A/N: pay attention to DETAIL in this chapter! Symbolism is abound here!

Jessica stared at the delectable plate of food in front of her. It consisted of all her favorites since she was a child. Her mother had specifically made it just for her.

But it all tasted and smelled like ash to her.

Jessica felt she had lost her senses. Everything seemed so drab and grey all of a sudden.

“Honey you have to eat. You look terrible!” her mother pleaded.

“Jessica, princess, your mother slaved away an entire day in the kitchen for this. At least take a bite,” Mr. Jung said gently, gingerly putting a spoonful of food to his eldest daughter’s mouth.

But at the sound of the word ‘princess’, Jessica felt tears welling up again, and in an instant, she had burst into tears once more.

Mr. Jung quickly stood up from his seat and picked his daughter up in his arms, cradling her into his chest.

Jessica was eighteen, going on to nineteen. He hadn’t held his daughter like this since she was eight, and in that instant when he held her in his arms, he finally realized that his daughter was growing up, and he could no longer fully shelter her from the cruelties of the world.

“Shh…baby…daddy’s here…whatever you’re going through, whatever is hurting you, whatever is causing you pain…daddy will be with you every step of the way.”

Jessica only cried harder at those words.

How cruel was it that she had everything whilst Stephanie had nothing. Oh how she wished those words her father had just said were the words Stephanie could hear from the mouth of her own father.

Mrs. Jung watched her husband hold her daughter in his arms. She had never seen Jessica cry so bitterly. Her daughter was one that had grown up in relative comfort. Everyone said their daughters were princesses. She and her husband had tried their best to protect their daughters and keep them from the getting hurt in the world. Any time she had seen Jessica cry, it was because she was angry at something or bothered by trivial things such as Krystal being annoying or stealing her clothes. But this time…it seemed something was literally tearing her daughter to pieces. She had never seen Jessica so distraught, neither has she ever seen her daughter collapse into tears in her father’s arms.

Her heart ached for her daughter, and she wondered what she could do.

When Mr. Lee had dropped Jessica off, he explained that Tiffany, one of the girls in Jessica’s group, had been attacked and was now at the hospital, unconscious. Mr. Lee mentioned that Jessica had fainted as a result. She and Tiffany were close.

That last point Mrs. Jung knew.

Every time Jessica had come home, she could hear an awful lot about this Tiffany, and she had even asked Jessica to bring Tiffany over some time to visit. But Jessica had maintained that Tiffany probably would be uncomfortable with the situation.

‘Tiffany’s not really a people-person mom.’

Mrs. Jung had sensed there was more to the answer she was given, but she chose to let it go. She didn’t want to pry into her daughter’s life if she wasn’t welcome. She had always allowed her girls the freedom and privacy they wanted. She found that her girls were generally quite sensible and reliable; she trusted them enough to allow them that luxury. As a result, she found that they would often come to her when they needed it. Because she trusted them, they trusted her.

Mrs. Jung had no doubt that her daughter was in this state because of Tiffany’s condition.

“Shh…baby…Tiffany will pull through. From what Mr. Lee told me, the girl is quite hardy and a fighter. Come on now…don’t cry…” Mr. Jung cooed to his daughter.

“Daddy…I can’t lose her! She’s everything to me!”

“Shh…you won’t lose her. You won’t.”

Mrs. Jung inhaled sharply.

She now had a good idea as to why Jessica didn’t want her to meet Tiffany. And if she were being entirely honest with herself, she had on a very subconscious level guessed as much.

She was a little saddened her daughter hadn’t come clean to her. Did Jessica think she wouldn’t be able to accept her for her choice? Did she think that she would see her as aberrant and deviant like how most people in their society see homouals? Did Jessica not think that she loved her enough to be able to accept whoever she chose to love?

Mrs. Jung could only pray that the world would not be too cruel to her little girl.

Jessica had not chosen a path of forbearance, especially in a conservative society such as theirs, that much she knew.

