SoMS:2 (Jenlisa)

fifteen

Jennie

I steered the car onto our driveway just as the time hit 8pm. I switched off the engine and glanced at Lisa wrapped up in blankets on the passenger side, drool escaping her lips as she dreamt. It'd been a long weekend at my parents house that'd left us with a lot to discuss regarding our future plans.

I'd never been happier to see a signpost that said Seoul as we neared home.

I wondered how many months we had left to call this place home, before we moved on our way.

Lisa snorted and woke with a start, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "We're back already?" She mumbled, and I smoothed her hair down, kissing her cheek.

"Yup. Did you have a sweet dream?"

"Mmhmm."

Lisa was never one for conversation first thing after getting up.

"Come on then, get in the house and I'll go pick the kids up from Tizzy's."

"Her name's Tzuyu love."

"I know, I was just checking you were awake and alert. Tick!"

Begrudgingly she opened the car door and looked for the house keys in her purse. I waited until she'd opened the front door before backing out of the drive to go and collect Luca and Daisy. I hadn't expected to miss them as much as I did, it was strange not having tiny hands to wipe clean and small humans to feed. It makes me wonder what on earth I got up to before having them in my life.

Tzuyu's porch lights automatically came on before I'd had a chance to knock on the door, and she opened it swiftly like she'd been expecting me. To be fair, we did try to get here for half 7, but there was a pile-up of traffic on the highway. Typical Seoul.

"Evening Jennie, how was the trip?"

"Good thanks, tiring though."

"I can imagine. Is Lisa back home putting her feet up, because she deserves it. Meeting the parents can take a lot out of you mentally." Given her sympathetic gaze, I can already decipher that Tzuyu isn't very fond of her in-laws. That makes two of us.

She stepped back to let me enter her foyer, and Lis was right, it's spectacular in here. "Hope they weren't too much trouble."

"Oh, nonsense, they were like angels all weekend. Come through, everyone's settled in the TV room."

A massive 85" LED TV was playing Toy Story and Day and Lu were captivated, wide brown eyes so glued to the screen that they hadn't yet noticed my arrival. In the corner was a man reading, unfazed by the oversaturated explosion of colours emanating from the television, a cup of tea in one hand.

"Sweetheart, say hi to Jennie from down the street, you know, Lisa's partner. Jennie, this is my useless excuse of a husband, Vern." Tzuyu giggled, looking at him fondly despite her introduction. He blinked up at me and nodded once. I returned the greeting and before long, he resumed his quiet peruse of the paper. He seemed okay enough in my book.

"Luca, Daisy, look who's here, it's..." Tzuyu glanced at me for a moment, stuck on what to say. I took over, not wanting her face to turn any pinker.

"Hi babies, how have you been?" At the sound of my voice their heads snapped up and Luca came darting off the couch. Day would have followed suit but she couldn't quite walk yet so she settled for franticly shuffling on her butt until she reached the edge and I scooped her up into my arms. I breathed in raven curls, holding her dearly to my chest in one arm as I hugged Luca close with the other. "Did you guys have fun this weekend?"