JENNIE

I was in the guest room with my mom when Lisa finished in the shower. She was explaining the pros and cons of having an all-white bouquet. Mom was so absorbed in her debate, she didn't notice Lisa walking into our bedroom. Then again, seeing her wouldn't have changed the conversation any.

For a moment, I wondered if I should ask Lisa to come in here so she could give her opinion on the floral arrangement. I didn't, though. For one thing, she needed to get ready to go. And secondly, I didn't think Mom really cared about her opinion. She certainly hadn't asked her anything about it so far. For some reason, all of the wedding details were being heaped solely on me, like only I had a say.

That wasn't true, though. I didn't have a say. I'd told Mom multiple times that I wanted a simple, short, private ceremony . . . if I had to have one at all. My impromptu marriage at Pete's was perfect, and I was fine with going to the courthouse to casually sign the papers that would make it official. Then we could have a small, quiet reception with a few friends and family. Mom wouldn't hear it, though. She was deadset on a gigantic shindig.

Lisa came into the guest room when she was dressed. She was reading something on her phone and grinning ear to ear. Mom stopped telling me that wildflowers weren't really classy enough for a wedding and looked up at Lisa. The scratch from Joey looked better now that her skin was clean and full of moisture. The red line was unmistakable, though, and Mom looked over at me after spotting it.

Ignoring her silent question, I asked Lisa, "What is it?"

Her smile still huge, Lisa tucked her phone in her pocket. "That was Gavin. His plane is just about ready to take off. He wanted to thank me for meeting with him . . . finally, and let me know that I could visit him anytime I wanted." She let out a small laugh and looked at the floor. "He said he . . . he loves me."

Lisa peeked up at me and her brows were furrowed, like she couldn't comprehend why anyone on this earth would love her, especially a parent. Being loved was still a new experience for her. Or at least, accepting the fact that she was loved was new. Lisa had known love—her band certainly loved her, Taehyung loved her—but Lisa's view of herself was so skewed for so long, she hadn't recognized the love right in front of her. It took me entering her life and turning it upside down for her to see it, for her to really feel it. But a lifetime of feeling unwanted was hard to shake, and she still struggled with it on occasion.

Standing, I wrapped my arms around her waist. "Of course he loves you. You're his daughter."

The small smile slipping off of her face, she whispered, "That doesn't mean anything."

My heart breaking, I brushed a damp strand of hair off of her forehead. Leaning up, I murmured into her ear, "I will always love you, Lisa. Your heart is safe with me."

Lisa pulled me into a hug and let out a long, shaky breath as she held me. "Promise?" She whispered.

I squeezed her just a little bit tighter. "I promise." Pulling back, I rested my forehead against hers. "Not loving you isn't possible. Trust me, I tried." Lisa smirked, then gave me a soft kiss. Our tender moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Lisa and I both glanced over at my dad standing in the doorway, watching us.

"Something going on?" he asked, trying to keep his voice casual. But I could hear an undertone of disgruntlement.

Lisa let go of me and shook her head. Answering Dad, she locked gazes with me; the brown depths were warm and untroubled. "Everything's fine . . . just getting ready to leave."

Dad brightened and clapped her on the back. "Well then, anything I can help you with?"

Lisa chuckled at his answer as she kissed my head. "No, I'm good, thank you."

She clapped Dad's shoulder as she walked around him and back into our room. I raised my hands at my father in disbelief. Seemingly perplexed, Dad glanced back at Mom. "What? I can't offer to help my future daughter-in-law?"

Sooner than I would have liked, the four of us were driving to Pete's bar. The band was meeting there for their send-off. Lisa refused to let me see her off at the airport anymore. She said watching the plane pull away with her inside was too dramatic.

Lisa sighed as she shut off the engine to her beloved Chevelle. She even gave the steering wheel a loving caress before glancing up at me. Eyes narrowing, she handed me the keys with clear reluctance on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but I beat her to it. "I know. Be good to her, use the best gas, go slow. I got it." I snatched the keys out of her fingers, and Lisa frowned.

She cracked open her door. "We'll have to see about garaging her when you come join me. I don't want to leave her alone in the driveway for that long."

I cringed at her comment and looked back at my dad. I hadn't told him I was leaving Seattle. Dad's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Join her? Join her where?" he asked me.

I quickly opened my door. "I'll fill you in later, Dad."

"Wait, Jennie . . ."

I shut the door on Dad's argument. Lisa gave me an apologetic shrug over the top of the car as Dad popped out of the back. "For how long, Jennie?"

