To Jupiter and back

Chapter 19

"Oh bébé, tu as tellement grandi," whispered Jupiter's grandmother as she embraced her tightly. "Grand-mère, cela ne fait qu'un an," Jupiter responded, reminding her grandmother that it had only been a year since they last saw each other. Billie, who had always been captivated by the way they spoke French, listened intently.

"Granny, voici ma petite amie Billie," Jupiter introduced her girlfriend to her grandmother. The elderly woman, François, spoke in a deep French accent as she hugged Billie, who was pleasantly surprised by the warm gesture.

The three of them climbed into Jupiter's grandmother's car, with Billie and Jupiter settling in the backseat while François drove at a leisurely pace. Billie, despite having slept for over ten hours, still felt tired and rested her head on Jupiter's shoulder during the ride.

Finally, they arrived at François' cozy brick house and entered. "Your room is upstairs, as always. I assume Billie will be staying with you?" François asked in his deep French accent. Jupiter affirmed and reassured her grandmother that they would take care of everything.

"Allez dormir, il est 4 heures du matin, grandma," Jupiter said, urging her grandmother to get some rest as it was already early morning.

"C'mon, baby," Jupiter said, picking up their suitcases and leading the way upstairs. The room was simple but held sentimental value for Jupiter. It had been her room during her childhood visits, where she spent endless holidays alone, reading books or watching the old TV in the corner.

After placing their suitcases in the corner, Billie undressed and fell into bed, immediately succumbing to sleep. Meanwhile, Jupiter rummaged through her suitcase, searching for something.

"Come to sleep," Billie mumbled, her eyes closed.

"Coming," Jupiter mumbled back, removing her shirt and pants.

The two girls curled up together and soon drifted off to sleep, finding comfort in each other's embrace.

...

As the morning sun beamed through the circle window, casting its gentle rays on the wall adorned with wallpaper featuring little fairies, Billie woke up in Jupiter's warm hug. "I love the wallpaper," she said softly, still reveling in the embrace.

Jupiter smiled and replied, "Yeah, it's been here since I was a child. My grandma made this room mine. We went to the market nearby and picked out the wallpaper together. After my grandpa passed away the year before, our neighbor helped us put it up."

Billie's heart swelled at the thoughtfulness behind it. She admired the bond Jupiter shared with her grandmother, realizing the significance of this room in their lives.

Just then, a knock on the door interrupted their reverie. "Girls, time to eat breakfast," François called out. Jupiter groaned playfully into Billie's breasts, giving her a quick kiss before reluctantly getting up to join her grandmother for breakfast.

Jupiter picked out some clothes from her suitcase—sweatpants and a hoodie she had "borrowed" from Billie—while Billie chose leggings and a sweatshirt she'd ironically borrowed from Jupiter.

They followed the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen and found François busy cooking pancakes. Jupiter's grandmother opened the barely working fridge and retrieved a jar of raspberry jam.

As they sat down at the table, François proudly announced, "I made these pancakes with almond milk, knowing that Billie is vegan." Billie's face lit up with appreciation as she took a bite, savoring the fluffy goodness.

The trio enjoyed their breakfast, chatting and laughing amidst the clinking of cutlery. Jupiter felt grateful for this moment, for the love surrounding her.