shake the dust // JENLISA

Epilogue

There was a rhyme to things, sometimes, Chaerin thought. Today didn't necessarily feel like anything out of the ordinary. She woke, ran through her routine, gently touched the glass of the photo of her late wife, then left for work as usual.

Yet, when she parked in front of her office building, there was a curious sense of anticipation in her chest. She knew Lucas was already at work, since the lights on their floor were on, but it was still grey outside. It was colder than usual. Snow twirled down and melted in Chaerin's hair as she exited her car, and she paused for a long moment to stare up at the thick clouds hanging in the air.

Her reflection in the car window, with the grey hair and pale skin, made her chuckle to herself, for she looked like a middle-aged Elsa. She certainly didn't have those kinds of powers, but Chaerin knew her abilities, and she was proud to still use them so many years down the line.

Grinning to herself, Chaerin crunched through the snow towards her office. She made it inside, into the stuffy heat beyond the doors and took the stairs one careful step at a time. She wasn't that old yet, but she had hurt her back playing twister with Lucas last week, and each step sent fire up her spine. When she made it to her floor, she groaned in relief and wobbled over to the door, pulling her keys out.

Due to an incident, Lucas kept the office locked when he was alone. Chaerin slid her key in, cold again on this floor, but paused when a shiver rocked through her. She turned just as footsteps started pounding up the stairs.

She had no way to guess it, really. But somehow, she knew. As ridiculous as it was, Chaerin stood there frozen, waiting and listening to those frantic steps. She stared at the stairway in anticipation, and when a figure bounced into view Chaerin let her fingers slip from the key.

"Chaerin?" the girl panted when she finally paused beside her, breathing in haggard breaths.

Chaerin smiled softly. "The one and only."

The girl lifted her head and her beautiful brown eyes made Chaerin slip back into memories from long past. Freckles dotted the girls light skin, and her long raven hair was gathered into a messy bun at the base of her neck.

"I'm so sorry for appearing so suddenly."

Chaerin shook her head. "No need to apologize. How can I help you?"

The girl straightened, tall and confident. She sucked in one last breath, and Chaerin saw her childhood and her happy life from the shine in her eyes.

"I've heard so much about you, and I'm in my last year of high school, so I was kind of thinking, you know, like..." she seemed to grow nervous and glanced down, cheeks reddening. Chaerin calmly waited for her to continue, and eventually she did. "You see, you're the reason I'm here. Before I was even born, you helped my moms. So, I wanted to ask you if I could be your assistant. Or if you would just let me help you. I can sweep your floor and fetch coffee. Anything"

In her eyes, Chaerin saw Lisa's fire. In her smile, Jennie's kindness. Chaerin's chest filled with warmth, and finally she twisted her key and unlocked the door. The girl stared at her nervously as she pushed the door open, and when Chaerin swept her arm in a gesture to enter, her frown turned into a beaming smile.

"I'd be honoured to teach you all I know," Chaerin told her from the heart. "How good are you at reading people?"

They entered together, Lucas not entirely surprised to see them, and the girl launched into a long story about how she was fascinated by human psychology, and wanted to work in the field of helping people. She was a bit clumsy but entirely glowing as she rambled on and on, even when she grew embarrassed when she realized she was talking so much.

So, there was a rhyme to things, sometimes, Chaerin thought.

- the end -
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©️this is an adaptation, i do not own anything. credit and praises to the brilliant author 🤟🏻🤟🏻