I'll Be Back

Conversations With Dead People

Jennie is moping the floors in her kitchen. The TV is permanently on the news once more. Much like how it had been when the war first broke out. It's only been a week and a half since the surrender. A peace treaty has been signed and now it's about liberating the different camps and shipping planes of soldiers back home. She mops with vigor, taking out all the on going emotions she's had since the announcement on the floor.

She looks up and sees video footage of soldiers being reunited with their families. Jennie props the mop on the side of the table and quickly shuts off the TV. She's bitter and she has no problem admitting it. Watching these families get their loved ones back, it splits her in two. That should be her, kissing her Lisa. That should be her, being wrapped up in Lisa's embrace. That should be Aden, hugging Lisa so tightly. That should be Lia, being lifted up and carried on Lisa's shoulders. But it's not and it never will be. Jennie stews in the emotions from seeing the footage for a moment, then goes back to furiously scrubbing the floors with the mop.

Lia and Aden are at their respective schools. Gustus is suppose to pick up Lia to spend time with her. Something he does a lot. Jennie thinks it's because she looks so much like Lisa. He likes having her around and Lia adores him. He usually grabs her from school (sometimes a little earlier than that) and they go do something fun. Have dinner and he drops her back off. She always thought Lia would be more taken with her own father, as he had lived with them most of her first year of being alive. But both her children are always with Gus. Aden wears Gus old football number. Lia is constantly asking Jennie if she can sleep over there in her Mama's room. She thinks that's why. It's the connection to Lisa that they all so desperately need and want.

With Gus having Lia for the evening, she plans on making Aden invite Mia over. She figures it'll be a good chance to get to know the older girl. Maybe interrogate her a little. She knows if Lisa were around, she'd be the bad cop when it comes to Aden and dating. So she has to play both roles. Be the good cop and bad cop. Being both parents is something she's not sure she'll ever get use to.

Once she's finally finished moping she puts her supplies away and starts loading the dishwasher. She doesn't have to work for the next two days, which she finds nice. Her and Wells are back to their old ways after a couple of awkward encounters in the hospital. After acknowledging how terrible of a 'date' they had been on they were able to laugh and move on. Things have been fine since. She's happy about that. She heads towards the fridge and decides to make her homemade lemonade. She actually hasn't made some in a long while. Lisa use to drink it all up within a day and when she passed, Jennie just didn't have it in her to make it all that often. She's only made it one other time and it was during Rose and Jisoo's engagement party four years ago. She grabs the lemons and the juice squeezer. She cuts the lemons and begins squeezing the juice out, occasionally pouring it in the pitcher when it gets too full. Once she's finished with that, she fills a sauce pan with water and dumps sugar into it, bringing it to a boil. She goes to stir it but then her phone starts ringing.

She walks back over to the counter top where she left her phone and looks at the number. It's a number from Pennsylvania. She tries to think if she knows anyone from there and draws a blank. She decides to just answer it to get rid of it. She clicks the answer button as she makes her way back over to the stove, stirring the pot with one hand.

"Jennie Manoban speaking." Jennie says in the receiver.

"Hi, Mrs. Manoban, i'm sorry if i'm interrupting you. I actually found your number in a directory." An older woman says on the phone. Jennie doesn't recognize the voice.

"Oh... i'm sorry who is this?" Jennie asks, her brow furrowed in confusion. The woman seems to remember she didn't tell Jennie her name.

"Oh i'm sorry, I forgot we never got a chance to meet when you were up here. I'm Maria Artigas. Rhemy's mother." The woman says. Jennie stops stirring for a moment as she recalls the visit to Rhemy so many years ago.