Some believe communication is essential for relationships to survive. Others also believe that distance kills relationships. But more people have doubted that a quick marriage would never last long.

In the span of six months Namjoo and Kai – Jongin – went from a fluttering relationship turned into husband and wife; despite the contradicting articles stating that a couple should know each other 3-4 years in order for a long lasting marriage, else they were bound for divorce.

Well, the comments they received were typical and expected.

 “Are you sure about this?”

“Do you even know him?”

“Do you really know what kind of person she is?”

“Aren’t you going too fast?”

But to Namjoo, love didn’t need to be measured in time. If so, then why did the saying Love at first sight exist if two persons barely knew each other for an hour, only to have their eyes skim over one another?   

Foolishness.

They were both working people – her and Kai – he as a travel agent and she at the food market office. They weren’t poor but they weren’t awfully rich either. From the beginning they had agreed to save money for future uses. It gave them a nice studio with two rooms, a large living room with the view of the river, and the streets below. Towers stood across from their apartment building but not tall enough to block them from receiving some sun.

There was no hurry for a baby – they were saving up money after all. So more work it was after the wedding they persuaded each side of the family to support, because like their friends, their parents contradicted the life of their relationship.

“You’re still young. Waiting a few more years wouldn’t hurt.” her mother advised once. Obviously, Namjoo paid her no heed.

Maybe they were right that she didn’t know Kai well enough after spending just a mere six months together, but she believed in him and was simply comforted by his presence. Who didn’t love being with a person who made her feel like she was the entire world to him? Everybody wants to matter to someone, even those who don’t particularly want romance.

Kai was her friend, her companion, soulmate, and husband; no less and no more. They moved in a week before the wedding to unpack and organize the house together, so that after the wedding they’d have the home ready to rest and relax. To her heart’s content, everything went smoothly without trouble and after exchanging rings and a kiss, they were one.

It was morning; the sun was stealing into the room. Namjoo could smell the fresh breeze flowing in through the open window, the white curtain fluttering with the soft wind as if it were dancing. From three stories below she could hear the engines of cars roaring along the early morning streets, quiet chatter of pedestrians, and birds swooping in the summer sky.

Gentle breathing resonated from beside her. Half-awake she thought about in the mornings when they shared the same mattress she would intentionally move just to touch him. Slowly rolling to the side with eyes still closed, she let her hand move out to run over the being beside her. The tips of her fingers brushed against soft hair and she let out a sigh before allowing her eyes open.

With a tiny, disappointed groan she muttered while rolling onto her back, “Buddy, what are you doing up here?”

Forcing herself to sit up still drowsy from sleep she ran a hand through her hair and sighed again. Today marked a week since Kai was gone for work. She missed him. They barely had a whole week together after the wedding before he had to return to work and she to her job, but when she thought about the money they’d be making it wasn’t so bad.

Slipping out of bed she headed to the bathroom to wash up and headed back out to feed the dog before starting on breakfast for herself. They’d gotten Buddy – a yellow lab – from a shelter after visiting the place when she and Kai were on a date. Buddy was an abandoned male rescued from a pile of grime and trash he’d been feeding off of for a month at an isolated farmhouse the owners left in a hurry. He suffered from profound fear, withdrawal, and anxiety. At the shelter he remained isolated in a corner in his cage, the employees having said that if no one came for him he would soon be put to sleep.

Buddy became theirs a week later and they both took turns walking him and taking him to play at the dog park, slowly helping him transition back into life. It had taken some time but Buddy was no longer anxious or fearful of his environment.

From the stove she could hear him slobbering as he loudly up his food. It was a comfort, at least, to have the pet around as a companion when hers wasn’t. And as she sat down for breakfast could imagine Kai complaining from beside her about the duration of time she’d taken to get up and cook something. Namjoo knew she wasn’t the best cook around town but Kai still it up and ate her bitter food. And that she, too, believed was considered an extent of love.

But today, again, she was eating alone with the dog enjoying his breakfast nearby.

It was an ideal day to spend outside with rolling clouds in the clear blue sky and the sun giving life to every little thing. A good day for a date, she supposed. From in front of her Buddy loudly panted with his tongue out of his mouth as he happily trotted their usual five-block routine. She was off today from the office and had decided since last night when she got in bed that after Ktaking Buddy for his daily exercise would stop by the convenience store for some grocery.

The roads were lazy but perfectly quiet. Namjoo felt she could barely hear the wind singing as it swung by, brushing the tree leaves as it passed. She paused at the stop sign, waited, and then crossed with the dog leading her. Though timid and gentle in nature, if someone posed danger to her she knew Buddy wouldn’t hold back from growling and attacking. Though it would be better if Kai were there to defend her – the knight in shining armor. Namjoo chuckled to herself at the silly thought.

