earning it back // chaelisa

chapter 10: a whole lot of firsts part three

It's only a handful of steps from where Chaeyoung parked in the curb and the front door. But when she walks around the car and starts her way up the walkway, Lisa's hand slips into hers, their pace matching each other's, their rhythm flawless as if they've been doing this for years.

Walking home hand in hand with Lisa after a long day at work sounds like a good epilogue for their story.

Chaeyoung peels her eyes from the ground in front of her to their joined hands – their fingers intertwine in a loose, almost careless way, but the way Lisa's thumb drags softly over the back of her hand tells another story. She doesn't fight the smile that tugs at her lips, doesn't mind the way she leans ever so close, doesn't bother pretending she doesn't want to kiss Lisa right there and then.

But she doesn't. Because it's finally settling in that she has all the time in the world for that now.

They stop in the small front porch and Lisa tugs at Chaeyoung's hand, brings it to her lips, presses a kiss on her pulse point before letting go, digging in her purse to find her keys. The idea that Lisa knew they had four, maybe five seconds walking to the door and still chose to hold her hand in those few moments makes Chaeyoung's heart flutter wildly before melting into a puddle, drowning her in warmth rival to the setting sun.

She remembers Lisa slamming the same door she's opening with ease now on her face, after telling her in a few words that they should never see each other again. It feels like it all happened in another lifetime, and while Chaeyoung knows it didn't, while she knows that wound is just barely scabbed over, she lets herself forget for a moment.

Because Lisa is opening the door wider now, is welcoming her inside with the softest smile known to mankind – oh, Chaeyoung wants to draw her again, is itching to reach for some paper and make sure she gets the lines of her eyes just right this time.

Chaeyoung didn't bother to get her purse or anything other than her keys when they left the car, still dazed by their conversation and the prospect of spending some time with the ball of sunshine Jake is. So she hangs back as she watches Lisa draping her jacket over the banister and putting her purse on the flat end, probably so she can easily carry it all up with her later. It's when Lisa bends down to pluck her heels off and sets them neatly by the landing that Chaeyoung realizes that she might not be ready to handle Lisa being so comfortably at home.

She doesn't have the time to unpack why she feels feverish at the sight of Lisa walking barefoot towards the living room – Chaeyoung accepts it and follows her, relishing on how the few extra inches Lisa had on her disappear.

They find Jake in the living room, his wet hair brushed gently to one side, the ends curling up with the way he snuggles up to Harper as they watch TV. The bright colors of whatever cartoon they're watching play across both of their faces, and it only takes Harper looking up to see who's coming in to break the spell.

"Mommy!" Jake yelps, tumbling out of the couch and sprinting towards them, hurling himself into Lisa's arms with the unwavering confidence that his mom will never let him fall, "Harper and I builded all day. I made a bridge and a castle and a house." His words get half muffled by Lisa's neck as she hugs him tight, his tiny fists gripping her shirt – the sight makes Chaeyoung smile in a way that she only realizes she's doing when her cheeks start to hurt.

"You built all that? Can you show me?" Lisa indulges him, pressing a kiss to his forehead and putting him on the floor again. She smooths his hair, brushing away a few stray strands that fall to his forehead, before directing his attention to Chaeyoung, "Look who came over to say hello."

His eyes widen when he realizes his mom hasn't come home alone, "Chaeyoung!" His tongue catches in the "young" , making him sound a lot like Lisa. Chaeyoung goes down on one knee to steady herself as she gives him a proper hug, his tiny frame almost disappearing into her arms. When he draws back, like clockwork, he touches the pink ends of her hair – they're a darker shade of pink, leaning more towards rosewood now than the magenta she had when she first dyed. "Come see what I built."