Next week was already the week of the fashion show, so Key planned a dinner date with Nicole tonight, knowing that Nicole will have no time for him next week.  

***Key's dinner outfit (google images)***

He buttoned up with shirt and grabbed his bowtie.  As he walked over to the mirror, there was a unique knocking on the door.

"Door's open!"  he shouted, knowing that was DongHae's knocking code.

Key fumbled with his bowtie and frustratedly took it off and started again.

"Key, where are you?"  DongHae shouted.

"My room!  Yah, Hyung, do you know how to tie a bowtie?...Hyung?"  Key asked, redoing his bowtie, for the hundredth time.  

"I do."

Key looked up and saw his dad's reflection in the mirror.  He turned around and hugged his dad.

"Abeoji (dad)!  What are you doing here in Sydney?  Is mom here with you?"  Key started throwing questions at him.

Mr. Kim smiled and took the tie from him.

"I'm on a business trip with the company.  Your mom is here, as well.  Today was our night off so your mom and I were going to get some dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Liu."  he explained.

"Oh, so where is mom?"  Key asked.

He tightened the bow and brushed off Key's shoulder.  He turned him to the mirror and straightened the bow. 

"She had to make a little stop somewhere."  he smiled.

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The bathroom counter was scattered with makeup.  The hot curling iron was still on.  Nicole was walking back and forth in her room, trying to figure out the perfect outfit.

Finally, she walked into the bathroom and glanced up at her reflection.  She let out a sigh of excitement.  

***dinner dress (google images)***

She reached in her messy make up pile and took out a pearl pink lipstick.  She applied it on her lips and smacked them together, finishing off with a smile. As she smoothed out her petite black dress, the doorbell rung.

She looked at her phone.

7:30 P.M.

"He's a lot early."  she said.  "Thought we agreed on 8 o'clock."

She ran to the door and look through the peephole.  She opened the door to Mrs. Kim and Amber standing on the other side.

"Annyo, Unnie!"  Amber waved.

Nicole smiled at Amber.

"Annyeonghaseyo."  Nicole greeted with a bow.

"Please come in."  Nicole said.

Nicole followed them as they walked into her living room.  

"Please have a seat."  she said.  "I'll grab you guys some water."

"It's okay, we'll just be a bit."  Mrs. Kim said.  

Mrs. Kim slowly walked around her living room, looking around.

"I heard your fashion show was next week, yes?"  she asked.

"Yes, ma'am."  Nicole answered.

She nodded her head and looked around.

"Has my son been visiting you?"  she asked, turning to Nicole.

Nicole looked at her and shyly nodded.  Mrs. Kim looked at Nicole and let out a sigh.

"Good."  she said, smiling.

Nicole couldn't help but show a confused  expression.

Mrs. Kim to the couch and sat down.

"As you know, Amber and Key did not get married."  she said.  "Before, I would have blamed it on you for destroying their marriage and the bond between us and the Lius, but as Amber have explained it to me,"

Amber smiled and nodded in agreement at Nicole.  Mrs. Kim walked up to Nicole.

"I realize that my KiBum really did and do love you."  she said, taking her hands.  "Nicole, I have been SUCH a pain to you and caused you and my KiBum to seperate involuntary.  Please forgive me."

As Nicole stare back at Mrs. Kim, she could feel the sincerity in Mrs. Kim's eyes and voice.  She smiled and squeezed Mrs. Kim's hands.

"Of course.  It's understandable that you wanted best for your son."  Nicole said.

"And now I know what is best for him."  she chuckled, patting her hand.  "You."

Nicole's eyes teared up at her comment and nodded.  She's been waiting for those words from Key's mom for so long.  It felt great to hear them now.  Mrs. Kim laughed and hugged her tightly.

A knock from the door inturrupted them.

"I got it!"  Amber said, getting up to the door.

Nicole laughs in embarrassment as Mrs. Kim wiped away her tears.

"Umma!"  

Mrs. Kim and Nicole turn to the door to find Key, Mr. Kim and DongHae.

"Hi, sweetie."  Mrs. Kim greeted.

"Welcome, Mr. Kim, DongHae-oppa."  Nicole bowed.

Key walked in, in confusion to see his mom and Nicole standing so close together...holding hands.

"What's going on here?"  he asked, giving his mom a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, just catching up with Nicole,"  she said.  "and apologizing for my behavior these past months."