But she also knew she would be there to hold her daughter’s hand every step of the way.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Hello?”

“Mr. Lee?”

“Yes this is he speaking. Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?”

“This is Jung Jessica’s mother. Mrs. Jung.”

“Ah yes, Mrs. Jung. How is your daughter? Is she doing better?”

“Mr. Lee, I can never hope to thank you enough. The president of a billion-dollar company taking such good and personal care of my daughter, it is most unexpected.”

“I will not lie to you Mrs. Jung. I take a personal interest with anything to do with Hwang Tiffany. The girl is like a daughter to me. So naturally, I care for those who care for her.”

“Tiffany is lucky to have you.”

“No. If she were, she would not be in this state…”

“From what I could gather from the news and from Jessica, it was hardly your fault. But that is not why I called.”

“Yes, Mrs. Jung, how can I help you?”

“I…my husband and I will drive Jessica to the hospital to visit Tiffany tomorrow. We don’t want to bother you.”

“Hardly a bother as I will be going anyways. But if you so wish, I will not insist myself upon you.”

“Yes, we will be able to manage. Thank you very much, really, Mr. Lee.”

“Please, it’s all for Tiffany.”

“Good night then Mr. Lee.”

“Good night Mrs. Jung.”

…

…

…

Mrs. Jung wanted to see the girl her daughter was so distraught over.

She wanted to see her up close and personal.

Was Hwang Tiffany worthy of her daughter’s affections?

Mrs. Jung needed to know.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Mom…it’s ok. Ahju– I mean Mr. Lee said he would come pick me up.”

“I called him yesterday. I said your father and I would bring you to the hospital.”

“Mom…”

“Jessica…honey…darling babygirl…”

Jessica started tearing up again at those words.

Oh babygirl…oh Lexi-belle…why is this happening?!

She really was a mess these days.

“Baby, whatever it is that you are afraid of, whatever it is that you think I would be angry at, whatever it is you feel you have to hide from me…you don’t have to. I love you honey, and nothing you do or nothing you chose to do will ever endanger that love. Ever. Do you understand what I am trying to say Jessica?” Mrs. Jung asked, looking solemnly into her daughter’s eyes, wanting to convey her loving intent.

Jessica hugged her mother tight, uncontrollably feeling another twinge of guilt for having so much in life.

A blossoming career.

Loving friends.

Loving and understanding parents.

A complete family.

Everything.

Jessica cried into her mother’s shoulders for her undeserving fortunes.

Here she was, a girl with everything, crying for the unfairness of the world; and everywhere else, those without fortunes lament and weep for their own grief and tribulation.

The world really is cruel.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mr. and Mrs. Jung held back at the door and watched their daughter rush into the private hospital room of one Hwang Tiffany. Mother and father watched their eldest sit on the bed next to the unconscious girl, tenderly intertwining their fingers together.

Jessica had always been a rather self-involved girl. Growing up as an only child for the first part of her life until Krystal came along, Jessica had been quite used to getting all her parent’s attentions and affections. She had never been in want of anything.

But now…the look her daughter had in her eyes, was one Mr. and Mrs. Jung had never seen before.

It was one of all-consuming love. A love that would render one prostate and defenseless in its wake, one that could build a person up to the heights of Babylon in one minute, and tear you down to nothing but rubble the next. It made you entire life and happiness dependent on another. It made you vulnerable and weak and many ways…but also incredibly strong in others.

Mrs. Jung had that with her husband.

But she had never expected her daughter to find such love at such a young and tender age.

Their daughter was irreparably in love with this girl.

It was an undeniable fact that the blind could see.

So who was Hwang Tiffany?

And how much did she love their daughter?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tiffany looked around her.

She was standing on a long stretch of a dirt road, an endless row of cherry blossom trees lining the sides, their willowy boughs dipping and swaying in the wind, dropping with downy clusters of soft pink blooms.

