— JENNIE

..

Four days later I met my sisters for Sunday brunch at PARC in Campus Martius downtown.

"Good morning," I chirped as I slid onto the booth along the wall next to Jisoo. Across the table, Yoojung gave me a smile.

"Morning," she said. "You look nice. Is that a new blouse?"

"Thanks. It is new, actually." Lisa had bought it for me yesterday during our shopping excursion at Partridge Creek. Her mother had canceled their planned visit last minute, something about not feeling up to having guests, and even though she'd pretended not to be upset about it, I could tell that she was. I suggested the afternoon shopping trip as a way to get her and Paisley out of the apartment and into the sunshine. It had been a gorgeous couple of days—warm and sunny, temperatures in the mid sixties even though the official start of spring was still a few days away.

"It's really pretty," said Jisoo. "You don't normally wear a lot of patterns."

The blouse was floral patterned silk chiffon, a rose print on a sheer white background. Very springy and romantic. I lifted my shoulders. "Guess I'm branching out a little bit. Changing up my style."

"It's more than the blouse." Yoojung was studying me with a sister's critical eye. "There's something different about you. You're glowing."

"Am I?" I pretended to study the menu.

Jisoo leaned around me, trying to get a better look at my face. "Yes. What's going on with you?"

"Let me get something to drink and I'll tell you." I signaled a server and put in an order for a glass of champagne.

"Ooh, that sounds good. I'll join you," said Yoojung.

"Me too," said Jisoo.

While we waited for our drinks, I looked at the menu for real. I had never been here before, but everything sounded scrumptious. Or maybe it was just my good mood.

The server returned after a minute with our glasses of bubbly, promising to come back shortly to take our order.

"Okay, spill," Jisoo said as soon as we were alone again.

"Yes. Why are you glowing?" Yoojung asked.

"First, a toast. To spring!" I raised my glass. "A time of rebirth and awakening."

They exchanged a look as we clinked. "She's having sex with someone," said Jisoo.

"Good sex," added Yoojung.

I leaned forward dramatically. "Amazing sex," I clarified. "Four nights of the most amazing sex you can possibly imagine."

Yoojung groaned with envy. "Lisa?"

"Yes." I took a sip of my champagne—it was delicious, possibly the best thing I had ever tasted.

"So tell us what happened," said Jisoo, shifting impatiently next to me in the booth. "When we saw you last Sunday, you were all we're just friends about it."

I laughed. "Well, that was true, but then I went over there later that night."

Yoojung was on the edge of her seat. "And?"

"And things got unexpectedly and very decidedly more than friendly." I leaned even closer to them and whispered. "I had two."

"Two?" Jisoo questioned, like she didn't quite believe it.

"Two."

"I've heard that's possible, but no one I know has ever verified it," Yoojung said.

I took another sip, delighted with the way the bubbles danced on my tongue. "Consider it verified."

"How did you even manage it with the baby and all?" Jisoo wondered.

"We were on the couch that time, and she was sleeping upstairs. I don't know how we didn't wake her up, but thankfully we didn't."

The server came back over, and we put in our orders—Jisoo went for shrimp and polenta, Yoojung ordered the omelette, and I chose the cinnamon roll bread pudding. I didn't even feel guilty about it. I'd worked out four times this week, and besides, I figured Lisa and I were burning at least a couple hundred calories a night.

"Okay, keep going," Yoojung prodded.

"Okay, so after that first time, she got a little weird. I mean, not that night—that night she was fine and when I left, everything felt good between us. She basically admitted she felt something for me, but she's got this thing about needing people. She doesn't want to need anybody, and she doesn't want anybody to need her. I babysat for her the following morning, and I could tell something was wrong. She was kind of aloof and indifferent."

"Did you ask her why?" Jisoo looked curious.

"No, because I sort of knew why. She was scared."

"So what did you do?" Yoojung asked.

"Actually, nothing. I wasn't happy about it, but I figured there was no point in pursuing her if she wasn't interested in taking a chance with me, so I let it go. And we went almost three days without even talking or seeing each other."

"You let it go?" The look on Yoojung's face told me how surprised she was, and admittedly, in the past I probably would have gone over there to pick a fight or at least demand to know what I had done wrong.

"I did," I confirmed with a shrug. "I felt like it was her issue, and she needed to work it out on her own."

"Wow." She sat back, her expression thoughtful and a little impressed. "Very Zen of you, Jennie. You didn't even call us to vent about it. The blouse really isn't the only thing that's new."