Ten minutes later they were back at the house. The phone just started ringing the immediate moment she stepped in through the door after checking the mail. With the choke free leash in her hand along with the mail that had come in, she hurriedly picked up the house phone. When investing for the house Kai had suggested not waste money on one since it was just the two of them. “Our own cell phones are enough,” he’d said. “It’s a waste of money and electricity.”

Despite that, they’d gotten one just in case some situation cropped up. Picking the receiver up she answered and immediately brightened up.

“It’s me, I called earlier. Why didn’t you pick up?”

“Obviously, I was ignoring you.” She said out of spite.

“Fine, then I’m hanging up.”

“No, no!” she quickly interjected with heart rate leaping up a few numbers. “I was just joking. Sheesh.” In her mind she could see him smiling then mentally groaned and jumped up and down in complaint. How much better would it be to see it in real life? Then with a stretched-out tone she asked in complaint, “When are you coming back?”

“Soon.” There were cars beeping in the background and a hundred of voices blending together. Namjoo couldn’t make out a thing.

“Where are you?”

“Oh you know, somewhere in India. It’s a round-the-world trip.” Kai explained.

Namjoo narrowed her eyes. No she didn’t know, she wanted to say. Instead, she said while quickly sorting through the mail, “Why’s there no postcard?”

“You don’t like those petty things,” he reminded. “I’ll bring you a real gift soon.”

“How soon is soon?” Namjoo dropped the pile of envelopes onto the table and turned to lean against the wall.

“Soon,” he replied with a grin. “How’s everything? Good? The way I left it?”

“That all you have to ask? What about me? You’re not going to ask about me? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“You’re so petty,” he commented. “Having a good day?”

“Yea, just took Buddy for a walk. It was sunny and warm, must be burned out because he’s not moving from the ground.” Namjoo shot her eyes over toward the yellow lab, lying on his side, his body heaving up and down softly with each breath. “I went out for a few drinks with a friend yesterday. Told me her boyfriend cheated on her when he was on a trip away once.”

“And?” he asked with no curiosity but with a kind of patience to let her finish. Namjoo was confident that even though Kai’s coworkers were pretty females he wouldn’t dare stray. She remembered an argument where she’d chucked pots and pans, books, magazines, and even a lamp at him. She knew he trusted her too, that even if she went out while he was away she wouldn’t bring a stranger back with her.

If they had no trust she’d demand he quit his travelling job. Only the patience of waiting for his return from weekend flights tested their relationship.  

“She says she can’t see a future with him, but they’re still together currently. I felt bad for her.”

“Don’t,” he told, “it’s not your business.”

“I know.”

“I gotta go. Take care. Love you.” The phone beeped and the line went dead. Placing the phone back down she went toward the bathroom for a shower.

After washing up, changing into new clothes, and touching up her face she was out the door and at the store half an hour later. In almost ten minutes she had the cart loaded up with fresh products and meat before hitting the snack aisle. When she and Kai first started shopping together it felt like a laborious task, because at one point or another one of them would sneak something into the cart and when the other noticed they would start bickering. Although the playful act had been fun it had also been tiresome.

Now, it was something amusing to think about and miss. Now, they were married and both busy working to keep their lives stable in hopes of a better future and to keep food on the table. Sometimes it felt like work took all the time they could be spending together away and they could never compensate for something better.

She missed him. Being alone like this…was dull. It was depressing, boring. So, she wondered, how much longer would she have to spend wading in her memories?

Her eyes landed on some wafers Kai loved snacking on before smiling. Tonight, she decided, she would have some for herself before going to bed. Just to make Kai jealous when he returned she decided she’d leave only one piece for him and laughed to herself at the thought of it.

Once again following her routine of feeding Buddy his dinner and making her own food, she took another shower, and went to sleep. Namjoo was always known to be a heavy sleeper, even been told by her parents that she wouldn’t even notice if there was a fire in the house. Before Kai left he’d scolded her to not sleep too well in case something happened, but their apartment had a good security system and Namjoo relaxed over it.

In her dream she felt half awake and half immersed in the waves of her own mind. It was Buddy she told herself when she felt weight on the bed and someone lay next to her. Warmth entrenched her back and she was pulled closer or she shifted closer – she wasn’t quite sure – then proceeded to snuggle against the warm embodiment.

A sigh of satisfaction eased out of as she curled up and felt the blanket being adjusted around her. Inside her head a mountain of clouds floated around her. It was dark and silver stars were glimmering, like how the diamond on her ring sparkled in the light. Fluffy happiness swam through her body and she felt the same way she had the first time she held hands with Kai. It was strange, she thought, but she was convinced it was a dream she convinced herself. Buddy had climbed his way back onto the bed again. Oh well, she’d let Kai’s spot become dirty with fur and make him clean the sheets when he returned. Allowing her head to fully sink into the pillow she slept the rest of the night away.

