The shock in the man known as her husband by name only, was apparent as the sun during day. “What are you talking about? Hunmi…”

Hunmi slightly lowered her gaze. “I got married when I was young. My husband died, leaving me with our two children, so I stayed with his family. I was poor, I couldn’t return home, so I needed some place to stay, for my children to call home. Yet, being a widow was also a shame to our countryside society. When they heard about you, they pressured me to start my life anew, to leave the children who carried my husband’s name behind for them to raise.”

Despairingly shaking her head she cried, “So I was forced out, to leave them behind without a parent. They kept my children from your knowledge and I could never talk about them in front of you because there was Shinae and Jongin, so I kept it to myself. This is already my life; it’s too late to go back – I kept telling myself that. When I wake up to look into the eyes of your children, I could never bring myself to leave them. The allowance you give me every month, I send it to them – to my children – to clothe them, to send them to school.”

She shook her head heartbroken, tearing up from imagining how hurt Namjoo and Joohwan must have been growing up without the support of her money. The many hardships they’d endured throughout the years ripped her heart apart because she hadn’t been there for them. And now she still couldn’t.

“Something must have happened because they didn’t get it,” she sobbed clutching her long dress into her tiny hands. “My daughter wouldn’t be like this. She should be in school. She shouldn’t be working.” She sobbed, her body wracked with regret. “Something horrible must have happened to them. My babies…my children…”

~~~~~

“Are you tired?”

The sun was setting, the park was clear of other presence now. Earlier children screaming had been urged home by mothers. The ice cream vendor was gone, the park empty. Jongin reached over to sleeping Jaegeun’s soft hair, the boy asleep on Namjoo’s back after determinedly asking her piggyback him despite his telling the nephew no.

“I’m ok,” Namjoo stared off into the distance walking slowly, her hands linked under Jaegeun’s legs to keep him steady. “You might not believe me, but there were times I used to do this often.”

Jongin breathlessly smiled amused but he believed her. “Did you have fun today?”

“Of course,” she looked bright. He would have hugged the air out of her if not for the child on her back, but this was good too, walking beside her as if they were sharing the same road. He really couldn’t wait until they were officially walking the same path, sharing the same destiny in life.

Unable to help himself he reached over to her hair, the affection for her overwhelming his insides. And he wondered if having their own child would be this blissful. Did he want a son or a daughter? What would Namjoo prefer?

She glanced over at him with an insanely pretty smile he wanted to steal, yet he only managed a petty smile in return. After sending her off home he returned to his, carefully pulling Jaegeun out from the booster seat in the back. He was awake but drowsy and immediately clung onto him as he carried him into the house.

“Uncle, you smile too much your mouth is going to rip,” he muttered against Jongin’s shoulder making him laugh. Jaegeun didn’t talk again until Jongin tucked him into bed. “I like Uncle’s girlfriend. Can we play again?”

“You definitely can,” he rubbed his head affectionately. “Go to sleep now.”

Adjusting the blanket over his tiny body again Jongin watched Jaegeun sleepily close his eyes then walked out. The first thing he noticed was the housekeeper, who only came on Tuesdays and Thursdays to do some cleaning and grocery shopping, in the kitchen instead of his mother.

“Where’s my mom?” he questioned somewhat baffled at the sight of her.

“The Madam’s unwell,” the housekeeper explained. “I was told your father is waiting to talk with you. You should go see him now.”

~~~~~

Old man Kwanhoon turned when the door to his isolated bedroom that felt like an offshore island opened, and his only son walked in. From a date, he supposed. No surprise.

Without saying anything Jongin took to the seat posted by the bedside. “What’s wrong with mom?”

When he first brought Hunmi in, he’d been told she was a young woman a little old beyond the age appropriate for marriage. There would be no more suitors for her. Upon being told that, he’d gone to pick her up after arrangements with some so-called relatives of her.

Jongin hated the sight of her, refused to call her mother but over the years had warmed up to her as if she was the one who’d birthed him. Running his eyes over the son who lacked much, who silently rebelled, Kwanhoon realized this must be some sort of karma. In this big world, their children had somehow met. And now before dying, the last thing he could do was give Hunmi some kind of contribution for raising his children in his stead, some kind of flittering happiness. For God knows the stricken woman was dying inside.

“Bring her here,” he ordered.

The son looked at him aloof, “What?”

“Before the wedding, bring her to live here and let her adjust to life here.” He said. “Right after graduation, get married. You’re going to be the man of the house from now on.” Looking at his son he asked, “Do you understand what that means?”

“Dad…”

“Let her help your mother around the house,” Kwanhoon continued as if Jongin had never spoken at all. “Your mother is a lonely woman, Jongin. It’s time we start making up for our mistakes.”

“What are you talking about?”

Again, ignoring his son he said, “So get married. If you believe you can love her the rest of your life, I’ll allow you to.”

Jongin stared, shocked by the abrupt announcement.

