we keep this love in a photograph

Chapter 56

Valentine's Day rolled around a couple of weeks later, finding Jennie at her office, where she belonged, freshly returned from her three-day business trip to Tokyo with Jisoo and Karina. The three of them had eaten at some of the most expensive restaurants in the city, spent a long night at the tech expo, where Jennie gave her presentation while a translator echoed her to the packed auditorium, and were treated to a night out where Jennie moodily nursed club sodas while the other two tried sake and a variety of cocktails.

Even though she was limited to the amount she could drink, had cut her hours of work almost in half, and had a somewhat normal sleeping pattern now, Jennie found herself agitated. It was good to be back at the helm of J Corporations, and she was on her best behaviour, watching as stock prices made a small increase and revenue boosted after the expo, relishing the small victories of being back in charge. Still, there was that lingering unease that only got worse the closer it came to Rosie coming home, her whole body tense and poised for something to go wrong. Would an all-out war arise that would keep her over there on orders, would she back out of her promise to not re- enlist, her fears and desire to not rely on Jennie for money forcing her into signing on for another tour so she could go back to college, or something far worse that Jennie didn't want to entertain.

A dozen red roses were delivered via courier at nine o'clock, along with four red velvet cupcakes topped with hearts and a card in a red envelope, and Jennie had found it endlessly amusing and only slightly embarrassing as Karina carried it in, looking equally as amused as she tried to hide it. Jennie was still making her way through her carrot and apple juice, taking a moment to do the crossword in the paper, and set it aside to open the card, her eyes quickly scanning the cheesy message inside before she opened the box of cupcakes, smiling as she plucked one from it.

Reaching for her phone, she called Rosie and waited for it to connect, a smile toying on her lips as she watched her face fill the screen. "Two weeks!" Rosie shouted the moment she appeared on screen, still slightly pixelated. "It's officially two weeks!"

Jennie burst out laughing and raised her eyebrows, "Happy Valentine's Day to you too."

"Right! And that! Happy Valentine's Day. Did you get my gifts?"

"Karina just put it on my desk. I love it, thank you."

"I haven't opened mine yet so ... just hang on ... here."

She watched Rosie lean off her low cot and get the small box Jennie had sent with a few trifling gifts. Tearing off the tape, Rosie pulled out the card first and beamed as she opened it, eyes quickly scanning the words before she looked down at the three polaroids that slid out.

"I- oh, fucking hell. Jennie," Rosie hissed, her cheeks flaming as she quickly pressed the photos to her chest, glancing around to make sure no one else was around before she spluttered. "Jesus."

"I borrowed one of your cameras. I hope you don't mind," she said, a slow smile spreading across her face.

"I mean ... no , of course I don't mind. A little warning would be nice though."

Chuckling, Jennie leaned back in her chair and took a bite of her cupcake, ignoring the fact that it was far too early for that much sugar as she lingered in a brief moment of happiness with her fiancee.

"Well, then I wouldn't have gotten that reaction. That photo is worth a small fortune though - just for the record - so if you lose it or leak it, I'll kill you."

"You think I'm letting anyone find this?"

"Good. That's not your gift though. Keep looking."

Digging through heart shaped candies and the letter for later on, Rosie fished out an envelope tied with a red ribbon and opened it up, pulling out a folded piece of paper which she hunched over as she read.

"Jennie-"

Cutting her off as a half-smile graced the corners of her mouth, Jennie's eyes creased at the corners. "When you get back, I'm taking you to Napa Valley for as long as you want and you're going to drink wine and eat good food and try a different massage and facial every day at the spa. We're not even going to think about anything else the entire time we're there; it'll just be me and you."

"It sounds ... perfect," Rosie managed to thickly reply.

"I love you," Jennie whispered, a spasm of pain in her chest. "I've become such an impatient person lately; I feel like I might ... explode if you're not back soon."

"Two weeks. And then I'll make sure you never have to worry again. I mean ... I'm just- I'm sorry. You don't know how sorry I am to put you through all of this."

The breath was expelled from Jennie's lungs in a soft huff as her eyes smarted and she smiled crookedly. "Hey, don't blame yourself for this. I knew what I was getting myself into, and there's nothing in the world you could have given me to make me back out."

"It's just ... been so hard. It's so hard, for both of us, and it isn't fair."

"Well, make it through the next two weeks and you can make it up to me by marrying me."

"I'd have to be six feet under for you to stop me from doing that."

Stiffening as the cold feeling of dread coiled in her stomach, Jennie wrinkled her nose as her brows drew together. "Nope. Not a good joke."

"Sorry," Rosie sheepishly apologised. "Two weeks though. Two more weeks and I'm going to make you so sick of me that you'd wish I'd stayed over here."

Snorting, Jennie rolled her eyes, "is it actually a month, though, or are you lying and coming home early again? Because I loved the surprise last time, but if you make me wait even a second longer than I have to to see you again ..."

"Two weeks. I promise. I don't think I'd even be able to wait the cab ride from the base before seeing you again."

"I'll be there the moment you walk off that damn bus, ready to tackle you to the ground to make sure you don't run off again."

"I'm counting down every moment."