La Fleur D' Amour || JenLisa

LA FLEUR D' AMOUR 1

Lunchtime was the only hour of peace that Jennie Kim ever found in her long, miserable days. She loved the children in her class, but third graders are a handful, a threat to society, really. She does prefer them right after lunch when they've run around and gotten out all their energy and are much more manageable until the end of the day. Mornings, though, are hell, and lunch is her only reprieve.

Jennie sat, slumped over her desk, not even touching the chicken salad sandwich she had packed for herself. The class clown, John, had spent the entire morning throwing crumpled up paper balls at the back of Jen's head whenever she turned away from the class, causing all of her students to erupt in uncontrollable giggles. When she finally caught him red-handed, he vehemently denied that he had been working alone, but Jennie had been their teacher for four months now and she knew no one else was bold enough to attempt such a feat. Plus, his notebook had countless pages torn from it. She promptly sent him to the principal's office, but the damage had already been done and the class was impossible to reign in, ignoring their reading assignments, until the lunch bell rang and everyone rushed outside as fast as their little legs could carry them.

Jennie had made sure her doors were shut, but not locked because teachers weren't allowed to lock their doors on lunch, before collapsing at her desk with a heavy sigh, wishing this day would end. Though, she didn't really want the day to end because that would mean going home to Kai, and

-

There was a knock at the door. Jennie suppressed a groan, mentally preparing herself to forgo her lunch to deal with whatever child found it imperative that they speak with Jennie for the entire lunch hour about whatever interest they were fixed on this week. She rubbed her temples, then sat up a little straighter, put on her best fake smile and said, "Come in!"

To Jennie's surprise, it was not a student.

The first thing she noticed about the woman was her smile. Ruby red lips turned upward in a welcoming grin that crinkling the skin around her eyes, lighting up her whole face with an exuberant and contagious joy.

Jen couldn't help herself when her smile slipped into something a bit more genuine, both from the realization that it wasn't a child who needed her attention, and the fact that it was actually a rather beautiful woman. Her dark hair fell in shoulder length, messy ringlet curls around her face, and though her attire was a bit sloppy, Jen found it rather endearing. She wore stained, torn overalls, and a tattered old band t-shirt underneath, with a thick jacket over to protect herself from the unforgiving Iowa winter outside. She carried a large arrangement of red roses in a simple glass vase.

"I'm looking for Jennie Ruby Jane Kim," she said, and the soft lilt of her English accent was out of place but drew Jennie even further into her curiosity as to who this woman was. She rested her chin in her hands, forcing herself to blink because she didn't quite want to look away.

"That's me," Jen answered quickly. "Jen Kim, or Miss Kim to my students." She gestured to the bulletin board next to the woman that was decorated with the words 'MISS KIM'S THIRD GRADE CLASS' with various drawings and worksheets from the students.

The woman glanced at the board, her face lighting up in amusement, before she looked back to Jennie. "That's adorable," she said, pointing at the board. "And, apologies Jen, the card said Jennie Ruby Jane."