"Thank you." I wasn't going to mention that the biggest reason I didn't call them to vent was because I didn't want them to say I-told-you-so about Lisa just using me as Nanny McFuck across the hall. "I'm really trying to do things differently with Lisa. I've made so many mistakes in the past by either choosing the wrong guys, or expecting too much too soon, and blaming myself when they let me down. I don't want to do that this time."

"That's great," said Jisoo. "You sound very healthy."

"I feel it. I mean, I didn't for the few days we weren't speaking, but she showed up at my door Wednesday night with the baby in a sling on her chest and these plastic containers of mine in her hand, pretending she just wanted to return them." I laughed, shaking my head. "It was so obvious what she was doing." I told them about our argument and how I'd stood up for myself. "It was scary, because I knew I risked alienating her completely, but I was looking at her and I could see that she didn't believe the bullshit she was giving me. She was just scared and too stubborn to admit it." I shrugged. "So I called her out on it. I figured I had nothing to lose."

The server appeared with our plates and set them down in front of us. When she was gone, Jisoo patted my leg beneath the table. "I'm really proud of you. That took guts." She picked up her knife and fork and began cutting a piece of shrimp. "It's not easy to change your relationship habits, but I'm so glad to see you realize you deserve more."

I smiled. "Thanks. I felt proud of myself, too. Although when she turned around and stormed out, I burst into tears. That wasn't too Zen of me. But it only took her a few minutes to realize her mistake and knock on my door again." Picking up my spoon, I giggled. "Of course, it helped that she had locked herself out of her apartment."

Yoojung laughed. "See? The universe heard you and arranged everything."

"Or she was so distracted by her conflicting feelings, she simply forgot the key," said Jisoo wryly. "She's only human, after all."

"Not when it comes to sex," I said under my breath before digging my spoon into the bread pudding and licking it clean. "I'm convinced she has some kind of superpower when it comes to orgasms."

Both my sisters sighed loudly. "How are you not waking the baby?" Yoojung asked.

"Well, we did wake her Thursday night," I admitted. I had gone over to her apartment after my event at the MGM, even though it had been almost midnight. Not that we wasted any time—we were naked on her living room floor within ten minutes of my arrival, our clothing flung all over the room. When we were done (didn't take long), Lisa had rug burns on her knees, I found my bra hanging off a lamp, and we'd been anything but quiet. It took Lisa half an hour to get her back to sleep after that.

Friday night, we'd done it in the kitchen, me still in my work clothes and Lisa behind me with her hand clamped over my mouth. I had a bruise on the front of my hip where it kept banging into the edge of the counter, but Lisa had been completely unapologetic, claiming it was my fault for coming over in a little black dress and heels without my underwear on. However, when I'd shown her it was still there last night, she'd dropped to her knees and kissed it softly.

"So do you spend the night there?" Jisoo wondered.

"No," I said. "She always asks if I want to stay, but the baby sleeps in her room. I feel like three might be a little crowded in there, and I had to get up for work pretty early every day last week. Did I tell you Coco had her baby?"

They wanted to hear all about that, and about how Jiwon was doing as well.

"She's doing great," I said, licking some maple crème anglaise from my finger. "Actually, she offered me a job up there."

My sister stared at me.

"Really?" Jisoo said. "At the winery?"

I told them what her offer entailed, and that I was tempted by it but had asked for some time to think it over. "It might be nice for a change, and I do like that area, but…" Swirling the last of my champagne around in the bottom of my glass, I shrugged. "This thing with Lisa feels really good. I know it's only the beginning, and in the past my instincts have not been the greatest, but I'm hopeful. I really think she might be what I've been looking for."

They didn't say anything right away, which was a little disconcerting. Finally Jisoo spoke. "That's great, Jennie. As long as you're being careful and keeping perspective on things, why not take time to think over the offer? I think that's smart to keep the option open awhile."

"Me too," echoed Yoojung.

"Thanks." Then I sighed. "The one thing I wish is that we were able to have, like, an actual date. Go out for dinner or something." I wrinkled my nose, dropping my eyes to the napkin in my lap. "But with the baby, it's hard. And I don't want to whine about it. She finally seems like she's getting used to the idea that she's a parent, and that it's for life. Like, this is not a temporary thing that's going to go away once Paisley's mom decides to show up again."

"Has her mom been in touch?" Jisoo asked.

I shook my head. "Nope. Not since that one phone call."

"What's Lisa going to do then? Will they share custody?"

