Two days had passed since we had gone to the beach. Later that night, Byunghun had mentioned something about how he remembered spending all day at the beach with his family when he lived here. He said the beach reminded him of his mother, because she used to bring him there all the time and watch the sunset. He had sounded sweetly nostalgic. As laid in bed that night, trying to fall asleep, all I could think about was Byunghun and how much he missed his mother. I decided right then and there that I would ask my parents the following morning to bring Byunghun to see his mother as soon as possible. They had readily agreed; my mom had even seemed excited. She wanted to meet his mother about as much as I wanted to. Byunghun got her address and we arranged a time. Byunghun’s mother was thrilled to see her son again, and to finally meet my family and me.

                The morning of the big day, Byunghun placed a hand against the bathroom door and pushed it open a crack. He slipped his orange head inside. “Hurry up already!”

                I playfully slammed the flat iron down on the countertop and turned to face Byunghun. His eyes and smile were bright. He was practically glowing. He pushed the door open some more until he was standing in the doorway. He slipped his hands in the pockets his new, fitted, dark-wash jeans. He had looped a skinny black belt around his narrow waist and sported his cleanest pair of chunky, white sneakers. On top, he had on a crisp white v-neck t-shirt and a light gray jacket over it. The jacket was brand new too; I had picked it out. Byunghun had begged Uncle Sunho to take him and me to the mall to go pick out something nice to wear for today. He brushed his teeth three times this morning. He shaved, even though there hadn’t been a speck of hair on his face. I think he even cleaned the insides of his ears.

                I watched him as he caught his reflection in the wide mirror. He eyed the flatiron on the counter and snatched it up. He ran it through the shining strands of orange hair that couldn’t possibly get any straighter. I giggled as I took the flatiron from his hand and set it back on the counter. Byunghun stared at his reflection. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Should I have gotten a haircut?”

                “Would you stop?” I laughed, gazing at his reflection. “You look perfect.”

                Byunghun smiled shyly. “Thanks. I just hope my mom thinks so.”

                “She’s your mom, of course she thinks you’re perfect,” I answered.

                Byunghun shrugged. “I hope so. She hasn’t seen me since I was fifteen. I’ve changed a lot.”

                “And she’ll be so happy to see you,” I promised, slipping my arm around his. “I’m excited to see her. What does she look like?”

                Byunghun smiled. “A lot like me.”

                She must be beautiful, then.

                Suddenly, my own mom appeared in the doorway. “Are you kids ready to go yet?”

                “Yes!” Byunghun cried. He darted out of the bathroom and down the hallway, into the foyer where my Dad was standing. Even my dad had cleaned up nicely; he wore neatly ironed khakis and a navy blue polo.          Mom came into the foyer at that moment, wearing jean capris and a flowery top. She slipped on her nice white sandals and adjusted the purse that hung off her shoulder. She smiled at the four of us, mostly at Byunghun. “Is everyone ready?” she asked.

                Byunghun nodded vigorously. “Ready!”

                Uncle Sunho and the boys came into the foyer next, followed by Min Neul and Hyerin. Mom turned to him and chuckled. “Are you sure you can handle all these kids by yourself?”

                “Of course,” Uncle Sunho smiled. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine. Stay as long as you need to!”

                “I’m sure we’ll be back by dinner time,” Mom announced to everyone as she opened the door.     “Please behave!” my dad called as he walked out of the door.

                Everyone collectively waved us goodbye, and wishes us well at Byunghun’s mother’s house. No one was smiling wider than Byunghun except maybe Chanhee, who beamed brightly as he watched his best friend walk out the door. The four of us piled into the red van and in no time we were rolling down the driveway.

                Byunghun fidgeted the whole ride over. His mother didn’t live too far; she lived in a suburb outside of Los Angeles. It took us less than twenty minutes to get there, which delighted my mother. She even said something about inviting his mother to lunch with her and Holly this weekend.

                Finally, we pulled into an adorable little neighborhood. Mom whipped out a slip of paper with his mother’s address. We drove around down a few little streets until Dad slowed to nearly a stop in front of a one-story cream-colored home with large white windows and a low roof. There was a small porch in the front with pillars and native Californian bushes growing neatly beneath the windows. The driveway was nicely paved and there was a skinny tree in the center of the front yard. My dad glanced down at the address on the slip of paper—yes, this was the house.

                I expected Byunghun to shoot out of the van like a rocket. In reality, however, he pressed his head against the car window and stared out at the house, a peaceful smile on his face. His dark eyes scanned the shrubbery, the front lawn, the windows, the roof, everything about the house. This was the place where his mom and brother lived, without him and his father. Inside those stucco walls were two of the most important people to Byunghun in the entire world, and he was finally getting to reunite with them after two long years.