I sighed, really not wanting to discuss it with my parents right at that very moment. Luckily, an excellent distraction pulled up. Jackson's Vanagon parked in the spot right next to the Chevelle. Jisoo climbed out of the passenger's side. She held on to the doorframe like she was going to explode if she moved too fast. The rear door slid open, and Lucas hopped out. He waved at us, then extended his hand back into the vehicle and helped his girlfriend, Rachel, out of the van.

I still found it hard to believe that Lucas and Jackson were related. Lucas was more like me: quiet, reserved. Jackson was more like . . . a genuine d-bag. I sometimes wished my sister had hooked up with Lucas instead of Jackson. Okay, I often wished that. But Lucas was happy with Rachel.

Lucas greeted me with a courteous nod, then clapped Lisa on the shoulder. Jackson walked around the van to join where our group was congregating behind the vehicles. He sidled up behind Jisoo, grabbed her hips, and pulled her into him with an unmistakable thrusting motion. Dad's face turned an unflattering shade of red, and he immediately forgot all about the conversation he'd been trying to have with me.

As he walked over to stop Jackson from dry humping his eldest daughter, Evan's car pulled up. The engine shut off, and both doors opened simultaneously. Hand in hand, Evan and Somi walked over to where we were gathered.

Evan and Somi were Lisa's and my best friends. Lisa loved all of her band members, even Jackson in an odd way, but Evan was the one she opened up to the most. The tatted, pierced, and buzz-cut rocker was one of the sweetest men I knew. We'd bonded from the very beginning. Somi was my closest friend and confidant. She was cute as a button, blond, and perky, the kind of girl men noticed. She also had the biggest heart; her sweetness rivaled her boyfriend's. Out of all of the couples I knew, Evan and Somi were the ones I didn't have to worry about. They were going to make it together; they were too perfect not to.

I told Somi everything, even things I probably shouldn't tell her. But she'd always accepted me, good and bad, and she'd stuck by my side through all of the ups and downs in my life since I'd moved to Seattle. I was going to really miss Somi when I was on the road with Lisa.

As she approached me, I suddenly realized that I hadn't told her the good news yet. I was beaming as she and Evan joined us. Her lips compressed when she noticed my elated expression. I usually wasn't peppy when Lisa left me. I was usually sullen, downcast, depressed . . . a real buzz kill. And I was a little sad about her leaving soon, but my news was too exciting to keep me melancholy. I was bursting at the seams with joy.

I didn't say anything to Somi, just held up my left hand. She saw my ring and understood immediately. She squealed, startling my parents, and left Evan's side to wrap her arms around me. We were both hopping up and down while the men looked at us like we had suddenly lost our minds. Curious, Rachel peeked her head over. The girl was shyer than even I was, but she gasped and hugged me too when she figured out what all of the fuss was about. Jisoo joined our circle, and they all examined my wedding ring. It sparkled in the sunlight, its glimmer matching my cheery disposition.

Rachel sighed as she held my hand. "You're engaged." Her eyes drifted over my shoulder to Lucas, before quickly refocusing on my ring.

I shook my head. "No . . . we're married."

Somi snapped her head up. "What? You got married? Without me?" Somi's hurt expression matched my mother's, and I was sure I now had two wedding planners.

Jisoo snorted. "Relax. They exchanged rings at the bar. They're not really married."

My parents were a little behind Jisoo, and I could clearly see a tiny smile form on my dad's lips. Lisa was next to them, and she frowned at Jisoo's assessment of our relationship status. I did too. "We're married in our hearts, where it matters. The legal stuff will come later."

Jackson broke away from a suddenly pale Lucas to join our conversation. Just like Jisoo, he snorted. "Please, you guys aren't married." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Lisa. "No bachelor party, no marriage. That's the law."

I matched Jackson's posture. "That is not a law, Jackson."

He swung his head around to look at me. "Well, it should be. No T and A, no ball and chain." There was an annoying smirk on his face, and I really wanted to smack it off of him. I resisted, though.

Jisoo helped me out by smacking the back of his head. He narrowed his eyes at her. "What? It's a fair sacrifice. If you've got to be with one chick for the rest of your life, then you should at least get to go out with a bang. Or two. Or three."

Jisoo raised a perfectly arched brow. "Really? Would you want some jackass to do that with our daughter?" Her hand caressed her belly, and Jackson's eyes shifted to where his child was peacefully growing.

