"Baby, I'm home!" She kicked off her heels. She took out her phone from the handbag as she walked inside the living room.
"In the bathroom, Wait a sec!"
Jennie was busy with her message so she only hummed. She handled yet another complicated case associated with a higher up of one of the biggest technology company in Korea. Her head ached every time she had meeting with her stubborn client. Today was no exception.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!" She fell on her feet. Her heart was beating like crazy. She accidentely threw her phone. It hit the floor mercilessly.
"Baby!" Lisa ran to her wife. She immediately bent down and hugged Jennie. "What happened? Why are you screaming like that?"
Jennie was shaking in her arms. She closed her eyes, letting Lisa consoled her. When her heart had come back on it's normal pace, she hit Lisa's shoulder making the latter surprised.
"What are you watching?! Your video gives me a heart attack!"
"What vid-" She turned back to the TV. "Oh." Lisa face-palmed. "That's not even scary!" She furrowed her brows. "Ah, you worried me. Come on up." She tugged Jennie's arm and helped her to get up.
"Are you kidding me? That person practically has no face!" She argued. Jennie was shock to death by the unexpected welcome.
"It's what he gets by riding a motorcycle without helmet."
"Did he die or something?" She asked in horror.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"What happen? When's that happen?"
"Recently, last week. I got a page for multiple fractures in his ribs." Lisa sat on the couch and paused the video.
"How do you get this kind of video anyway?"
"My resident recorded it for educational purpose." Lisa leaned closer to her wife and gave her a long gentle kiss. "Welcome home. I'm sorry about that."
Jennie finally smiled as she kissed Lisa back. "You should be. Please kindly watch it when you're alone. It scares me, really."
Lisa chuckled loudly. "Okay. Now, do you want to eat something?"
"I've had big lunch, you want something?"
"Nah, I'm good. Go shower."
"Okay." Jennie pecked her lips then disappeared to the bathroom.
---
"Stop picking your pimples." Jennie set the grape juice on the table. She grabbed a fashion magazine and look at Lisa disapprovingly. "Stop picking your pimples." She repeated.
Lisa grinned naughtily. "Why? I want them to get out of my face."
"It'll leave mark if you keep doing that. When the time comes it will out by itself." Jennie sighed and took a tissue. "It's bleeding." She wiped the blood of Lisa's face and showed her. "Don't pick them."
"But it's fun." Lisa took her drink and drank it on one go. "Ah, so good! Can I have one more glass?"
"There's a jar in the fridge." Jennie flipped over the page. "Don't drink it too much. You haven't had dinner yet."
"But it's so good!" Lisa excitedly opened the fridge and poured the liquid into her glass.
"Lili, don't drink too much!" Jennie shouted. Knowing her wife well, Lisa would drink two or three glasses and said she only drank one.
"Alright, alright, geez." She quickly finished her fourth glass before pouring another one and walked back to the living room.
"How much did you drink?"
"It's only my second glass!" She lied.
Jennie rolled her eyes and went back to her magazine.
"Nini, I have something to discuss."
"Hm? What about?"
"The apartment our parents give us."
"What about it?"
"Should we use it now?"
"Why?"
"We're married and we're going to have kids. This house is too small."
"I'm not pregnant yet, Baby." Jennie's eyes softened at Lisa's thoughtfulness. "I mean, there's no rush for us to move."
"I know, but we can't just move out if you're already pregnant. Unless you promise me you won't lift a thing."
"You're not good on packing."
"Exactly! I just want to be prepared, you know? This is serious matter. Your comfort is my priority."
"Thank you." Jennie snuggled to her lover and inhaled a breath happily. She felt so loved by Lisa.
"So?" Lisa caressed Jennie's arm softly.
"You want to ask for the key?"
"Do you think we should do that? I mean I have to lower my pride, obviously, but they did give it to us and they won't use it anyway."
"We'll do it together, okay? We both will lower our pride."
"Thanks." She gave the top of Jennie's head a peck. "Another thing, though."
"Yes?"
"What do you say if we sell your car and change it?"
"To?"
"To a big, strong SUV."
"Why?"
"We just complete the credit for my car last year. I'm sad if we have to change that one."
"No, Baby. I mean why do you want to change the car?"
"Our kid is coming, Nini. I want the best safety we can provide. We have two sedans, for what? I want a family car so I don't have to worry."
"Honey, you talk as if he's going to be here tomorrow no less." Jennie laughed. Lisa was so cute and she loved her for it.