“Marriage, Jongin, is not the same as when you’re dating. When you exchange rings, you’re giving your life to her – that girl. You’re promising her that you’ll do all you can in your power to make her happy,” he sincerely explained, “and that promise is never to be broken.”

Looking his son in the eye he said, “If I don’t make it to your wedding, promise me one thing Jongin. That this marriage isn’t a mistake. That you’ll do whatever you can to hold it together. If you’re confident you want to spend your life with her, don’t ever give up.”

He hesitated before reaching out to grasp his son’s hand for the very first time since his wife died, and gripped his hand.

“You’ve grown up, Jongin. I’m proud of you, son.” The man smiled. “Always be happy.”

~~~~~

The meeting with his father was almost like a farewell Jongin couldn’t pass through his mind. Strange, but he’d felt something tug his heart. His father had been honest.

Lowering his head he peered down at his hand – the hand his father had held for the very first time since he was a child – before his mother died. The touch was still warm, lingering off his hand. A deep warmth fluctuated through him.

Jongin peered back toward the closed door of his father’s room and clamping his hand into a gentle fist as if to preserve the old man’s touch, started toward his mother’s room. The lights were off when he opened the door. From the dark lights shining in through the window he saw that the woman was on the bed, her back to him. She was most likely asleep.

Deciding not to bother her he headed to his own room. A kind of solace warped through him, so the first thing he did when he plopped down onto the bed was call Namjoo. He wanted to share the news with her.

She picked up after the first two rings.

“Asleep?” he asked.

“Not yet.”

“Guess what happened.”

“Lets see,” she droned on, “did Jaegeun ask about me?”

“He’s asleep,” Jongin smiled. “My dad held my hand today. We had a good talk.”

“You did?” her tone was laced with surprise. “And what did you talk about?”

“I’d rather tell you in person,” he glanced about his room imagining how it might be sharing his space with Namjoo. Delight fluttered through him. “I’m really happy, Namjoo. I feel so good right now.”

Her amused laugh made him wish she was here with him.

Out of the blue he confessed, “I can’t wait until we get married, Namjoo; until I get to know everything about you and discover newer parts of you that you don’t even know yet. I can imagine it all.”

~~~~~

Jongin was over the next morning. In the quiet of her hostel they’d lain out the 1000 pieces of puzzle they’d bought a few days earlier. Namjoo was starting to find security in the arms of Jongin and unexpectedly, growing fonder of him by the day.

In front of the table she often ate at she sat with him, his arms around either side of her as they sat side by side concentrated on piecing the puzzle together. A good whole morning passed by in the blink of an eye before they decided to take a break and sat back, leaning against the sofa behind them.

A smile broke onto her face when she felt him playing with her hair and turned to look at him, only to have him press a hand against the side of her head and push her against his shoulder.

Giggling amused she murmured, “What the heck?”

“It’s because I can’t look at you right now.”

A kind of fluttering feeling pierced her stomach. Namjoo felt wholeheartedly filled with bubbly laughter. She let herself fall against him, soaking in the enjoyment of being against the broad width of his shoulder.

“Lets get married after I graduate,” he said making her heart jump, his hand tight on her shoulder. “But before that, do you want to move in with me?”

The thrilled smile on her face slowly became a firm line. Leaning away from him she stared at him with wide eyes. Jongin glanced at her quietly then took her hand into his.

“My father wants you to move in before the wedding,” Jongin explained. “I talked with him last night. I think he wants to see you living with us as his daughter-in-law before he passes.” Then he gripped her hand, “I feel like he doesn’t have much time left.”

Of course her heart went out to him, but living in that home meant facing his – her mother every day. Full of hesitation Namjoo did not know what to say.

“It’s up to you,” he gently added then reached forward running his hand down the back of her head smiling. “We’re going to get married anyway, so I can wait.”

Namjoo’s eyes drifted away as she sunk in thought. She hated the thought of her mother. She hated it all, but this man in front of her kept stealing her breath from her. She still wanted that life of luxury…the only downfall was her mother.

Could she? Was she determined enough to do it?

When she looked up into his doleful eyes she immediately thought of her younger brother. If he went to her wedding and saw their mother…how would he react? What would happen?

She also felt guilty because her intention for dating Jongin at first had not been a clean one. She owed it to him to do something he wanted of her. This simple thing he was asking of her – a better life, to move in with him because they liked each other – didn’t so as much matter to her. And as much as she wanted Joohwan to attend her wedding, she didn’t have to tell him about it. She could live with Jongin simply because she enjoyed being with him…it was just…she was angry when she saw that woman.

If Jongin knew that she hated his mother or that his mother had been hers to start with, it would create a big mess. She’d lose him and her life of comfort which was the real bonus. But then, he had no reason to know. If she kept quiet and avoided his – her mother whenever possible, Namjoo was certain it would work out, and she wouldn’t live there with that woman forever. They would move out to build their own lives, she was sure of it.

