A soft gust of wind blew making Wheein shudder. A small hand etched its way at the hem of her black blazer. She looked down and saw the little girl with sleepy eyes. Wheein picked up Hannah into her arms, the little girl immediately nuzzled on her chest.

The final dirt was shoveled and everyone started to disperse to their own cars except for Wheein, her parents, Yongsun and Moonbyul. Wheein glanced at the two women standing side by side, protective and comforting arms wrapped around in each other’s body. The little girl on her arms stirred and sneezed. 

“Honey, let me take Hannah,” Josie stepped closer to Wheein.
“We’ll be waiting in the car,” Victor gave her daughter a kiss on top of her head.

A warm breeze blew. The scent of magnolia filled the senses of the three women. Despite the eeriness of the place Moonbyul and Yongsun smiled weakly. Both of them looked at the tombstone next to the freshly covered earth.

“Hello, Irene,” Yongsun chuckled. They spent another minute in 
silence.

“I should probably check Hannah,” Yongsun declared. “You guys coming?”

Moonbyul tore her stare on the ground. “Actually, unnie, can you give me and Wheein few more minutes?” Moonbyul nodded at the smaller woman.

Surprised, Wheein didn’t dare to ask why.

Yongsun gave Moonbyul a hug, she then looked at Wheein and bowed.

The two women watched Yongsun slowly made her way to Wheein’s family car.

“I was nine years old when I met your brother,” Moonbyul started. “He used to come to our gallery and wander for hours until Mr. Nam have to beg him to come home.” Moonbyul removed her dark sunglasses.

“We studied at the same middle school and high school. It was in high school where he met my two best friends Irene and Yongsun. We were inseparable, the four of us. Yundo and Irene eventually fell in love and the rest was history.”

Wheein turned to Moonbyul, there was something in the woman’s eyes that Wheein cannot decipher.

“Those pictures you saw plastered on my ref, mostly were pictures of Yongsun and I, Irene took them,” Moonbyul sniffed.

“Wheein-ah,” Moonbyul stepped closer to the younger woman. “I was in love with your brother for the longest time,” Moonbyul’s voice cracked.

Something inside Wheein clicked, the flash of recognition on 
Moonbyul’s face when she told her about how the love of her life was getting married, how she knew someone tormented with the same situation as her. It was Moonbyul all along.

“I really thought you and Yongsun unnie-,” Wheein smiled shyly.

“What?” Moonbyul looked at her like she grew another head. “Yongsun unnie is pretty but ew! No!” The blonde shook her head vigorously.

“I knew you were thinking about that judging by the way you bolted when you saw those pictures.” Moonbyul winced at the thought.

“I’m sorry about that night,” Wheein muttered. “I didn’t mean to lash out on you like that.” 

Moonbyul smiled, “It’s alright. I tried to follow you and clear things out but you drove like a mad F1 racer.”

“It was eventually revealed to me that you and Yongsun unnie are not,” Wheein cleared . “You know, but only on the day of the wedding. I should probably read the invitations I’m receiving right away.” Wheein laughed at her own musing.

“I never had a chance to tell your brother about my feelings,”  Moonbyul confessed. “He was happy with Irene and then Hannah came and Irene passed away. He struggled to be a father and then his diagnosis. He got so much on his plate that I didn’t dare to mess things further.” Moonbyul wiped the tear that escaped from her eye. “I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to be like me.”

“But Yongsun unnie and Eric oppa?” Wheein tried to sound nonchalant. 

“Have you spoken to Yongsun unnie?” The blonde put on the dark sunglasses.

Wheein gently shook her head.

“Talk to her Wheein-ah, why do you think I know you?” Moonbyul gave her a knowing smile. “It’s getting colder, let’s go before the rain pours?” Moonbyul offered her hand to the younger woman.

They walked in comfortable silence until Wheein caught a glimpse of a twin tombstones not far from Eric and Irene’s. The cemetery was a private property owned by Eric, Wheein felt an urge to stay back.

“Unnie, can you tell my parents to go ahead?”

Moonbyul lifted her head and stared at the sky. “Are you sure Wheein-ah? I think it’s gonna rain soon.”

“Yeah, I won’t be long,” Wheein reassured the older woman.

“Alright, take care.” Moonbyul hugged Wheein and walked off.
Wheein started to walk towards the tombstones. The nearer she was the clearer it was to her eyes, a man and a woman statue like the ones you see on top of a wedding cake was erected in front of the tombstones.

The young architect crouched down and swiped the dirt on the stone.

“IN LOVING MEMORY OF JOON-HO AND JANG-MI"

"WE LIVED TOGETHER IN HAPPINESS

NOW WE RESR TOGETHER IN PEACE."

Wheein felt a familiar tug on her chest.

“Hello, Eomma, Appa, I’m Wheein.”

The final puzzle revealed itself. Wheein never thought that the day when her roots will be known to her. If she was being honest, she was contented with her adoptive parents and to dig deeper to her past scared her. What if her biological parents were abusive? What if they never wanted her? What if they abandoned her on the street? She’d rather not know than be hurt and be rejected by the people she never knew.

But something tells her that her biological parents were far from 
that. A fat drop of rain fell on her cheek. Wheein wiped the raindrop but her eyes betrayed her. Her tears flowed hot and abandoned.

Right. That’s what she felt. Abandoned. How come the world decided to give her a brother but took it back after two meetings, how come the world introduced her to her parents but it was more than two decades late.

The sky wept and so did Wheein.

Wheein kneeled in front of her parents. She remembered what Eric wanted her to do, but she was beyond terrified to know.
Wheein failed to notice that the rain stopped hitting her skin. Only when warm arms enveloped her in an embrace she that she became aware that she was not alone anymore.

“Wheein-ah,” Soft voice coaxed her out of her confinement. The arms held her tighter.

“Let’s go home,” Yongsun balanced the umbrella between her shoulder. 

The younger woman let herself be guided out of the pouring rain.
The drive was silent, Wheein not really minding where they were going, she closed her eyes and leaned on the cold window of Yongsun’s car. 

The car halted, Wheein felt soft and warm hand on her cheek.

“Let’s get you warm.” Yongsun caressed her face gently.

Not letting go of her hand, Yongsun led the younger woman to her apartment.