JENNIE

I laid in Lisa's arms, watching her sleep, listening to her breathe, and thinking about the child growing inside of me. It was exciting, yet it scared me to know who Lisa''s wife was, how she was, and what she could do to me once she finds out the truth. Kendal can't put any of the blame of Lisa's infidelities on me, when I had no idea she was married, and to her.

Kendal could, however, blame me for taking Lisa away from her and for not leaving Lisa after finding out they were married. That I could understand since I know the truth about them now. And here we are, both lying naked in bed after having another night of sex all night, and knowing she's still legally married to her.

My fingers caressed Lisa's chest as I thought about what to say to Kendal once confronting me about sleeping with her wife. After all, I can't use the excuse, 'I didn't know,' when I have known about Lisa being married to her for going on two weeks now.

Nearly two weeks ago, I thought Lisa and I were over. At least I thought I was. But being in that house alone had me realizing I missed Lisa so much more by not talking with or seeing her. I tried to hate her. I tried telling myself not to give in to her. I tried many things, but when she walked into that bar and took me away from the guy I was dancing with and saw the look in her eyes, all the hatred I felt for her, quickly erased. I was mad at her, sure. But the love I felt for her was so much stronger than the hatred I was trying to show I had for her.

Love is always stronger than hate. No matter how much you want to try hating someone.

Love overpowers hate.

This reminds me of something Martin Luther King Jr. once said. 'Stick with love; hate is too great a burden can bear.'

Just as I tilted my head to look at Lisa, I heard a knock at the door. At first, I thought about ignoring it and continue laying in Lisa's arms, but the knocking got more persistent.

I rolled out of bed and grabbed my robe off the bedroom door, putting it on as I headed to the front door. I peeked through the peephole, and my heart quickly stopped beating when I saw it was Kendal. Shit...

I slowly opened the door, leaving it open a crack, and stuck my head between the door and door frame crack. "Kendal. What are you doing here?"

"Can we talk?" She desperately asked.

I didn't know what to say or do. I was only in a robe, Lisa was in my bed asleep, and I probably smelled like sex. I said nothing as I thought about what to do, and as I stood there looking into her desperate eyes, I probably looked like I was a deer caught in headlights until she got me out of the trance I was in when I heard her speak. "Please?"

"Ah... yeah. Come in," I quietly said while opening the door further for Kendal to enter.

"I'm sorry for showing up like this. But I'm desperate."

I know. I can see that written all over your face...

"Desperate?" I questioned. Curious to know what she was desperate about. Was she desperate for me to come back and work for her, or was the desperation about Lisa?

"I'm not sure what exactly happened the night of the event and thought everything went well. But then you took off in a hurry as if something happened. And then the next morning, you left me in shock when you called my office and quit. Since you quit, I've been a mess, and the clinic has been a mess. So I've come here, begging for you to come back. I need you."

While I listened to her talk, all I could think about was Lisa in the other room, asleep, and hoping if she were to awake that she'll hear Kendal's voice and stay where she is.

I looked away from Kendal's eyes and looked to the ground, crossing my arms and biting the inside of my cheek, thinking. I know I need a job. But the question is, can I really work for someone like her again? Can I go to work for someone who's wife is also my girlfriend?

"I need you to come back," she begged.

I looked back up to Kendal, lifted my shoulders while raising the palms of my hands into the air. "I don't know, Kendal. If I were to come back, it would have to be part-time," I said, turning my head towards the bedroom, then back to her.

"Part-time? That's it? The clinic has been so hectic since you left, I'm short-handed, and to top everything off, my wife took off and has refused to tell me where she is. I'm going nuts, and I'm ready to pull all my hair out. Everything has gone to shit since you left me hanging at the event."

I grabbed the hem of my robe, tightening the robe around me as my arms crossed, then held it firmly to my sides, thinking about what I should do. "I don't know, Kendal. I, too, have a lot going on and will be needing to leave when I can, so I can go to my doctor's appointments."

Her head confusingly shook. "Doctor's appointments?"

"Yes. Doctor's appointments. I'm pregnant, Kendal," I quietly said, feeling embarrassed. Only because of who impregnated me. Not because it's Lisa, but because I'm pregnant by her wife.

Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell. She was shocked.

Hell, I'm still surprised by the news. But it was bound to happen with all the unprotected sex Lisa and I was having.

"Pregnant? I had no idea you were involved with someone."

Of course, you wouldn't. How could you have known when your demanding ways prevented us from having our wife/husband or girlfriends/boyfriends come to our work? You prevented them from sending us flowers, from coming to pick us up for lunch and even call us at work. But now that I know who I've been seeing is her wife, I'm thankful she was a bitch that way. On the other hand, if Lisa knew where I worked, I'm sure this all would have handled differently. Either she would have broken things off with me seven months ago, or me for that matter. Or maybe she would have admitted she was married to Kendal.

