JENNIE

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

I was sitting on the couch, freshly showered after crying my heart out. The red in my eyes had gone down and I looked so much better. It's been two hours since we returned from Greenwood High and Lisa has been sitting on a love seat with her back straight and shoulders tense.

I wasn't even sure why I had asked that question. The entire day had just been a big pain and I just wanted it to end. It does, however, notice that I felt thankful and better, that Lisa has been there beside me and also holding me together. It's been two years, when was all these feelings going to go away?

The truth is, I didn't want Lisa to go.

We haven't spoke more than a handful of words over the last two years and I just... I misses Lisa. A weight lifts in my chest when Lisa nods, her lips quirking up in a small smile.

"I'd love too." Lisa replies. In an second, my eyes widened and she scrambled for her phone. "Um... I just have to call Vanessa real quick and tell her I won't be able to make it."

I grew still. It felt like someone had doused me with a bucket of cold water. My heart beat quickened and I began to play with my thumbs as I wonder who Vanessa was.

"She's my therapist."

I tears my gaze away from my hands to her who used to be my wife. "I didn't ask you."

"You did? You said you wonder who Vanessa was?" She said and my eyes widened in shock. I had voiced my thoughts a--

Did Lisa just say therapist?

"Is everything okay?"

"I have been seeing her for a while and we talk a bit." She said. I wasn't sure what to make of this. Lisa hadn't even said anything and I wasn't to blame because I didn't ask.

Not knowing how to reply. I just says, "Oh. That's good."

"Yeah it is. She even asked if you could sit in on one of our meetings."

I blinked repeatedly. "Is that allowed? Can I do that?"

She nods. I looked over her. She had on a white shirt tucked into navy pants and white sneakers. I just noticed now her bob hair was pink she looks handsome, and a big watch wrapped kind her wrist. My eyes fall to her fingers and there's a sharp pain in my head when I sees the empty finger. This was not the first time seeing this but it pains me all the same.

It felt like the woman sitting across me, the woman I spent twenty years with was a stranger. Sitting in one of of her counseling meetings would be a great way to understand her. It was weird not knowing what's going on with her, it felt like the year of our divorce all over again.

The least we could be friends so they could catch up and I would know Lisa was alright.

"I don't like our present relationship." I said and Lisa coughs. Yikes. Maybe I should have worded that differently.

"Relationship?"

"We don't talk past our greetings when it's your turn for the kids and I don't like it. You used to be my best friend and I knew everything about you but now it feels like you're a stranger. I'd like us to get along for the sake of the kids."

Lisa looked like she had stopped breathing and I scrambled to find my words.

"I want us to be friends."

"Friends." Lisa repeats, mulling over the words. I stayed quiet. This was my offering a big as fuck olive branch and I was waiting for Lisa to take it and I knew deep down that Lisa would.

"I'd love that. I miss talking to you too." She replies a few seconds later. I grinned despite myself and I feels lighter.

"What have I missed?"

"I got a new secretary." She blurts out the first thing on her mouth. "Eugene. She's nosy but caring and really good at her work. She was the one who made me go and see Vanessa. Well, Eugene and her husband."

"She's married?"

"Yeah. To Jungjar. He's a freelance writer."

"You two seem close." I voices and she nods.

"They're the only friends I have. They make going to work a little easy for me." She replies and I nods. "Why have you been up to?"

"I have edited one published book... um... Bloom... It's about a prince who falls in love with a baker and the other one I'm working on is Dark Moon, the sequel to Silver Moon."

She grins at me. "You loved that book. Editing the sequel must be a dream come true for you."

I smiles, my cheeks and ears turning red. "It is."

"Want to tell me a spoiler?"

I laughed and shook my head. It's the first time in two years since I had heard my laugh. I couldn't help the feeling of pride blooming in my chest.

"It focuses on Colson."

"Does he find his mate?"

"That's for you to find out." I sticks my tongue out at her. How could we be so free? It felt like we had just been paused for years and ... I'm happy. Like this. With were talking. It warmed my chest that Lisa remembered things about me.

"I'd happily buy it--."

They were interrupted by the children bursting through the door, Lego walking in behind them. Lily holding Luca who screams when he sees Lisa, wiggling a bit in Lily's hold. Once he's down, Luca runs as fast as his legs could carry him to Lisa who picks him up happily.

Lily stops midway, her blonde hair still in its ponytail. Lego on the other hand made his way over to me and pressed a kiss to my hair.

"Mommy you're home."

"Yes. I had to do a couple things today." I replied.

"Is that why Kuma wasn't in school too?"