                “Byunghun!” I called, sticking my head back in the van. “Come on!”

                “Sorry,” Byunghun chuckled, unbuckling his seatbelt. He slipped out of the van and closed the door behind him.

                I giggled as I watched a smile spread across his face. “Come on,” I insisted, ushering him up the driveway. Byunghun, my mother, my father, and I stepped up the miniature porch to the front door. Byunghun pressed the doorbell. He ran his fingers through his hair one more time and breathed in deeply. My mom placed a supportive hand on his shoulder and smiled down at him. I contemplated slipping my hand in his to calm him down, but I didn’t want to look clingy in front of his mother. This was my first time meeting her, after all. I briefly wondered what his mother would look like. Would she be petite like Byunghun? Would she have his eyes, his smile? His flat nose? What would she think of me? Of my family? Of Byunghun?

                My thoughts scattered the moment the front door jerked open. Byunghun’s face lit up instantly; I think he might have even gasped. As if on cue, everyone put on bright, friendly smiles.

                Byunghun’s mother was a petite woman. She was about my height, maybe shorter. It was obviously that he got most of his features from his mother. She had slim shoulders, and a slender midsection, and short legs. Her hair was chin-length and waved slightly, mostly black with graying roots. It was pulled back in a silver barrette. She was probably only my own mother’s senior by a few years. She wore khaki pants that reached to the middle of her shins and a plain baby blue t-shirt. She had Byunghun’s button nose, wide grin, and smiling eyes. In short, she was beautiful.

                Byunghun’s entire face lit up the second he saw her. “Mom!” he exclaimed in English, scooping her up in his arms.

                “Byunghun!” she exclaimed, almost with a giggle. She held her youngest son tightly in her arms, his back. Her eyes were closed, and I imagined his were too.

                After they embraced for a few more moments, Byunghun slowly let her go. He cleared his throat and blinked rapidly, making blinking tears away. He gestured to my parents standing behind him. “Uh, Mom, this is Mr. and Mrs. Lee. Kirin’s parents.” He glanced at me with an admiring smile.

                My mom beamed brightly as she gave Byunghun’s mom a hug. “It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m Yoonji Lee, and this is my husband, Chanho.”

                “Pleasure to meet you!” Byunghun’s mother shook hands with my father. “I’m Lee Yeonhee.”

                Yeonhee. She had a beautiful name.

                Byunghun cleared his throat. He shifted his eyes towards me. “And this is my girlfriend. Kirin.”

                The big reveal. Byunghun’s mother’s dark eyes lit up and she tilted her head slightly, a slow smile forming on her lips. “So this is the girl my son is crazy about,” she replied, opening her arms for a hug. Her sweet gesture surprised me, but I met her hug immediately. Her words made me blush. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you and your parents, my dear!”

                “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, I’ve been dying to meet you!” I giggled as we stepped away from each other.

                 Her eyes stayed on me. “Byunghun, dear, she’s beautiful!”

                Byunghun glanced at me, his eyes shining. “Yeah, I know.”

                 Byunghun’s mother glared at him, her hands on her hips. “She’s so much prettier than you made her out to be!”

                I threw my head back and laughed. “Is that so?” I asked, glancing at the blushing boy beside me.

                “Ah, I thought I did a god job describing you,” Byunghun giggled. “Guess I didn’t.”

                His mother laughed. “Well, I apologize for leaving you on my doorstep for so long already! Come in, come in!” She stepped aside and let my family through the door. We stepped inside, and his mother closed the door behind us. The front door opened to a small mudroom with benches on either side of the door and an archway entering into the living room. The living room was painted a sunny, light yellow color and there were chestnut colored planks on the floor. There were cream-colored sofas in the bright living room and airy, white curtains on the windows. There was a nice sized television and a woven rug on the floor. Scanning the walls, I saw that there were family portraits hung up and old artifacts from Korea on a large shelving unit. Straight ahead was a short hallway with a few doors, most likely leading to the bedrooms. On the other side of the house was the kitchen, which I couldn’t see upon first glance. As I stepped farther into the house, I was able to peer briefly into the kitchen. I saw glossy granite countertops and a white refrigerator. Byunghun’s mother’s house was bright, clean, and beautiful.

