!Four seasons of love final chapter!

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Summer, age 16

The sun is prickling Jessica's skin on her bare arms. The air is thick with a heavy heat that seemed to stop time. She is reading outside, a thin layer of sweat framing her brow. She tried to focus on the words, but it is a particularly difficult book, and the heat is making it nearly unbearable. She snaps the book closed and gets up in one, swift movement.

She took to pacing the front yard in its afternoon shadows. She finds solace and a bit of cooling in the shadowed grass, and lays, looking up at the blue sky, no clouds in sight, and no birds seems to bear to fly in the heat. It is quiet as well.

In the distance, she can hear the hens cluck in the backyard, she can hear Krystal practice scales in the house, and the gentlest of breezes is tickling the hairs on her arms. Sica feels herself drift away, her eyes are closed, the grass is cool and it’s the first thing that’s been comfortable all day, when a figure stands in front of her. She recognizes the upside-down face immediately.

"Taeyeon!" Sica sits up in the precise moment Taeyeon sits down next to her.

"I thought you had gotten in trouble with your mum for sleeping on grass before?" she teases. “Especially in your white dress!”

Jessica grimaces, “Not you too!” Taeyeon's giggles instantly cures Sica's boredom. “Do you want to go swimming in the lake?” she says, her sense of adventure waking from the daze of the heat. 

They walk down towards the lake along the golden wheat for half a mile. They try to talk as much as possible, as Taeyeon is going away in the morning to visit her grandparents along with her parents, back in Korea.They talk of the books that they have read, and the lightness of their lively conversation carry them all the way down to the lake, green and calm, surrounded by trees, shielded from curious eyes.

The cotton fabric is crackling as Jessica grabs a fistful of it and drags it carelessly over her head, leaving her hair slightly tousled. Taeyeon is right behind her, unfastening the clasps on the side, and carefully stepping out of it. Jessica figures that, that is the biggest difference between them. They stand next to each other in their undies, trying to ignore that they in the past year have grown foreign shapes.

Jessica tries not to look too intently at the soft curves of her best friend, and decides to jump head first into the water. Taeyeon follows a few seconds after. The sensation of coolness is a relief, and they swam around in silence for a while. Sica floats in the surface of the water, her knees and thighs and stomach peaking over the surface.

The silence is growing too thick between them, so she splays water at Taeyeon, knowing that her friend will retaliate immediately, and so she does. The girls splash water at one another, forgetting the momentary silence before.

Their fingers prune and their throats grew hoarse from laughing. Jessica's playfulness has taken over, and is holding Taeyeon's head under the water, pressing so she’s firmly under there, but not so much that she’s imposing her friend any danger.

Taeyeon fights her way up, gasping and spitting water.

“Are you alright? I’m so sorry!” Jessica exclaims, grabbing onto her arm. Taeyeon shakes her head, but she throws her head back in laughter, and covers her face with her hands.

Jessica grabs her hands, and move them, unsure if Taeyeon is crying or laughing. When she’s reassured that Taeyeon was only shaking with laughter, Jessica moves closer and kisses her lips without thinking about it.

Taeyeon's lips are soft and they taste of the lake and natural saltiness. They part quickly, embarrassed at what has just happened at first, but Jessica smiles and kisses her again, more as a symbol than a gesture of her affection.

Soon after, they get out of the water and walks back towards Sica's home, in their  petticoats as the sun dries them.

Winter, age 18

The frost is biting Jessica's cheeks, building up a raw pink. Flakes of snow are settling into her hair, making her coat wet, and water is seeping into her boots, but she is so close to Taeyeon's home it would be silly to turn back now. She stomps through the cold, her hands protecting a parcel under her coat. Taeyeon meets her at the door, and Jessica is led inside to the fire, where she is told to stand and get warm while Taeyeon calls for tea.

As Jessica is slowly regaining warmth, Taeyeon is both telling her off for coming to her in the snow storm, and helping her get warm, fussing about her. “You’re sure you do not want a shawl?” she asks worriedly, even though Jessica has already declined, twice.

“Sit down Taeyeon, you’re fussing over nothing,” Jessica tells her and grasp at her hand as they sat down together. “I only came to give you your Christmas present, anyway,” Jessica says and presents the slightly damp parcel.

