Making Things Physical (SHORT STORY) G!P

ch9

After that, things flowed rather smoothly.  Jennie helped her mom in the kitchen, Lisa stood with Jae at the grill, both drinking a beer, and the rest of the gang (including Sana and Dahyun) were swimming in the pool.  Jae was asking the usual "get to know you" questions.  Lisa realized early on that she really liked Jae.  He was funny, loving, and smart.  She could joke around with him and have an intelligent conversation with him.  She could tell that he loved his family deeply and she respected him a lot.  Lisa could see where Jennie got a lot of her qualities.  Lisa hadn't really talked to Chaerin.  They had made their introductions and made small talk but nothing substantial.  She liked Chaerin, though.  She was warm and nice.  Lisa could tell that Chaerin loved her family just as much as Jae did.  Jae and Chaerin together were so sweet it was sickening.  Lisa hoped that she and Jennie would be as in love thirty years down the road as much as Jae and Chaerin were. 

Lisa's thoughts were interrupted when Jennie's raised voice reached her on the patio from the kitchen.  Lisa looked through the glass door to see Jennie storm out of the kitchen, down the hall, and then disappear up the stairs.

"Mr. Kim-"

"Lisa, I told you to call me Jae."

"Right, sorry.  Jae, will you excuse me for a moment."

"Of course, go calm our girl down."

Lisa couldn't help but grin to herself at the "our girl" comment as she walked through the door.  She was passing the kitchen when Chaerin's voice stopped her.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into her."  Chaerin said from her place at the island where she was making potato salad.

"I'm sorry?"  Lisa asked, not knowing what the woman was talking about.

"Make her see that minoring in art will only distract her from her medical studies.  She needs to focus on becoming a doctor."

"I can't do that, Chaerin.  She loves it too much."

"That's too much on her plate.  She needs to choose and art just isn't something that can provide for her.  She loves helping people.  She's always wanted to be a doctor.  She has told me that it is her passion."

"Art is her passion too, Chaerin.  It's like Jae and Jennie are your passions, right?  You have the same amount of passion for both of them but it's a different passion.  It's the same way with Jennie.  Being a doctor is her heart's passion.  Being an artist is her soul's passion.  I'm gonna go talk to her."  Lisa said nodding her head towards the stairs.  Chaerin gave a slight nod in lieu of a verbal answer, what Lisa had just said was running through her mind.

When Lisa reached the top of the stairs she paused.  There were about ten doors total and she had no idea which one was Jennie's.  In all of the commotion from when they arrived there wasn't a tour given to Somi and Lisa.  Lisa walked down the hall calling out Jennie's name but received no answer so she began opening random doors.

"Nope, that's the bathroom."  Lisa said shutting the door and moving to the next one, "That's the closet.  Definitely don't want to be in that again."  As Lisa neared the end of the hall she heard Jennie's sniffling and followed the sound.  Opening the door at the end of the hallway, Lisa's heart hurt at the sight of her brunette love lying face down on her bed, crying.  Lisa crossed the fairly large room in less than a second.

"Shhh, baby, it's okay.  Come here."  Lisa said as she sat on the bed near Jennie's head, gently coaxing Jennie to lie her head in Lisa's lap.  When she did Lisa's fingers instantly went to Jennie's hair, trying to sooth the distressed girl.

"She doesn't get it.  She's never understood me.  It's not like I want to quit med school."  Jennie said sniffling but feeling more calm with Lisa there.