JENNIE

"Mom, what are you doing?"

It's been a day since me and Lisa had decided to try again and we had a date this evening with Kuma accepting to babysit.

Kuma and Lego were still seated on my bed as I adjust my courreges black square neckline dress paired with black chunky boots collab with white knee high socks. I let my long hair fall with tiny braids at the side. I turns to my sons who were watching me. Especially Kuma whose gaze was as calculating as ever.

"What do you mean?"

"You're going on a date with... dada!" Lego said and I stills. I had told the two of them first because they seemed like the least accepting of my children. "And you're excited about it."

I truly was excited about it. There's a thrum in my skin that wasn't there before. There's a skip in my step that wasn't there before. I couldn't believe I was here. I couldn't believe we were trying again.

"I am excited about it."

"But why?" Lego asked. He express his question with a hand gesture.

I didn't hesitate to reply. "Because I am still in love with her. I still love her just as fiercely as I did when we got together twenty two years ago."

Lego falls silent at that, I think my words sinking in his head. This time Kuma speaks.

"What if it doesn't work out?" He asks. "What if it doesn't work out and you two break up again? I keep googling this, googling about divorced couples dating again and a large number of them don't make it and both parents end up resenting each other more than before. I don't want her to hurt you and at the same time I don't want you to hurt her."

I moves towards my boys and sits between them, placing my hands on their shoulders. I had also seen these results, I had watched YouTube videos and testimonials and so many other stuff. But the thing is, everyone is different. Every couple is different. No one is the same.

"I have thought about it too. We both have thought and talked about it. I have forgiven her but we're going from there. I need to be able to trust her again. It isn't going to be easy, I know but we are me and youre dada. We have always been me and Lisa. We have too much to lose and have this love. This love that never left or died even when we've been separated for two years. If it's worth risking, it has to done."

"Do you remember what I.said two years ago? A bit before you found it about Somi the bitch?"

"Language."

"Sorry, Mom."

I squeezes his shoulder. "You told me once she hits me, we were gone." I says, remembering how serious Kuma had looked.

"She hit you?" Lego asked, body tensing up.

"No. Never."

"I was scared you know. I kept hearing and reading these stories about domestic violence. Dada never came home and whenever she yelled I just thought the worst thing could happen you know."

"She never did. She never would."

"You don't know that." Lego huffs.

"Don't you know your dada, Lego?" I asked him."Don't you know what kind of woman your dada is? I have known her for forever. I know her well. I've been able to read her well. That year was an anomaly because she didn't talk to me. It was a miscommunication. Do you remember how she was at the beginning of that year? She was always there. She was always home with us."

"I remember." Kuma and Lego chorus and I nods.

"The two of us were at fault in this. It wasn't just youre dada. I hope you know that."

"I hope she gets it right this time. I hope you both get it right this time." Kuma says.

Lego doesn't say anything. He just gets up and walks out of the room, leaving Kuma with me. I sighs as I watched after him. I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"Have fun today, Miemie"

"Thank you, Kuku." I says, pressing a kiss to his hair. Ignoring the way Kuma shook his head and scrunch up his nose. Aw. My little ones were growing so fast.

This wasn't just a decision I made over night. This wasn't just a decision that me and Lisa just thinked overnight. It hasn't been easy. It's been a hell of a journey to get to where we are now. It just makes me happy to know that I still had Lisa. We were going to try and hopefully work out. For our sakes, for the sake of our love, for the sake of our children.

FLASHBACKS

"Always and forever, you think that's us?" Lisa asked, we were lying down on the grass, the Stars twinkling above them. Lisa had to drive them both for two hours to get to the country side where there was a wide spread of grass and beautiful flowers.

"I think we are infinite." Iadmits, turning over to the side so I could see Lisa's face. She cups my cheek, fingers stroking the skin of my cheek as we stare at each other.

"What kind of ring do you want?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, blinking rapidly for a beat.

"When I want to propose to you, I want everything to be wonderful for you. I want you to be perfect for you." Lisa said, finger still softly stroking my cheek.

"Anything you want. I'll take whatever ring you find because I know you'll pick the right ring for me." I said, reaching out to place my hand on Lisa's gripping a bit.

"You look so lovely. You are so perfect for me."

"Lisaaaa..."

"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. I know who you are, how imperfectly perfect for me. You are my flower."

"You are my flower too. My gorgeous, gorgeous flowers."