"Fuck no. I'll chop the little bastard's balls off if he tries that kind of shit on my girl," he scowled.

"Hmmm." Smiling, Jisoo kissed his cheek and let the conversation die. I could tell Jackson was still pondering what she'd said, though. And he clearly didn't like the scenario he'd imagined for Lisa when it was applied to his child. I shared a secret smile with my sister. Maybe there was hope for Jackson yet.

Our group headed inside the bar to have a congratulatory toast for the band before their taxi arrived to take them to the airport. The night crew wasn't on yet, but a few familiar faces were around: Hun, Sweetie, Emily, and Troy, the bartender with a never-ending crush on Lisa. He perked up considerably when we walked in together.

When we all turned to head to the band's usual table, I stopped in my tracks. A man I knew very well was sitting at the table, waiting for the band. Taehyung, the ex–love of my life. Lisa noticed who had my attention and stopped too. Taehyung stood up, hands casually tucked in the pockets of his jeans.

Taehyung had changed a bit since coming back to Seattle. He seemed older, more mature. There was a confidence in the way he carried himself, and his dark brown eyes simmered with self-assurance. He just seemed to know who he was and what he wanted, and that wasn't me anymore. He was hopelessly in love with his girlfriend, Abby. It had hurt at first that he'd moved on—but I had too, and I couldn't be happier for him now.

Taehyung grinned at us as Lisa scoffed in astonishment. We crossed over to him, and Lisa immediately pulled him in for a one-armed hug. "You came to see me off?"

Taehyung shrugged. "You guys are about to hit it big. This might be the last chance I get to see you."

Lisa looked away, a small smile on her lips. "I don't know about that." She looked back at Taehyung. "But I'm glad you're here."

I stepped up to give Taehyung a hug after the two friends pulled apart. Since I was sure Lisa was still a little uneasy about me being too friendly with Taehyung, regardless of how many times she'd told me she was fine with our friendship, I kept the hug as brief as politely possible.

Taehyung turned to the other band members once he'd greeted me. As everyone squished around the table, I took a seat catty-corner to Lisa. When Taehyung was finished congratulating everyone, he took the only empty spot, next to me on the end of the table. Ironically, Taehyung, Lisa, and I were sitting in the exact same seats as the first time Taehyung and I had joined the band for a beer.

Taehyung looked over at me as Lisa ordered the table of round of shots. I saw a soulful expression pass over my ex's face. Maybe he too was pondering how drastically things had changed for us. I raised an eyebrow at him in silent question, and his contemplative mood evaporated. With a slight chuckle, he shook his head and turned to watch Emily approaching our table with our drinks.

Lisa was watching me as shot glasses were set in front of everyone. I didn't feel the twinge of guilt I used to feel when we were all together. Instead, I grabbed Lisa's hand and kissed her fingers, letting her know that I was hers, bound in my soul.

Lisa gave me a smile that was loose and easy. She understood. My mom watched the dynamic between the three of us with a crease on her brow. I think it still blew her mind that we were all friends, especially since she now knew exactly what had transpired between Lisa and me.

When everyone had their shots—except my sister, of course, who was at the other end of the table staring at a cup of apple juice like it was toxic—we lifted them to make a toast.

Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but his loudmouthed cousin beat him to it. "To fame, fortune, and scores of loose women!" Jackson downed his shot while the rest of us stared at him; Dad glowered, but then again, he usually did around Jackson.

When Jackson smacked his empty glass on the table, Lucas continued with his toast like nothing had happened. "To good friends and good music. May we always have both."

"Here, here." We all clinked glasses, Taehyung and I stretching across the table to reach Jisoo and Rachel, then we downed our potent drinks. It burned, but Lucas's well-wishes made the sting worth it.

We all talked, reminisced, and enjoyed each other's company until a sullen Troy walked up to the table. Eyes on Lisa, he told the group, "Your cab is here." My heart sank a little, and I fortified my stomach. Goodbyes were just a way of life with Lisa, and I had to get used to them.

Lucas glanced at a clock on the wall and smiled; being the pseudo-manager of the group, he had made all of the travel arrangements. Keeping his motley crew on task and on time made him happy. Lisa helped me stand up, and we all headed out to the parking lot. Sure enough, the taxi Lucas had arranged for them was there.

