JENNIE

I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong.

We were all in the sitting room. I was seated on the long couch with Kuma beside me. Lego's head was resting on my lap while Lily was fast asleep Kuma. Baby Luca was on the love seat beside us with his thumb in his mouth, little sucking sounds coming from him.

On the television, an old episode of Teen Wolf was playing and apparently Stiles has been possessed by a Nogtisune. I gently pulls my phone out of my pocket and checks if I had any missed calls. I had several Whatsapp messages from Rosé but other than that, there was nothing. Lisa hadn't called or text and me could feel the hot pool of anger welling up inside me.

"Mie, I ... have s-something to tell you." Kuma says, stuttering a bit.

This captures my attention. My kids only called me mie when they feel Im looked a little sad or when they had done something bad or when they want to make me smile. And knowing Kuma, it was a mix of everything.

"You can always tell me anything, Kuku."

Kuma pouts at the nickname but doesn't say anything. Normally, Kuma would scowl and tell me not to call him that. So my baby boy not saying anything, it was making me worry.

"What is it?"

"I should have told you. I should have said something."

"Say what?"

"It's about dada" Kuma says, his voice quiet.

"What about your dada, Kuma?" I asks, my hackles rising. "Is something wrong?"

"Dad... dad is... Dada is se-"

Kuma doesn't get a chance to finish because Lego yawns and stretched his hands out before sitting up, blinking slowly. I watch with bated breath as Kuma bites his bottom lip and shakes his head. I want to find out what was going through my first-born's mind but my attention was snagged by Luca who was trying to wiggle down the sofa. It was both terrifying and incredibly cute.

Kuma shifts Lily a bit to the side and gets up, so he could meet Luca halfway. I couldn't help the smile on my face when Kuma goes on his knees and picks Luca. Luca's loud squeal wakes Lily who rubs at her eyes and pouts.

Soon, Lego and Lily were on the floor too, play wrestling with their eldest and youngest brother. I pick up my phone and takes as many pictures as my hand could, all the while, laughing and shaking my head. I laughed so hard my head began to hurt a little.

[AP]

They were so caught up in the family moment that Jennie doesn't notice when the door was pushed open. Rosé rushed in and tossed her car keys on the table.

[AP]

"Jennie!" she calls out as she rounds the corner into the sitting room, worry lines on her forehead. She pauses when she sees the Manoban children play wrestling on the floor while Jennie was laughing with her phone out.

[AP]

She smiles to herself for a bit.

[AP]

"Jennie." She calls out again, this time moving towards the couch. She gathered the attention of everybody and she smiles brightly, taking a seat beside Jennie before the kids, except Kuma, tackled her into a big group hug.

"Ohh, my little babies. My honey buns, my cinnamon rolls. I missed you guys." Rosé sings, pressing exaggerated kisses to each of their forehead. Kuma shakes his head at his aunt and gives a little wave before picking up Luca who was struggling at the edge of the dog pile.

"He's got legs, Kuku"

"Yeah but he smells so..." Kuma trails off, shrugging a bit.

"You are going to spoil him."

"We all are." Kuma says with a grin and bright glint in his eyes. I smiles because I could see it already. We were going to buy so much sweets for Luca, take him shopping, do his homework for him, take loads of pictures of him, take him to the movies or park or to concerts and in the far, very far, almost infinite future, the my kids are going to take care of Luca when I wasn't there anymore. Or when Lisa wasn't there anymore.

The last one hurt.

It hurt because we were already taking care of Luca right now. I was pretty sure Luca wouldn't be able to pick Lisa out of a line up or by voice alone.

"Miee?"

I looked away from Kuma and Luca to face Lily who was looking at me with wide eyes. she stared up at me with round blue eyes and a pout on her small lips.

"I want Mickey D's."

"Honey, how about we get another thing? Too much grease isn't good for you." I told her, running my hand through her dark hair.

"Mommmy!..." she whines.

"How about your Mommy and I talk and I will take everyone out for some burgers and shakes?" Rosé asks, raising one perfectly groomed eyebrow. Lily whispers into Lego's ear and smiles widely when her brother smiled.

"Kuma what do you think?" Lego asks his older brother.

"I want fries, not burgers." Kuma says in reply.

"Fries, burgers, shakes, anything you want." Rosé says with a smile. "If you need us, we'll be in my room." Rosé grabbed me by the hand, led me out of the sitting room and down the corridor until we got to her room.

Once the door was closed behind us, not locked in case the kids need something, she turns to me and pulled me into a tight hug.

I hugs her back just as tightly. I lets out a loud sigh and finally allowed myself to do what I couldn't do in front the kids. I broke down. The tears rushed out like they had always been there, hovering right there and I don't know what to do. I just buries my face in Rosé's hair and cried.

I cried because everything was slowly falling apart.

I cried because I was losing the love of my life.

I cried because I don't deserve this.

I cried because my children do not deserve this.

"Let it out, Jen." Rosé coos, rubbing a hand down my back in a soothing manner. I let out a choked sob, my body shaking with the intensity of my tears. Ever since I saw the marks on Lisa's body, I felt a heavy weight settle on me and now as I cried, I feel a little bit of it had left.