"I assume so." I nodded, picking up my spoon and poking at my meal again, but I didn't really feel like eating anymore. The truth was, Lisa was kind of evasive on the subject of joint custody or a more permanent arrangement for Paisley once the month was up. I'd asked her only yesterday if she was planning to get a bigger apartment or maybe even buy a house with a backyard somewhere, and she'd sort of grunted that she was thinking about it but hadn't really seemed too willing to discuss it.

I hadn't pressed the issue—it wasn't really my business, and I was learning with Lisa that it was better to let her decide when it was time to open up about things rather than poking and prodding at her. She didn't respond well to pressure. But she was working on sharing more about herself with me. Yesterday as we'd walked around Partridge Creek, pushing Paisley in the stroller, she'd talked a little bit about her mom and her anxiety, her bouts of agoraphobia and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. It was the most she'd ever talked to me about such a personal subject, and I'd listened attentively, swallowing all the questions I had. I wanted her to feel like she could talk to me without being judged or analyzed or evaluated for relationship potential. It was not about that. It was about her feeling comfortable enough with herself to show me part of what she normally buried. It was about trust.

"You know, I could watch the baby for you," Yoojung offered. "If you've got a night off next week and you two want to have dinner, as long as I'm not teaching that night, I'd be happy to do it."

"I wouldn't mind either," Jisoo said. "If Yoojung has to teach on your night off, let me know. I'll do it. I love babies."

"Really?" Love and gratitude for my sisters flooded through me. "You would do that?"

"Of course," Yoojung said, and Jisoo nodded.

"You guys are the best. Let me check my schedule and get back with you," I told them excitedly. "And let me make sure it's okay with Lisa, but I'm pretty sure she'll go for it."

..

Later that afternoon, I told Lisa about their offer as we ambled along the Riverwalk with Paisley in the stroller. She stopped in her tracks.

"Are you serious? They really offered to do that?" She looked especially gorgeous with her hair all windblown and aviator sunglasses on.

"Yes. And they'd be really good with Paisley. Jisoo was a nanny too, and Yoojung is basically a Disney princess. In fact, I've hired her out to do rich kids' birthday parties dressed up like Cinderella a bunch of times." I giggled at the memory. "And she's always a good sport about it. Although she makes good money every time, at least a few hundred bucks, so that helps."

Lisa shook her head. "I cannot believe people actually pay that kind of money for someone to show up in a costume at a birthday party, especially for a kid."

"Oh, believe it," I told her. "I've done kids' parties that cost thousands and thousands of dollars. These people don't just want someone in a Cinderella getup from Target with an iPod. They want the gown and the castle, the pumpkin carriage, real white horses, elaborate decorations, a DJ with a stereo system, silver tea sets, cakes shaped like a glass slipper, fireworks, bounce houses, piñatas, a dance floor, face painters—"

She groaned. "Stop. Just stop right there. Before Paisley hears you and gets ideas."

I laughed. "Don't you want to give your daughter a princess party?"

"No. She can have a regular party with kids from the neighborhood like we did when we were kids, where you play musical chairs and pin the tail on the donkey, and eat a slice of homemade yellow cake with chocolate frosting on paper plates with plastic forks and ice cream melting all around it," said Lisa.

"We?" I asked curiously. "I thought you didn't have any siblings."

"I meant you and me," she said quickly. "Kids from our generation."

"Ah. Well, I suspect you're going to want to spoil your daughter a little more than that. I bet she'll have you wrapped around her little finger, just like my sisters and I were with our dad. He never could say no to us."

Lisa went quiet after that, so quiet that I was concerned I'd said something wrong. Was she thinking about her future with Paisley? Or her past? Was she picturing the suburban neighborhood where she grew up and wondering if she owed her daughter the same kind of upbringing? Downtown loft living was great for single people like us, but if you had kids, you had to think about things like safe outdoor places for them to play, schools, friends nearby. But rather than ask her about her plans again, I changed the subject. "So what do you think about letting my sisters babysit so we could go out one night this week? I looked at my schedule earlier and believe it or not, we don't have any events scheduled for this weekend."

"Really? That's nice."

I could tell she was still distracted, and tried not to be disappointed at our mismatched levels of excitement. "Well, you let me know."

We walked in silence for a few minutes, and I looked out over the Detroit River, holding my hair back from blowing in my face and wondering what Lisa was thinking, why she'd suddenly gone mute. When we reached the foot of the Belle Isle bridge, I asked if she wanted to walk across or turn around.