The band began their goodbyes. Lisa gave me a quick kiss before turning to say goodbye to the people she wasn't sure when she'd see again. She hugged my mom, shook hands with my dad, and rubbed Jisoo's belly. She gave Rachel a friendly hug, lifted Somi a foot in the air while she giggled, and clapped Troy on the shoulder. Troy's grin was glorious after that. While Lisa was busy, I said my goodbyes to Evan and Lucas. Evan gave me a huge, lung-crushing bear hug, Lucas a gentle, reserved squeeze. I kept my distance from Jackson, waving at him from the other side of the group. Then Lisa was standing by my side again.

Lacing my fingers with hers, she looked over at Taehyung and extended a hand. "Watch over my girl for me?" Taehyung's expression blanked as he glanced between Lisa and me. Lisa smirked and added, "But not too well, okay?"

Taehyung let out an amused grunt. "Wouldn't want that . . ." He grabbed Lisa's hand, shaking it firmly. "Yeah, I'll keep an eye on her. She'll be apples." I giggled at Taehyung's saying and he gave me my favorite goofy grin. But when he released Lisa's hand, his face turned serious. "I hope things work out for you, mate."

Lisa grinned and looked down on me. "Yeah, me too." By the look in Lisa's eyes, I couldn't tell whether she meant hitting it big, or not hitting it big. I got the feeling that, as long as we were together, either scenario was fine. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I laid my head on her shoulder.

Lisa gave me one final squeeze and whispered, "See you soon." I nodded as I watched her sprint over to her car to get her only piece of luggage—the black case holding her prized guitar. Slinging it over her shoulder, she sauntered back to the taxi. The driver packed it in the trunk for her while Lisa slipped into the backseat. I had to bite my lip to stop the sadness from building. I would join her shortly . . . I could wait.

After every band member was tucked into the taxi, it pulled away. Lisa was by the window, and she stuck her hand out of it to wave at me, her wedding ring gleaming in the afternoon sun. Grinning like an idiot, I waved until the taxi turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

Taehyung looked over at me when I let my hand fall to my side. "So, how's married life treating you, Jennie?" His accent wrapped around my name in a wonderful way. Despite how our relationship had changed, the sound of his voice was still fascinating to my ears.

I studied his dark eyes, looking for any sign of pain. There didn't seem to be any as he casually stood beside me. As I considered everything that had happened in the very short span of time since my impromptu wedding, I shrugged. "Good . . ." Remembering Joey's unexpected visit, my voice gave out on me.

Taehyung caught the uncertainty. "You don't seem so sure about that."

A part of me really didn't want to talk about my marital problems to Taehyung. After everything that had happened while we were a couple, it felt wrong to confess my hardships. Didn't I deserve them? But Taehyung was an exceptional human being, and once he'd forgiven someone, he let go of the pain and resentment and moved on. Well, he tried to anyway. I'd seen him struggle with being around me. I'd heard the pain of betrayal in his voice. But he hadn't fled. He was still in my life. He was still my friend. And I owed him an honest response.

"There was an incident at the house," I muttered, looking back at my parents, who were talking with Jisoo, Somi, and Rachel.

"Lisa's jaw?" I returned my eyes to Taehyung. "You do that?" he asked.

I smirked at him. "No. Her ex-roommate came by . . ."

Taehyung, his mind a steel trap at times, remembered who she was. "Joey? The girl who took off after she slept with her?"

A twinge of something awful stirred in my stomach, but I pushed it down. "Yeah, Joey. Anyway, she came back for her stuff, but I sort of tossed it a while ago. Lisa had to pay her for it."

"Well, that seems reasonable, considering it was hers." He paused, then added, "I'm guessing there's more to the story. What else happened?"

I really didn't want to tell Taehyung about this, but I had to tell someone, and aside from Somi, Taehyung was my best friend. "She gave her back their . . . sex tape . . . then made her pay her for it."

Taehyung didn't answer me for a long time. I could tell his mind was spinning, and he wasn't sure how to answer. As a gust of warm air swirled my hair around me, I wasn't sure what I wanted him to say. Maybe nothing was best. I stared at my feet and kicked a pebble on the cement while I waited for some sort of response.

"If she gave it back before Lisa paid her . . . then it wasn't her only copy. You'll hear from her again," he said.

My eyes shot up to his. I hadn't considered that. I knew that other sex tapes were out there, but I hadn't thought about Joey duping Lisa. She'd brought it to the house to return it before she'd known about me. She'd acted like it was the only copy she'd had, and that she despised Lisa so much that she didn't want it near her anymore. Of course, maybe that was an act, her way of showing Lisa that she didn't need her, that she was beneath her. She seemed like the type to hold on to trophies of her conquests, and what greater trophy could she have than video footage? Taehyung was right; she had multiple copies. She hadn't ever intended to give Lisa the only recording.

