One Wish. Twice Granted.

Umbrella 22

Kumo is in town, home from attending Oxford University to visit his family. He calls Lisa to walk the neon-lit streets in the party district.

Lisa spots him walking up and rushes to greet him, as she predicted he is carrying his trusty umbrella. She points to it and laughs with him. "Hey you never know, it may rain tears," he looks at her knowingly.

"Good gravy you look good! Are you on medication?" He teases.

"If love is medicine, yes." Lisa flashes the biggest smile.

"Love is the best medicine," Kumo agrees.

They sit at a sidewalk cafe to eat and drink and people watch. He greets Jennie kindly and exchanges stories with Lisa, both talking over each other excitedly.

Kumo is easy-going and Jennie is taken with him, glad that Lisa has such a friend. She is thrilled to see this side of the nightlife she has never known.

Lisa motions Jennie to sit closer and for Kumo to pull his chair up to hers on the other side. This is important to Lisa.

Lisa touches Jennie's cheek, "Jen when I first met you I was very bossy, and you later said I was strong in nature. At that time I was afraid I was too much on you. I wrote to my friend Kumo. I was so scared about my feelings for you."

"Kumo was my neighbor and classmate and friend for all twelve years at private academy. Kumo knew me better than anyone, even myself. I trust him, my big brother."

Kumo talks to Jennie, speaking clearly over the crowd noise. "Lisa wrote me a long letter, she is my baby sister so it was very welcome."

"I always knew Lisa had a longing in her heart, not from her words, but from the words she never spoke."

Jennie is rapt by Kumo's talk.

"I could only listen to her back then, Lisa had no ears. I watched her buy every nice thing at stores for years. She would always tell me her one thought that her parents were restraining her true life."

"Only it was never true. Lisa was really full of despair because she herself shopped and bought endlessly to bury her deep desire. Growing up I could see this truth in her for years."

Lisa puts her hand on the small of Jennie's back.

"In her letter to me Lisa asked me to tell you all of this. Are you okay?"

Jennie reaches across the table and puts her hand on Kumo's hand. "Yes," she smiles warmly at him. "Thank you Kumo, now you are my friend too."

"You are the person Lisa thought she would never know. All those years holding her breath and waiting are nothing now. Thank you Jennie for loving my sister, I love you too."

They all stand up, Kumo with arms outstretched. "Come here, group hug."

They huddle and embrace and Kumo says, "I'm not crying you are!"

Lisa says, "We're all crying."

"Okay ladies, excuse me," Kumo steps away.

They sit back down and Lisa feels Jennie studying her face. "What?"

"What were you scared of? Me? Why?" Now Jennie is scared.

"Remember when I said I have nothing to hide and I showed you all my possessions? I was not testing you, I was testing me. I was so scared I had nothing to offer you. I was sure you would reject me as a bully..."

"Lisa..." Jennie is crestfallen.

"I wanted Kumo to confirm to you my feelings for you are real and why they run so deep in me. Don't be scared."

"We neither one of us have to be scared, as long as we confide in each other our true selves," Jennie says hopefully.

"I promise my love." Lisa offers her curled pinkie.

"I promise Lisa." Jennie matches her curled pinkie.

Pinkie swear.