Each time the gentle mild breeze blew through like an elegant lady’s whispered profession of love, a few soft blooms would float and flutter to the ground. Sailing and riding the wind like little pink floral boats, showering the entire road with gentle pink ‘snowflakes’ in the bright vivacity of spring.

On either side of the lines of trees, green meadows as far as the eye could see, the green lush blades bending and lean with the kiss of the wind.

Random chirps of tiny bird flitted capriciously through the air, but it was otherwise silent.

Then a gentle ‘coo’ made Tiffany look up into the branch above her.

…

…

…

Two turtle doves, nuzzling lovingly into each other’s downy feathered necks.

Coo-cooo…coo-coooo…coooooo…coo-coo…

Their tender effusions overlapping and gently serenading each other.

There was a sudden gentle shuffle of bare feet on dirt.

She wasn’t alone.

There…standing before her, a few meters away…a beautiful elegant woman in a soft flowing cherry-blossom-pink gown, the sheer material of the flowing dress billowing out slightly in the wind. Her long auburn locks were swept to one side and fell in graceful tresses down her shoulder. Dark, grey-blue piercing eyes stared back at Tiffany, orbs b with tenderness, tears, and…love.

Mom…

“Baby…”

Tiffany stared back, her chest starting to constrict unbearably tight. Her mom was standing there in front of her. Alive and well. And even more beautiful and lovely than ever before.

And…she was beckoning to Tiffany. One slender graceful arm outstretched in tender plea for her daughter to come into her embrace.

“My baby Stephanie…” mom beckoned again.

Tiffany suddenly found herself running, her own bare feet slapping soundly against the dirt surface, spraying up small clumps of dirt as she sprinted with all her might towards her mother. She felt as if her heart might burst with joy, relief, and the complete almost devastating overflow of love. Tiffany’s own arms outstretched and reaching desperately towards her mom as if straining to pluck the stars from the heavens above.

The girl flung herself at her mother, arms tightening around her mom’s neck with almost frantic desperation, so afraid that this was all just a dream that would disappear in a wisp of nothingness.

“Mom! Mommy-bear! I missed you so much! Please don’t ever leave me again! I love you! I love you! I love you mom!”

“Shhh…hush baby…mommy’s right here Stephanie. Hush darling…look at me…look at me…Stephanie Drewbrooke-Hwang look your mother in her eyes…”

Allison Drewbrooke wedged one hand between her daughter’s tear-streaked cheek and her own neck, which Tiffany was burying herself into, crying her heart out to her mother. The girl was releasing all her pain and sorrow for all these past years that she had endured and held in, seeking to lose it in the comfort of a loving mother’s embrace.

Allison forced her daughter to straighten up and look her in the eyes.

“Stephanie…sweetie…let me have a look at you…” the woman whispered, as she stared intently into her now grown daughter’s face, a face she had loved but not been able to see for six years.

“You’ve grown to be a lovely young woman…so beautiful…”

“Mom I miss you! Please stay with me! Don’t EVER leave me again! PLEASE!”

“Shhh…darling…I need you to listen to me. Can you do that for me? Stephanie?”

“No-no-no! I won’t! You’ll just end up leaving once you’ve said everything you needed to say. I won’t listen to you! I WON’T!”

“STEPHANIE DREWBROOKE-HWANG!”

Tiffany began to cry.

She knew she should listen to her mother, but the small scared child in her wouldn’t let go of the fact that her mother was probably only here to impart some deep and multifaceted life-changing message and then leave her again like she had done so horribly six years ago.

Allison Drewbrooke knew this was hard for her daughter and she wanted to hold Stephanie tight and just cry for all her children and how the world had just so badly mistreated them. But she couldn’t do that. She needed to be strong for her little girl. Stephanie, or rather, Tiffany needed to hear what she had to say.

“Stephanie…mom loves you so so so much. You know that right darling? Mommy can’t promise to never leave you again, but I can promise to never stop loving you Stephanie. Never. Do you remember that day yo