Driving Me Crazy

Stop Fourteen

Admiring the way Jennie ate up her noodles, Rosé giggled as some food smudged on the brunette's face. Leaning over, she took a napkin and wiped it off for her.

"Thank you, baby," said Jennie giving her a gummy smile. Nodding, Rosé smiled too as Jennie held out some of her noodles for her, "Say aah," said the brunette and Rosé opened her mouth gladly. Jennie gave her some more before Rosé patted her leg.

"Thank you love," she told her to finish her food as she had already finished hers. Leaning back, Rosé glanced down, feeling a little nervous," Jen about what you said earlier, with your Dad. I was thinking, you probably knew what you were going to tell your Dad. Why don't you write it down and then we can go to his grave or tombstone and give it to him," said Rosé softly.

"I..I haven't been to my Dad's grave," said Jennie," I'm too ashamed," she bowed her head. Grabbing her hand Rosé kissed it.

"All the more reason to do it. This is something that's going to hang over you always if you don't face it head on. You're Dad's been waiting Jen," Rosé smiled shyly, "Waiting to have an honest conversation with you, to forgive you. Let's do it. For you and for him."

Jennie bit her lip, preventing it from trembling. Rosé was right. She needed to resolve this, no matter how scared it made her.

"Will..will you come with me?"

"Ofcourse baby, I'll be holding your hand all the way," Rosé smiled widely as she got up to hug Jennie.

"Okay, then I'll do it," said Jennie weakly, snuggling into Rosé's chest.

"He's going to be so happy," said Rosé, "Family's important Jen, irrespective of who or where they are," letting go, they sat down again. Jennie scratched her head.

"I think he'll be happy to," she smiled. Rosé's words stayed on her mind," We really don't get to choose our family do we," she said.

"Sometimes we do. And they get to choose us too. It's just a matter of how much everyone's willing to invest in each other's lives," said Rosé.

"That makes it sound like a business," said Jennie.

"Isn't it though?" smirked Rosé

"No, it's more than that," disagreed Jennie.

"It is. We can't deny that we put a lot of emotions and feelings into our family because for the first phase of our life they're all we know. But if you look at it from one perspective having a family is the oldest business model there is. Children have always been used as bargaining tools. Whether its for social status, or to get them to look after you, financially support you when you can't do it anymore," said Rosé.

"Even still that isn't to say the children involved don't gain anything out of it. Everyone has a claim to make their own choices. Every person finds ways to benefit themselves. Irrespective of your situation, you'll work your way to survive and out of that comes more. People put in deep connections in to families. Connections that can't ever be explained. And most often children look after their parents out of love. Pure love," countered Jennie.

"And obligation. Mmm what you're saying is true to an extent. But we can't necessarily say "irrespective of your situation". What family means is context-specific, whether for an individual or a community. Because depending on the context, "family" means something different in every society. We can't judge really. That's where the complexity lies, with this changing definition of "family"," said Rosé.

"And what does "family" mean to you, Ms Park?" asked Jennie with smirk.

"Family means you Jennie," said Rosé sincerely, "Being with you like this. That's what it means to me," she stared longingly into Jennie's eyes, before lowering them," But of course that's one of the many meanings I put on family," she finished.