Trials and Tribulations [Chaelisa]

Chapter 52

"Morning sweetheart," Rosalie greeted Chaeyoung as she walked in to the kitchen the following morning.

"Morning," Chaeyoung returned brightly, making her way over to the fridge and opening the door to look inside it, searching for some orange juice. "Do we have any OJ?" She asked, glancing over at her mom who was sat at the kitchen counter having just eaten her breakfast. Rosalie had the paper open in front of her and was reading the morning's headlines lazily, a cup of coffee in one hand, her now empty bowl on the counter in front of her.

"It's on the top shelf behind the yoghurts," Rosalie informed Chaeyoung, her eyes never leaving the article that she was currently in the middle or reading.

"Thanks," Chaeyoung said, returning her attention to the fridge and pushing the yoghurts aside. She pulled out the bottle of orange juice and closed the fridge door, unscrewing the cap on the top as she leant against the kitchen counter behind her, opposite her mom.

"Chaeyoung," her mom scolded, finally lifting her gaze from the paper to look at her daughter. "What have I told you about drinking straight from the bottle?"

"You told me to do it," Chaeyoung joked, dropping the bottle from her mouth momentarily to answer.

"Can you please use a glass?" her mom asked and Chaeyoung made an apologetic face before turning around to take a tumbler out of the cabinet just behind her. Chaeyoung poured the cool orange liquid in to the glass and returned the cap to the top of the bottle before placing it back in the fridge where she'd found it.

"Thank you," her mom said appreciatively as Chaeyoung came over to take a seat beside her

"Anything interesting in the news today?" Chaeyoung asked trying to make conversation as she placed the glass down on to the granite surface in front of her.

"Nothing too exciting," Rosalie replied, closing the paper and taking a sip of her coffee, her eyes locking with her daughters. "How was dinner with the girls last night?" she asked. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah," Chaeyoung answered, lifting her own glass to her mouth and taking a long swig of the sweet liquid appreciatively. "Jisoo got Lili this serenity plaque as a present. It was kind of a welcome home gift, you know, to celebrate her getting out of rehab..."

"That was thoughtful of her," Rosalie acknowledged. "Did Lalisa like it?"

"Yeah she's going to put it up on the wall in her bedroom," Chaeyoung told her mom. "She's says it'll be a good reminder to help with her recovery." Chaeyoung paused for a moment to take another sip of her drink. "I keep thinking that because she's been discharged now that means she's completely better, but, she told us that her recovery is still ongoing." Chaeyoung said thoughtfully.

"Recovery is a longterm process," Rosalie agreed, putting her coffee mug down on to the counter. "She'll probably be dealing with it for the rest of her life. She's right it doesn't stop just because you get out of rehab."

"Apparently her therapist said that it's probably going to be really hard for her initially," Chaeyoung shared with her mom. "She told her that the first few weeks back are always the most difficult."

"Lalisa will be fine," Rosalie reassured her confidently. "She looks like a completely different girl to the one that left here a couple of months ago."

"You don't think she'll relapse or anything?" Chaeyoung asked her mom concerned.

"I don't think so," Rosalie replied, shifting her position slightly in her chair, "but you never know Chaeyoung. She might do."

"I don't think she will," Chaeyoung commented without much conviction. "I mean, I'd like to think that she won't..."

"Have a little faith in her," Rosalie suggested interrupting her daughter's musings. "I think you'll be surprised. Lalisa isn't as fragile as you seem to think she is. Sometimes I think that you worry about her unnecessarily."