Tiffany Young was not supposed to have been there. She had absolutely no interest in knowing about the latest advances in media studies, but she wanted to be supportive. He had spent the last couple of months organizing that conference, and it meant a lot to him. When she first walked into the venue, however, the last thing she had expected was to see her there. The hair was different, she remembered her as a blonde; but everything else was the same – she had not aged a day. Kim Taeyeon sat among the key-note speakers, and it was like seeing a ghost. At first, it shocked her. Then, it excited her, and finally, it enticed her curiosity.

   Things she had not thought about in over twenty years were suddenly invading her mind, and she felt an urge to walk up to the woman – to what purpose she was not quite sure. It had been so long since they had last seen one another, it could almost be considered a lifetime ago. What would she even say? How would she even approach her? Would Kim Taeyeon even recognize her? She felt childish. They were both adults. There was nothing to overthink in greeting an old friend, after all. So, when the first roundtable was over and Kim Taeyeon was politely mingling with the rest of the attendees, Tiffany left her seat and walked up to her. Although her steps had not quite been as firm as she had hoped, they were still determined.

   Tiffany placed a hand on Kim Taeyeon’s right shoulder, and as the other turned around she met her with a smile. Taeyeon’s expression was hard to describe. She seemed to pause to take in the face that was staring back at her; there was confusion and excitement in her eyes. Tiffany could imagine the turmoil inside her head had been similar to the one she had felt. When Taeyeon finally seemed to have registered who Tiffany was, they exchanged an excited but awkward hug. And the latter immediately suggested they should have lunch together at the restaurant across the venue.

   That is how Tiffany Young and Kim Taeyeon ended up reunited in front of each other at a Californian restaurant in the middle of July. The sun was burning as it always did in the summer; but neither were sweating merely over the heat.

“Tiffany Young in the flesh.” Taeyeon was still incredulous. “What has it been? Twenty years?”

“Something like that.” A bit more, Taeyeon. Twenty-two, to be precise. Tiffany smiled. “You look great. You haven’t aged a bit.”

“Nonsense. I look almost fifty, that’s what I look like.” She chuckled. “I’m still shocked, to be honest. You were probably the last person I ever thought of finding at a conference – in the middle of the summer, no less.”

“Life is funny like that sometimes.”

“It sure is.” Taeyeon’s eyes were fixated on hers, ever since they had sat down. “So, tell me. Where have you been these past years?”

“Pretty much, right here. I moved back to the US shortly after.” After they had broken up, of course; but she did not have to say that. Taeyeon knew it. “Meanwhile, I finished my Master’s. I got married, got divorced… Then got married again. I have a kid now.”

Taeyeon widened her eyes, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “You have a kid?”

“I do. Would you like to see her?” Taeyeon nodded, leaning over the table to see Tiffany’s phone screen better. “That’s Arielle. She turned 15 last March.”

“She looks so much like you.” Taeyeon’s voice was almost a whisper. Tiffany could not read her expression well. It seemed that Taeyeon was both fascinated and shocked.

“You’re the first to say that. Everyone says she looks like her dad.” Tiffany chuckled. “And I kinda agree.”

“Her eyes are yours, I know that for sure.” Taeyeon locked her gaze unto Tiffany’s once more. She seemed to enjoy doing that, and Tiffany did not mind.

“What about you? No kids?”

“None. You know me, I always said I didn’t want any.” Tiffany nodded in agreement. She remembered that well – she seemed to remember a lot of things when it came to Kim Taeyeon. “But I have a dog that is like a son to me, does that count? His name’s Zero. Let me show you.”

Tifanny leaned closer to the other, as Taeyeon showed her a few pictures. It was a cute grey Poodle. “Well, I’d love to meet Zero sometime.”

   Taeyeon smiled, but she did not reply. She preferred to focus on her food. It was awkward to think that Tiffany was suggesting they should meet again. It was not that Taeyeon despised the idea; she was simply unsure of Tiffany’s intentions at the moment – and truth be told, she did not exactly know her anymore. Tiffany was, however, still just as beautiful and attractive as she remembered – and that was dangerous. She’s also very married, she thought while pondering over the rings on the other’s finger. The engagement one had a big rock, it was hard not to notice.

“How long are you staying? A week?” Tiffany asked.

“Actually, I’m staying for a year.” She took a sip of the wine, trying to study Tiffany’s reaction. She seemed surprised, but also excited at the news? “I got into an exchange program for University teachers, so I’ll be lecturing at UCLA for now.”

“That’s amazing! Congratulations!”

   Tiffany seemed to be genuinely happy, but there was not much else to add to that. They fell into a comfortable silence, merely eating. It was a while before Tiffany broke the silence again.

“You know what? We have to celebrate this.” She stated. “You should come have dinner at my house, and you could bring Zero with you. I’d love for you to meet my daughter too.”

