When Kris decided to work full time, Sojung began to see him less and less although they were living in the same house. And it wasn't only the heaviness silence that Sojung felt. She felt lonely, severely lonely.

She felt like she wanted so desperately to grasp the empty air with her hand and hope that she would touch anything, something. But the air was empty. Sojung knew that. And so was the house itself.

She felt blue minded and she felt melancholy. She felt like she would never be able to recover from this fall.

Getting to know Kris,

Creating memories, Loving Jessica and then losing her was something that they shared together.

Hypothetically, if  Kris ever leave her- forgetting him all alone, would be like erasing half of the last 10 years of her live.

It used to be her, Jessica and Kris. They were like three peas in a pod. Now it just Sojung, Jung Sojung.

She noticed the tulips in the glass vase had long wilted.

“Unni,” Sojung said with a small smile on her face, “Sojung will go out and buy you some new tulips kay?”

With that Sojung took her bag and headed out.

30 minutes later she arrived in front of the Violet Flower Shop.

The shop itself was filled with lovely flowers of every species, but then again the air felt so lonely and painful. A soft wave of melancholic breeze swayed around her. Sweet roses and sorrowful violet greeted her on both sides of the aisles.

The gentle aroma and falling petals danced around her.

Walking from aisle to aisle for quite a while Sojung began to get the feelings that perhaps this shop was not why Kris always brought those colorful tulips from.

“Can I help you,” Sojung heard a voice behind her said and she slowly turned around. The friendly voice belonged to an older lady, who Sojung quickly assumed she was the owner of the shop.

“I’m sorry,” she responded apologetically with a bow, “I can’t seem to find where the tulips are-”

The older women interrupted with an understanding nod, “Oh, so you are looking for tulips. Tulips are spring flowers.”

Sojung waited for the florist to continue. The florist took her time spraying the beautiful bulbs with misty water droplets. “Unless you live in Netherland then they are available pretty much all year around.”

Sojung wanted to tell her that Kris always brought home tulips all year around, but before she could open the florist turned to her and apologized.

“I’m sorry hon, can we get you any other flowers?”

Sojung expression must have explained it all, for then the lady florist smiled, “Perhaps you can try to buy it at Central Seoul Flower Shop, it’s the biggest flower shop in Korea. The shop is known for importing various of normally out of season flowers from many countries.”

Sojung thought about it with a glimpse of hope in her eyes, Central Seoul Flower Shop?

“But isn’t the shop 2 hours away from here?”

The florist sighed, “That is the only place I could name that might sell tulips in this late summer season. Good luck hon.”

Sojung thanked the florist and walked out of the shop.

Kris... Sojung thought.

How much had she underestimate his never ending love for her sister?

His love for her Jessica,

Just as the florist lady suspected, Central Seoul Flower Shop had those tulips that she desired to buy.

The moment she touched those fragile tulips, she just couldn’t help but hugged them and broke into silence tears.

How pitiful had Sojung must have looked when she was crying because one of the shop employee noticed her and walked toward her.

The young gentleman florist of no younger than 20 years old looked at her worriedly, “Are you okay?”

Sojung nodded as she tried to hold back her tears. “C-can you help me check out these tulips?”

He nodded and went to wrap them immediately, but before he wrapped he asked cautiously, “do you have any color that you prefer to buy or any would be fine?”

“One color of each please,” replied Sojung.

“Alright then,” he said gleefully. “That’ll be 10 dollars please.”

Sojung was preparing to take out her money when the young florist spoke up, “Many people buy beautiful flowers without knowing the language behind them.”

“Language?”

“Their meanings,” the young gentleman remarked and he raised an eyebrow, “do you know what tulip flowers stand for?”

Sojung shook her head in sincerity. She had never thought about the question that he posed before.

“Tulips have a similar meaning as the roses do. Tulips mean declaration of love,” he smiled sweetly as he gave her back her change, “Flowers meanings are often just as lovely as their names aren’t they?”

Sojung nodded she wanted to say yes but was all dried up. There was like a lump stuck in the middle of . Before she knew it a tear rolled down from her face.

 

Back in her emptied house. Sojung threw away the dried, lifeless and wilted tulips that Kris had placed in the vase weeks ago before he moved out and replaced them with the fresh ones that she brought that very afternoon. Sojung had the vase two third filled with filter water before place it down on the glass table.

Had her sister Jessica always liked tulips while growing up?

Sojung didn’t remember.

Or perhaps Jessica liked it even more because that was how Kris probably asked her out?

Nevertheless, these tulips could mean the only thing this past two years:

Kris’s declaration of never dying love to Jessica.

Jessica would always be Kris’s one and only love.

That was what Sojung knew for sure.