Key looked at Nicole, who just smiled and nodded in agreement.  

"It's only appropriate to do this now than when she becomes my future daughter-in-law, right?"  she said..

Nicole and Key looked at her in shock.  Nicole blushed in embarrassment, as Key gave his mother another huge hug.  

They all laughed at Key's excitement.

"Alright, alright.  You can let go of me now, KiBum."  Mrs. Kim said, patting his shoulder.  "Now, since you two seem busy already tonight, we'll all let you two be."

"Well, we were just about to go to dinner.  Please join us."  Nicole offered.

"Yes, mom, dad, Amber and Hyung.  Join us."  Key agreed.

"No, no, we won't do that."  Mrs. Kim said.  "Besides, we have a dinner date with the Lius' and DongHae's parents already."  

Key looked at his father and DongHae.

"To talk about...you know."  Mr. Kim said, motioning his head towards DongHae and Amber.

Those two both looked shyly at the ground.  Key and Nicole both "ahhhed" and laughed at the two lovers.

"You two have a good time."  Mrs. Kim said, walking towards the door.

"Thank you, and you, too, have a good time as well."  Nicole said.  "Amber, I want to hear all about this."

Amber nodded and walked over to DongHae, where he laced his fingers with hers.  He held up their hands to Key.  Key responded by wrapping his arm around Nicole's waist.

Key and Nicole walked the Kims and Amber and DongHae out to their car.  Mrs. Kim stopped and turned to Key.

"Oh, KiBum, honey.  Can I have a few words with you?"

Key nodded and headed to his mother.  Nicole watched patiently as Mrs. Kim and Key converse quietly, while Mr. Kim, DongHae, and Amber waited by the car.  Mrs. Kim patted him on the arm and gave Key a smile, before turning towards the car.

They watched as the black Cadillac drove off to the end of the street.  Key walked to Nicole and gave her a warm smile, staring into her hazel eyes.  Nicole gasped and grabbed his wrist for his watch.

"Oh, crap!  It's 8:08!"  she yelled.

Key laughed and took her hand.

"It's okay.  Reservations aren't till 8:30.  Good thing I scheduled it later, too."  Key mentioned.

Nicole let out a big sigh of relief.  Key pinched her nose.

"Yah...stop.  I don't want a red nose before dinner."  Nicole complained, rubbing her sore nose.

Key took her hand and kissed the tip of her nose.

"There."  

Nicole couldn't help but blush at Key's action.  Key loved it when he can make her blush like that.

"I'm..gonna get my purse, then we can go, kay?"  she said.

She turned to leave, when Key pulled on her hand. 

"Hey."

She turned around with a confused look to Key.

"Don't keep me waiting."  Key asked.

She nodded and quickly turned back around toward her room.  Key couldn't stop smiling at her shy expressions.  Everything she does made him happy.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting."  she teased.

He looked up to see a gorgeous angel walking towards him.  He smiled in awwed.  He sighed and took her hands.  

"Not at all."  Key said.  "I'll wait for you for as long as you want me to."

Nicole laughed at his cheesy comment and shook her head.  He raised her hands up to his lips and kissed them.

"By the way, you look beautiful tonight."  he complimented.

"Why, thank you.  You look pretty decent yourself."  Nicole teased back.

"Decent, only?"  Key complained.

Nicole laughed as they walked out of the house.

"Where we eating tonight?"  Nicole asked.

"ARIA."  Key said, opening the passenger door to his sports car.
**ARIA is an actual restaurant in Sydney, Australia, not my creation.**

Nicole stopped and looked up at the night sky.

"What's wrong?"  Key asked, looking up as well.

"ARIA's just over there."  she said.  "Tonight's a nice night.  Let's walk."

Key looked confusingly at the cheerful Nicole.  He shrugged his shoulders and closed the car door.  He locked his car and walked back to Nicole, taking her hand in his.

"Let's go."

They started down the litted sidewalks, hand-in-hand, talking cheerfully to each other, laughing at one another, receiving envious stares from people around them.

As Nicole laughed and talked about her upcoming fashion show, he reached into his pocket for his phone.  He felt a velvety object and ran his thumb on the top of it.  He totally forgot about it.

"It's only appropriate to do this now than when she becomes my future daughter-in-law, right?"

He smirked at his mother's comment towards Nicole.  He looked at the happy Nicole and felt the warmth of her happiness inside of him.

Soon...soon.