Chapter XVI: The Last Straw

Jiyong let his breath go all at once, feeling as if someone had just knocked the wind out of him. She shut him down cold, walked away, and told him to go home. She thought making love with him would be a mistake. And he was fairly certain she was right.

Starting the car, he pulled out of the driveway, then paused in reverse for a moment while he struggled with the temptation to go back and bang on the door.

He and Dara hadn't known each other long, but there was a powerful attraction between them. Part of him wanted to act on that attraction in the most literal sense, to confirm he'd been right about the signals she'd been sending him lately, signals that indicated she was every bit as tempted to take their relationship into the physical realm as he was.

But she was hurting and looking for an anchor, so he couldn't put his trust in those signals. No man with a conscience would take advantage of a woman going through what Dara was going through-and he wanted to believe he had a conscience.

Throwing the transmission into drive, he peeled off, hoping to put as much distance between him and her house as possible before he changed his mind. He was going mad with wanting her, but he'd committed himself to support her though the pregnancy, in any way necessary, and he intended to do just that. She was giving him the child he'd wanted. That would have to be enough.

Unfortunately, at the moment, it didn't feel like enough.

For a fleeting moment he wondered what might have happened in their relationship if he'd never met Taeyeon. Maybe he and Dara would have had a chance. There was certainly that spark. He always felt excited at the prospect of seeing her, being with her and he respected her a great deal. But he had met Taeyeon. He'd married her; he'd loved her. And now he couldn't go on as if she'd never existed. What would that make of his promises? What would it say about his level of commitment?

His cell phone trilled and Jiyong answered, trying to mask his frustration with the Dara situation. There was no way to win here. He couldn't have her, and he couldn't leave her alone. Perhaps, if she wasn't already pregnant, they should call the whole thing off.

It was his mother.

"Hi, Mom. How's Sanghyun?" He asked.

"He's tired. Dami is sitting with him while he sleeps. Are you and Dara back from dinner?"

"Yeah."

"Is she studying, then?"

"No, I think she's studied all she can for one day. She's taking a break."

"Perfect. I have a surprise for her I'd like to bring over.

Jiyong pictured Dara's stiff way she carried herself as she let herself into her house.

"Um, we're kind of tied, Mom-"

"We didn't get to be part of the wedding." She said, accusation ringing loud and clear in her voice.

"I know. I'm sorry. Considering the situation, we thought it best to elope."

"You didn't want your family to share in your happiness?"

"It wasn't that."

"Well you could have told us, at least. We would have liked to give Dara a bridal shower or something."

Jiyong's hold on his temper was questionable at best. He was hurting and angry and frustrated all at once, and the tension had been building from the moment he'd married Dara. Struggling to keep his voice neutral, he said.

"The truth is, Mom, Dara and I had a little disagreement. I'm heading home tonight. Alone."

"Oh!"

Silence then.

"What did you say to her?"

"Nothing."

How did he tell his mother that it was what he couldn't say to her that was the problem? He wanted to give Dara his heart, but he'd already promised forever to Taeyeon. He could only offer his body.

"Then what happened."

"Mom, I don't want to talk about it. Don't worry. We're newlyweds, just getting used to each other. It'll be okay in the morning."

"Your father and I have been married thirty-five years and have never once gone to bed angry at each other. It's not right. If you want a marriage to last, you have to swallow your pride on a regular basis. Now turn yourself around and go back to her. It doesn't matter who was at fault. She needs you."

"I'm the last thing she needs right now."

"Then you're not thinking of her and that poor child." She argued.

"It's no wonder Dara's having a hard time. There's nothing worse than watching your loved one suffer.”

"He's mine now, too." Jiyong said, then wondered where the hell that had come from. Sanghyun wasn't his. He never would be. Apparently he was taking his part as Dara's husband a little too seriously.

"I know, dear, but it's not quite the same. Dara's been going through this for almost a year. It's a wonder she'd managing as well as she is."

The guilt pressing down on Jiyong's chest grew heavier.

‘Thanks Mom.’

"Go back and tell her you love her." She continued.

"Then put your house up for sale. It's not good for you to have somewhere like that to hide out."

"We're keeping the house, Mom, for when Dara graduates from school. We won't need to stay so close to the university anymore." Which sounded good. He only hoped his mother would buy it.

"Then keep it." She said.

"But don't stay there alone."

Jiyong sighed. Seeing the situation from his mother's perspective, he had to admit it was good advice. He'd already learned from Taeyeon that the classic male response of retreating into silence and waiting for the argument to blow over wasn't half as effective as talking it out. But his mother didn't know the whole story this time, and Jiyong wasn't about to enlighten her.

"Are you turning back?" She asked.

Torn, Jiyong gave his mother a noncommittal reply, then drove silently home.

When the doorbell rang, Dara looked through her peep hole and groaned. It was her in-laws. Her temporary in-laws. And she was at her worst. Dressed in a shabby knee-length robe, she felt frustrated, tired, and worried, and she missed Jiyong.

Tightening her belt, she ran her fingers through her hair to tame it and took a deep breath. She wasn't sure she wanted company, but she certainly couldn't leave Jiyong’s mother and Dongwook standing on the porch.

"Hi There!" She said, throwing the door back and smiling with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

"Hi, dear." The mother-in-law hugged her instantly and Dongwook did the same.

"How are you?"

‘You mean other than the fact that I'm heard over heels in love with your son, who has no room in his heart for me, and my baby brother is in the hospital?’

"Fine."

Fortunately, the automatic response easily overrode her thoughts. Stepping back, Dara beckoned them in.

"What a pleasant surprise."

Jiyong’s mom and dad stepped inside and looked around, nodding their heads in satisfaction.

"Oh, this is beautiful."

Dara knew Jiyong's house was twice as nice, but Yukimi seemed sincere.

"Thanks, Please make yourselves comfortable." She indicated the couch and they positioned a purple gift bag between them before sitting down.

"I just talked to Jiyong." Her mother-in-law said, looking sympathetic.

"He told me about your little disagreement."

Dara blinked. "He did?"

"Yes, he said it was just a lover's quarrel, but I wanted to let you know not to worry about it. Disagreements are bound to happen in any marriage. But he's a good boy. He'll come around."

"I think we were both tired." Dara hedged, smoothing the fabric of her robe so she wouldn't have to look at her mother-in-law’s eyes.

"And with what you're going through, it's no wonder."

Dara was searching for a polite response when keys jingled in the lock and the front door swung open to reveal and cross-looking Jiyong.

"What are you doing here?" Dara asked, standing. "I thought-"

He scowled. "My mother reminded me that my place is here with you. It took me until I opened the door to my empty house to realize that she was right, that she was."

Dara wasn't sure how to take his words. What did he mean his place was with her? Instinctively her hand went to her belly. The baby, of course. She's never seen a man so dedicated to one goal.

"I told him the only way to keep a marriage intact is to put things right before going to sleep." Jiyong’s mom added, beaming now that she felt her son was finally behaving himself.

"Always kiss and make up. That's what I say. And we'll get out of your way and let you do just that, but first I wanted to bring you a little something I had made." She extended the gift bag to Dara, and Dara took it, wondering at its slight weight.

"What's this for?" She asked.

"My birthday isn't for six months."

”It's just a little surprise I thought you'd like."

Curious, Dara dug through the tissue paper and pulled the gift out into the light. Her stomach did a little flip when she realized it was a picture of Jiyong and Sanghyun, smiling, cheek to cheek, encased in a piece of clear plastic that was cut around their two shapes and made to stand on it's own. She loved it, knew, despite whatever happened with her and Jiyong, she'd