                She said something about having us take a seat in the living room, but I barely heard it. I was too busy glancing at the portraits on the walls. I looked at them keenly with my head slightly tilted. There were four people in the photographs: a slender man with a round face and head of dark hair, a woman of the same age with shoulder-length black hair, and two young boys. The taller, older boy had short hair that had been spiked up in the front. The smaller one had shiny black hair styled in a typical bowl-cut. His cheeks were round and his eyes were the shape of rainbows. I felt myself start to smile.

                “So how are you enjoying your stay in California?” Byunghun’s mother asked. Her English was even better than Byunghun’s, if that was even possible. She still had a bit of a Korean accent, but her English was completely understandable. “My son tells me you used to live here, is that right?”

                “We did, about five or six years ago. And oh, it’s just as beautiful as I remember,” my mother gushed, her smile bright.

                Dad nodded. “I grew up in Seoul, but both my wife and my daughter were born in the States,” he explained. “We lived there until Kirin was about eleven, and then we moved to Korea.”

                Byunghun’s mother looked intrigued. “Sounds like the complete opposite of our family,” she said, nodding in Byunghun’s direction. “We lived in Gunsan until Byunghun was eleven and my oldest son was sixteen.” She sat back in her seat on the couch. “Speaking of which, he should really be here right now.”

                Byunghun’s eyes lit up. “Byunghee’s here?”

                Byunghun’s mom smiled and nodded. “His baby brother has come to visit him! He wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

                At that very moment, footsteps came from the hallway. My head shot up. I had always wondered what Byunghun’s brother looked like. Did he looked like Byunghun, but older? Taller? More muscular? My questions found answers as twenty-two year old Byunghee stepped into the living room. As expected, he did look somewhat like Byunghun did. They had the same wide, bumped nose. They had the same smiling eyes. Byunghee, however, didn’t have Byunghun’s freckles or bright orange hair. Byunghee had short, straight, black hair that stylishly stuck up at the top. He was taller than Byunghun was, and not as thin. He was definitely more muscular than he was, too. He wore cargo shorts and fitted white and gray striped polo with white socks on his feet. He smiled a broad, toothy smile as he crossed the floor to us. Good looks definitely ran in the family.

                “Byunghun!” he exclaimed. His voice was pleasantly deep. He opened his arms for a hug and Byunghun immediately sprang from the couch to meet him. Byunghun collapsed in his brother’s arms, hugging him tightly. Their mother covered with her hand. I felt my eyes tear up. They looked like they hadn’t seen each other in years.

                Probably because they really hadn’t seen each other in years.

                “I missed you so much!” Byunghun exclaimed, his voice muffled.

                “I missed you too,” Byunghee responded. “How’s Korea? How have you been lately?”

                “Great, great, everything’s great,” Byunghun answered. “How’s college? Are you studying hard? Doing well?”

                Byunghee nodded. “I had a four-point-oh last semester. I’m on summer break now. I’m taking some extra summer classes, but I had to be home to see you.” He looked over Byunghun’s shoulder and let his eyes fall on me. Suddenly a smirk formed on his face. “I’m guessing that’s your girlfriend?”

                Byunghun let go of Byunghee and turned around to look at me proudly. “Yeah, that’s Kirin.”

                “Nice to meet you,” I said, standing up and holding out my hand. I felt somewhat nervous as Byunghee reached out to shake it. I think I might have blushed as his hand touched mine.

                “Kirin,” Byunghee repeated. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re practically my sister-in-law,” he chuckled.

                “Hyung!” Byunghun hissed.

                The adults threw their heads back and laughed. After that, Byunghee joined his mother on the loveseat. The couches were arranged in an L shape, and Byunghun sat closely on the edge of the couch to his mother. I was on the other side of him, and my father was next to me. Conversation between the six of us began. Byunghun’s mother asked what my father and mother did for a living, and in return she was asked what she did. We discussed how Byunghee was in grad school, earning his law degree. I was asked all kinds of questions about school, and every answer I gave seemed to impress Byunghun’s family. His mother wished me luck on becoming a pediatrician and Byunghee told his brother that he “picked a good one.” Then Byunghun talked about Teen Top, how the boys were doing and what was being planned for the future.

                “I’m so proud of you,” Byunghun’s mother said tenderly, reaching out to place a hand on her son’s thin shoulder.

                Byunghun looked like he was fighting back tears. “I know,” he answered weakly.

                “I’ve always been proud of you,” she continued. “You’ve got to know how hard it is to be apart from you for so long. Every day I wonder what you’re doing and how you’re feeling and what’s going on with you.”

                “I try to contact you as much as I can,” Byunghun responded. “I get so busy sometimes.”

                “I understand completely, honey,” his mother said tenderly. “I know I shouldn’t worry so much. You’re in good hands.” She beamed appreciatively at my parents.

