Why her? [CHAENNIE]

39

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Meanwhile, Rose basks in the February sunshine, waiting patiently for Hank to pee. She looks around the house and realizes that she should come to her mother's house for the weekend and help her shovel snow and tidy up the grounds. There might be a lot of work to do in the spring, but Rose won't be here anymore, and that's frustrating.

The girl watches as Hank runs up to her, and Rose immediately squats down, stroking the puppy.

-Are you done?- The blonde asked sweetly, stroking his satisfied face. - You look pleased.

Rose smiles at the puppy and how it is almost up to its head in snow, spinning in one place, happy that it gets so much attention in one day. The girl scratches him behind the ear and then looks up, seeing through the windows to Jennie and her mom sitting at the table, and how sweetly they are already chatting and seemingly even laughing. Rose gets to her feet and suddenly just stares at them.

Hank twists around her legs, occasionally standing on his hind legs, begging either to be held or to go home. Rose doesn't hear or feel him, staring out the window across the hall, which overlooks the kitchen. She also doesn't realize that she has a smile on her lips and all her attention is focused only on Jennie, who is gesticulating and telling her mom something.

Jennie looks so cozy right now, and Rose doesn't understand what this rush of warmth and awe in her chest is related to, looking at the way the girl interacts with her mom. Maybe it's the nice weather and a good day and she's just in a great mood? Or maybe it makes her happy that Jennie is here now, in her house, next to her mom? Or maybe she's happy that Jennie and her mom are getting along quickly, and Rose would like to see that idyll more often? See Jennie here more often?

Rose watches as the girl props her head up with her hand and listens to Clare with interest, answering and listening again. She smiles, raising her eyebrows in surprise, and at that moment Rose seems to stop hearing any sounds. She can faintly hear birdsong now, the sounds of passing cars on the outside of the house, or the music in the house next door. She can't hear Hank barking. For a second, her ears feel as if they're full, and all she can focus on is Jennie.

The smile fades from her face and suddenly Rose realizes... She really realizes that she has really strong feelings for the girl. It's not like sympathy or attraction anymore-it's like falling in love.

It was beginning to dawn on the blonde that she really had fallen in love with Jennie and had no idea what to do about it. Had she felt something similar with Jennie before? Yes, perhaps, but it was only now, at this very moment, that Rose saw the full picture. It was now that the fact that she was in love was fully realized. She's in love with Jennie and she has no idea if their feelings are mutual? Does Jennie feel the same way about her, or just sympathy, attraction?

Does it scare her? Definitely yes!

-Oh, no way!- Jennie laughs as she listens to Clare talk about Rose's childhood and how rebellious she was.

Rose walks into the house at this point, letting Hank in, and two pairs of eyes focused already on her.

-What are you two discussing here?- Shaking the snow off her boots, the girl closes the patio door and heads to another part of the house to remove her clothes.

-Clare talks about how uncontrollable you were as a child.- Jennie still laughs, remembering the woman's funny stories.

Hanging her jacket on the hook, the blonde smiles faintly to herself, before turning back to Jennie and her mom and sitting down at the table.

-No way.- The blonde clucked her tongue.- I'm perfect.

She jokes, of course, and then smiles, cradling the coffee cup in both hands.