the library, before walking out into the hallway and following it to the door. Lisa was hanging up her coat, a weary look on her face, and Ryujin had her duffle bag slung over one shoulder and was in the middle of kicking off muddy cleats.

"Hey, take them into the coat room, please," Lisa called after Ryujin, who had sneakily tried to make for the stairs, and sighed as she wheeled around and picked her shoes up. She brushed past Jennie, who reached out to gently touch her on the shoulder, and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Jennie alone with Lisa in the foyer.

"Where's Seolhyun?" Jennie asked, frowning slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest, slowly wandering closer.

"Rosé's," Lisa stiffly replied, putting her shoes neatly beneath her coat.

Jennie blinked in surprise, arching an eyebrow at Lisa, "what do you mean she's at Rosé's? You said you were going to pick her up."

"And she wouldn't leave," Lisa tightly told her.

Spluttering, Jennie's eyebrows shot up, "what do you mean she wouldn't leave? She's seventeen, Lisa, you make her leave. You're her mother."

"Was I supposed to drag her out by her hair?" Lisa sharply laughed, "at least she's safe and we know where she is."

Biting back a scathing reply about how their daughter should be at home, Jennie turned around and stalked off towards the kitchen, where Ryujin walked in a few moments later, squeaking a dog toy, while Orsa ran around her feet in circles. Jennie was opening and closing cupboards, frowning as she came up empty handed, and sighed as she turned to face her daughter. Shaking her head at the mud covered knees and messy hair, Jennie softly smiled, walking over to her and wrapping her in a hug.

"You played well today, love," Jennie said, while Ryujin returned the hug, "how about you pick what we have for dinner tonight?"

"Chinese," Ryujin immediately replied, and Jennie laughed, giving her a quick squeeze, before pulling back.

Brushing some of her hair back, Jennie looked at the familiar blue eyes set in a different face, looking at her with the warmth that she missed off Lisa, and gave her daughter a warm smile. "Sounds good. I'll order it later."

"What're you ordering?" Lisa asked, her voice steely and uncommonly cold as she walked into the kitchen.

"Chinese for dinner," Jennie curtly replied, "just the usual or do you want anything else?"

"Why would I want anything else?" Lisa bluntly replied, and Jennie sighed heavily, a snarky remark on the tip of her tongue, but at the sight of Ryujin frowning and looking at the both with concern, it died, and she gave her daughter a thin smile, brushing her hair. Lisa grabbed herself a bottle of water and turned around to leave, planting a kiss on Ryujin's head as she walked past, "let me know when dinner's here. I've got work to do."

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The next morning, Jennie dropped Ryujin off to school and was waiting outside for Seolhyun to show up so she could try and talk to her before school, and finally spotted her daughter slouching towards the doors with Doyeon close behind. Cutting across the parking lot with a determined look on her face, Jennie was suddenly stopped in her tracks by a hand clamping down on her shoulder.

"You might want to hold off on the attack," Rosé said, falling into step beside Jennie.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Jennie asked, trying not to let her surprise show at Rosé's unexpected appearance.