                “Oh, Yeonhee, I make sure he’s taken care of,” my mother said sweetly.  “I can only imagine how you feel knowing your son is all the way overseas without you. I want you to know that I treat him as if he were my own son.”

                “He’s honestly become a member of the family,” my dad added. His words surprised me at first. My head snapped to the left and I looked up at my dad with wide eyes. He looked down at me with a smile so sweet there was no way it could have been feigned.

                Byunghun’s mom slapped a hand over her heart. “That means so much to me. Really, it does. Thank you so very much for taking care of him.”

                “They do a good job, Mom,” Byunghun added. He glanced at me. “I don’t know what I would do without them. Without Kirin.”

                All eyes were on me, and suddenly I had become the center of attention. I dropped my gaze and let my cheeks flood with pink. I had never known that Byunghun was so thankful to my parents. He did spend and awful lot of time at my house. He came over after school all the time and would stay for dinner and late into the night until Uncle Sunho forced him to come back to the dorm. Mom really loved him like her own son. I didn’t know my father felt that way too, but I knew he was telling the truth. Dad had a funny way of admitting his feelings for someone. He would never tell me, but I knew he loved Byunghun like a son. And apparently, Byunghun loved my parents as if they were his own.

                The way I saw it, Byunghun had three families. His biological family, which he loved with all his heart despite it being divided. Half of his heart was in South Korea and half of it was here in America. But just because his family wasn’t physically together didn’t mean that it didn’t exist. His family roots were so deep into the ground that nothing could uproot them. His mother, father, and brother were the roots of his happiness. The trunk of the tree was his second family: my family. We kept Byunghun together when he had no one else to lean on. We were his rock, his basis. He could depend on my family like a tree depends on its trunk. It held the tree up, supporting the branches and encouraging them to reach as high as they can.  But the tree didn’t end there; it flourished. There was no telling when the branches would stop growing; they could very well go on forever, reaching Andromeda and beyond. Teen Top was the top of the tree. One tiny leaf couldn’t make it on its own. Harsh wind would whip its thin surface and rain would relentlessly pelt down on it without mercy. Without protection, the helpless leaf could lose its grip and falter slowly to the callous ground below. The members were like a cluster of leaves, shielding each other and helping each other survive. They were also the most beautiful part of the tree. The leaves could be so impressive that any glace which fell upon them would turn into a stare. The leaves were still young, though, and had much time to learn, grow, and adapt. Someday, though, they would have the world on its knees, gazing up at the beautiful leaves and wondering how such a tree came to be. Then, when all was silent, the leaves could whisper a sweet thank-you message into the wind, just loud enough for only the trunk and the roots to hear. Thank-you for the support. Thank-you for the protection. Thank-you for the strength. We couldn’t have been this beautiful without you…

                The conversations continued. Byunghun’s mother poured glasses of wine for my parents, herself, and her eldest son. He disappeared briefly into the kitchen and came back with a plate of cheese and crackers, a light mid-afternoon snack until dinner, which we were kindly insisted to stay for. My parents couldn’t possibly say no; not only were my mother and Byunghun’s mother getting along famously, but the smile on Yeonhee’s famous son’s face was priceless. I never wanted to leave. I was having a wonderful time talking and laughing, but I couldn’t bear to tear Byunghun away from his family. He smiled even brighter. He laughed louder. He was simply glowing.

                When it was about time for dinner, we were ushered through the kitchen into the dining room. There were six places set at the rectangular table. It was a full table; the six of us made one big, perfect family. Byunghee and my father sat at the heads of the table. Byunghun and I sat across from our mothers, who seemed to beam proudly at us every second they weren’t chatting. Set on the table in front of us was a large arrangement of perfectly roasted potatoes, lemon chicken, and garden-fresh string beans. The plates set before us were part of a spotless white china set. Small candles were set in the center of the table. They were unlit, but they still added to the comfortable ambiance. Mom complimented the impressive display of food, and Byunghun’s eyes bugged out of his head at his mother’s preparations. Before anyone was allowed to dig in, though, Byunghun’s mother insisted on us bowing our heads and saying grace.

                I clasped my hands and bent my head down. I probably should have closed my eyes, but I couldn’t possibly miss even one second of this perfect moment. Byunghun was beside me, his hands clasped and his head bent as well. Byunghee, at the head of the table, cleared his throat.