Taeyeon takes it from her hands and opens it. Inside is a bonnet, sewn with a blue ribbon. “Thank you, Sica-ah, it’s so beautiful.” She glides her fingers over the embroidery on the side, a small blue 'forget-me-not.'

“Krystal heavily assisted me in the making of it” Sica admitted.

“I got you something too,” Taeyeon says after admiring the needlework on the small flower. She gets up to get her own present. Jessica is left alone in the living room, with only the roaring fire and her tea cup for company, both warming her cold body.

Shortly after! Taeyeon returns with a small box. When the lid is lifted, a book takes its place, Jessica's favorite gift ever. They sat and chatted for a while, until the daylight start retreating. Their tea cups are empty; only a little partly dissolved lump of sugar is left in one of the cups.

“You should really get going before the dark sets in properly” Taeyeon urges her. Jessica knows she’s right, and they both stood to take part. “Thank you so much for the present, Sica,” Taeyeon reiterates.

They are standing in the hallway, hidden behind a coat hanger, the soft lighting from the candles are giving a certain glow to Taeyeon's kind eyes, almost a sparkle, Jessica thinks for a moments before her best friend leans in to kiss her.

Jessica backed away, worried that Mrs or Mr Kim might catch them, but Taeyeon reached for her again, this time lightly resting her hand on her friends back. “What about your parents?” Taeyeon shook her head.

“They are visiting my uncle and his family at Washington.”

“What about Hayeon and Jiwoong?”

“They have gone with them. There’s only me and the servants left.” hearing that, Jessica leaned in to kiss her lover, less tentative and with more force, more intention. She is feeling warm in a completely different way than the fire and the tea had provided.

It is a warmth that shot out from her heart, her blood rushing to every cell in her body, to assure it that what is happening is real.

She lays an arm on Taeyeon's lower back, and the other at the nape of her neck, touching the small hairs that were too short to be pinned up. Taeyeon moves closer towards Jessica, leaving little space at all, and she can feel the heat she emits, as if her whole body is on fire, much like the feeling Taeyeon herself feels.

She feels the warmth of Jessica's tongue, a whole new sensation. Taeyeon loses track of how long they'd kissed, but her cheeks are red and her lips swollen when they break apart. Her hands had wandered and ended up in Jessica's hair, and one grabbing her torso. Meanwhile, Jessica's hands had been resting on her friends’ small back. It is now dark outside, and the air threatening with more snow. As the girls realized, Taeyeon unfastens Jessica's bonnet and they draw her back to the front room.

The sofa creaks as they settle on it, more comfortable, less frigid than before, closer and hungrier. Jessica's hands travel the seam of Taeyeon's dress, and under the layers of fabric to find her warm thighs.

Autumn, age 20

The church bells are ringing, filling the wet autumn air with its beautiful sound. Jessica shudders in her coat; she should have worn her shawl over it. Through the crowd of people, she searches for her one love, and she's pleased to catch Taeyeon staring at her too, as she's equally pleased to see her wearing the bonnet with the 'forget-me-not' embroidery she'd gifted her years ago. They exchange smiles, but the wedding party walks right in front of them, separating their gazes, prying them apart. Jessica congratulates the couple, and cheers alongside the rest of the crowd surrounding the church door.
 
The Jung's are invited to dine with the Kim's, Mrs. Jung informs the family as the carriage is taking them all home. Jessica rejoices on the inside, but merely says that she looks forward to it.

She gives Krystal a look, but she is not sure if she notices. She’s not sure if Krystal had noticed anything. She wants to tell her, but her heart stops her from doing that.

“Jiwoong's wedding, was a lovely ceremony,” Mrs Jung comments as Jessica zones out, thinking of her one love, Kim Taeyeon.

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At dinner, the conversation was still on Taeyeon's brother's wedding. Mrs Jung and her daughters share all their sentiments, and the Kim's do not mind repeating theirs to a new and more attentive audience.

Mrs Jung turns to look at her two daughters, “oh, when will your time come? Jessica, couldn’t you find someone handsome in this town? We could send you to Korea to stay with your aunt and uncle, if you promised to return married?” Mrs Jung aware of her daughter's love for her heritage nation proposed. Jessica's gaze flies up from her plate as she hears her mama talk this way.

