we keep this love in a photograph

Chapter 79

Walking through the front door to the disjointed sound of piano keys being played by clumsy hands, Jennie let out a snort of laughter, dropping her keys onto a table just inside the door and carrying her armful of grocery bags through to one of the larger living rooms, where she knew the grand piano was situated. Stepping into the open doorway, she took in the sight of Taeyeon sitting on the bench with a dark haired girl on her lap, playing a clumsy scale.

"Already trying to turn her into a child prodigy?"

Looking over at her, Taeyeon rolled her eyes and ran a hand through the dark curls of her granddaughter. "Hush. She enjoys it."

Smiling softly, Jennie set her bags down on the sofa as her daughter cut off her playing and climbed down off the bench. "Mommy!"

Sinking to a crouch, Jennie opened her arms and swept her daughter up as she rose to her feet, laughing as her chest was buoyed with the rush of love. "Hi, baby. Have you been good?"

"Mhm. Grandma took me to the park and I did cartwheels."

"I don't think she has a future career as a gymnast," Taeyeon wryly said as she dropped the fallboard over the keys and climbed to her feet, baring her teeth in a wince as she shook her head at Jennie and mouthed 'awful'.

Pressing her lips together to fight back a smile, Jennie kissed her daughter's cheek and set her back down. "Did you guys have lunch already?"

"No, I was trying to teach her chess for a bit."

"Mom, she's four. Why don't you play with dolls with her?"

"I used to play chess with you; you could beat your brother not long after you came home. You were the same age."

Rolling her eyes, Jennie looked down as her daughter slipped her hand into hers, looking up with wide brown eyes, so childishly innocent. "Where's mom?"

Awkwardly picking up one of the paper bags while Taeyeon grabbed the rest for her, Jennie led her daughter out of the room and through to the kitchen. "Mom's gone to talk to her special friend about her week; she'll be home soon."

"Can we play Lego when she gets home?"

Humming, Jennie narrowed her eyes, "how about ... you eat lunch first and then grandma and I will both play Lego with you?"

"Can I have chocolate?"

"Daisy, chocolate isn't lunch," Jennie exasperatedly replied. "How about a sandwich? I'll cut you up some strawberries too."

"Can I have grapes?"

"Sure, I'll get you some grapes."

Taeyeon snorted, shaking her head as she set the bags down on the counters and started unpacking it. "She's going to grow up middle-aged with the way you speak to her."

"I'm not doing all that baby talk shit," Jennie scoffed, waving a hand as she ushered her daughter over to the table, watching as she climbed onto a chair. "Besides, I remember you talking to me like that too."

"And you were CEO of a billion-dollar-company at twenty-two - I'd hardly say that was normal."

"Yeah, well, she's still four; she's not going to grow up that fast."

"You'd be surprised."

Jennie shared a small smile with her mom, setting a tub of olives down on the counter and glancing over at her daughter. There was a stethoscope on the table from the toy medical kit Taeyeon had bought her last Christmas, some of the strewn mess of her mom's babysitting, the games they'd been playing, and Jennie's smile grew slightly.