Taehyung looked apologetic and sympathetic. "I don't know her so I can't say for sure, but if Lisa does make it big, I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to make some money off of it. It could be everywhere someday, Jennie. Sorry."

Sighing away those future troubles, I told him, "It's okay. It doesn't matter, not really." Taehyung raised an eyebrow at me, and I laughed. The release felt good and lifted a bit of the apprehension from the air. "She doesn't have the only movie of her like that, so she won't get a very good price. Oversaturation and all." I wanted to grimace over the thought of multiple sex tapes on the market, but the look on Taehyung's face was priceless, and I laughed again.

Taehyung shook his head. "You have changed."

I smiled and shrugged, trying to be as okay with this as I could be. Lisa's life wasn't private anymore, and parts of it were going to be uncomfortable for both of us. But I knew her heart, and she knew mine, and together we would work through the rough patches.

As I pushed away the bad and focused on the good, Taehyung rolled his eyes. "I can't believe she filmed herself." Closing his eyes, he added, "Actually, yeah, I can." Taehyung's cheeks suddenly flushed with color, and his eyes shot open. There was a clear question in the dark depths, one he didn't want to ask. But the curiosity was eating at him.

Knowing where his head was at, I smacked his shoulder. "No! I didn't let her . . . we didn't . . . No!" I stammered, not able to put into words that I didn't—and wouldn't—make a sex tape with Lisa.

Taehyung chuckled and backed away from me. "Sorry, it slipped into my head before I could stop it."

Jisoo came up to us while Taehyung laughed even harder. "What's going on?"

Jisoo gave Taehyung a cool glance, not unfriendly, but not warm either. She still hadn't gotten over Taehyung's vicious attack on Lisa, and, inadvertently, me. Taehyung straightened, his laughter stopping. "Nothing. Just catching up."

Jisoo narrowed her eyes, like she thought Taehyung was going to try and woo me away from Lisa or something. I don't know how many times I'd told her that nothing but friendship was between us, but I don't think she would ever really believe me. "I'm going to go, Jennie. I need a nap." Her eyes focused solely on me. "The girls and I are sore."

I twisted my lip, knowing she was not referring to the child in her belly. "Yeah, okay."

As she waddled over to Jackson's van, Mom and Dad ended their conversation with Somi and started heading toward me. By the look on Dad's face, I was sure he wanted to talk to me about my plan to join Lisa.

I sighed, and Taehyung looked at me. "You ready for them to head home yet?"

I grinned. "Yeah." As I waited for my parents, I pondered telling Taehyung that I was leaving. I suppose that should be an easier thing to tell him than confessing about Lisa's sex tape, but somehow, it felt harder.

Mom got distracted on her way over to me by a coin on the ground. Mom gathered every coin she could, even pennies. She kept any coin she found that was dated earlier than the seventies. She had dozens of containers at home, full of old currency.

While Dad groaned at Mom to let it go, I quickly blurted out what I didn't really want to say. "I'm joining Lisa in Los Angeles soon, and then I'm going on tour with her. I'm leaving Seattle."

Taehyung's mouth opened and his face paled. He looked like I'd just socked him in the gut. A ripping pain went through me. I had never left Taehyung before. He'd always been the one leaving me. As part of my soul ached, I reconsidered my belief that leaving was easier than being left. This didn't feel easy, and I wasn't even gone yet.

Taehyung averted his eyes and composed himself. Once he was more or less put back together, he shifted his attention to my parents. A sly grin lightened his face, but not his eyes. "I remember when we told your dad we were leaving Ohio." He looked back at me. "Good luck. You'll need it."

I nodded and rubbed Taehyung's shoulder. A moment of grief passed between us. Grief over what we'd had together. Grief over what we'd lost. We were both in a good place now, relationship-wise, but that didn't mean we'd forgotten, and sometimes missed, what we'd once been.

Taehyung gave me a small, understanding smile that broke my heart a little. As much as I was going to miss Somi and Jisoo, I think I was going to miss Taehyung even more. Not sure if I should confess that to him or not, I gave him as convincing of a smile as I could. "But I'll be coming back a lot, to check on Jisoo, to make sure she's okay."

Taehyung nodded as my parents finally joined us. "That's probably a good idea. I would offer to keep an eye on her for you, but, uh . . . you know how she feels about me."

