Trials and Tribulations [Chaelisa]

Chapter 52

"I can't help it," Chaeyoung responded, draining the last of her orange juice and settling the glass back on to the counter.

"Lalisa is a big girl Chaeyoung," Rosalie said meaningfully. "She's more than capable of looking after herself and you need to let her do that every once in a while. It must be a little disparaging for her to always have people trying to do everything for her. That's only going to make her feel like no one believes in her ability to do things for herself. She isn't completely inept."

"I don't do everything for her," Chaeyoung complained defensively.

"I think that you do it so reflexively now that you don't even realise that you do it," her mom disclosed. "You're her girlfriend Chaeyoung," she continued. "You're not her carer."

"Has she said something to you?" Chaeyoung asked, knowing that Lisa had seen her mom alone when she'd come round to pick up Luca yesterday and the other weekends that she was home from rehab.

"Not directly," Rosalie replied. "Amy might have said something to me about it when we had coffee on Wednesday."

"What did she say?" Chaeyoung asked.

"Just that Lalisa had asked her and Marco to let her do more for herself when she gets back home instead of automatically jumping in to help her." Rosalie answered truthfully. "She told them that her therapist recommended that she needs to feel like she has some independence, that it's crucial for her to get back in to the habit of looking after herself, even if it's hard and she struggles from time to time."

"She didn't say anything about me though?" Chaeyoung asked interestedly.

"No," Rosalie acknowledged. "She didn't, but, I think that you should try to be respectful of that if you can."

"Lili hasn't mentioned anything to me about it," Chaeyoung noted. "Do you think she's scared to?"

"Perhaps she just hasn't found the right time yet," Rosalie offered. "I think she'd probably get round to it eventually. She probably just wanted a couple of days to get settled back home again before she broached the subject."

"Ok well, I guess I can do that," Chaeyoung said wistfully. "I mean, I'd do anything to help her."

"I know you would," Rosalie observed. "That's why I wanted to bring it up with you." Rosalie stood up from where she was sitting and collected up her bowl and mug before heading over to the sink and depositing them inside. "What time is she coming round today?" Rosalie asked, turning back around to face Chaeyoung who'd been watching her mom from where she sat.

"Any minute now," Chaeyoung replied, throwing a quick glance at her watch. "She said she has lots of surprises planned before the concert tonight." She shared with her. "I don't know if I should be worried about that or not. You never know what Lili has up her sleeve. It could be anything."

"I'm sure that whatever it is you'll have a nice time," Rosalie responded smiling.

"Where's everyone else?" Chaeyoung asked, her ears registering the relative silence of the house. "Your dad has taken Kai to soccer," she told Chaeyoung. "Alice decided that she wanted to go too." She continued, laughing a little to herself. "It's the third week in a row that she's been." Rosalie shared. "I'm starting to think that she likes someone on Kai' team."

"Really?" Chaeyoung asked her mouth growing wide as she grinned. "I still keep thinking she's just a kid," she admitted. "I never thought she'd be having crushes already."

"You're all still kids," Rosalie reminded her pointedly, "and it doesn't matter how old you all get you'll always be our children. Nothing will change that." Chaeyoung stood up and retrieved her glass, walking over to the sink and dropping it inside carefully before kissing her mom on the cheek.