I sighed, "That's because I kept my personal life private. Besides, you didn't want them showing up at work, anyway."

Kendal nodded, still looking confused or shocked. The look on her face was also telling me she was thinking hard about something.

Then she spoke. "If you were to come back, I'll work with you about leaving for your appointments."

Lisa said Kendal would be served divorce papers on Friday, which is tomorrow. I secretly crossed my fingers, hoping that will be happening. But if that doesn't happen, what will happen when I'm at the clinic, and they serve her then? Crap.

"I'm still not feeling well, but I can give it a try. How about I start on Monday?" I said, tightening back my lips, wondering what in the world is wrong with me. What am I thinking? And am I nuts?

She forced a smile. "Okay. I'll make it work and will go straight to the office to let Katie know," she said, reaching and wrapping her arms around me.

I gulped.

I cannot believe she's hugging me. If she only knew I'm pregnant with her wife's child, she wouldn't be hugging me; she would be doing something else. I closed my eyes and put one arm around her, barely touching her.

This is fucking weird to me.

Very fucking weird...


LISA

I rolled to my side, and as I went to rest my arm around Jennie, I realized she wasn't there when my arm fell to the bed. I opened my eyes, saw she wasn't there, then I rolled to my back and stared at the ceiling. I had never felt so in love as I do now and couldn't stop wondering what I was thinking to go through with marrying Kendal when all I wanted to do was end our relationship then.

Finally, I rolled myself out of bed, reached for my clothes, and quickly dressed. I wanted to make sure Jennie wasn't in the bathroom hanging her head over the toilet, and if she was, I knew she would need a glass of water to rinse out her mouth. I was just about to step foot in the hallway when I heard Jennie talking to someone, recognizing that someone's voice was Kendal's, and stopped to listen.

As I stood there listening to Kendal talk to Jennie. It had me wondering what Kendal was up to. I also found it odd for her to show up at Jennie's this early in the morning. I walked over to the nightstand to grab my phone, and when I saw it wasn't there, I realized I left it on the arm of the couch, with my bag also resting against Jennie's couch.

Shit...

I walked back over to the doorway to listen and see if I needed to show my sorry ass face to Kendal. But as I listened in on their conversation, Jennie surprised me when I heard her laying down the law with Kendal. She stood up for herself in front of Kendal. Something my chicken shit ass needs to do. And something that I've needed to do for years.

I really am a chicken shit when it comes to standing up for myself when it comes to Kendal, and hearing Jennie do it gives me all the more incentive to tell Kendal, finally, how I feel and how I've felt about her all these years.

Kendal needs to hear the truth.

And that's what I will do.

I cannot continue doing this any longer.

I will get my things, and I will tell Kendal we're over... for good.


JENNIE

I was getting antsy and was feeling uncomfortable the longer Kendal stayed in my apartment. All I wanted was for Kendal to leave, finally. While Kendal's arms were around me, out the corner of my eye, I noticed Lisa's cellphone on the arm of my couch, with her bag resting against the couch, and slipped out of Kendal's embrace. "Is there anything else you need? I hurriedly asked, hoping she would get the hint I wanted her to leave.

She must have gotten the memo. She shook her head, took a step towards the door, then looked at me. "I'm sorry. I know I should have called before coming here. I just didn't feel it would be right to call and beg for you to take your job back, and felt I needed to ask you in person," she said, cupping the doorknob. "It's a huge relief to know you will come back, thank you," she smiled while opening the door.

After she left, I made sure the door latched entirely shut, immediately locked it, then turned around and pressed my back against the door while looking towards the bedroom, and as Lisa walked out, she sighed, "I didn't think she was ever going to leave."

"When I saw it was Kendal standing outside the door, I thought I was about to faint. I didn't know what to do. If I told her no, I felt she would think something was up, and instead of allowing a scene to happen outside my doorway, I thought it was best to let her in and hope to God, you didn't walk out."

She breathed a chuckle, "I almost did. But then I heard Kendal's voice and stood behind the doorframe, listening to what she had to say. So, now you're going back to work for her Monday?" she grinned.

"I guess," I sighed, "I don't want to, but what choice do I have? I need. the money."

"You don't need the money," she said as she walked to me and pulled me in her arms. "I have the money to support you and the baby."

"Not after Kendal gets a hold of it," I retorted.

She held me tighter, and then I felt her smiling and looked up. "I've been planning this divorce for so long that after you and I started getting serious, I secretly started hiding money."

I felt my brows form together after hearing what she admitted. "Kendal could easily find out, you know."

She shook her head.

"No, she won't. There's nothing she could trace. All monies I've received, I cashed at their bank. Not mine. Besides, she's entitled to half the money I've received up until the day I first filed, which was about six months ago."