Pulling on a smile she nodded and watched him beam before leaning inward to hug her, cradling her gently. Namjoo clutched onto him in return with only one thing running through her mind. Doubt.

Withdrawing, she glanced into his eyes and asked, “Do you want to meet my brother?”

~~~~~

Kim Joohwan shared Namjoo’s big innocent eyes, inviting him warmly into his pretty home modernly sophisticated with a cleanliness that spewed hominess. The home was very different from Namjoo’s place of living. The hostel greatly grayed in comparison.

Lunch was being prepared by Joohwan’s wife. As Namjoo upped to leave him on the sofa adjacent to her brother to help her sister-in-law, Jongin found himself giving Joohwan a once over. He was very lean and just by sitting Jongin could tell he was much taller than Namjoo. The manner in which younger brother had welcomed his sister spoke to Jongin in heights how close their bond was. Unbreakable.

“I hear a lot about you from Namjoo,” Jongin told. “I can tell she’s always thinking about you.”

The younger brother smiled skittishly. “I’ve heard about you too. It’s the first time Namjoo’s ever introduced me to anyone. It feels kind of strange – in a good way, don’t worry.”

Jongin laughed lightly in a giddy manner. “Of course.”

It was awkwardly silent but not in a heavy way. Joohwan spoke after a moment, “Namjoo’s never had much time to herself before because of me, so I kept worrying about how she was doing. It looks like I didn’t have to worry much after all.”

Hearing this made Jongin blank for a second then he tenderly smiled.

“My sister had a really hard time trying to give me a good life, so I just hope that whatever happens to her are good things,” Joohwan said. “I don’t think you’ll ever come across anyone like her – or at least, I won’t. I’m sure Namjoo won’t tell you about how she grew up, but I at least want you to know. Seeing how Namjoo brought you here shows that she probably likes you a lot.”

Jongin glanced over to Namjoo busy in the kitchen then back to the younger brother appearing forlorn.

“There was a time I got really ill and we had little food. We left the orphanage then – Namjoo was around fourteen or fifteen, I just turned thirteen. I was going to be adopted but we didn’t want to part, because other than Namjoo I had no one else who loved me like she did. So we ran away and for a few days while I waited for her, she begged for food and money on the streets. I’m always sorry that she got called names and I couldn’t protect her but Namjoo never blamed me.

“It rained one day and we had nowhere to go, so we hid in an alley huddled together by a dumpster. I got really sick after a few hours. At that time I was a little heavier than Namjoo, maybe the same height. We had no money, so we couldn’t even hail a cab to find a hospital. I was barely alive but Namjoo must have been a lot colder than me. She gave me her sweater and carried me on her back for two hours in the pouring rain. I couldn’t receive treatment even when we reached the hospital because we had no money, but Namjoo didn’t give up. She cried in a way I’ve never seen before, and begged and begged till one of the nurses offered payment and got me a bed. After that Namjoo worked for months to pay the money back. She’s never had any time to rest.

“I never forgot that day. Even when her legs turned weak and I became too heavy for her she refused to let me die, and she always took care of me. I always think about how lucky I am to still be alive and that we’re still together. I really don’t know what I’d do without her.

“So, I hope that you’re really honest with her and that you mean well, because I’d probably hurt you really bad if you ever do something to make her cry. We might not have parents but it doesn’t mean we’re alone either. I’ll always be here as her brother to look out for her and protect her.

“I can see that right now she’s happy and I really hope she stays this way. I hope you care about her the same way. And I’m really relieved that she finally has someone she’d like to be with. I really am. It’s really an honor to be able to meet you today, Jongin.”

Stricken by the story and his mind adrift he peered over at Namjoo again.

~~~~~

After a delicious meal while Jongin waited for her outside she pulled Joohwan over to the corner of the room to ask, “So? What do you think?”

“Well, I warned him to be nice to you.”

Entwining her brows she lightly glared. “I’m serious.”

Breaking out into a smile Joohwan tossed his head from side to side and shrugged. “He seems like a good guy. He kept looking your way, so he’s probably serious about you. How long have you known him?”

“That’s not important,” Namjoo brushed his concern off then looking at him carefully she said, “we’re going to get married.”

Her brother’s face became struck with disbelief. “What?!”

Smiling, Namjoo touched his arm. “I’ll give you details later ok?” then leaving her brother shocked, walked out to meet Jongin.

Stretching his hand out to her they walked together to his car hand in hand. He stopped before turning to her. Namjoo curiously met his soft gaze before he smiled and pulled her into an unexplainable hug, squeezing her against him warmly with his gentle touch.

“He…y…if it’s something Joohwan said…” Namjoo began but he cut her off.

“It is,” he confirmed and buried his face into her hair affectionately, “and I think today, I love you so much more.” 

***the way I see this story in my head is with light light light LIGHT angst. Anyway, can someone tell me what they think about this story?