She glanced into the stroller. "Turn around, I guess. She'll have to eat soon, and it's easier to feed her at home."

I nodded, and we started walking back. After another ten minutes went by, I couldn't bear the silence any longer. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." But her expression remained serious, her jaw clenched.

"Because you seem a little upset," I went on, making an effort to sound friendly and not accusatory. "And I was just wondering if I said something wrong."

"You didn't."

"Oh. Okay, good."

More silence. I was about to lose my mind when she stopped walking. I got about four feet ahead of her and turned around.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You're right. I am upset about something, but it's nothing you need to worry about." She pushed the stroller and caught up to me. "And I would like to take you out this weekend. Could you ask your sisters if Friday night would be okay? I still want to try to visit my mom on Saturday."

"Of course," I said, relieved it wasn't me but concerned about whatever it was that was bothering her. "I'll text them right now." Pulling my phone from the pocket of my denim jacket, I messaged both sisters at once. Yoojung got back to me right away and said she'd be happy to do it, and Jisoo replied a few minutes later that she was supposed to attend a work function with Walter but would rather babysit with Yoojung, so she was going to try to get out of it.

"We're all set." I dropped my phone back into my pocket and grinned at Lisa, hoping to cheer her up. "We have not one but two qualified babysitters anxious to give you some relief and us some adult time."

"Great," she said, giving me half a smile.

"What should we do?" I faced her and galloped sideways a few steps, thrilled at the prospect of an evening out with her by my side, holding a restaurant door open for me, taking my hand as we walked through a crowded room, sitting across a candlelit table.

"Leave it to me." She sounded a little better, happier. "I'll take care of everything. I want to treat you."

My stomach fluttered. "I can't wait."

..

Friday night, my sisters knocked on my apartment door around six. I let them in, and they followed me upstairs to my bedroom so I could finish getting ready. Lisa had made a reservation for seven o'clock, but she hadn't told me where. She'd said I could dress up or dress down, whatever I pleased. Since she was the one I wanted to please, I'd chosen a bright red dress that showed off my legs and had a deep V in the front. But other than that, it wasn't skimpy or provocative—it had long, blousy sleeves that cuffed at the wrist, a little belt around the waist, and a soft, flowing skirt. I'd noticed that Lisa was turned on by things that were suggestive without being overly revealing. I liked that about her.

Now, what I wore beneath the dress was another matter entirely—a sexy bra and panties in cherry-colored lace.

"I love your dress," said Jisoo, following me up the stairs. "It looks amazing on you."

"Thanks. You can borrow it any time. It would look great on you too, with your runner's legs." I smiled at her over my shoulder.

"Thanks, but I don't really go anywhere that would require a sexy little red dress," she said wistfully. "I wish I did."

"Make Buzz take you out dancing," said Yoojung as we reached the top of the stairs. "Go to Cliff Bell's and do the Charleston. It would be the bee's knees."

Jisoo smacked Yoojung on the arm as she and I snickered. "You guys should be grateful to Walter for letting me off the hook tonight."

"We are," I said, going into my bathroom to take one final look at my reflection. I'd curled my hair and let it swing loose around my shoulders. My makeup I kept minimal, a little blush, some black liquid eyeliner around my eyes, and red lips to match my dress. In my ears I wore tiny diamond earrings, and a cursive J hung from a delicate gold chain around my neck. After giving myself a couple sprays of perfume, I stepped into strappy nude heels and spun around for my sisters, who were sitting on my bed. "Well?"

"Ten." Yoojung was confident.

"Eleven," said Jisoo. "And I love how the shoes show off your red painted toes, but are your feet going to be cold?"

"Lisa does a good job keeping me warm." I grabbed a small black clutch from my closet and tossed my lipstick in it.

"Things are still going well for you guys?" she asked.

"Totally," I said. There were times during this week where she'd gone a little silent and moody, but that could easily be blamed on sleep deprivation, the major changes in her life, and concerns about the future. Overall, she was the same Lisa I'd always known—sexy, funny, charming, generous—just more human. I couldn't get enough of her.

"That's greatMar Yoojung said as they followed me down the stairs. "I'm dying to meet her."

"She's excited to meet you, too, and I'm ready, so let's do it." I added a few more things—mints, some cash, my keys—before heading across the hall with my sisters, locking my door behind me.

