Us in another time

13

The duck ended it's quack

1 year later

New York

Ashley's Hummer was being towed and taken away that day. She and Roseanne watched as they put it on the truck and took it away.

"That is one special baby boy right there. I'm gonna miss him" Ashley let out a long sigh

"Well, no one can say we didn't try, right?" She turn and looked at Rosie, Rosie looked at her too but didn't say anything

The dealer came closer to Ashley and Rosie

"I just need the keys" he said to Ashley, who is now reaching and digging her pockets fishing the keys of her used to be car

"Hey, uhmmm can I hang on to the key chain?"

"They're like 25 bucks"

"You serious??"

"Yeah.." The dealer looked at Ashley who's about to cry "all right keep it" Ashley then took off the key chain, then hands the Car keys to the man. "Thanks" Ashley said. The man smiled to Ashley and Roseanne then took off.

"You need a ride?" Ashley turned back to Rosie

Rosie shakes her head no and then pouts "I'm just gonna clear some stuff out of my office" Rosie said, her voice was low

Ashley looks around the area, their storage space that was once full of lights and busy people accepting deliveries are now dark and abandoned. Their main office are empty now too, there's no more noise, it's just them, Ashley and Rosie were left.

"This was fun Roseanne. I'm glad I've done it with you, no better partner I could ask for, than you. Only you can handle...." She points to herself "this" Then she smiles, a comforting smile, sad that something so great has come to an end but satisfied and grateful that it somehow happened. "I want to hug you but I'm afraid I'll just burst into an ugly sob, I've just retouched my mascara, i don't wanna retouch again, plus I'm saving all of my tears for later" said Ashley, she just place her hand on Rosie's shoulder. Rosie on the other hand, with pursed lips she just casually nods at Ashley, minimizing her replies afraid she might burst into ugly cries too. She just took a couple of deep breaths everytime she felt like a tear is coming out. When Ashley was about to leave Rosie called out on her once again

"Yo ash?!!" something she picked up when staying in New York for too long years "When you come to L.A give me a call"

"Sure girl, definitely" Then Ashley left. And Roseanne was left alone, in the now empty headquarters. In her now empty dream. She looked around once again, she looked back to her once dream. She wasn't sad, but she wasn't happy either. She was grateful for the years she spent there. For all the things that happen that made her who she is now. She walk to the side, near the stairs where the circuit breaker is located and pulled the lever down, turning everything off all at once. She watch as the sign "Diaperrush.com" flicker down. Same that day, Roseanne booked a flight home, and at the plane that's full of people, someone snoring, babies crying, loud chit chatting, she was there staring in an empty space. She felt like everything is going so slow. She thinks about everything, like what is she gonna do now?

Los Angeles

And now, she's back, standing at the front of her parents house, with all her things in her hands. She stayed outside for a while, and just look at the house. Then after a while, she walked inside, she didn't announce herself, she just walked straight up to her old and very familiar room, nothing changed, everything is the same. She put her things down to the side, and she curled up into her bed and cry herself out. She grabs a pillow and cover her mouth to stifled the sound. She cried for a moment she let everything out. And when she thought that she cried out everything. She wiped her face clean, her eyes was so swollen, her nose was red. She fixed her hair and made herself go down to greet her parents. She went to the kitchen, and found her mom sitting on top of the kitchen counter, she stopped when her mom turned her head and looked at her. She thought she cried everything out, but then as soon as her mom came down from the counter, go up to her and hugged her, a pool of tears came by pouring from her eyes again. She hugged her mom so tight, she was clenching her mom's clothes as she cried so hard, her mom just hugged her even tighter. Her mom didn't even shhh her, instead her mom just caress her head and pats her back as she cried heavy big tears.

