Developments // Jenlisa

Four

She wakes up and the bed is more comfortable than she knows what to do with. It's been a long while now since she slept on an actual bed. It makes her feel sleepier and more awake all at once so she snuggles into the pillows beneath her head before breathing out happily and trying to slip back into whatever dream she'd been having.

She's almost away on some distant beach, laying down under some warm sun when she hears a phone going off. She groans and grabs for it without even wondering where it is and holds it to her ear before clicking the accept button.

She doesn't hear anything; she just fills with panic. Then she's in her car for reasons she doesn't understand and she's driving to some location she doesn't actually know. She pulls to a stop and climbs out of the car quicker than anything. She runs and she doesn't know where she's running, stumbles and gasps when she sees the upturned wreck of a black car ahead of her. She's sure she whimpers with the ache of seeing it before ignoring everything around her and stepping towards it.

She hears herself call Jennie's name over and over again, hears her own name being called back to her before slipping onto the ground and reaching for Jennie. Everything looks weird, distorted and Jennie looks terrified. She hears herself promising that everything will be okay and takes Jennie's hand when she grabs for her and sobs. The panic feels like her heart is breaking. She hears herself asking if Jennie's okay but only really wants to hear the answer if it's positive. She guesses that Jennie's answer isn't, though, because she feels herself whimpering, sobbing and then screaming for help. She feels herself falling apart at the sight of blood and Jennie's tears.

She hears herself praying, begging and she doesn't know what to do. She hears Jennie sobbing about the baby and about how much pain she's in. She feels her prayers slip loudly from her own lips, begging and pleading with anyone that can hear. She doesn't even know what she's saying. She just wants someone to save them.

Ambulances come and then, in what feels like a second, they're racing through a hospital-the same hospital she's sure she was in mere hours ago-and the same nurse that put steri-strips on Jennie's cut is holding Lisa back and telling her she can't go with them. She feels herself sobbing and all she can manage to think about is the fact that Jennie can't leave her; she can't go anywhere, because just the thought of her not being there makes Lisa's heart break. Her heart's been so set on Jennie for so long that it doesn't feel fair.

She sobs because she can hear shouting and she can hear crying, she can hear a baby crying but that doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense because it's not time yet. The baby's not supposed to be born yet. It's not time.

Then there's a doctor and he has no face and he's telling Lisa that she's dead, they're both dead. "Your girls are dead," he says and Lisa doesn't really listen because her legs are buckling and she thinks the nurse is catching her before she falls and-

"Lisa!"

Lisa gasps and grabs for the hands that shake her. She grasps for them and clutches their owner to her with sleepy-clarity, not really awake yet.

"Lisa," Minnie whispers. "What-Lisa, why are you crying?"

It's then that she realizes that the reason she can't really see is more because of her tears and less because she's so sleepy. She doesn't really feel sleepy at all. She just feels terrified. She feels confused.

"Is Jennie okay?" she chokes against her shoulder, clutching herself to Minnie. Minnie shushes her tears and strokes at the back of her neck to calm her down. She doesn't answer her right away and it makes Lisa panic. "Is-is Jennie okay?" she repeats.

Minnie pushes her back and looks at her curiously. "She's fine, Sweetie," she whispers. "Did you-" She sighs when she realizes what's happening. "It was just a dream, Lisa."

Lisa nods, feeling silly when she realizes that she's still on Minnie's bed from earlier. She gasps and cries again because she hates her subconscious. She hates how real everything felt.

"She was-she was-she died..." she breathes. "They both... they both just..."

Minnie whispers consoling words into her ear and clutches her closer. "It's okay, it's okay," she coos. "It was just a dream. She's fine."

Lisa hiccups. "Where is she?"

Minnie loosens her grip. "I took her home a couple hours ago. It's like... six. I was making dinner and I heard you crying."

The thought of Jennie being alone fills Lisa with terror. She falls back and sighs. "I-I..." she tries but she doesn't know what she wants to say.

Minnie just smiles sadly. "You love her," she says.

Lisa scoffs. "Tell me something I don't know," she mumbles and shakes her head. "I just... I hate her being alone. I hate the thought that no one is looking after her."

"She's an adult," Minnie reminds her knowingly.

"She's pregnant," Lisa retorts. "It's not just..." she trails off. "She's not just looking after herself anymore."

Minnie's eyes narrow. "You don't think she's capable...?"

Lisa clicks her tongue and shakes her head at Minnie. "I don't mean that," she argues quickly. "I just mean... someone should be looking after her. Someone should be there, just in case."

Minnie's eyes soften and then her eyebrows rise pointedly in Lisa's direction.

Lisa doesn't even need her to speak. She knows what she's going to say.

It's obvious.

//

"Lisa?"

Lisa bites her lip and shifts the duffle a little more comfortably onto her shoulder. Jennie's eyes narrow and Lisa tries to ignore the way that her hand comes to rest comfortably on the swell of her stomach. She tries not to notice how standing on this doorstep feels a lot like she's finally coming home.

"Can I move in?"

Jennie looks at her worriedly, curious and concerned. She opens the door a little wider and Lisa shuffles closer, waiting for her answer.

"Did something happen with Minnie?"

Lisa shakes her head.

"Then..."

"I just want to live with you," Lisa says quickly and winces a little at how it sounds. She shakes her head. "I want to look after you," she clarifies.

Jennie's eyes widen.

"Oh," she says softly and then she nods quickly. "Okay."

Lisa nods and swallows.

Jennie strokes her stomach once, a new habit, before nodding.

"Then you better come in."