The Beginning of the End - Jenlisa

Chapter Seven

∞∞∞

The following morning was gloomy – matching the mood in their house. The sky was covered with clouds that promised rain; the wind had picked up overnight, and the temperature had dropped enough to force people into long-sleeved blouses and cardigans.

Riley observed his mother carefully from where he sat in the backseat of the car. Jennie was perfectly put together, like she usually was, but Riley knew her – he knew how to recognize the tension in her body. Jennie was still distraught, and he had noticed that from the very first moment he saw her that day.

"Mom?" He ventured when they were a few blocks away from his school. Curiosity – and not only that, but also worry – would not allow him to leave her without another conversation.

"Hmm?" Jennie acknowledged, meeting his son's eyes in the rearview mirror for a brief moment, before looking back at the road ahead.

"What was that last night?" Riley asked.

Jennie sighed. "I already told you, baby~."

"You had a fight." Riley said slowly, as though wanting to make sure he understood, "With my other mom?"

Jennie swallowed heavily before she answered him. "Yes."

Riley remained silent for a moment, before he spoke again. "Mom?" Riley waited until his mother had glanced at him once again before he continued. "She's not gonna separate us, right?"

"What?" Jennie asked, shocked. "Baby~, of course not. Where did you get that idea from?"

"She can do that." Riley said, confident.

"No!" Jennie parked in front of the school in one swift maneuver, before she unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face him. "Riley, you're watching too many series on Netflix again. Nothing – and no one – is taking you away from me."

There was a quiet desperation in Jennie's eyes, mixed with fierce protectiveness, but the confidence there made Riley believe her NINI. Because when his NINI made a promise, she respected it. And Riley knew then – NINI would do anything to keep him by her side.

"Come on." Jennie murmured with a soft sigh, turning around to get out of the car.

Riley waited until Jennie opened the door for him to jump out. He didn't miss the few extra seconds it took Jennie to reach his side, seconds Jennie must have spent on getting her bearings. This was affecting her more than she let on, Riley could see that clearly.

"Okay." Jennie sighed as she crouched down in front of him, holding on his hands. "I will be here – Is that your teacher?" Jennie frowned at something behind Riley.

Riley turned briefly, before facing her again. "Yeah." Riley said.

"She looks bad today."

"She always looks bad."

Jennie rolled her eyes. "She looks sick."

"She is sick."

Jennie giggled lightly. "How about you lie low today? Don't bother her too much?"

"Too much." Riley agreed.

Jennie smiled, tapping Riley's nose with the tip of her finger. "Alright. Be careful. Be nice. Pay attention to your class. And I'll be here when you finish. Okay?" Riley nodded, and closed his eyes when Jennie reached up to brush some locks of khaki hair that were tangled from his forehead. "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."

"You always do." Riley answered, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Jennie's gummy smile grew wider. Making her eyes unevenly narrowed. "Go." Jennie said, kissing Riley's forehead. "Love you."

Riley never answered, and Jennie watched him leave with a soft look in her eyes. Riley became upset every time she declined his involvement in the problem, even when he knew there was nothing he could do to help. Riley felt patronized, he had claimed once, and although Jennie knew Riley was capable of understanding most of the things children his age couldn't do, the brunette refused to let him become involved, no matter the nature of the issue. Riley was her child and Jennie was her mother; Jennie's duty was to protect Riley, not to allow him to shoulder the burdens they encountered together.

"Hey." A familiar voice said, bringing Jennie back from her thoughts.

The brunette looked up. "Hey." She greeted back. Jennie's smile was long gone as she stood up, smoothing the creases in her skirt. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured I would find you here." Lisa sighed, burying her hands into her back pockets, pursing her lips, as her eyes pierced through Jennie. "We need to talk."

∞

It was almost incredible how much Jennie had changed, yet at the same time, remained the same. Jennie was gorgeous, even more so than the last time Lisa had seen her – something the blonde had deemed impossible in the hours to come. But Jennie was cold, and seemed a million miles away.

During the entire walk to the coffee shop, the brunette's eyes had met the tall woman once. Jennie refused to look at Lisa when the blonde spoke, and although that was something Lisa had grown used to in the last period of their marriage, Jennie's attitude unnerved her now.

As much as Lisa felt that she needed to tell Jennie, eventually it was the brunette who broke the silence.

"Pick him up from school tomorrow." Jennie said, her gaze finally rising to meet the blonde across the table as she played almost nervously with the straw of her milk tea drink.

Lisa blinked. For a moment, the blonde was unable to understand what Jennie was trying to tell her. "Pick him up...?" Lisa blinked, sitting up straighter. "What?"

Jennie looked almost annoyed – as though she wanted to be annoyed, but didn't have the necessary strength. "What part did you not understand?"

"You're not going to be there?"

"No." Jennie answered firmly, looking down at her milk tea cooling in her hands. "I don't want my presence to sway him in any way."

"And you think leaving him alone with a stranger will be better?" Lisa demanded in a harsh whisper, leaning towards the brunette.

Jennie's eyes met Lisa. "You're not a stranger. You're his other mother."

"Yeah." Lisa scoffed. "Exactly."

"Look, I know Riley. And I know that, if I'm there, his focus won't be on you. He'll constantly be looking at me for directions, for approval, constantly checking how I feel, how I look. The expression on my face, the look in my eyes, every word that comes out of my mouth – that's what he'll analyze later on. And that's how he'll come to conclusions. And I don't want that. I want him to know you."

"And your relationship with his other mother? Doesn't that matter?"

Jennie shrugged, leaning back on her seat. "No. We're on talking terms, and that's that. What Riley needs from you is a mother with a father figure. I – I don't need anything from you, Lisa. Not anymore."

"Why not?" Lisa challenged in a rare act of defiance.

Jennie sighed, and stood up. Her tone was resigned when she spoke her last words.

"Because when I did, you weren't willing to give anything to me."