With my parents in earshot, I only gave Taehyung a slight nod in response. I didn't want to talk about why Jisoo had problems with Taehyung in front of my parents. They didn't know what Taehyung had done, what I'd pushed him to, and I would prefer it if they never knew. Dad would insist I cut Taehyung out of my life forever, and I didn't want to. He was part of me.

Dad looked exhausted, ready to take a vacation from his vacation. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stood tall and straight and tried to be imposing. "Jennie, I think we should sit down and have a discussion about you joining Lisa." By his expression, it was clear he thought the idea was ridiculous. "Are you really going to go to Los Angeles? Because I'm not okay with you being in a city that size." He paused, then added, "Surrounded by a bunch of rock stars."

I smiled at Dad and started to respond, but Somi overheard Dad and bounded to my side. "You're really going down there? To be with them while they record the album?"

I hadn't had time to tell Somi about it either. So much had been sprung on me so fast . . . I was still a little dizzy. I grabbed Somi's arms and answered her and my dad. "Lisa really wants me there, and since I'm done with school, I've got lots of free time."

Dad frowned. "You shouldn't waste any time before applying for jobs, Jennie. It will look bad on your resume."

I cringed as I looped my arm around Somi and held on to her; I suddenly needed her support. "Um, actually, Dad . . . I'm not going to be applying for a job. When Lisa is done with the album, she'll be touring again to promote it . . . and I'm going to go with her."

My voice came out in hushed tones. For a second, the only noise was the traffic zipping down the road. Then Somi and my father spoke at the same time. Surprisingly, they both said the exact same thing, only in completely different ways.

"No way!"

Somi's outburst was an exclamation of surprise; Dad's was an order. I looked between them both, giving Somi an excited squeal, and Dad an empathetic smile. "I know it's sudden, but it's what I really want to do."

Somi hugged me. In my ear, she told me, "I am so stinking jealous of you!" She pulled back, her pale eyes glossy. "I'm going to miss you . . . but you are going to have so much fun."

I giggled at her, her energy feeding my own. Then Dad's voice broke through my joy. "No, Jennie. That's not acceptable."

I looked back at him, my buzz fading. His frown deepened. "We didn't put you through four years of school so you could throw it all away to follow some band across the country." He said the word band with a sneer, and irritation shot up my spine.

I wanted to sullenly tell Dad that my scholarships had paid for the majority of my schooling, that his contribution had been pretty minor in comparison, but that wasn't really the issue being argued. "It's not 'some band,' Dad. It's my wife's band."

Dad rolled his eyes. "You're not really married, Jennie."

I ignored his comment. "And she needs me with her."

Dad snorted, like he didn't believe that, like he believed Lisa preferred to be on her own on the road. But Dad hadn't seen how hard Lisa's last tour was on her. True, a lot of the turmoil had been because of her father, but I think a large part was also because of me, because she'd wanted to be with me and couldn't be. I know that's how I'd felt about her.

Before Dad could voice his objection, I added, "And besides, I'm not throwing away my education. I'm going to be a writer, and I can do that on the road with Lisa."

Dad gave me a blank stare. "A writer? You can't make a living being a writer."

Mom elbowed Dad in the ribs, and he glanced over at her. "What?"

Ignoring him, Mom turned to me. "I'm sure you'll do very well, honey. Your father is just concerned about you struggling . . . just in the beginning, of course."

I frowned at Dad. That wasn't entirely his objection. Unless I was, say, a journalist writing for a major newspaper, Dad considered writing to be as frivolous as making music. A real job consisted of set hours, a set location, and a set paycheck. Dad liked things he could depend on. I did too, but I also knew that Lisa's life was about to explode. Dad may not believe it yet, but he would soon. Lisa was too talented for the world not to take notice.

Switching my scowl to a placating smile, I assured him, "Lisa and I will do just fine. You don't need to worry."

His irritated expression turned concerned. "I'll always worry about you, Jennie."

My anger softened. Sighing, I released my hold on Somi and walked over to Dad. Throwing my arms around him, I told him, "I'll be fine, and I love you too."

I heard him sniff as he wrapped his arms around me. I figured then that Dad would eventually come around. He may not ever fully support my decision, but he wouldn't hold it against me either, just like he didn't hold Jisoo's poor decisions against her. My parents loved us through all of our ups and downs. And while this was a down for them, it was an up for me.

Pulling back from Dad, I brightly told him. "Let's go home, and I'll tell you all about it."

Dad nodded, then sighed.