Good, Lisa thought as she hung up. This was good. Get out of bed. Go take a shower. Maybe even comb her hair. That was the key. Keep busy enough, and there's no time left to think. That was the trick she'd used all these years, and she'd just have to go back to it now. What other choice did she have?
She was just getting out of the shower when she heard her phone go off again.
"It isn't her." Lisa said to her reflection in the mirror. How long was it going to take before the sound of her ringtone didn't set her heart pounding in her chest like this?
Lisa wrapped a towel around her waist as she stepped into the bedroom and fished out her phone from beneath the covers. She looked down at the screen.
Jennie
"Fuck." she said out loud, sitting down heavily on the edge of the bed as she picked up the call.
"Lisa? Sorry, are you in the middle..."
"No no no..." Lisa interrupted. "It's ok. Hi! What's up?"
Lisa knew she sounded strange. Her heart was going a mile a minute. She needed to get a grip. It didn't matter. It was Jennie. She called. Everything was OK. OK OK OK. Jennie called.
"What are you doing right now?" Jennie asked.
"What?"
"Where are you?"
"I'm at home."
"Oh good," Jennie said. "I just saw I missed your call."
"Did I call?" God, Lisa sounded like a moron.
"Sorry, my phone was off before."
"No. Whatever. That's cool." Her phone was off. That's all. Her phone was off. Why was her phone off? Didn't matter. Lisa could barely even register what Jennie was saying as the dizzying relief poured through her.
"Lisa? Did you hear me?"
"Sorry, what?"
"I said, do you still like surprises?"
Lisa laughed nervously. "Depends. Good surprises or bad surprises?"
"Good surprises. At least, I hope it's good...." Jennie sounded a little unsure of herself. "You know, you should really close your blinds if you're going to sit around your house wearing so little."
"Huh?"
"Look out your window."
Lisa moved across the room and rested her forehead against the cool glass. There was a taxi in the driveway. Lisa stood motionless, paralysed with shock, as she watched Jennie open the door and step out.
"My phone was off because I was on the plane." Jennie's voice said in Lisa's ear.
"Jennie..." Lisa whispered, bracing her weight against the window as her knees threatened to give way underneath her.
"Surprise!" Jennie said as she smiled up at Lisa and waved. "I changed my flight. I couldn't wait."