"She'll still fight it. If she gets herself a good enough attorney, they'll dig into everything you've sold since and will try filing a motion to include all money you've made up until the day she received the divorce papers. I'm telling you, she already told me she would take you to the cleaners."

"And I've already got everything worked out. I'm giving Kendal everything, with a settlement I know she can't refuse."

"She'll refuse. And she will do everything she can to make you broke. And the more I think about what she's told me in the past, I think Kendal's been planning this day to happen for a long time."

"Me too. And I'm five steps ahead of her. Trust me..."

I don't think she knows what Kendal is capable of. I've heard her talk, I've seen how she acts. The woman is fucking crazy, and I have a feeling we're both about to find out how crazy she truly is. I looked to the couch and pointed. "Your phone and briefcase. I think she saw them before she left."

While Lisa was on the phone, I looked online, reading reviews for all the physicians in the area and hoping to find me the best doctor. And after reading up on all the surrounding doctors, I made a couple of phone calls until I found a doctor willing to get me in this afternoon.

As I hung up with the nurse, I noticed Lisa not looking too happy and asked, "Is everything okay?"

She ignored my question. "Were you able to find a doctor?"

I nodded and pointed to the screen of my laptop as she hovered over my shoulder. "A doctor can see me at this office in two hours."

"I'll bring you. Then I'll have to drop you off on my way to the office..." she smiled, then she somewhat answered my question when she sighed, "If Sorn weren't such a wonderful employee. I'd fire her right on the spot."

After checking in and filling out all the necessary paperwork, the reality was setting in, and I started feeling nervous. I walked back over to Lisa and sat while looking around the room and studying all the pregnant moms, babies, and all the little kids running around. Then my mouth formed into a smile when I watched a mom beside me lift her newborn out of the car seat to feed her.

"Jennie Kim?" A nurse called out, breaking me from the daze I was in.

Lisa stood, reached for my hand, and grinned. "Come on, you."

I was nervous and clung to Lisa while we followed the nurse back to our room. After answering her questions, she handed me a gown, then instructed me after changing to lay on the examination table and wait for the doctor to come in.

Moments later, there was a light knock at the door, and in walked my new doctor. Doctor Matthews smiled while introducing himself and shaking Lisa's hand, then headed to me, shaking my hand. "So you think you're pregnant?"

"I am pregnant," I said quickly. "I'm about three months late. And I took a couple of tests. Both were claiming I was pregnant."

He smiled, "How about since you're sure you're pregnant, we will skip the pregnancy test and go straight to seeing what's growing inside you? Sound okay?"

"Works for me," Lisa said, standing and walking over to me.

I, too, wanted to see what was growing and smiled while watching the doctor set up the ultrasound machine. Next, he raised my gown, squirted gel into my stomach, and began moving the wand around until he found what he was looking for. "There he or she is," the doctor happily pointed.

"Let's get the measurements to see exactly how far along you are. And compare to when you remember your last menstrual cycle."

Lisa and I watched as he clicked and typed in notes into the computer, confirming I was fourteen weeks pregnant with a due date around Christmas. Then, he hooked up the fetal doppler for us to hear the heartbeat.

Seeing the baby on the screen, then hearing the baby's heartbeat overwhelmed me and had my emotions working overtime. Tears were filling my eyes, and my heart was melting faster than candle wax falling from a lit candlestick.

I looked at Lisa and felt more in love than I ever was before entering the doctor's office.

Lisa's eyes were glued to the screen, smiling from ear to ear, and the happy sounds that were escaping his mouth had the tears that wanted to fall from my eyes, fall.

The doctor handed me Kleenex, and then he gave me a folder containing every bit of information I needed to know about pregnancy.

Lisa's arm tightly formed around me as we headed out of the doctor's office. Proudly saying, "A Christmas baby. How perfect is that?"

I never gave it any thought, but now that he mentioned it, it had me smiling. "I'd say it would be the best Christmas present I've ever received."

After she opened the door for me, she pulled me in for a kiss. "Don't even ask what that's for. Just know that it's because I love you and how I love this new glow about you."

I scanned through the folder the doctor handed me, then skimmed through a book of baby names that were also inside. I set it down, then looked at Lisa. "Do you have to go to work?"

She nodded, sighing, "Yeah. I need to talk with Sorn. Why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Something is telling me I shouldn't be alone today."

Her head snapped my way, looking worried. "What do you mean by that?"

"Intuition," I informed. "For some strange reason, I keep getting a bad vibe. And the closer we get to my place, the stronger I feel it."

The second Lisa pulled into the apartment parking lot. I noticed a vehicle parked next to mine, looking similar to Kendal's, and pointed. "Um, Lisa? Is that Kendal's car?"

"What the fu-" Lisa began saying until I smacked her arm, cutting her off.

"You've got to be kidding me... I knew I could feel something wasn't right."

~~~~~~~~~~~