This Is How You Get Her Back (Jenlisa)

CHAPTER 26

"Is aunt Jennie coming back?" little Jennie asks as I drive us back home from her school.

Thanks for the reminder, kid.

"Not soon," I reply, trying to sound nonchalant. I haven't told Nini, who's sitting in the passenger's seat, what was going on after my phone call with Jennie a few days ago.

It's been 5 days, and I'm quite certain I've gone mad. The empty side of the bed has been mocking me so much that I often sleep on the floor now. The silence of our place has grown so loud that I leave the television open and on max volume during the rare times that I'm home. I've been feeling so horrible that the only time I'm home is when little Jennie is back from school, though I bring her to malls and parks as much as I can to avoid our apartment.

"Where did she go?" the kid asks.

"Somewhere very far."

"Can we go to her? I miss her."

"I don't know if she wants to see me."

"Why not? You love each other."

I clench my jaws in pain. "That's life, kid."

"Can we see her?"

"Kid, don't you understand that—"

"Is she in France? She told me that's where she came from."

"Y—yeah. Yeah."

"Let's go to France!"

"That's a very far place, and you have school."

"But—"

"No buts, okay? I'm sorry. She told me she'll be back soon, little one. We'll just have to wait."

"Can I FaceTime her?"

"I... okay. I don't know if she'll pick up though. Want to try right now?" I ask.

"Yeah!"

I bring out my phone from my pocket and hand it to her. "Go call your aunt Jennie."

"What's her name here?"

"Love." It just flows out of my mouth, no hesitation.

A few minutes pass, and all that fills the air is the sound of the mocking ringing sound of my phone.

Then I hear Jennie's voice for the first time in days.

"Hi Nini!" I hear Jen's cool voice, instantly bringing a smile to my lips as I drive. "How are you? How's school?"

"Hi aunt Jennie! I miss you! Today was great! I got 3 stars in school! 3!"

"Wow, I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you! How about your day?"

"My day was... French? I mean... I don't know. I'm still here, I guess," Jennie replies with a humourless chuckle. "Where are you, kid?" she not-so-subtly changes the topic.

"I'm in the car with aunt Lisa!" she tilts my phone to show me driving.

I quickly glance at the love of my life. I decide to stop fighting the grin on my face at the sight of this goddess. She has her hair tied up in a bun and I can see that she's lying down on her bed, and damn, I miss her. "Hi," I say nervously as I shift my eyes back to the road.

"Hi Lisa," she greets in that soft tone that she uses when she's trying to get me to stop ignoring her after an argument.

Screw it. "I miss you," I blurt out. "So much."