Jisoo's family planned to leave the next day.
Jennie left the house a short time to meet up with her new landlord at the townhouse to give the Kim's time as a family. She needed space.
She'd begin moving in the next day after they sat down with Jinwoo and explained things.
Jennie couldn't believe the pain she felt in her heart. Knowing she was going to break her son's heart.
Jisoo loved her son. Jennie could see it.
She simply couldn't stay in a marriage knowing how Jisoo felt about her. Jisoo's lack of trust. If Jisoo loved her, Jisoo will trust her.
When Jennie returned to the house, the rest were gathered around the dining table eating a lunch of leftovers.
Jinwoo was so happy. He couldn't be surrounded by any more love than he was at this moment.
Jennie discovered the Kim's were a vocal bunch. Always talking to one another. Joking and teasing aplenty. So much different than her own family had been.
She fixed herself a sandwich and joined them. The only open chair was near Jisoo.
Jisoo seemed to recover well from how they woke this morning. Time for Jennie to toughen up as well she supposed.
Just as Jennie was taking a drink from her soda, Taeyeon asked, "How much longer do I have to wait for another grandchild?"
Jennie choked on her soda. Coughing and sputtering, barely able to catch her breath. Jisoo patted her back trying to help her as Joohyun let her own disapproval be known.
"Geez Mom, now you're pressuring these guys? Or is it just another reminder for me?"
"Unnie, Mom didn't mean it," Jisoo started.
"Stuff it Sooya!" Joohyun yelled before pushing her chair back and making her way upstairs.
"Oh dear," Taeyeon said as Jennie's choking continued. "Are you going to be alright?"
Jennie held up her hand, trying to wave them off while catching her breath. Her lungs hurt from choking.
Once she was able to breathe, she looked at Taeyeon with watery eyes. "I'm fine, Auntie." Her voice hoarse.
Taeyeon then asked excitedly, "Oh, I'm not ruining a surprise am I?"
Jennie looked wide-eyed to Jisoo then her mother-in-law.
"Mom, we don't have any baby news," Jisoo told her mom.
"Well, you know, Jin is getting bigger. And, after this morning..."
"Mom," Jisoo dragged out her mom's name in warning.
Jennie was turning red. She pushed back from her chair as well. "Please excuse me," she said before leaving and going upstairs as well.
"Did I say something wrong?" Taeyeon asked. Soohyun snorted.
"No Mom," Jisoo said as she sat back in her chair and ran her hand down her face.
Jisoo's mother certainly made Jisoo's quest for Jennie more difficult.
If anything was going to make Jennie bolt from their marriage, it would be pressure to have another child. Especially since Jennie's been so adamant about it before the accident.
**********
Jennie knocked on the guest bedroom door. Joohyun softly told her to come in.
"Are you alright Unnie?" Jennie asked as she walked over and sat next to her on the side of the bed.
"Jen, I love Sooya, I really do. But, because she's all settled down, Mom expects me to be well. I'm just not cut out for the whole home-hearth thing." Jennie held Joohyun's hands in hers.
"Does she do this often?" Jennie asked.
Joohyun chuckled a sob. "I envy you, Jen. I wish sometimes I couldn't remember."
"You don't mean that," Jennie said. "Trust me, not remembering isn't all it's cracked up to be."
"But, you and Sooya..." Joohyun stood and paced. "God, you guys just got it, you know?"
"Unnie," Jennie called.
"Sooya is the apple of Mom's eye. She's always been the good kid, while I've been the wild one."
And when she learns Jisoo and I are separating, she's really gonna hate me, Jennie silently added.
"Are you saying you don't want to be the wild child anymore?"
"I'm saying, I hate that just because we hatched at the same time doesn't make us the same," Joohyun told her. "Sooya's is not an ordinary girl she's different but she settle down with you just like that. God, Mom sees how she looks at you and Jinwoo and all of a sudden, Joohyun needs to do that! Ugh, I hate it!"
Jennie stood up and walked over to her. "Do you think maybe you're taking this too personally?"
"What?"
"Hey, it was my womb she was referring to, not yours."
Both women laughed and Joohyun brought Jennie in for a hug.
"God Jen, I wish I could be more like you."
Sure, a wild, fraud. Yeah something every woman should strive for.
"You know, if Mom just would've had another baby of her own, she wouldn't pressure me so much," Joohyun said as they sat back down. "But, I'm not sure how I'd feel about a little brother or sister."
"Well, if you had a little sister, she'd take some of the pressure you're also under."
"No, I mean a little brother or sister," Joohyun answered.
The look on Jennie's face showed she wasn't registering her meaning.
Joohyun chuckled. "I keep forgetting you don't remember," she said. "About three years ago, Mom found out she's diabetic. Well, she lost a lot of weight and Dad found he couldn't keep his hands off her."
"Yeah, so."
"Jen, remember why I asked to stay up here?"
"You asked?" Jennie toyed back then took in what Joohyun had said. "You're not saying..."
"Yeah, about two years ago, Mom thought she was preggo. Oh God, that would have been mortifying for me."
"There's nothing wrong with an active sex life, Unnie."
"For you and Sooya, sure. My mom and dad, I don't want to think about it."
"Unnie," Jennie laughed.
"It really sucks that my mother's getting it on more than me!"
That had both women bursting out laughing.
"Someday Unnie, your..."
Joohyun held up her hand, "No! Don't say it! Not gonna happen."
They laughed more, both releasing pent up tension for different reasons.
A soft knock at the door interrupted their girl time. Jennie opened it to find Jisoo standing there. She stepped back and allowed Jisoo in.
Jisoo took in the scene before her. Her wife and sister had been laughing so hard, they were crying.
"Unnie," Jisoo called. Jennie looked up at her. "Look, I'm sorry Mom keeps hammering at you."
"It's okay, Sooya. I feel a lot better now."
Joohyun had been moping around most of her time here. A half hour with Jennie, and she resembled Joohyun again.
Jennie left the siblings alone for a little privacy.
**********
Jisoo's family left the following morning. Then, the hardest thing they ever had to do fell upon them.
Jisoo tried to convince Jennie to stay. Jennie just couldn't. It hurt too much knowing what Jisoo really thought of her.
Jinwoo didn't like the news. Didn't understand how Mommy and Momma would have different houses again. Didn't know which toys to take to Mommy's and which ones to leave behind.
Jisoo and Jennie did their best to get Jinwoo through this. Jinwoo wanted to stay at the house where the Christmas tree was first.