It's seven on the dot when the bell goes off. After talking to my kids, I had spent fifteen minutes talking to Rosé on the phone with her cackling down the line. Sometime she was a pain in my ass and not the fun kind.

"Are you gonna get that, Mom?" Lily asked. She had decided to shower early today, pulling on her neon green inside with tiny Elmo done on it. A beautiful monstrosity that Rosé had sent in her care package to the kids.

"Yeah I am."...

"You look good. Very pretty." Lily says and I grins, my nerves slowly melting away

"Thank you my sweety. I'm going to go now" ,

"Have fun with dada and be back for my bedtime." Lily says, tugging on my hand and pushing me towards the door. I runs away, giggling like the princess I was.

I takes a deep breath before pulling the door open. I loses my breath when I saw Lisa standing there, looking like a dressed god. Her bob blonde hair same styled and shiny, dressed in a celine rectangle jacket under cream stripped sports bra, matching rugged jeans and white high top sneakers. She looked hot and gorgeous.

However, she was staring at me like I was the gorgeous one. I never got it, never understood how Lisa could stare at me like I was something beautiful and incredible. It's been years but Lisa still looks at me like that.

"Jennie, you look..." she trails off, staring intently at me. She reached out a hand and I slides mine, locking our fingers together. I could feel the heat spreading to my cheeks, smiling shyly at the love of my life in front of me.

"Thank you. You look great too." I says, smiling even wider when she raises our locked hands to her lips and pressed kisses on it. I doesn't know what I was expecting but I wasn't expecting everything to feel like it was falling into place.

"Let get moving then." She says as she guide me towards the car, a black suv that looked shiny under the street lights.

She pulls open the door to the car and I gets in. She walks over to the other side and gets into the car. With our seat belts strapped in and radio on with Best Part playing through the speakers, we set off on the road.

"So where are we going?"

"I found this great place that serve red and yellow watermelon soup. I thought you might like it." She said and I sticks my tongue out. We spend five minutes talking about what the soup was made of.

The restaurant was a lovely small one, a bungalow with large windows. The interior was beautiful, the atmosphere just as lovely. Me and Lisa take a seat near the window, she pulling out my chair.

I missed this.

We both missed this.

"I'm a little nervous." She confesses as she sits. I smiles at her.

"Me too. I spoke to the kids before leaving. Kuma and

Legoneed some time." I says and shenods.

"I will give it to them. I just want you and the kids back. I don't want anyone else." She says. I doesn't know what to say to that so I just hums. I offers her a smile before picking up the red menus resting on the table.

They really had the red and yellow watermelon soup and I want to try it. That and the Orzo with roasted vegetables.

The waitress comes to take our order. She gives us a small bowl of tiny diced bowls of fruits.

"This place is adorable." I says. They had a fruit tea going on and I wanted to try everything. On the menu there had been strawberry soup as well as pumpkin soup and also blueberry soup, even their desserts were fruit themed.

"It took a while, I wanted to take you somewhere you'd love. Somewhere unique." Lisa admits.

"It's great." I says and I means it. The tables were covered with white clothes with a large red bow, there was a candle between us. The restaurant wasn't actually filled up with people, besides the two of us there were three other couples.

"How was work?" I asked.

"Great. I kept humming throughout the day and people were staring at me like I had lost my mind." Lisa chuckles. "They don't know."

I giggles. I spent the day in a daze too. While editing, I had accidentally typed Lisa's name twice while editing a soft copy manuscript.

"I was the same. I'm just really happy we're doing this." I says, my hand resting on the table. My smile still small and soft. Lisa reaches out and placed her hand in mine.

"I want to say it."

"I want to hear it." I replies. I really wants to hear Lisa say I love you but now is not the day. We both knew how each other feel but we can't just jump back into the wagon. We had to take it slow. So we are.

The waitress appear with our food, placing it gently on the table. The first thing to be served was the orzo with roasted vegetable. We eat and talk a little more. The red and yellow soup being my favorite because of how wonderful it tasted.

It had been effortless. It had been easy. And holding Lisa's hand still felt as magical as it had the first time. That's why when Lisa drops me back home, walking me up the door stop, I didn't hesitate to press a kiss to her cheek, the two of us parting with a promise.

"Can I take you out again?" She asks.

"Of course."

"Promise?" She asked, smiling shyly as she raised her pinkie. I links my pinkie with her, curving up my hand so our thumbs press together.

"Promise."

~~~~~~~~~~