I built this Home for me, for you

Chapter 20

Jennie's first week back at work was long, and she was glad that Lisa had encouraged her to ease in with three days first, because with all of the trouble at home, she found herself distracted and worried at work. Was mom okay? Was Lisa okay? Should I have been so quick to suggest that they all go back to work? She trusted that she knew herself well enough to know that she had to get back in her office, to sit behind her desk as she did paperwork in the large, cold room. Lisa had cut two days off her usually full week though, which was some small relief, because at least they would both home more, and have time to sort things through, while still escaping the house to get some work done. It was a good compromise.

It was hard not to miss Lisa though. They'd spent more time together over the holidays because of their time off work, and Jennie missed being home to kiss Lisa when she walked in, as she'd gotten so used to doing. Now it was a string of texts and calls about who would be home first and what they'd get started on for dinner. Still, Jennie couldn't deny that on Wednesday, when Lisa made it home first, it was nice to be greeted with a kiss as soon as she walked in. No matter what, one of them would be home waiting for the other - there always had even and there always would be. As it neared lunchtime though, Jennie couldn't stop herself from picking up her phone and calling Lisa.

"Hello," Lisa's cheerful voice greeted her.

"Hi," Jennie quietly replied, her whole face lighting up at her wife's bubbly voice coming from the other end. It was almost an unconscious thing, how Jennie's muscles unwound and the tension bled out of her at just one word off Lisa. All she ever needed was one word to let her know that she was okay, and it took the edge off Jennie's worry. "I miss you."

A quiet laugh came from the other end, "it's funny that you should mention that. I was missing you too."

Smiling as she typed away at her keyboard, Jennie kept the phone clamped between her ear and shoulder. "Maybe we should start planning lunch dates like when we were younger."

"We had lunch date in our breaks on Monday," Lisa reminded her and Jennie pouted slightly, even though Lisa couldn't see her.

"I know, but I miss you. Besides, we used to have lunch dates almost every day when we were younger. Now we only have them once or twice a week because we're so busy."

"Mm, compromise for getting all our work done at work," Lisa sighed, and Jennie looked up as her door opened, "never mind, I'm here now though."

Laughing, Jennie hung up the phone, watching as her wife shouldered the door wide open, a bouquet of flowers in hand, a phone pressed to her ear, and her arms full with her coat and keys. Climbing to her feet, Jennie quickly crossed the room, heels clicking on the floor, and took the flowers out of Lisa's hands, reaching out to cup her chin and steal a kiss. Face lighting up, Lisa's eyes crinkled behind her glasses, and she tucked her hair behind her ear, shoving the phone into her bag and kissing Jennie again.

"Well this is an unexpected surprise," Jennie said, unable to keep the happy look off her face.

"I've never been able to stay away from you," Lisa mumbled, as she went in for another kiss, "you'd have to kill me for that to happen."

"Don't I know it," Jennie snorted, "even a fake death wasn't enough."

She gave Lisa a small, grim smile, reaching out to briefly stroke her cheek, before she walked over to the empty vase on the cabinet - a longstanding addition to Jennie's office because of the frequent bouquets of flowers brought to her office by her wife - and she filled it with water from a jug, before sticking the red and blush coloured flowers into the vase. Lisa had seated herself at the desk, and Jennie smiled slightly as she returned to her own seat, swiveling the chair as she appraised her wife. Lisa's shirts and cardigans had never failed to make Jennie think she was just the sweetest thing she'd ever seen, and even after all this time, there was something endearing about Lisa's dorkiness, which had never gone away.