Chapter 37

The first time Lisa noticed it, Ruby was barely a few hours old.

Wrapped in a soft pastel blanket, eyes still adjusting to the world, their daughter let out the tiniest sound—something between a sigh and a squeak. Jennie was exhausted beside her, hair a mess, face bare, yet still the most beautiful person Lisa had ever seen.

And then Lisa looked down at Ruby again.

She blinked.

Then blinked again.

“Uh… babe?” Lisa whispered, nudging Jennie gently.

Jennie hummed sleepily. “Mmm… what is it…”

Lisa tilted the baby just slightly toward her. “I think… you cloned yourself.”

Jennie cracked one eye open—and froze.

Because there it was.

The tiny nose. The delicate shape of her lips. And even though Ruby’s eyes were still adjusting, the slight upward tilt—the cat-like sharpness—was already there.

Jennie stared.

Then slowly reached out, touching Ruby’s cheek.

“…No way.”

Lisa grinned, completely in awe. “Way.”

—

By the time Ruby turned three months, it became undeniable.

Friends visited.

Jisoo took one look and burst out laughing. “Jennie, did Lisa even contribute anything here?”

Rosé crouched beside the baby, squishing her cheeks gently. “Oh my god, the mandu cheeks… she’s literally mini-Jennie!”

Jennie tried to act unimpressed, crossing her arms. “Well… of course she looks like me.”

But the way her lips curled, the way she kept stealing glances at Ruby—Lisa knew.

She was soft.

Very, very soft.

—

At six months, Ruby had learned how to babble.

And somehow—even her expressions were Jennie-coded.

The tiny pout when she didn’t get what she wanted.

The side-eye when Lisa made weird noises to make her laugh.

And worst of all—

The judgmental stare.

Lisa held Ruby up one afternoon, staring into her little face.

“…You just judged me, didn’t you?”

Ruby blinked slowly.

Exactly like Jennie.

Lisa gasped. “Oh my god. Jennie, she’s judging me like you do!”

Jennie, sipping her coffee nearby, didn’t even look up. “Good. She’s learning early.”

—

But nothing—nothing—prepared Lisa for Ruby at ten months.

Because that was when everything fully came together.

Ruby was sitting on the play mat, chubby legs spread out, holding onto a plush toy. Her hair had grown just enough to frame her face, soft and slightly wavy.

And her cheeks—

God.

Her cheeks.

Round, squishy, perfectly mandu.

Lisa stood a few feet away, completely frozen.

Jennie walked in, drying her hands with a towel. “Why are you just standing there—”

She followed Lisa’s gaze.

And stopped too.

Ruby looked up at them, blinking innocently.

Then she smiled.

A small, gummy smile—but the shape of it…

Jennie’s breath caught.

Lisa clutched her chest dramatically. “I can’t… I can’t do this.”

Jennie whispered, “She looks exactly like me…”

Lisa turned to her, wide-eyed. “Exactly?! That’s an understatement. Jennie, that’s literally you in baby form.”

Ruby babbled, waving her toy.

“Ma-ma!”

Lisa made a strangled noise.

“Oh no.”

Jennie smirked. “She called me first.”

Lisa dropped to her knees dramatically in front of Ruby. “Ruby, baby, it’s mommy too—come on, say mommy—”

Ruby just stared at her.

Then—slowly—tilted her head.

That same Jennie head tilt.

Lisa gasped like she’d been shot.

“That’s it. I’m done. I’ve lost. I’ve been replaced.”

Jennie laughed, walking over and sitting beside Ruby, pulling her gently into her lap. “You’re being dramatic.”

“I’m not!” Lisa crawled closer, eyes locked on Ruby’s face. “Look at her! The eyes, the nose, the cheeks—”

She reached out.

And gently squished Ruby’s cheeks between her fingers.

Ruby blinked.

Lisa froze.

Then—

She leaned in.

And kissed one cheek.

Then the other.

Then again.

And again.

And again.

“Mwah—mwah—mwah—mwah—”

Ruby squealed, tiny hands grabbing Lisa’s shirt as she giggled.

Lisa couldn’t stop.

“I can’t help it!” she said between kisses. “She’s too cute! Jennie, this is your fault! You made her like this!”

Jennie watched, completely soft now, her earlier composure melting away.

“…You’re the one kissing her like that.”

Lisa pulled back just enough to look at Ruby again.

Ruby’s cheeks were slightly pink now, her eyes bright, her smile wide.

Lisa whispered, almost reverently, “She’s perfect.”

Then immediately leaned back in—

“Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!”

Ruby burst into full giggles.

Jennie shook her head, but her smile gave her away.

“Careful,” she teased. “At this rate, you’re going to spoil her.”

Lisa didn’t even pause. “Too late.”

Another kiss.

“And I regret nothing.”

Ruby reached up, tiny hands grabbing Lisa’s face now, smushing her cheeks back.

Lisa gasped dramatically. “Oh! Oh, she’s fighting back!”

Jennie laughed. “Serves you right.”

Lisa grinned, pressing one last exaggerated kiss right on Ruby’s cheek.

“Doesn’t matter,” she said softly, eyes full of love. “She can look exactly like you… but she’s still our baby.”

Jennie leaned closer, resting her head lightly against Lisa’s shoulder as they both looked at Ruby.

“…Yeah,” Jennie murmured.

Ruby babbled happily between them, completely unaware of the effect she had.

Lisa sighed dreamily.

“…But seriously, though.”

Jennie raised a brow. “What?”

Lisa poked Ruby’s cheek again.

“…I deserve at least one feature next time.”

Jennie smirked.

“We’ll see.”