"Again, I need to prepare things before he really comes, okay?"
"Your car is strong enough."
"But it will squash down if a tank runs over it." Lisa argued.
"Why would we pass a tank?" Jennie couldn't hold it anymore and burst up laughing for the nth times in less than fifteen minutes.
"We live in a peaceful city, Lili."
"What if it happens?" Lisa asked dead serious.
"You're thinking too much, Honey." Jennie touch Lisa's cheek. "We're not set on anything yet."
Lisa didn't reply.
"But if it trouble you so much. Then let's change it."
Lisa's intention was good. Jennie understood that the only thing that would set Lisa at ease was granting her wish. Besides, they did have to start preparing everything before she became pregnant for real.
---
It was late at night when she heard someone knocked the main door. Lisa just turned off the light a minute ago so she had to turn it on again. She made her way through the hallway and took a peek by the peephole.
"Chaeyoung?" She opened the door to the crying woman. "Hey, what is it? Why are you crying?" Lisa pulled the door wider and took Chaeyoung in.
"Is Jennie home?" She asked instead.
"Yeah, she's in our room." As soon as Chaeyoung know where Jennie was, she sprinted inside to find her friend, leaving Lisa dumbfounded.
The doctor locked the door again. She checked everything before she entered the master bedroom. Lisa stood awkwardly in the doorway when she saw Chaeyoung cried her eyes out like there was no tomorrow. She looked at Jennie but the latter just gave her a weird smiles as if she also didn't know what happened.
"Should I get some water?" Lisa mouthed. Jennie nodded a little as approval.
Lisa wondered why in the world did Chaeyoung come to their house in the middle of the night crying no less. Whatever happened to her must be really bad. She took a glass and poured cold water in it.
"How old do you think I am?!" Chaeyoung yelled when Lisa handed her the glass.
"Um... 27?" Lisa replied unsurely.
"Yes! I am a 27 years old woman, Lisa freaking Manoban! I need alcohol! Not this trash!"
Lisa averted her eyes to her wife, silently asking her what was going on. Jennie shrugged lowly, afraid that Chaeyoung would be offended.
"We have wine, if you want?"
"Are you freaking kidding?! Do you think I can get drunk drinking some wine?! I need something strong!"
"Chaeyoung, don't scream. You're going to wake the neighbor." Jennie soothed her back.
"Let them!" She shouted even more.
"Why don't you go to the bar if you want to get drunk?" Lisa asked innocently.
Chaeyoung turned at her back as she stared scarily at Lisa.
"I can't believe you're married with such insensitive woman!" She turned to Jennie and continued bawling at her. Jennie immediately wrapped her arms around Chaeyoung to comfort her.
"Should I get the wine?" She asked no one in particular. When both lawyers didn't reply, Lisa shook her head and went to the kitchen to take the liquid.
---
Lisa lay under blanket in the spare room. She missed Jennie but Chaeyoung needed her more. She didn't know about Chaeyoung beyond what Jennie told her, but she was Jennie's good friend and Lisa actually liked her. Besides, she had done so much for them. It wasn't everyday she'd come at their house in that state.
"Goodnight, Nini."
---
Lisa woke up early and decided to get some breakfast for all of them. She gently cracked open their bedroom door then closed it with a soft click. She moved to Jennie's side as she bent down and kissed her wife's temple.
"Good morning." She whispered.
Jennie stirred a little then smiled. "Morning to you, too." She hoarsely replied.
"She snores?" Lisa pointed the tall woman beside Jennie, pressing a laugh.
"Don't tease her." Jennie rubbed her eyes. "She had a rough day."
"Oh? Why?"
"Will tell you later."
"Okay, I'll buy some breakfast downstairs, 'kay? Go sleep some more." Jennie nodded. Lisa pecked Jennie's lips then proceeded her way across the street to get some bread and coffee for her wife and her weird friend.
When she reached home again, the two woman were sitting in the living room.
"I will just put it on a plate or something. Go ahead. I'll disappear." Lisa quickly sprinted to the kitchen and busied herself there. She took out all food she bought and presented it on the nice plate. Living with Jennie did give her some dressing food lesson.
"I don't mean to interrupt." Both Jennie and Chaeyoung turned head towards her. "But there are bagel and croissant and coffee if you guys want." She awkwardly spoke. "A – and I'll be just right there, reading newspaper and not eavesdropping your conversation whatsoever. I'll – you know ... I'll sit there. Bye." She vanished from their sight and didn't have a clue that her wife gave her a funny and adoration look.