Some days passed Roseanne decided to get up and walk around town, walked to places she used to go before. She was just wearing flipflops, shorts and an oversized sweater. She passes by a glass mirror and took a look on herself and said "loser" , then proceeds to walking again. She passed by this gallery and saw a familiar picture. She stopped and get a closer look to it. It was the picture of a couple that's almost kissing with a blur of lights at the background. She looked up at the gallery and thought this must be Jennie's friend gallery she was talking about where her photographs will be displayed . She went inside and took her time to take a look at every pictures that was hanged on the wall. There's a picture of kissing couple behind them was a lit structure, then there's a picture of a pregnant woman together with she supposed her husband, just then she realized it was Jisoo and Haein. She smiled as she remembers them. She walks slowly passing pictures after pictures. Most of them were pictures of a couple, laughing couple, kissing couple, hugging couple, just staring couple. Then at the end she saw their picture. The one that they took naked. Her eyes grew wide as she moved closer to see the picture more clearer. And yes, she confirmed that, that was indeed the picture. They were standing at this huge rock, with just the moon, a single tree behind them. Only the head was in a blur, maybe because they didnt hold still because they were kissing, but that just makes it more artistic. She smiled as she felt proud to have made it on Jennie's artwork. She came up and talk to the lady behind the counter

"The uhmm does the artist ever come in here?"

"Most days." The lady looked up to her. The lady's faced changed as soon as she saw Roseanne, the lady smiled sweetly and tucks her hair behind her ears "hmmm you just missed her, actually" she said smiling again

Day of tomorrow come again, and Rosie finds herself back in the gallery again, but now she dressed up, she wears this white spaghetti strap sundress with daisy flowers printed on it, and has a single slit that goes the way up to her upper thighs and a strappy sandals to pair it with. She single braided her hair just to make her look fresh. She just walks passed the gallery looking inside to see of Jennie was there. Then back again, then back again, before she decided to really went inside. She said hi to the same lady behind the counter who just became excited to see her. Rosie did asked the same question of if the artist came by, the lady just shakes her head no. Then Rosie go out and cross the street, she enters the laundromat and sit there. She has a better view of the gallery in there. She just sit there, and look at the gallery to see if Jennie would come by. Couple of hours passed by, there was a lady whom she thought was Jennie, she really didn't see her clearly, as she just saw the lady's back, that went inside the gallery. Roseanne quickly stood up, straighten her clothes and crossed the street again and went straight to the gallery. The lady that just came inside was looking at a picture and was talking to the lady curator. The lady curator, perked up and saw Roseanne again, she smiled "Hi!, back again?" The lady said enthusiastically. Just then the other lady whom Rosie thought was Jennie turn around too. Rosie's smile slowly fades as it turns out its not Jennie at all. She pursed her lips, did a slight bow to say hi. And just pretended to look at the pictures again.

Everyday straight that week, Roseanne found herself sitting at that laundromat facing the gallery, sometimes she has a cup of coffee in her hand, sometimes its coke in a can, sometimes a lollipop, a bread, a popcorn. She sits and waited there, just staring at the gallery, hoping Jennie would come by, but none in all of those days she was waiting. She thought about making a fool out of herself, by waiting there when she could just come by at her apartment or call her or even text her. But she finds herself that she couldn't. She stood up, and walked outside the laundromat, she doesn't even realized that the sun was low and about to set. She stretches her arms and walk home.

Alice was in town with her family and they decided to hit the beach. Alice and Roseanne was sitting on a mat at the beach, drinking some watermelon juice, which was never in Rosie's liking, but she drinks it anyway. She was unusually quiet, because she has a lot on her mind, and Alice can sense that. They watch Alice's son play with the waves

"Chris!!" Rosie called her nephew "Not so far. Just come back a little. Yeah right. There you go" Alice smiled at Rosie

Alice tapped Rosie's arms and signed " You should get one"

"That was the plan. Instead, I'm almost thirty. Unemployed. Still living with Mom and Dad" Rosie held her head down, afraid she might get teary eyed again

"Rosie" Alice held Rosie's arm for comfort "This is your life. Right now. It doesn't wait for you to get back on your feet" Roseanne looked away far beyond the sea. She knows Alice has a point. And she is wasting her life right now, being sad and blaming herself for her failures. She knows she has to get up somehow and make a move.