"I'll fill you in after dinner, Einstein." I replied, giving my son a reassuring smile.

Lego doesn't say anything to Lisa, he just made his way to his room. Lily only gives Lisa a small nod before she walked out of the living room. The sad expression on Lisa's face tore at my chest and I wondered if this was how our children treated her all the time. They do it in front of me but do they also do it when they spend weekends at Lisa's?

I shakes my head.

This wasn't me to fix. It was Lisa's.

I takes Luca from her. "You can watch some tv. I'll clean Luca up and make the kids some snacks."

Lisa looks like she was about to say something but thinks better about it because she nods and looked away. I walks away, peppering kisses all over Luca's face. Giggling with my little boy.

"How was school, baby boo?"

"Good. I color." Luca says, struggling with the pronunciations. "You, Miemie?"

"I slept the entire day!" I cheered as I takes Luca into his room. I placed my son on the bed and pulls off his shirt and pants, shoes and socks.

"Nuh fair."

"How about we eat snacks and watch tv with dada?" I pressed my face to his stomach, my little boy giggling and pulling at his hair.

"I want cuds with dada"

"I'm sure dada wants to cuddle with you too." I replies, pressing a kiss to her tummy. It takes me a few minutes and then I got Luca in a blue onesie and his hair blow dried.

When I gets to the sitting room I finds Lisa sitting alone and frowned.

"Lego and Lily aren't down yet?"

It's weird. Normally, they'd have showered and sat down in the living room, talking or typing away on their phone. Talking my ear off while doing so.

"Not yet."

"Can you hold onto Luca while I make the snacks?"

Lisa happily takes Luca who begins to tell his dada about his day. I makes six bowls of fruit salad and a cups of flavored water. I leaves them out, covered by cling film.

I makes my way to the kids room. I stops at Lily first. I finds her brushing her blonde hair in front of the mirror, dressed in a light blue gown.

"You going down yet?"

"Yes mom. I wanted to brush my hair before I did." Lily replies and I nods. I walks into the room and sits on her bed, taking a look around her yellow room. Yellow walls, yellow sheets.

"Are you going to talk to dada when you get there?"

She stops brushing and turns to me. Sometimes it shocks me when I sees how grown up she is. She's seven and soo she'll be off to college.

"Dada made you cry."

"Please? She's my friend."

Her eyes widened and she drops her brush on the table. "You and dada are friends again?"

"Yes, sweety." I gets up from the bed and walked closer to her. I pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Okay, Mommy."

One down, two more to go. I cheered as I walked out of the room. I makes my way to Lego's room next. I finds him pulling on a green shirt.

"You going down?"

"Yeah." He replies, running a hand through his hair.

"Are you going to talk to your dada?"

"Do you want me to?" He countered.

"I can't force you but it'd be nice if you did." I said as I takes a seat on his bed.

"Mom, Do... I will if you tell me what went down with Kuma." He said and I smirks at my smart boy. This boy never seizes to amaze me.

"You brother has been suspended for a month and I can't tell you why. You just have to trust me on it." I replies as I gets up from the bed.

"I will find out even if you don't tell me."

"I know you will. A little suspense is good for you." I ruffles his hair as I walked out of the room. Two down and one down to go.

I knocks on Kuma's room before going in. I finds him his bed, facing the wall. It pains me to see him like this. I takes a sit beside him on the bed and placed a hand on his leg.

"I'm sorry." Kuma's said.

"I know you are." I said and he sits up. He faces me, tear stained face and red nose.

"How l- did you take any thing besides the drugs your principal mentioned?" I asked and he shook his head.

"I only got the weed today. I've only taken the ref."

"How many did you take?"

"One or two. Never past that." He replies, staring me right in the eyes.

"Can you prove to me that you're better than this? That you are the smart and wonderful man that I raised?"

"I can! I will. I don't want you to stop trusting me, Miemie."

"Then see a therapist."

"Okay."

"Your dada will take you." I said and Kuma pulls away a bit. Shit. That even makes my heart ache more. He looks like he was about to say something but I has had enough.

"She's taking you and that's final. Wash your face and come and eat. It's your turn to pick a movie." I give him a pat to the back and a hair ruffle before walking out of the room. I heads back to the kitchen and carries the large tray of salad and made my way to the living room. I told Lego to help with the flavored water. Lily takes her salad and I hands Lisa her and Luca.

Kuma does make his way to the living room and sits farther away from us. I shakes my head and motioned for Kuma to move closer. Kuma moves over to me and placed his head on my shoulder.

We watch Teen Titans movie and I has never felt

happier.

~~~~~~~~~