Chaeyoung sighed heavily. "Do you think I should switch dating girls instead? I mean Lisa is so thoughtful and she's so nice and she can actually show her love to you, she's romantic."
"You miss the part that she's also super annoying. Sometimes I need to blatantly tell her what I want because she has no idea at all on how to be romantic lover. She never puts the toothpaste cap back after she uses it, she constantly forgets where she puts her ID card, every morning I need to make sure she has some cash in her wallet. She postpones almost all of her promises for me for her patients, which is hard for me to understand at first. I mean who would love to be the second best, right? But it's her job and I have to accept her full bucket. I'm proud of her and I don't want to change a thing about her. And now, I just find her in that dark blue scrubs is hot and a total turn on." She said dreamily, earning a pillow landed on her face.
"What I'm saying is that she's not perfect, Chaeyoung-ah, me either. But I love her flaws, it reminds me that she's a human, so I will not push her to be something that she's not."
Chaeyoung pouted. "So... should I date girls or not?" She asked her friend frustratingly.
"I don't know." Jennie giggled. "You can try if you want to. You know, explore yourself more?"
"I'm too old for that." She grumbled. "My kids should be running around the house by now."
"Everybody will get somebody. He cheated on you, and is actually happy with his new girlfriend, so what? It's not a loss for you. There are seven billions people out there. Go out."
"Introduce me to someone, please?" The tall gave her the sad puppy eyes, making the latter rolled her eyes.
"I'll look over my acquaintances."
"Yay!"
---
Lisa found her father in the kitchen greasing bread for his snack. She had looked around the house while he was there the whole time. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. It didn't matter if she was going to be his daddy's little girl till the day she died and she knew her parents would grant anything she wanted but asking for a house when she should have afforded it herself, did nothing but lower her pride. She was freaking married woman. She should be responsible for every single thing; financially and emotionally speaking.
But they will not stay there, Jennie's and my parents buy it to us.
"Sweet cheeks? What are you doing there?"
Lisa threw a weak smile as she walked in.
"Is everything okay?" Her father asked worriedly.
"Yeah. Do you mind make me one of those?" Lisa slumped on her seat.
"You can take mine." The old man slid the plate to her. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Lisa nodded. "Dad, what do you expect of me when I'm married?"
Her father furrowed his brows wondering why his daughter asked him that out of the blue. He wiped his mouth with a tissue then sat beside Lisa. He tilted his head, silently observing her.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Why are you asking me something like that?"
"It's just a simple question, Dad." Lisa rolled her eyes playfully.
"I know. But why?"
"Can you just answer it?"
"Isn't it obvious? Of course I expect you to love your wife. Even when you hate her. It's not about you anymore, My Dear. It's you, her, and the family you're going to build with her. You share the weight of responsibility with her. She's your company for life. You're an adult, every step that you take will involve her in one way to another. So think, before you do."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Yeah."
"Something in your mind, Dear?" He held Lisa's hand and squeezed it to reassure her that it was okay if she wanted to talk about anything.
"We've talked about kids, me and Jennie." Lisa started slowly. "And I thought that it would be better if we... you know, get a bigger place to live? I mean, my job shouldn't be that hectic anymore and I want to spend more time at home. You know... to watch them grow and don't miss anything. I mean, it's nicer to be in a bigger house, right? Much safer and they have enough space to play and – and." Lisa rambled like there was no tomorrow.
"The password for that apartment we gave you is your birthday date." Mr. Manoban easily said. "We couldn't think of a better combination number so.." He chuckled. "We didn't fill much stuff, though. In case you want to decorate your home in your own style. Jennie does a great job on that. Your house is way more homey since she moved in."
"Thank you." Lisa heaved a grateful breath as if the ton of burden on her shoulder finally off. "You know me so well."
"My blood runs in you, My Dear, and it runs a lot in you. It's not hard for me to figure you out. You are pretty much like me. I know how to deal with me." He winked jokingly. "Anyway, what will my grandchild call you?"
"He will call Jennie Mommy and me Dada."
"Mommy and Dada are great." Her dad grinned widely.
"What are you guys doing here?" Lisa's mom and Jennie entered the room while holding the grocery bags then put it on the kitchen island. "We're going to cook now. Go watch TV or something." The older woman ordered.
