"Tao" she said leaning up on the bed.

 

It's been over a year since the day she never went home. Tao asked Jin Ae to be his girlfriend after three weeks of living together because, they both knew they liked each other but neither had the courage to confess. It was only when Tao kissed her for the second time and said "We haven't done that in a while" that she finally decided to stop feeling sorry for herself and move on. She was finally happy. He had slept on his couch for the first few months until she felt bad for taking his bed and dragged him in. He loved her and she loved him.

 

"Hmm..." Tao said sleepily..

 

"Do you believe in angels?"

 

"What?"

 

"If angels could cry, do you think they would cry for me?"

 

"Jin Ae-ah, go to sleep." he said flipping over to her and hugging her tightly.

 

"Seriously"

 

"Even if they could, their tears are ice. It would hurt to cry" he mumbled as he snuggled up to her.

 

"Would you cry for me?"

 

"What's with all these questions, just go to sleep." silence lasted for a bit before he sat up in the bed. "Wait, why are you asking these questions?"

 

"No reason..." she said pulling him back to bed next to her and hugging him like a teddy bear. She has been having flashbacks recently to the eighteen years she spent being abused and unloved. A feeling she had nearly forgotten altogether until a few days ago, when she saw her mother in the market. She had hidden behind Tao but hadn't told him why.

 

Tao was about to fall asleep when she whispered in his ear, "Tao, I love you."

 

"I love you too" he replied kissing her cheek softly.

 

***

 

Tao's life had been brighter since Jin Ae had entered into his life more than a year ago. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He had brought a ring after saving up for weeks and planned to propose to her.

 

"Tao, can I open my eyes now" she pestered while he walked her to the date that he had set up just for them.

 

"Okay, open." her eyes slowly opened to be greeted with one of the most beautiful sites. There was a single table and two chairs under the tree where she used to cry. The tree was beautifully decorated in fairy lights and the area was littered with candles and roses of red and white. Her favorite flowers.

 

"Tao" she started as he pulled out a chair for her, "what is all of this?"

 

"I wanted to do something special. Do you like it?"

 

"Of course it's beautiful but it would have been fine if we stayed in and watched a movie on the couch. You must have wasted a lot of money on this."

 

"For you, it's never a waste."

 

A small droplet of water dropped on Tao's cheek and he looked up at the sky. He had planned everything but had forgotten to check the weather. How stupid could he be. The rain started pouring down and he grabbed Jin Ae's hand. He liked how now he didn't have to worry about pressing on her bruises anymore. They ran holding hands to his apartment.

 

 When they got to his apartment they burst thought the doors, panting, trying to catch their breaths.

 

"I'm sorry Tao, your dinner was ruined."

 

"Its ok," he said panting but laughing at the same time, "on the way here I realised I forgot to bring the basket of food anyway."

 

"Tao, where is it?" she said walking to the kitchen, "found it."

 

She picked up the straw picnic basket and placed it on the counter. Looking at the contents of the basket, she smiled. He had cooked all her favorite meals.

 

After dinner, they ended up snuggled on the couch watching a  movie. She was lying down with her head on Tao's lap as he softly her head.

 

"Jin Ae-ah, are you sleeping?"

 

"No" It was getting late and he wanted to propose before the day ended. He didn't want to put it off any longer. He turned the tv off, softly lifted her head off his lap and sat her up straight. He then got on one knee in front of her and stared into her stunning grey eyes.

 

"Tao" Jin Ae was surprised by his actions.

 

"Jin Ae-ah, I love you so much"

 

"I love you too Tao" she said the side of his face.

 

"Jin Ae-ah will you marry me?" He opened the ring box and held it up for her. She stared at the ring, it was beautiful yet simple. For the first time since they got together she allowed herself to tear up, these tears were of happiness, something she had been so lucky to find.

 

"Jin Ae-ah, don't cry..."

 

"Yes Tao, yes I'll marry you"

 

"Chincha?" she nodded enthuisatically and he put the ring of her ring finger and kissed her firmly. She kissed him back, basking in the immense amount of happiness she felt in that moment. The kiss deepened and he lifted her off the couch, carrying her bridal style to their bedroom.

 

***

 

Tao was at work and Jin Ae had decided that today was the she would face them. She would see her parents again. Jin Ae didn't tell Tao as she knew he would talk her out it. She was scared to see them but they were still her parents and she wanted them at her wedding.

 

Gathering all her courage she knocked on the door to the house she left more than a year ago. Her mother answered and upon seeing her face pulled her by the wrist into the house.

 

"Look whose decided to come back" she said dragging Jin Ae by the hair upstairs. She tripped on a step but her mother continued dragging her by her hair to the bedroom where her father was.

 

"The prodigal returns" her father said slapping her face, the sound of the slap resonated in her ears.

 

"Father, mother" she began but was pushed by her mother to the floor.

 

"You have no right to call us that, we fed you, we clothed you, we took care of you and how do you repay us. You just up and leave!" her mother shouted as she kicked her face. 

 

"I...I'm sorry" she said in between kicks. The kicking suddenly stopped and her father stepped on her hand hard, pushing it into the ground. Jin Ae felt as if her hand was about to break.

 

"What is this?" he asked loudly staring at the ring on her finger.

 

"Looks like she got engaged, what a . Are you pregnant? Answer me!!" her mother screamed as she began to kick Jin Ae's abdomen. Jin Ae wasn't pregnant but she knew even if she was her mother had kicked her with enough force to kill any unborn baby that she might have had. She cried out in pain but her mother continued kicking her. Her father also joined in kicking the other side of her abdomen and she coughed blood staining the carpet of the bedroom floor. As she lay on the floor writhing in severe pain and being subject to the most violent attack her parents had done yet, she regretted coming here. In all her naivety, she actually had believed that they may support her, they were here parents after all, but no these people weren't humane, they were abusive and violent. She regretted not listening to Tao but most of all she regretted leaving him today. This pain was too much, much more than anything she had felt before.  

 

"I love you Tao, you are my angel" she muttered into the air, even though he wasn't there to hear it she hoped he knew. Her eyes slowly closed and her parents continued to kick the limp lifeless body.

 

***

 

Tao stood there, staring down at the gravestone of Kim Jin Ae. Unlike the other gravestones it didn't have much on it, not even 'loving daughter of...'. She wasn't the daughter of those monsters and everyone knew it. Her parents were now in jail but that fact offered no comfort to Tao. She was still gone, the person he had chosen to spend the rest of his life with was suddenly out of it forever.

 

He placed a bouquet of red and white roses on her grave stone and knelt down beside it. As he stared at the gravestone, tears flooded his eyes and he began crying. Tears still rolling down his cheeks, he looked up to the sky and laughed slightly.

 

"Look Jin Ae-ah, you made your angel cry."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AN: Through out the story I've been using korean honorifics and even used a korean word. Tao is chinese. Sorry...

Anyway that's the end of my first short story. Sorry I can't do endings properly. Hope you enjoyed it.