   Taeyeon was taken aback by the sudden invitation. She had no idea how to reply, and Tiffany’s intentions had never seemed so unclear. She searched for a clue on the other’s face, but all she found was expectation – perhaps, a bit of excitement as well. On the one hand, Taeyeon wanted to accept it; she would genuinely love to go. On the other, it might be awkward and confusing to walk back into each other’s lives like that. They had not spoken in so long, they were essentially strangers – and, again, Tiffany was a bit too mesmerizing for anything good to come out of it.

Thus, she decided to be upfront about what she was thinking. They were not children anymore, after all. “At your house? With your family? Wouldn’t that be a little awkward?”

Tiffany paused, seemingly pensive. She took a quick sip of her glass, like she was trying to reorganize her thoughts. “It could be. But you’re an old friend. I’d love to have you over.”

***

   As she stepped into the house, Kim Taeyeon knew it had been a mistake. Tiffany greeted her with a smile that seemed to shine as bright as the sun itself. The white blouse and skinny jeans made her seem jovial, but the faint lines at the corner of her eyes told an older story. Taeyeon stood at the door, taking in the sight with a small smile on her lips. Looking into Tiffany’s eyes right then was like looking at a piece of her own youth – she was still so beautiful, so absolutely captivating. Taeyeon thought that time had only made her more so, if that were possible.

   The open space of the living area and kitchen was so big, it made her feel smaller than what she was. The windows were also quite large, occupying most of the walls. It seemed straight out of a magazine photoshoot with the white and light grey matching on every corner, from the furniture to the decorative pillows. Only the couch was fully black – a statement piece, most likely. She felt completely uncomfortable like her presence truly did not belong there – even Zero, who had been standing by her feet, seemed a bit out of place. The pictures of Tiffany and her family were naturally everywhere. They seemed normal – happy. They probably were both, although Min-Jun was not the father. It must have been Tiffany’s first husband.

   Taeyeon felt like she was overstepping some invisible boundary and crossing into a world that was most definitely unlike hers. And that feeling got stronger the longer she stood in the middle of the living room, staring at those pictures – Tiffany Young really is married and has a child. It still felt a bit surreal, although it should not. Tiffany had always been vocal about wanting to start a family.

   She heard movement coming from behind her, pulling her back into reality. Tiffany had just placed a wine glass on the coffee table. Taeyeon shot her an inquisitive and curious look.

“You still like a glass before dinner, right?”

   The way Tiffany had smiled before walking back to the kitchen was almost devilish. The expression on Taeyeon’s face must have been something else to see – she did not expect Tiffany to remember, but she was starting to realize it was a dangerous thing to not be on guard around her. Taeyeon took a sip. The sweet and dry undertones invading were unmistakable – that was imported and European for sure. She glanced at the kitchen counter, and surely a vintage bottle of Portuguese wine stood there. White, of course. Their favorite, of course.

“Do you like it?”

“I’m more of a rosé enjoyer these days.” Taeyeon stated. “But it’s not bad.”

   Tiffany actually seemed amused with that reply, but it was hard to decipher what was going through her mind. Taeyeon did not have much time to wonder over it, however, as Tiffany’s husband and daughter had just walked in. She stood still, sipping on her wine and waiting to be introduced – Zero was surprisingly calm; he showed no will to move away from her. Tiffany hugged her daughter first, then kissed him tenderly on the cheek. A detail that Taeyeon found curious, but still chose to pay it little mind. She heard his voice talking back, and soon saw Min-Jun walking in her direction with a polite smile on his face.

“It’s good seeing you again.”

“Likewise.” She shook his hand. They had already met a couple of times at the conference.

Then, Tiffany’s voice emerged from behind him. “Taeyeon, I want you to meet my ray of sunshine.”

   And there stood an awkward teenager in ripped jeans and an oversized t-shirt who, weirdly so, seemed quite excited to meet her. Arielle was a complete copy of Tiffany; it was almost uncanny. The pictures Taeyeon had seen did not do justice to the resemblance. From the shape of her brows and her nose to the way she walked – even her eyes would disappear into crescents when she smiled more widely.

“I’m Taeyeon.” The girl smiled politely and introduced herself. She seemed much more interested in Zero, though. “You can pet him, if you want. He won’t bite.”

   That was all it took for Arielle to relax and approach them more freely. Zero seemed to have taken a liking to the girl as well, since he wagged his tail when she pet him. Taeyeon looked back up to meet Tiffany’s eyes. She seemed beyond ecstatic.

   Dinner was uneventful. Tiffany revealed that Min-Jun was a big fan of Taeyeon’s work, and naturally the discussion drifted to that. She did not exactly feel like talking about work, but it was easier to carry a conversation that way. At the end of the dinner, when they were just exchanging words over a second bottle of wine, Min-Jun decided to shift the topic back to Tiffany and Taeyeon’s previous history. He did not seem to know much about it which was not entirely surprising.