Both of them complied the order and got their butt off the chair. When Lisa locked her eyes with Jennie, she mouthed a low I love you. That beautiful gummy smile was her respond.
---
"How's married life so far?" Jisoo poured some hot water in her glass.
"In what aspect?"
"Everything."
"I can't complain." Lisa sighed.
"What's with that? Are you not happy?"
"It's not that. It's impossible not to be happy when I'm with her, okay? She's my happiness source. It's just the whole baby thing is..."
"Is what?"
"Confusing and tiring and I'm losing my mind." She shook her head. "I just want him or her to born already."
"Hey," Jisoo patted her shoulder. "You know it doesn't work that way." She smiled sympathetically at her friend. "Look, great thing is only for great people. Someone, up above, there is preparing something big for you. Be patient for it. It'll will be worth it. I'm sure of it."
"Yeah well," Lisa slumped on the couch. "I wonder how a couple of random straight people who sex together can get pregnant easily when they clearly don't want it, even end up neglecting the child."
"Because to get pregnant you need a sperm and an egg?" Jisoo suggest the rational fact.
"I know, I know. I just envy them. I will love my kids with all I have. Nothing I wouldn't do for them. Why is it hard to get them here?"
"Be patient, Lisa. Great thing never happen in an instant."
"Okay, next topic please. How's that girl you've been eyeing?" Lisa lifted her feet and folded it.
"It's a no. We're not going to match."She paused. "Do you think I'm a bad person?
"Why would I?"
"The whole thing with Soojoo."
"Kim Jisoo, if you happen to be the culprit of a bombing, I will still defend you. So don't ask me, the answer will be bias."
"I just... I lost a friend, Lis." Jisoo stirred her coffee absentmindedly. "A really good friend of mine. It sucks. She can't even look at me now."
"Did she ever know about the girl you were texting that time?"
"No." She replied lowly. "Which make me feel worse."
"Why?"
"I was fooling around behind her back, Lis. Practically, I was cheating on her."
"Now you know." Lisa stated as she took a big gulp of mineral water. She stood up and tidied up her clothes. "We've tried to make you understand but unfortunately you didn't."
"What do you mean?" Jisoo furrowed her brow. "You never told me anything."
"Seulgi literally yelled at your face, Chu. You almost hit her. Don't you remember? I tried different, gentler way but you..." Lisa bit her lip, thinking. "Look, it doesn't matter anymore, right? You broke up with her. That's the end of story."
The plastic surgeon heaved a deep sigh. "I brought her a ring, Lis" She chuckled bitterly. "I almost propose her. That ring is still in my drawer and it crushes my heart every time I look at it."
"Do you regret it?"
"The cheating, yes. She doesn't deserve it. But the break up, I don't know. I can't constantly live in distrustful, Lis."
"You will meet someone, Jisoo"
"I'm not young anymore. I want to settle down too." She finished her coffee and grabbed her lab coat, ready to start her day.
"Do you want me to introduce you to my friend?"
"Do you even have friends aside of us?" She laughed out loud.
"Nini's friend but she's my friend, too." Lisa rolled her eyes as she shoved her friend ligthly.
"Who?"
"Have to ask Nini first before I tell you." Lisa winked mischievously.
---
"I still recommend IVF. There are many other option of course, but this procedure have much greater chance of success." Sana had explained over again about the method they could use to get Jennie pregnant. The thing was Lisa think too much. She worried about everything meanwhile Jennie was more relax and calm.
"I don't know," Lisa shook her head,
"Well, you can discuss about it more if you want? We have no rush after all. If it could be help, you can borrow my thick but awesome textbook, Unnie."
"No, Sana. She's not going to read any book," Jennie glared at the obstetrician. Should Lisa read that book which had details information about everything, she's be more anxious than she already was.
And Jennie didn't need that.
"Well, I think we should discuss it further. We'll get it back to you, Sana."
"Baby, we've been talking about this for months. IVF is the best option we can get." Jennie sighed. Lisa was wasting so much time for nothing. She wasn't getting younger, she knew the older she got, the less possibility of her getting pregnant.
"But—"
"I'm fine with taking hormones shots, Lili, It's okay."
"But—"
"No more buts, Lili. This is the best option. Can we just trust Sana about this? She's our Doctor, not you." Jennie was about to lose her patience. Lisa stressed too much about this. Although she understood the reason, they were going nowhere.
Sana threw her a reassuring smile and let Lisa swam through her thoughts alone.
"Sana, when can we start the procedure?"
———
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