“I shall not marry for anyone’s but my own pleasure.” She retorts, growing hot at the word 'pleasure'. Was that the wrong word? She dare not rise her eyes to look at Taeyeon, but if she had; she would have seen that Taeyeon was indeed turning scarlet, but a smirk is also playing on her lips. Instead, she turns her attention back to her plate. Mrs Jung does not retaliate, but she cannot help but sigh too loudly and theatrically.

After dinner, the men went to Mr Kim's library, probably to grab a few drinks as they discuss on business issues, the mother's decided to try on a new baking experience, while the two older girls stayed in Taeyeon's room. Krystal joins Hayeon in her room.

Taeyeon and Jessica quickly fall into their seats and talk as they usually do at these gatherings. Tonight, however, their conversation is not the usual lively one, and it is conducted in a lower tone than usual.

“You know I love you, Jessica, but we should marry – we should have that security!” Taeyeon's tone is a mere hush, afraid that anyone else hears her confession. Jessica refrains from touching her lover’s arm in the reassuring way she does, when their talk falls upon marriage.

“I will only marry you Taeyeon.” Jessica's tone is unmistakably serious, but there is sweetness to it underneath. Taeyeon feels her heart flutter, but she tells her it is ridiculous.

“You know that can’t be done. We ought to marry a man.” Taeyeon said softly.

Jessica, ever the cynic, retaliates: “And then what? Can you marry someone you don't love? Just to live as they expect us to, in our own homes with our own sitting rooms and pets to feed?” Taeyeon is unsure whether Jessica means actual pets or if she was referring to their metaphorical, future husbands, but she breaks a nervous smile either way. Uncharacteristically to Taeyeon's rational behavior, she plants her hand on top of Jessica's, and they sat like that for as long as possible.

Spring, age 22

Late spring is always Taeyeon's favorite. The world is still and in harmony; the birds sing, the sun is bright and warm. The world is not unlike a living painting, a quiet tableau for people to enjoy and disrupt. Today is one of these days, she fusses with her needlework, not quite focused enough to dip into the embroidery she is working on.

She just sits in the sun ray and closes her eyes, letting the sun kiss her eyelids. She does not know how long she sat like that, neither does she hear the footsteps that approaches her.

She does, however, perceived the shadow that leans in over her face and she opens her eyes to see Jessica leaning over her. Jessica leans down to kiss her sun warmed forehead.

She watches Jessica cross the room, disappeared for brief of moment and then coming back with a book under her arm that Taeyeon recognizes immediately. She looks lazily over at her wife as she settles on the sofa next to her chair and starts reading aloud:

“Four seasons by Kim Taeyeon: The four seasons come and go again, I gave you my winter and summer too.

You, who were my world,

I want to let you go

Did I even really love you?

When did it become spring?

That’s right, for a long time we were

Like Shakespeare’s play

Like we were met with our final love

We could only see each other

I want to see something new

I gave you the world because you were my everything

I gave you my winter and summer too

In those hot and cold seasons

Did I even really love you? Did I love you?..." Jessica stopped there as Taeyeon shakes her head disapprovingly,

"What?" Jessica asks.

"This is a heartbreaking poem, I wrote it just out of boredom." Taeyeon says and her wife smiled warmly at her.

"I know and I think I can help you finish up this poem and someday we can make it a love song, that we can sing together to the world, do you agree?"

"Hmm." Taeyeon agrees rather enthusiastically.

~~~

The cottage they are currently at is small, but big enough for the two. Taeyeon looks around the shell blue sitting room. "If only this was ours all year round." Taeyeon vocalizes this desire, to which Jessica responds with “Well, it’s ours for a few more days.” 

“Time away at the country side was a splendid idea,” Taeyeon muses, Jessica nodded agreeing with that.

The girls’ parents had visited one week, staying in the city to visit, Mrs Jung had been oblivious, brash and a loud visiter, but Jessica had been so delighted when she and her sister had come to see them. She was worried that they might hate them now for eloping.

Mr and Mrs Kim, both possessing a little more sense, had an inkling, Taeyeon feared, but neither of them had said anything ever since her marriage with Jessica took place.

During the days their time is spent between kissing and giggling and reading and writing 'four seasons' as well as going on long strolls into the town and being furiously happy, and the evenings, when the wind howls; are spent kissing so loudly that the sound is drowned by their beating hearts, the rush of their blood, and the soft moans of pleasure.


 

The End!!!

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