Chapter 42

JENNIE

Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you. They’re supposed to help you discover who you are. – Bernice Johnson Reagon

I woke up in the middle of the night with the fear that someone was inside our room. Ella was sleeping on her bed while Jisoo and I on the other. I looked at her and she seemed so peaceful. Like the recent events never happened. I stroked her hair and gave her a kiss on her forehead. How could I blame whatever that was happening to us on her. I can be so stupid sometimes. We were here together and those people wanted something from us.

I got up slowly from our bed and walked to Ella. I loved my child so much. If life was different Dahee would be alive and we would live in California, our little one would go to the best schools and she would have her mommy. But I wouldn’t have Jisoo. I never felt for someone the way I feel about her. She is my one, my affinity. If she is not here, I am lost. Her and Ella are my girls.. And because of them I had to stop acting like a scared child. The situation was bad, we didn’t know with whom we were dealing but I had to be as strong as Jisoo.

While I was next to Ella’s bed I saw Jisoo turning around whispering my name. She immediately got up from the bed in search of me and when she saw where I was she stopped for a moment and looked at me in the eyes. She came right next to me and with her one hand on me and the other on Ella she kissed my head as I did earlier with Ella. She took my arm and guided me back to our bed. Where I woke up minutes ago with the fear of someone being near us.

“Baby, what is it?”

“I had a nightmare..”

“Come here.”

We laid to each other’s arms with her spooning me.. Our fingers locked, safely next to my heart.

“Jisoo.. Do you love me?”

“With all my heart.. What kind of question is that?”

“I want you to know that I love you very much.. That i never felt for someone the same I feel for you.. And I am sorry if I was a bitch, or if I ever hurt you..”

“Baby, why you are saying all these? What is wrong?”

“I feel.. empty.. Or I was feeling empty.. All of these is driving me insane.. And I realized that I felt that way because I was afraid for you and Ella. I don’t know what I am going to do if I ever lose you..”

“Sssshhh.. you are not going to lose me. I am going to be here, holding your hand like I do now.. Okay? I am not going anywhere.. And if I will I am going to take you and our baby girl with me..”

I don’t know how, but hearing her telling me all this with her calming voice made me close my eyes and fall asleep once again.. This time I didn’t wake up. This time I was holding her hand so tight like she would leave me.

We decided that Ella wouldn’t go at her school. The day that we picked her up Jisoo discussed it with her teacher. She was only five. She wouldn’t miss a lot. When we woke up next morning, with Ella being difficult of course, everything seemed kind of different. Maybe it was the hotel. Last time I was staying at a place like that was before I meet Jisoo.. That place..

“Princess if you don’t wake up me and mommy are going to let you here and we are going to eat pancakes. And you know how much you love pancakes.”

“I am up momma.. I am up.. Don’t go.. I want pancakes too.”

If I would close my eyes I would see us in our kitchen, Jisoo making pancakes and me trying to wake Ella up. Instead we were inside a room, not our place, trying to act normal. How normal we could act though.

“Jen.. do you want me to order something so we can eat it here?” I stopped for a minute to think.. I remember what I promised to myself. I had to stop thinking like that.

“No.. It’s okay.. We will go and take our breakfast like all people.”

“Princess.. you heard mommy.. Go get ready.”

“Nice!”

While we were getting ready Jisoo’s phone rang and it was Seughyun. He arrived last night. His flight was delayed but he called us once he was here.

“Hey Dad.. yeah.. we are up.. Can you meet us in half an hour at the lobby? Perfect.. Okay see you soon.”

“What did he say?”

“He will meet us at the lobby.. Are you ready?”

“Yes.. Ella?”

“I am here mommy.. Can we go now? I am hungry.”

“Let’s go hungry princess.”

“Very funny mommy..”

We decided that while Jisoo would talk with her dad I would be at our room with Ella. We didn’t want to let her alone.. So once we finished our breakfast we went down to wait for Seunghyun. He was there waiting for us instead.

“I am sorry ladies but I need to hug this young lady first.. How’s my girl?”

“I am okay grandpa.. how are you?”

“I am tired but perfect.”

Seunghyun was a nice man. He was accepting, and he loved Jisoo more than anything. Not once have I seen him looking at us differently, although I still remember the day that Jisoo told him about me and her.

“Jennie, Jisoo.. How are you?”

“Good.”

“Jisoo, we are going to go for a walk.. Call me Okay? Seunghyun thank you for being here..”

“No problem Jennie. Everything for my girl.”

I hugged Jisoo and gave her a kiss on her cheek. A kiss on her lips infront of her dad would be inappropriate.

“I’ll call you.. Please be careful baby… Okay?”

“Yes, we will.”

Ella was acting like always. She couldn’t figure out what was happening. Her only fear was if I had problems with Jisoo. And although she loved going to school, four days with her moms was like Disneyland for her.

“Where would you like to go?”

“Ice-cream?”

“Well.. I don’t know this area baby girl and I don’t know if they have ice-cream shops..”

“But mommy.. I want ice cream.”

Fine. What if we walk for a little while.. If we don’t find anything we will go back to our hotel and order an ice cream there. How’s this sound?”

“Hmm.. That sounds good.”

The area was one of the best. Like if Seunghyun would stay in a two star hotel. I was feeling safer that we were staying at the same hotel as he did. Thank God that Jisoo thought about that.

As for us, we walked 2 miles till we found a Ben and Jerry’s shop. We sat there and I let her order what she wanted. She was eating like an adult and I guess being five year old has it’s plus.

“Goodmorning ladies, what can I get for you?”

“Princess, what do you want?”

“I want this mommy..” she couldn’t read perfectly still, so she showed me what was it that she wanted.

