Jennie
The warmth of Jisoo's chest brushes against my back when I wake up, and her arm is draped along my waist—a security blanket. My heart sinks, the tears simmering, when my memory is refreshed from last night's nightmare. It wasn't a nightmare. It was my reality.
I wince and inhale a sharp breath, feeling too numb to move.
Grief. Hurt. Regret.
They sucker-punch me. It seems surreal, and I'm nearly tempted to roll out of bed, pad down the hallway, and go to her room in hopes that I'll find her sleeping. But it'd break me more. She's gone. I failed her.
Her arm tightens around me when she realizes I'm awake.
"Hi," she simply says in a subdued voice.
I swallow. Even though her nearness provides comfort, it won't erase what she said and did the last time she was here. That's not important to bring up right now though. I'm too exhausted to fight, to nearly speak.
The sheets fall down my body, and her arms leave me when I sit up. My head spins, and seconds later, I'm close to falling back down. Her arm curls around my stomach just in time, and a glass of water is offered my way.
"Here, drink this," she whispers as I turn to face her.
"Thank you." I gulp it down, realizing how dry my mouth was.
"What do you need me to do for you?" she asks, her tone gentle and kind, as if she's prepared to pull the weight of my pain off me.
"I need to see Joohyun," is all I answer.
She got last night—more time than she deserved—and there's no way I can make it through the day without confronting her.
She nods. "Do you want me to stay with Mingsoon?"
"Please."
"Of course. Anything you need, I'm here, Jennie."
"Thank you."
"Always."
**
I wait for Mingsoon to wake up before leaving for the hospital. He walks into the kitchen with droopy shoulders, red eyes, and a puffy face, wearing the same clothes from last night. Even now, he looks to be on the verge of tears.
An hour after Jisoo arrived and told us about the accident, Mingsoon left for his bedroom with a bowed spine, and this is the first time I've seen him since.
I checked on him before going to bed, asking if he was all right through his closed door, and received a simple, "I'm fine."
He opens the fridge, snags a bottle of water, and leans back against the door after shutting it. "Are you going to see her today?"
I nod while sitting at the kitchen table. "I am."
I eventually pulled myself together, showered while having practice conversations in my head of what I wanted to say when confronting Joohyun, and then dressed before walking into the kitchen. Jisoo was waiting with a coffee cup in her hand, and worry lined her features.
"Tell her I hate her fucking guts," Mingsoon says in a flat, monotone voice, not seeming apologetic or concerned for his language.
I don't scold him because I don't blame him. Those words have been on the tip of my tongue since last night.
"I want you to say it," he goes on. "Word for word. Tell her I'm no longer her son and to forget about me." Tears lace his eyes again. "Tell her I'll never forgive her for taking my baby sister away from me. If there's anything you can do for me right now, Aunt Jennie, it's to relay that message to her. If you don't, I'll call an Uber and do it myself."