"Come on, let's move this to the bed." Rosé says, her voice soft like a whisper. She led me towards her bed and sits me down, her hand still rubbing soothing circles on my back. "Want to tell me what is going on? And no lies. I want the whole thing."

"I think Lisa is cheating on me. She's never home, she never calls, she doesn't spend time with the kids and lately she has been coming home with these marks on her back that I know I didn't put there because we haven't had sex in months. Any time I try to initiate anything, she say she's too tired." I says. "This morning we got into a screaming match and the kids must have heard. I had to get them out of there. They deserve someone better. I don't know who my wife is anymore, I don't know the woman I married anymore." I says in one breath.

Rosé looked like she had been slapped. She gets up from the bed, fire in her eyes as she cursed. "Who does that motherfucker think she is?! Have you checked her phone? Have you seen pictures of the girl??"

"I... I have been too scared to check for anything."

"Jennie, you have to bring the son of a bitch to her senses. Don't tell me you have been quiet about this?!"

"I don't know what to do."

"Jennie..." Rosé seats down beside me again. "Jennie you can't be quiet about it. You've been hurting for who knows how long and I don't want you or the kids to hurt."

"Kuma said something about us leaving if Lisa ever hits me."

"I love that boy! But you should start now, let her know you know what she's doing."

"I honestly don't know."

"Jennieee..."

"I love her, Rosé. I love her. She's my wife, she's it for me. Maybe it was something I did."

"No." Rosé says with conviction. "No! You are an amazing woman, you are so much better than her. You deserve so much more. You don't deserve to be treated like this."

"I know that. I really do but a part of me feels like I did something. Like it's my fault she's cheating." I confessed, I wipes my eyes with the back of my hand and sniffs.

"Jennie..."

"No, Rosé. I don't want to believe Lisa is cheating. I haven't seen herbwith anyone so I'm going to give her the benefit of a doubt. She deserves that after a decade of marriage."

"Jennie, I want to talk you out of this. I want to tell you to leave the house b-"

"Rosé, she gets one more chance. If I don't see it then it's not happening."

"That's being ignorant, Jennie. I don't know if I c-"

"Please. Just please. Let me have this."

Rosé doesn't say anything and just nods in reply. We sit in silence, Rosé's head on my shoulder. I rubs a hand down my face and lets out another sigh. Yeah, I going to give Lisa the benefit of a doubt. I just stared at the wall across mine as I thinks about everything. I thinks about the time I was carrying Kuma my first baby.

I placed a hand over my stomach and sighs again. I remembered how I had let go as I started taking care of Kuma. How big he was, and yet Lisa had stayed, Lisa was always there beside me and with a hand in mine while playing and singing to baby Kuma.

"I love her, Rosé."

"I know you do."

I let out a small smile as I remembered the day I had told Lisa I wanted Lego, I remembered the way Lisa had hugged me so tight before buying me the biggest cheesecake I could find. Two years after that, we adopted Lily, our little ray of sunshine. Lisa had been there for everything, from every cramp, to every midnight diaper change and snack, to every mood swing and many many other things.

Lisa was there, holding my hand and telling me all will be well. Everything spiralled down the rabbit hole leading to hell a year after Luca was born. There's was a knock on the door and Lego peeps in, his glasses falling down the bridge of his nose a little.

"Mommy... Aunt Rosé..."

I quickly reached up to dab at my eyes, making sure that they were dry. The last thing I want is for the kids to know I had been crying. Rosé pulls away and together we smiles softly at Lego.

"Come in, darling." I says, waving to my son in.

The door widened and Lego walked in, followed closely by Lily. I laughed at this, sometimes the two of them were so inseparable and sometimes they were at each other's throat, screaming. They stand in front of me, both hands behind their back and rocking softly rocking on his feet.

"We want McDonald's now." Lily speaks up. Lego jabs her in the side with his elbow. "Please Mieee. Please Aunt Rosé."

"Okay! Someone grab your mommy's keys and let's go!" Rosé cheers, jumping up slightly from the bed. The kids cheered and ran out of the room. I take Rosé's hand in me and squeezed a little, my little way of saying thanks without opening my mouth.

The kids got into the car and strapped on their seat belts.

The drive to McDonald's actually took a while because the closest one close to Rosé's house. Immediately my car was parked, everyone gets down from the car, Lily and Lego running ahead.

"NO RUNNING!" I screamed, taking Luca from Kuma.

Rosé and I quickly walk behind them, Luca mumbling in my ear. They pick a booth on the far side and Kuma takes everyone's order. I was listening to Lily's reasons as to why she should be allowed to have pink hair that I hear it.

I heard a familiar chuckle, then a familiar voice. With fear in my heart and my stomach twisting into knots, I turns towards the direction of the voice. I let out a choked sound when I sees them. Lisa and a blonde-haired woman was seated at the back, Lisa was laughing at something the blonde woman was saying. I let slowly stands up, so close to calling out Lisa's name when my wife cups the blonde woman's cheeks and kissed her on the lips.

It was too much. Spots began to appear in my sight and within seconds, I was on the floor. The pain was so much I passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~