“We want a Boston Cream Pie Ice Cream with Yellow Cake Pieces, Fudge Flakes & Swirls of Pastry Cream and a Chocolate & Vanilla Ice Cream with Fudge Brownies & Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.”

“Do you want anything else?”

“No, we are okay.”

I may be wrong but the girl was looking at me more that she should. When I gave her the order she was looking at me straight in my eyes. It’s a good thing that Jisoo wasn’t here.

“Mommy, why is grandpa here?”

“He had some work to do and he missed you as well.”

“I missed him too.. I am lucky mommy.”

“Why you are lucky little Ella?”

“I have two mommies and two grandpas. And my mommies are the best.”

“I think we are the lucky ones baby girl.. You know how much I love you right?”

“I know.. I love you too..”

“Okay.. Here is your order girls..”

“Mommy, this is big.”

“I know.. Are you going to eat it?”

“I am going to try..”

“Is she your daughter? You are so young having a child.”

“Yes, she is and I am not that young.”

“You look like you are 22..”

“Close.. I am 26.”

“Still you are very young..”

“Mommy, I think that you should call momma to see how she is.. I am sure she misses you..”

“I think you are right princess.”

“Momma? Hmm.. She is very lucky.”

“I am the lucky one. Now if you don’t mind, we would like to eat our ice creams.”

Wait till Jisoo hears all about the girl. I don’t want to make her jealous but with everything it would be nice to act like nothing was happening.. And my little girl.. So clever.

“Mommy, I didn’t like her.”

“So did I princess.. So did I.. Let’s call momma.. Shall we?”

“Can I talk to her first?”

“Press number 2..”

When she put my iphone on her ear her face lighten up immediately.

“No, momma..” she said and was smiling at the same time “mommy is here yes.. We just wanted to tell you that we love you and we miss you and I didn’t like the lady that took our order momma. She had goofy eyes for mommy.. Yes, I am giving you mommy.. Bye.”

“Hey baby..”

“Jen, what Ella told me?”

“Nothing.. There was just a girl that was asking me if Ella was my daughter.”

“And?”

“And nothing Jisoo. Probably she was flirting but your daughter made her realize that I was taken.”

“And why you didn’t make her realize that Jennie?”

“Jisoo baby..”

“Don’t Jisoo baby me..”

“I love you..”

“I love you too.. Can you come back?”

“We haven’t finished our ice creams yet.. Once we will I am going to call you.. Okay?”

“Fine..”

She was so hot when she was jealous. But I knew she didn’t mean it. I would never do something to hurt her and she knew that.

When we finished our ice creams I thought about taking a taxi instead of walking. After the ice creams we had we weren’t able to walk. And Ella ate all of hers.. I left mine. Five year olds. I am telling you.

“Jisoo, we took the taxi. In five minutes we are going to be there.”

“Okay. We are at the lobby.. Love you.”

“Love you too..”

When the taxi parked outside the hotel and I was waiting for Ella to get out I saw a man figure watching us from the opposite street. Maybe I was crazy and I was seeing things, expecting the boogie man to pop out from every closet. But something about that person made my skin having chills..

“Ella, come on baby girl.. Momma is waiting.”

When I turned my head the person wasn’t there anymore.. Was my mind playing things?

“Momma, momma we are here. I had a big ice cream. I ate mine but mommy didn’t.. She couldn’t eat her ice cream momma.”

“Jennie.. she shouldn’t eat ice cream before lunch.”

“I know.. But I was craving an ice cream too..”

“Where is Seunghyun?”

“He had to make a phone call. His phone haven’t stopped even for a minute.”

“Did you talk?”

“We did.. I am going to tell you everything after we put Ella to sleep. So what about lunch?”

“I feel sick.. I don’t think I can eat anything.”

“I am hungry momma.”

“What? You just ate an ice cream bigger than me.”

“It wasn’t bigger than you mommy.. You are silly.”

“No, I am not.. It was huge.”

“Come on.. Me and Ella will eat. You can drink a soda or something. Ok?”

“Yes. But I don’t think I can’t even look at you eating. Can I go back to our room?”

“Baby..”

“Jisoo I am telling you the truth. I feel sick. Eat your lunch and come and find me. Okay?”

“Fine take a rest.”

“I will..”

I kissed my girls and walked to the elevator. While I was waiting I heard Seunghyun calling my name.

“Jennie.”

“Seunghyun, hey.”

“Where are you going?”

“Up to our room. I am not feeling well.”

“Did Jisoo tell you?”

“No, I had Ella with me and we didn’t want to talk infront of her..”

“Okay. She told me everything and what happened. I have a friend of mine, he is like a brother to me, and he is working for the FBI. They deal with these things every day and I trust him with my life. I am not saying that Jisoo’s friend doesn’t know what she is dealing with but I would more at ease knowing that my friend is helping with your case. Also no one will know that he is the case.. I told her not to tell anyone. Only you and her will know and of course me. I gave her his phone and he already knows. I talked to him earlier..”

“Thank you Seunghyun. Thank you so much. I.. I am afraid. I don’t know what to do.”

“I am here. And I told Jisoo that you should stay here a little bit longer than four days. The expenses are all mine.”

“Seunghyun I can’t accept that..”

“I would do anything for my daughter and my daughter is scared for her family. That means you and Ella. And her family is my family as well.. I am going to stay here for a week.. Okay?”

“Thank you..”

“You are family. And I would do everything for my family. So no need for thank yous.. Now go back to your room and I am going to keep company to your girls.”

“Tell them I love them.”

“I will. Talk with you later Jennie. Thank you for making my daughter happy.”

“No needs for thank yous remember? And she is the one that makes me happy.”

That were good news. Seunghyun’s friend made me feel safe. But why the feeling, that chill I had from earlier was still there?