Developments // Jenlisa

Epilogue // Snippets #3

So. No title. Again. But I promise I'm trying.

//

Jennie jolts awake as something sharp roughly pokes her in the ribs. It's pitch black in their bedroom, but there's a full moon peeking through the blinds, bathing the room in patterns of pale light.

She looks over to her left, at the source of her current discomfort and most likely bruise. Lila is sound asleep, but is apparently having dreams she's a kick boxer or runner or something, because she's still twitching slightly, and Jennie can tell she's about to swing her leg again. She's alert now, though, so she brings her hand up to block the kick her baby is about to deliver.

Grabbing onto her tiny ankle, she gently puts her leg back where it belongs and leans over to whisper in her ear, hoping to calm her dreams. As she moves her hand up to smooth back her dark, curly hair, she feels another hand cover her own.

"Is she kicking you again?" Lisa murmurs softly from the other side of their daughter, her voice hoarse with sleep.

"Yeah, I got her to calm down, though. Go back to sleep," she whispers back.

Jennie props herself up on her elbow, so she can look over at her. Lisa has always been an easy sleeper, so she doesn't even bother with the effort of responding before she falls back to sleep again. As Jennie watches Lisa's breathing slow down and even out, she reaches past her daughter, careful not to disturb her, and gently pushes blonde hair out of Lisa's face.

Jennie can hear the easy, slow breaths Lisa takes, and smiles to herself. She squints and blinks a few times, letting her eyes adjust to the light, and then glances at the clock. She's warm and comfortable, but she knows she only has about ten minutes before Lila wakes up, so she'd better make this fast.

Slowly, Jennie eases her body away from Lisa, so as not to disturb her, and reaches over to the bedside table. Opening the drawer, she retrieves a diamond ring from a small jewelry box, and then sets the box on the table.

Jennie knows she shouldn't be nervous, but she can't really help it. Her heart is hammering in her chest, so loudly that, for a split-second, she thinks the vibrations will wake Lisa from her sleep, and she can feel her mouth start to get dry.

She takes a moment to calm herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Then, she turns over and around gently, so that she's facing Lisa. For a moment, she gets lost, just staring. Lisa looks so beautiful and peaceful. Her blonde hair is half-fallen over her eyes, and her face is completely serene and relaxed, and Jennie can see her present and her future and she's suddenly not nervous anymore.

Jennie gently scoots her body forward a little bit, and then reaches for Lisa's left hand. Slowly, and without waking her, Jennie inches the ring along Lisa's fourth finger, her eyes drifting back and forth between Lisa's ring finger and her face, making sure she isn't waking her up.

After finally securing the ring on her finger, Jennie takes a moment to look at it. She feels her eyes start to water, but tries to blink the tears away. She doesn't want to cry for this moment.

There's something about it that's always been so beautiful to Jennie, ever since the first time they held hands. She remembers looking down at their linked fingers, and even then, ten years ago, she remembers thinking how beautiful it was. She thinks about where they came from, and how far they've come since then, and really, she never thought she'd ever be this happy.

Jennie continues to stare at the shiny ring, envisioning Lisa's reaction. She can picture it.

Lisa washing her face, probably taking some time to notice the addition. Her puzzled little frown, scrunched nose, the way she'll stretch out her hand gently, her slender, elegant fingers stretched taut.

She can see her smile as she realizes it. Her smile, the one she has in store for Jennie, so soft and gentle and full of love that while it anchors her to the world, it leaves her breathless and bashful and wanting to look away.

The short, quick gasps of breath. The seconds until it really hits her.

She can almost feel when Lisa will hug her from behind, just breathing her in, intertwining their hands and twirling the ring around her own finger.

Lisa's smile and little kisses at the base of her neck, her warm breath. The moment she'll tease her about a question that has never been asked.

And before she goes back to sleep, Jennie smiles, closing her eyes. It's not a question she needs an answer to. She knows.