Although I had a key to Lisa's apartment, I always knocked. I didn't want to make any presumptions where her privacy was concerned, and besides, I always went a little breathless when she opened the door. I like that feeling, the rush of it, like cresting the top of the hill on a rollercoaster. Tonight was no exception.

"Hi," she said, quickly scanning all three of us but bringing her eyes right back to me. They drank me in from head to toe and back again. "Wow. You look stunning."

"Thank you. You look very gorgeous." She wore a charcoal suit with a white shirt. Since I'd insisted on going straight home last night after one (lingering) good night kiss, her eyes were clear and bright after a good night's sleep. She'd texted this morning that even Paisley had gone six straight hours without waking up.

She kissed my cheek and stepped back, opening the door wide. "Come on in. I can't thank you enough for doing this," she said to my sisters, offering her hand. "I'm Lisa, and over there in the swing is Paisley."

Jisoo and Yoojung shook her hand and gave her their names with a smile before making a beeline for the baby. Immediately they started cooing over her, remarking on all her dark hair, her big eyes, and the cute little sleeper that I bought for her last Saturday at Partridge Creek. On the chest it said You got this, Dad and was covered with arrows labeled arm, arm, leg, leg, head, and snap here.

"There are instructions for making her bottles on the kitchen counter next to the can of formula. Diapers and wipes and pajamas are over there on the changing table." Lisa gestured left, then right. "Extra pacifiers are upstairs on the nightstand, and I left my cell phone number on the coffee table. Call if you need anything or have any questions." She actually looked kind of nervous about leaving, which I found adorable.

"Don't worry about a thing," said Yoojung, pulling Paisley out of the swing. "Just go have fun."

"Thanks." Lisa dropped her keys and her cell phone in her pocket. "She gets pretty fussy around nine or ten, but we shouldn't be too much later than that."

"You have no curfew." Jisoo gave us a wave. "Enjoy your night out."

Flashing my sisters a grateful smile, I took Lisa's hand, sensing she needed some reassurance that it was okay to leave Paisley. "Ready?"

Eye contact with me seemed to do the trick. "Definitely." She held the door open for me, and we walked out into the hall.

We waited silently for the elevator, and when it arrived she guided me into it with one hand on my lower back. It was empty, and as soon as the doors were shut behind us, she spun me to face her and grabbed me tight around the waist with one arm. "You. Are. Gorgeous."

The elevator began to descend, making me feel weightless. My heart beat faster. "Thank you."

She buried her face in my neck. Inhaling deeply, she squeezed me tighter. "Thank you. For suggesting this. For arranging it."

"Of course. You deserve a night out."

She opened her mouth and kissed her way down the side of my throat, making my arms and legs tingle. "Easy, easy," I admonished when I felt her hand brushing up my thigh. "We've got hours, don't we?"

"Yes. And I intend to make every second count." But she released me as the elevator slowed to a stop, and I straightened my dress before the doors opened into the parking garage beneath the building. Lisa took my hand as we walked to her car, and opened the passenger door for me. Once I was seated, she closed it and walked around to the driver's side.

"So where are we going?" I asked as she started the engine. "You've kept it a secret all week."

Lisa took my hand and kissed it before exiting the garage, but she said nothing.

I moaned with frustration as we eased into traffic, but secretly I loved that she wanted to surprise me. In a few minutes, we pulled up at the Detroit Foundation Hotel, a beautifully restored brick building that had been the Detroit Fire Department's headquarters in the 1920s, complete with three huge sets of double doors painted bright red across the front. Immediately, one valet opened my door and offered me a hand as I stepped onto the curb. Lisa accepted a slip of paper from a second valet, told him we were hotel guests, then came around and took my arm.

"Hotel guests?" I whispered as we headed for the entrance. "Why did you say that?"

Again, Lisa only smiled as she opened the door to the restaurant for me. "So many questions," she said, taking my arm again as we walked in together. "Don't you trust me to do this right?"

The hostess greeted Lisa by name and told her her table was ready. I saw the way her eyes lingered on Lisa gorgeous features and broad chest, and felt proud to be the one on her arm. "I trust you," I said, looking up at her as my pulse skittered out of control. It occurred to me that I couldn't recall the last time I had trusted someone this way.

Once we'd been left alone, I looked at Lisa across the table and realized that for once in my romantic life, everything was falling into place exactly the way I had imagined it. The crowded room, the arm in mine, the candlelight glowing softly between us. Beyond that, there was the beat of my heart, the look in her eye, the feeling that somehow we were doing this right.

We were finding our way.

..

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