Wooyoung sat at the head of the table, which was actually two tables pushed together, with his whole family surrounding him.  His mother, sister and Seyoung were bustling around the table, dropping off dishes and filling water glasses.

His uncle was making jokes to him about army food, but he couldn't take his eyes off Seyoung. She stopped next to his father and slyly set down a small dish of white kimchi.  "Just for you, Abuhnim. To help your stomach." she smiled.

"Aigoo our Seyoungie. She takes good care of me," he said reaching up to pinch her cheek.

Wooyoung was in shock; he had never heard his father use aeygo like that before.  Her charms had clearly worked on everyone. He had worried on the car ride back that he would have to introduce her to everyone.  But from the way she moved seamlessly through the room, talking comfortable with everyone, he realized she already knew everyone, and they all seem to love her. While he was gone, she had managed to place herself right into his family.

She walked past him for the tenth time, carrying more napkins.

He reached for her hand, "Seyoung, please sit down and eat."

She smiled and waved her hand, "It's okay. Today is your day, you eat!" 

"If it's my day then I insist you sit here with me and eat something," he patted the chair beside him and yelled into the kitchen, "Umma! You too! Come eat!"

Seyoung reluctantly squeezed into the chair that was next to Wooyoung at the crowded table. He immediately reached for her hand under the table and held it tightly. He felt warm and comfortable now that she was, again, by his side.  Everything was right in the world. He carefully picked out a bit of everything to fill her plate, making sure she got a taste of all her hard work.  

Wooyoung watched in amazement as she interacted with his family.  While his father was telling an army story about carrying a superior officer up a mountain and Seyoung chimed in, "Manna!?" She asked. Satoori! He couldn't believe his ears. At one point, his sister leaned over and whispered something to Seyoung and they giggled together like they have been best friends since birth. 

He realized it was the first time he had a girlfriend at dinner with the whole family like this, but he was the one that felt like the outsider.

A bit later, they were still gathered around the table, full of delicious food and picking at the fruit on the table.  Some of the family members that lived farthest away had already headed home. The long day of celebration was winding to a close.

"So, when do you leave for your trip?" his sister asked.

Wooyoung shot Seyoung a worried look. She smiled reassuringly, "Everyone knows.  It was hard trying to keep it a secret when you weren't here to help me plan."

"Seyoung leaves at 3:30 in the morning and my flight is at 5:00. We'll meet when we get there, just in case there are paparazzi waiting for someone else at the airport." 

"When do you come back?"

He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face, "Haven't decided that part, yet."

"Good. You should take a nice long holiday.  Our Seyoungie deserves it."

"Yes," Wooyoung agreed. "It seems like she really worked hard."

Seyoung looked shyly at her lap, "Oh, I don't know, I didn't do anything really."

"Anneyo!" his Noona disagreed, "You took care of Umma! She would have been so lost without you."

"I think that's only because we missed the same person." Seyoung said, looking up at Wooyoung. 

When his eyes met hers again he couldn't help the beaming smile that spread across his face. "Aigoo, I still can't believe it," he said reaching up to touch her face, "Are you really here right now?"

She giggled and his shortly-cut hair, "I don't know. Are you really here?"

"Aish, this is gross.  I'm going home now." His sister announced, getting up from the table.

----

They were snuggled up together on the couch as the sun finished setting outside the windows.  He looked down to see Seyoung's sleepy eyes looking back at him.  He gently brushed her hair away from her face.  "You need to go to bed soon.  Your taxi will be here in six hours."

"I can sleep on the plane.  I want to stay right here." She argued, burrowing further into his embrace. 

"I will feel better if you just sleep a little here." He said in his cutest voice, "Planes are not comfortable, the beds here are comfortable." He started to get up off the couch, untangling their bodies from their cuddling position.  "Let's go." 

He held her shoulders and pushed her toward the hallway, "Take a nice shower and go lay down.  I'll see you off when you leave, okay?"

She turned to him with a small pout and whispered, "I wish you could come with me. I'll sleep better with you."

"I told you I didn't want to have this party at my parent's house." He laughed.  Wooyoung quickly glanced up and down the hallway for any sign of family members before kissing her quickly, "Just a few more hours. Then it's just you and me." He almost added, "Forever." 

Once he'd gotten Seyoung to finally shuffle off to the bathroom, he his heels and rushed back through the house.  

"Umma! Umma!" he called in a raised whisper until he found her putting away the dishes. "Umma! Where is it? I want to see it!" 

His mom lit up and grinned slyly, holding a finger to her lips as she motioned for him to follow her. 

When they reached his parents’ bedroom, she took extra care to silently close the door behind her before rushing to her dresser. She pulled something out of the top drawer and nearly squealed with delight, "Oh Wooyoung, I really think she is going to love it!"

She handed him the rectangular satin box and he took a deep breath as he opened it.  Inside was a necklace on a thin silver chain, there were two diamond-covered circles interlocking in the middle.  He inspected them closely and saw that each of their initials was engraved on one of the circles. Everything started to hit him all at once like a wave, this is what he will be holding when he asks the woman of his dreams to be with him forever. And he is ready start forever right now.

"Is it okay? Oh, I hope it's okay," she started to fret at his non-response, "You could have just been patient and not left me in charge of buying the proposal gifts!"
 
"I'm all out of patience." He smiled, "It's perfect. It really is.  Thank you, Umma," he smiled, pulling her into a tight hug.
 
His mother wrapped her arms around him, "Aigoo, my baby returned home from the army a man and he's going to get married! Ottoke! I love you my baby and I love our Seyoungie." 
 
"I love you too, Umma.  Thank you for taking care of her while I was gone."
 
She let go of him and waved her hand, "No, no don't thank me. I didn't have to do anything.  She's very easy to love."

"Don't I know it."  He smiled.

---

Around midnight, Wooyoung was staring at the clothes Seyoung had brought for him strewn about his bed and a suitcase that was still mostly empty. He just couldn't stop staring through his open door to the closed one on the other side of the hallway.  She's right there. 

He promised himself that he could make it through this one day, to have self control until they made it to California.  But now it felt impossibly difficult.  Maybe he could just go in there for a moment, kiss her cheek and tell her he loves her.  Maybe lay down next to her for just a minute...yeah, that's what he'll do.

He tiptoed out of his bedroom and stood in front of the door to his sister's room where Seyoung was sleeping.  He leaned his ear against the wood to see if he could hear anything, which was pointless.  His hand carefully reached for the handle to try and slowly and silently slide the door open.

He was startled by his mother clicking her tongue at the end of the hall.

"Oh, Jang Wooyoung. So bad at being sneaky," she laughed as she walked toward her room. "Go in there if you want to. But you should let her sleep, she's been too worried and nervous about you coming home." 

"I just want to see her," he admitted, sounding and feeling like a small child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

She patted his head as she passed him, "I'm going to bed and you should too." Just as the bedroom door was closing he heard her say, "In your own room."