Sonnet seventeen - JENLISA

Part 11

 Three years on, and Kauai looks the same as when Lisa left it to chase Jennie back to New York. But while the picturesque landscapes and the gorgeous estate occupied by their families are unchanged, arriving on the island this time feels worlds away from that first summer.

This time, when Lalisa Manoban climbs out of the cab, it's with Jennie's hand in her own and only the worry that their wedding attire survived the flight from New York. This time, everything is real.

Lisa had been unsure of what it would be like, returning to the place that, while brought the beginning of the romance of her life, also delivered so much pain to her and Jennie. But here she feels almost triumphant. Three years with Jennie, of which have been the greatest years of her life. If she had to, she'd relive all the chaos all over again just to get here. Perhaps with a smarter choices, however.

They're the first to arrive at the estate this time. Having spent the past month buried beneath work, the idea of getting some solitude with Jennie before the chaos of the wedding ensues was too good of an opportunity to pass up, and it barely took any convincing to get Jennie to agree to arriving a day earlier than everyone else.

They pick out the same room that they stayed in last time, and Lisa wastes no time in changing into her bikini and dragging Jennie down to the pool. While Jennie settles on one of the recliners and reads, Lisa jumps right into the water. It only takes an hour for work to feel like a distant memory and vacation mode to settle in.

"How are you feeling?" Jennie asks, peering over her book at Lisa, who wades in the pool absentmindedly.

Lisa groans, floating onto her back and squinting up at the sky, "Like we should quit our jobs and shack up here for the next decade."

Jennie laughs, "Not a bad idea." She says, "I meant about being back here, though. Does it feel weird to you?"

"A little." Lisa ponders, "It feels good, though. Feeling how different things are for us now. Everything was so hard back then. Even afterwards..."

Lisa doesn't need to look to Jennie to know she understands.

Things had been far from easy after they'd reconciled in New York. No matter how grand confessions of love could be, they couldn't erase the insecurities both girls had felt between one another. And they had been girls, then. Young and scared of what feeling so much for someone else could do to them. The only solution had been time, and work to keep senseless worries from taking control. Lisa doesn't know when it happened, but somewhere along the line she stopped being scared. She woke up and looked at Jennie and felt at peace, knowing with unyielding certainty that every risk in loving her was worth it.

"I remember every second of that summer." She says, "Well – except for a few nights where I definitely drank too much."

"I couldn't wipe the drunken nights from my mind even if I wanted to."

Lisa grins, moving upright in the water to look at Jennie, "Oh, I remember those nights. Don't you worry."

Jennie eyes her, smiling softly.

"We've had some fun times in this pool." Lisa says, tone flirty as she watches her.

Jennie laughs, "That we have." She doesn't move from her seat, though, and Lisa pouts at the lack of a reaction.

Her phone rings out a notification of a text, and Jennie reaches over to where Lisa left it on the pool chair next to her. She immediately scowls at whatever she sees on the screen.

"Who is it?" Lisa asks, wading over to rest her arms up on the ledge of the pool.

"Seulgi. She's already drinking our wine." Jennie rolls her eyes, "Remind me why we chose her to look after the apartment while we're gone?"