Chapter 181

The backyard of Jennie and Lisa’s house was filled with laughter, the smell of grilled meat, and the warm glow of string lights hanging above the garden.

It was family barbecue night.

A rare night where everyone was free.

Jennie was sitting comfortably beside Lisa while keeping an eye on their four-year-old daughter Ruby, who was currently running around the yard wearing a tiny strawberry-print hoodie despite the warm weather.

“Baby dumpling, don’t run too fast!” Jennie called.

“I’m speed!” Ruby yelled.

Two seconds later she tripped over absolutely nothing.

Thankfully she landed on the grass.

Everyone sighed.

Ruby immediately stood up.

“I’m okay!”

Everyone sighed again.

“Definitely your child,” Rosé told Lisa.

“Which one?” Lisa asked.

“The dramatic part or the clumsy part?”

“Both.”

Meanwhile, Jisoo was in charge of grilling while Rosé stood beside her stealing pieces of meat every few minutes.

“Stop eating the food before it’s cooked.”

“I’m quality control.”

“You’re a menace.”

Nearby, Ahyeon and Chiquita were arguing over who made the better marinade.

“It was my recipe.”

“It was my seasoning.”

“It was my recipe.”

“It was my genius.”

Ruby walked between them.

“It tastes yummy.”

The two immediately stopped arguing.

“…Ruby wins.”

“Ruby always wins.”

As the night continued, everyone gathered around the outdoor table after eating.

Ruby sat between Jennie and Lisa, her cheeks stuffed with marshmallows.

A very dangerous amount of marshmallows.

Then somehow the conversation drifted toward relationships.

Which was a terrible idea.

Because Jisoo immediately started talking.

“You know,” Jisoo said while leaning back in her chair. “Rosé used to hate me.”

Rosé nearly choked on her drink.

“I did not hate you.”

“You absolutely did.”

“I disliked you.”

“See?”

Ruby’s eyes widened.

“Mimi hated Auntie Rosie?!”

“Only for two weeks.”

“It was three months.”

“Jisoo!”

Everyone laughed.

Ruby was now completely invested.

She abandoned her marshmallows.

This was serious business.

“What happened?”

Jisoo grinned.

“I thought your Auntie Rosé was cute.”

Rosé covered her face.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“So I flirted.”

“You annoyed me.”

“I flirted.”

“You annoyed me.”

“Same thing.”

Ruby gasped.

“Auntie Rosie was mean?”

“I wasn’t mean.”

“You called me an idiot.”

“You walked into a glass door.”

“One time!”

“Three times.”

The entire table erupted into laughter.

Ruby laughed so hard she almost fell off her chair.

Then she pointed dramatically.

“Then what happened?”

Rosé smiled.

“I fell in love with the idiot.”

Jisoo immediately looked emotional.

“Aww.”

“Don’t start.”

Too late.

Jisoo was already crying.

“She loves me.”

“I regret everything.”

The laughter only grew louder.

Then Chiquita spoke up.

“Our story is easier.”

Ahyeon nodded.

“We started as friends.”

“For years.”

“Then one day she got jealous.”

Chiquita immediately pointed at Ahyeon.

“Because some girl was flirting with me.”

“You liked the attention.”

“I did.”

“You smiled at her.”

“I smiled at everybody.”

“You smiled too much.”

Everyone laughed.

Ruby looked horrified.

“That’s a crime.”

“Exactly!” Ahyeon exclaimed.

Finally someone understood.

Chiquita rolled her eyes.

“Then she confessed.”

“I panicked.”

“You cried.”

“I was emotional.”

“You cried.”

“Anyway, now we’re together.”

Ruby nodded wisely.

“Good ending.”

“A very good ending.”

Then the tiny dumpling slowly turned toward her parents.

The most important story.

The one she wanted to hear the most.

“Mama.”

Lisa immediately knew what was coming.

“No.”

“Mommy.”

Jennie laughed.

“Yes, baby?”

“How did you meet?”

The entire table instantly became interested.

“Oh.”

“Oh this is good.”

“Tell her.”

Lisa groaned.

“No.”

“Tell her.”

“No.”

“Tell her.”

Ruby climbed directly onto Lisa’s lap.

“Mamaaaa.”

Lisa looked at those giant puppy eyes.

The same eyes Jennie used against her.

It was unfair.

“I hate all of you.”

Jennie kissed her cheek.

“You love us.”

“I do.”

Ruby bounced excitedly.

“Story! Story! Story!”

Lisa sighed dramatically.

“Fine.”

Jennie was already smiling because she knew exactly where this was going.

Lisa pointed at Jennie.

“Your Mommy ruined my life.”

“What?”

“She did.”

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

Ruby gasped.

“Mommy!”

Jennie looked offended.

“I’m innocent.”

“No you’re not.”

Everyone immediately agreed with Lisa.

Jennie looked betrayed.

“Wow.”

Lisa continued.

“When I first met your Mommy, I thought she was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.”

Ruby smiled.

“Mommy is pretty.”

“Exactly.”

Jennie proudly nodded.

“Continue.”

“So I wanted to impress her.”

“Failed.”

“Rude.”

“Continue.”

Lisa narrowed her eyes.

Then she continued.

“I tried acting cool.”

“You weren’t.”

“I was.”

“You tripped.”

“It was one step.”

“You fell.”

“It was one step!”

Ruby was laughing so hard she was hiccuping.

“What happened next?”

Lisa looked at Jennie.

“Then your Mommy laughed at me.”

Jennie immediately defended herself.

“You looked funny!”

“I was injured.”

“You were not.”

“My pride was injured.”

Everyone nodded.

That was valid.

Lisa crossed her arms dramatically.

“But then we became friends.”

Jennie’s smile softened.

“Best friends.”

“Then one day I realized…”

Lisa looked down at Ruby.

“…I didn’t want anybody else.”

“Aww.”

Jisoo pretended to gag.

Rosé smacked her arm.

“Be nice.”

Lisa ignored them.

“I only wanted your Mommy.”

Jennie’s cheeks turned pink.

Even after all these years.

Ruby stared at them.

Completely enchanted.

“So Mama fell in love first?”

The entire table immediately exploded.

“YES.”

“Absolutely.”

“Without question.”

“One hundred percent.”

Lisa buried her face in her hands.

Traitors.

Every single one of them.

Jennie was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe.

Ruby pointed dramatically.

“Mama was whipped!”

Lisa looked at her daughter.

The daughter she loved more than anything.

The daughter who had just betrayed her.

“…You’re grounded.”

“No I’m not.”

“Fair.”

Ruby giggled before wrapping her little arms around both Jennie and Lisa.

Then she looked up at them with the brightest smile.

“I’m happy you met.”

The teasing instantly stopped.

The adults softened.

Jennie kissed Ruby’s forehead.

“So are we, baby.”

Lisa kissed her other cheek.

“The best thing that ever happened to me was meeting your Mommy.”

Jennie’s eyes softened.

“And the second best thing?”

Lisa smiled before tickling Ruby.

“This little dumpling.”

Ruby squealed with laughter.

The backyard filled with giggles once more.

Under the warm lights, surrounded by family, good food, and endless teasing, Ruby listened to her parents laugh together.

And in her tiny four-year-old heart, she decided that her favorite love story would always be the one about her Mama tripping over one step and falling hopelessly in love with her Mommy.