“Tiffany told me you met at university, right?”

“Yeah, during our bachelor’s.”

The topic perked up Arielle’s curiosity, who had been mostly on her phone. She joined with a question. “How was mom back then? She never tells me much.”

 “Well…” Taeyeon searched for an answer on Tiffany’s face; a clue on what to say, but she found none. “Your mom had good grades and was very well-behaved.”

   Arielle immediately protested her answer, earning a chuckle from the rest of the table. The girl pressed for more, and the truth was that Taeyeon had a lot to say but very little she could really share. They had met at a party, but that particular memory was a bit blurry. Taeyeon remembers Jessica Jung introducing them and very little else. They kept meeting again at other parties after that – and those, she remembered well. It was hard not to. Tiffany was always flirty, confident and carefree. She was a pretty girl who knew exactly what she wanted, and she always got it in the end. Taeyeon was stubborn and loved playing hard to get. It was a great combination.

“Sorry, your mom was pretty boring back then.”

“Oh.” Tiffany’s smile widened until she actually let out a small chuckle. “I was boring?”

“Very.” They exchanged a quick knowing gaze, and Tiffany had a good idea of what had crossed Taeyeon’s mind. It must have been dirty.

“C’mon Taeyeon!” Min-Jun was laughing. He seemed a bit drunk, judging by the bright pink of his cheeks. It did not stop him from filling their glasses again. “Tiffany could not have been that good!”

“Well, I don’t know about ‘good’.” It was fun to mess with Tiffany, but Taeyeon was walking a dangerous line. She could feel it. “She was more like... perfect.”

Tiffany took a sip, seemingly wanting to hide her face. Her cheeks were bright red, and it was hard to tell if the wine had been the sole culprit.

“But I do have a funny story.” Tiffany immediately knew what she meant. She gave a slight nod, encouraging her to continue.

“So, on our first year, a mutual friend of ours – Jessica, you might know her”, Taeyeon loved the expression on Arielle’s face; her smile getting bigger, as she anticipated to know what kind of adventure ‘Aunt Jess’ might have been in. Tiffany had told her they had stayed close, and had gotten closer once Jessica also returned to Los Angeles. “She decided to throw a party. Tiffany, being such a diligent student, wanted to stay in and study. I, being a naturally bad influence, managed to get her out of the dorm.”

“Now, things were going great. It was fun. That was until your mom and Jessica entered into a competition to see who could down more shots in a minute.” The girl had her eyes squinted and amusement splattered on her face. She did not seem surprised to hear of her mother’s exploits at a party; a fun contrast with Min-Jun’s utter shock. Tiffany must have told her a few stories before, and Taeyeon actually got the impression that Arielle might have known a bit more than expected.

“She was so wasted that night. They both were. So, they thought it would be a great idea to jump into the pool – in the middle of winter, no less. Me and a friend had to jump in after them and drag them back, because they would not listen to reason at all. That, Arielle, is how I found out that your mom loved to swim whenever she got drunk.” Taeyeon could still see that image of a freezing Tiffany in her arms. She had told her she liked her that night, but Taeyeon paid it no mind. She was too drunk.

“You know, she still does. She always jumps into the pool when the bottle is half way.” Tiffany’s eyes were pleading for her daughter to refrain from exposing her any further, but Arielle was completely unaware. She had always found it funny that her mother had such a strange habit.

“I had no idea you did that.” Min-Jun smiled. He really had no memory of ever seeing Tiffany do anything that peculiar when she got drunk. Tiffany squeezed his hand for a bit.

“The lesson to be learned here is that you should stay in and study, of course.” Tiffany stated to Arielle. “Don’t go getting any ideas, missy.”

   Taeyeon told a few other stories – little pieces of her life with Tiffany whose true importance was only known to them. Tiffany did not seem to mind it; she looked rather entertained, in fact. Their eyes would meet from time to time, a split-second to try and read the other. It was to no avail. There were years condensed behind those glances, and Taeyeon doubted words would even be capable of expressing it all. Tiffany eventually shared some of Taeyeon’s misadventures – mostly in the kitchen, as she had always been a terrible cook –, and the night kept growing. It was getting late. Zero was pacing around the table; he was restless and inpatient. It was time to go.

   Tiffany walked her to the front door, leaving her family behind at the table. Taeyeon stood there facing her, as she had done when she arrived. They searched for something in each other’s eyes, though they were both uncertain of what exactly they had hoped to find. Before either could say anything, Tiffany suddenly held the lapel of Taeyeon’s blazer between her fingers, resting her hands gently on her chest. Taeyeon felt a rush through her body; her muscles became tense, as she moved her own hands to softly pet Tiffany’s.

Taeyeon knew nothing was left for her there, still she spoke: “We have to do this again. I had fun.”

Tiffany smiled weakly, and Zero started pulling at the bottom of her trousers. It was time to go.