we keep this love in a photograph

Chapter 70

As exhausted as she was, Jennie was up at the crack of dawn - German time - dressed and showered and anxiously pacing back and forth the room she was sharing with her mom. It was the nicest hotel within close proximity, Taeyeon sacrificing luxury and comfort for her daughter's sanity, but even still her mom was taking her sweet time getting ready, carefully applying the makeup she'd bought the day before to her drawn face as Jennie brimmed with impatience. They'd arrived at the hotel Taeyeon had texted her to find designer clothes and necessities for all of them - including Rosie - waiting in their appropriate rooms.

"You should go down for breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

"They're not going to let us in this early anyway; the sun's not even up yet."

Sighing, Jennie pulled on the new trench coat, tearing off the tag, and grabbed her purse before she stepped out into the narrow hallway. Knocking on Alice and Ashley's door, she waited for them to let her in and hovered just inside the door.

"Breakfast?"

Alice arched an eyebrow, disbelieving, but nodded as they finished getting ready. She pulled on a thin quilted coat and eyed herself in the mirror, "you know, this is probably the nicest coat I've ever owned."

"I'm glad this trip is turning out so well for you," Jennie said as she rolled her eyes.

Giving her a wide grin, mood buoyed by the fact that the world had righted itself, Alice raked a hand through her hair and grabbed the key card, shoving it into her back pocket. Ashley was spraying herself with perfume, humming in appreciation as she eyed the label before she walked towards them and the trio made their way downstairs.

It was a continental breakfast buffet and Jennie put a croissant on a plate and poured herself orange juice and coffee before taking a seat. Buttering the croissant, she took a bite, thinking of Rosie. Was she awake now? Was she wondering where they were? Had she eaten and gotten enough sleep?

Draining her cheap coffee, grateful for the buzz of caffeine, she sipped the sharp orange juice and her mom and Clare joined them at the table with their own breakfasts. It was seven o'clock when they finally caught two cabs back to the base, repeating the process of being granted access and passing through security before they were allowed into the hospital. Eagerness seized Jennie, her heart soaring in her chest as it pounded loudly, a prickle of excitement running through her, the same relief as yesterday swelling inside her as she walked down the hallway - this time without the nervous dread.

Opening the door, Jennie stepped inside and felt everything inside her unwind, relief washing over her, even though she'd known Rosie was safe. She was still there, in the bed, turning to face the door as she smiled thinly. She was propped up a little more on the pillows now, a small TV in the high corner of the room playing some German daytime TV show on the grainy screen, and breakfast lay abandoned on the wheeled tray over her lap.

Rushing over to the bed, Jennie grabbed her face in her hands, as gentle as if cradling a fragile flower in her palms, and leaned down to kiss her. Rosie's lips were chapped and peeling from sunburn, rough against her own, but it was perhaps the sweetest kiss of Jennie's life. She'd been too afraid to kiss her yesterday, barely keeping it together and hardly daring to touch her, but her mind and body had time to adjust to the news and all she could think of now was kissing Rosie. It was a deeply intimate moment, their noses brushing and foreheads touching afterwards, while Alice lingered in the doorway, holding everyone else at bay.

"Good morning," Jennie whispered, bright-eyed and coy, if still slightly drawn with worry as her eyes anxiously roamed across Rosie's face.

"Good morning," Rosie murmured, her eyelids shuttering as she smiled faintly, one hand searching for Jennie before she knotted her fingers in the fabric of her coat sleeve.