When she awoke the next morning the first thing she did was turn to look at the spot beside her. It was obviously empty. Scratching her head trying not to let herself become confused over what may be nothing she slid out of bed and went to wash up. It was only when she was a step out of the bathroom that her heart started pounding madly.

The things she’d left about yesterday were no longer in place. The mail on the table was gone and so was the shoes scattered by the door. The wafers she couldn’t finish and had left on the kitchen counter were no longer there. Dishes were cleared from the sink and if she wasn’t a little crazy saw that the furniture was a little out of place.

Without moving she darted her eyes around. “Kai?”

No one responded and it was very clear to her that she was the only one in the apartment. And if she recalled well without a moment’s doubt that only she and Kai had keys to the apartment. No one could have come in without their opening the door. So besides her only Kai could be here.

“Hello? Kai?” she cautiously stepped forward and looked around. As usual, it was empty and Buddy was well asleep on his bed by the window.

The further she stepped from the bedroom the more nervous she felt. It was strange and weird how everything seemed in place yet at the same time, out of place. Certainly no one had broken in?

With tiny but swift steps she hurried toward the table by the wall and unplugged the electrical cord and hugged the bleu lamp to her chest. Well whoever it was that had trespassed into her home, she’d get him or her. Pressing her lips together she resumed to looking about. There was a wall that separated the living room from what she and Kai called the ‘little library’ on the other side. It was a space where they had bookshelves placed, the three of them filled with their books and magazines. The big window let the sun run in just perfectly and she always loved how her body sank into the large recliner in front of it. Sometimes she and Kai would on sit on it together with her on his lap, the both of them reading, or she would lean against him and nap because it was so comfortable. But right now…right now she didn’t know who might be there waiting to pounce on her.

She was so anxious her palms immediately turned sweaty as she clamped her fingers around the smooth surface of the lamp. Twelve feet, eight, and now she was five feet away from the parting. Namjoo tried to quiet her heavy breathing in case she alerted the burglar. She was so tense with confronting the intruder that she regretted joking about Buddy or more so as she’d thought, the knight in shining armor a perpetrator if she was attacked. The dog was asleep, unalarmed, and she was alone.

Namjoo prepared to take a step forward with her feet hesitating to move when she saw the shadow move from the corner of the wall, out into the opening. Screaming immediately she chucked the lamp directly at him and looked away. There was a shout before the crash of the lamp made her turn back. On the ground was who she recognized as her husband with hands up to his face.

Gasping, she dropped to the ground and crawled forward before stopping a foot away, even bothering to cup her hands around in shock at what had happened. “What are you doing?” Kai asked, his voice muffled against his hands. “My nose is bleeding!”

Five minutes later Namjoo was sitting on a stool with Kai opposite her laughing profusely over the surprise he had concocted, in which she was supposed to have discovered him and run into his arms.

“Will you calm down? Goodness’ sake,” Kai muttered, still holding the tissue against his bloody nose.

Still laughing Namjoo slapped his arm, “I threw another vase at you!”

Kai stared at her unamused through narrowed eyes. “You’re laughing about that?”

“It’s funny,” Namjoo exhaled deeply, trying to calm down. Patting his arm again she apologized, “I’m sorry. I should have guessed since Buddy was sleeping so well.” She glanced at the dog sitting at their feet, the back of his head facing them. “Weren’t you boy?”

“He’s ignoring you cause you’re dumb.”

“Aish…” Namjoo leaned over to nudge him and grinned. “Cheer up, honey. Isn’t it great to be home?”

Kai rolled his eyes before pulling a small envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Your postcards.”

“Really?!” she exclaimed excitedly and snatched the envelope. Namjoo pulled out a thin pile of photos and immediately recognized them as photos of her from yesterday walking Buddy, stopping to look around, returning to the house, and leaving for the store. There was even some more of her sleeping.

“You call this a gift!?” Namjoo turned to him with her voice raised. “You stalked me!”

“Isn’t the bigger deal that I was back since yesterday?” Kai interjected with a tiny shrug.

Namjoo stared at him simply dumbfounded. Pressing the palm of her hand against her forehead she muttered, “Ugh…you at surprises.” Then with a sigh, “But I don’t look too bad, I guess. I can just cut a picture of you out and glue it right here.” She pointed to the empty space beside her in the picture.

“Good job,” she smiled at him. She watched him narrow his eyes to observe her. “What?”

“Keep them or burn them,” he told, “you look better when you’re in front of me.”

She felt him take her breath away when he abruptly kissed her and regretted it at once when his hand slid away from her face. The pictures dropped from her hand, spilling over Buddy as she leaned over to hug and kiss him.

“I missed you,” she told, “and welcome home.”  

***I totally didn't know how to go about it but randomly wrote what came to mind. Hope it was ok at least. I tried :(