Infinity: A Jenlisa AU

Chapter 28

Light coming through the curtain wakes Jennie.

She found herself in Lisa's arms.

For the longest time, Jennie just lie there.

Being held by the love of her life.

An extraordinary woman.

After a while, Jennie disentangle herself and grab her pile of clothes off the floor.

She dress by the remains of the fire—nothing but a bed of coals—and throw on the last two logs.

They have slept in.

The clock on the stove reads 9:30, and through the window above the sink, Jennie see sunlight angling down through the evergreens and birches, making pools of light and shadow across the floor of the forest as far as she can see.

She head outside into the morning chill and step down off the porch. Past the back of the cabin, the property slopes gently to the edge of a lake.

Jennie walk out to the end of a snow capped pier.

There's a rim of ice a few feet out from the shore, but it's too early in the season, even with the recent storm, for the rest of the lake to have frozen.

Jennie brush the snow off a bench, take a seat, and watch the sun creep up behind the pine trees.

The cold is invigorating. Like an espresso shot.

Mist rises from the surface of the water.

She register footsteps squeaking in the snow behind her.

Turning, Jennie see Lisa coming down the pier, following in her footprints.

She's carrying two steaming mugs of coffee, her hair is a gorgeous wreck, and she has several blankets thrown around her shoulders like a shawl.

As Jennie watch her wife approach, it occurs to her that in all likelihood, this is the last morning Jennie will ever get to spend with Lisa. She will be returning to Seoul first thing tomorrow. Alone.

Handing Jennie both mugs, Lisa takes one of her blankets and wraps it around Jennie. Then she sits on the bench and they both drink their coffees and stare out across the lake.

Jennie say, "I always thought we'd end up in a place like this."

"I didn't know you wanted to move here."

"When we're older. Find a cabin to fix up."

"Can you fix things up?" Lisa laughs. "I'm kidding. I know what you mean."

"Maybe spend summers here with our dogs. You could paint by the lakeshore."

"What would you do?"

"I don't know. Finally catch up on tv series that I missed before. Just be with you."

Lisa reaches down and touches the piece of thread that's still tied around Jennie's ring finger. "What's this?"

"Jennie2 took my wedding ring, and there was a point early on where I was beginning to lose my grasp on what was real. On who I was. If I'd ever been married to you. So I tied this string around my finger as a reminder that you, this version of you, existed."

Lisa kisses Jennie.

For a long time.

Jennie, with all of her will power, stopped. "I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"In that first Seoul I woke up in—the one where I found you at this art installation about the multiverse—"