                “Thank you, God, for the incredible spread of food before us. Thank you for blessing us. You haven’t just blessed us with food; you blessed us with family. Thank you for bringing my baby brother home. We’ve all missed him terribly, and it’s amazing to think he’s sitting here with us tonight once again. Please continue to watch over him from heaven. But here on earth, thank you for Mr. and Mrs. Lee and Kirin for watching over him here on earth. Thank you for all you do, and all you’ve given us, God. Amen.”

                Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Byunghun swallow hard. A secret smile spread across his lips as he softly repeated amen. When he opened his dark eyes, he was surrounded by five people who loved him dearly. He felt proud. He felt loved. As he should be. This may not be his house, but it certainly was his home.

                After grace was said, we dove right into the dishes. As I scooped potatoes onto my plate, Byunghun whispered for me to take more, because his mom’s roasted potatoes were apparently the best on earth. I giggled as I served myself some more.

                “Byunghun, dear, no wonder you’re so thin,” Byunghun’s mother commented, “Eat more! There’s plenty here!”

                “Mom,” Byunghun groaned playfully. He took another chunk of chicken from the serving platter, and his mother smiled appreciatively.

                “I’m surprised you managed to find a girl shorter than you,” Byunghee teased his brother.

                “Ha-ha,” Byunghun retorted with one of his famous smirks.

                “Oops, blame Chanho and me for that,” my petite mother chuckled guiltily.

                “Oh, when you were Byunghun’s age you were his height, weren’t you?” Byunghun’s mother asked her eldest son.

                “No way,” Byunghee responded with a laugh. “I didn’t have orange hair either.”

                “Hey!” Byunghun laughed, reaching up to touch his orange hair. “I like it orange!”

                “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with your natural hair color, Byunghun,” my father chuckled as he swallowed. That made everyone laugh, Byunghun included. He even threw his head back.

                “What does Kirin think of the strange colored hair?” Byunghun’s mother asked, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

                I chuckled and turned my attention to her youngest son admiringly. “I actually like the colors. I loved the pink,” I gushed.

                “Oh, the pink hair was something,” my father laughed.

                “I wish I got to see it in person!” Byunghee spoke up wistfully.

                “It was so bright,” Byunghun chuckled.

                “Well at least Kirin liked it,” his mother nodded in my direction. She smiled sweetly. “Is he good to you, my dear? I never did get a chance to talk to him about having a girlfriend.”

                “Mom!” Byunghun warned, blushing slightly.

                “What?” his mother laughed. “I’m your mother! You’ve been with this girl for a year now and I’ve never met her! Give me time to ask all the questions I have!”

                I laughed heartily. “He’s wonderful,” I answered truthfully, beaming at him. He had a sour, slightly mortified look on his face as he cut a piece of chicken on his plate.

                “You better be telling me the truth,” his mother warned playfully. “Because if he’s not treating you well, you let me know and I can straighten him out.”

                “Mom,” Byunghun whined.

                “I still wonder how they manage to make time for each other,” my mother spoke up. “Kirin is always studying and Byunghun’s always performing. It’s truly amazing.”

                “Oh, no doubt about it,” Byunghun’s mother agreed. “Byunghee can’t even hold a solid girlfriend down with all the college work he has.”

                “HAH!” Byunghun cried, pointing a finger at his older brother.

                “I’m sure your brother could help you, Byunghee,” Byunghun’s mother chuckled.

                “Hey!” Byunghee cried, holding his hands up. “He’s only seventeen!”

                “I’m almost eighteen,” Byunghun replied matter-of-factly. “Nineteen in Korea.”

                “Nineteen,” Byunghun’s mother repeated, sitting back. She gazed at her youngest son, slowly shaking her head. The tip of her nose was turning red “You’re almost nineteen…”

                “Mom,” Byunghun said softly, sensing his mother was about to start crying.

                “I’m sorry,” his mother replied, her eyes shining with tears. “You’ve just….you’ve grown up so much and I…I haven’t even been there to see you grow up…”

                “Mom,” Byunghun repeated tenderly.

                She shook her head and delicately wiped her eyes. My mother placed a caring hand on her shoulder. Byunghun’s mother suddenly stood up and walked around the table, stopping in front of Byunghun. She embraced him tightly, and only then did she let the tears fall. “You’ve grown up so much,” she said softly. “You’ve grown up so much…”

                Everyone had stopped eating at this point. We were more focused on trying not to cry as a mother held her son, her son who she hardly ever got to see. He honestly had grown up without her. Sometimes mothers forget that their children don’t just grow under their watchful eye. They grow whether they’re near or far. There were thousands, even millions of mothers who missed years of their children’s lives, and time was so unforgiving that there was no way to bring those years back. And when the time comes to see just who their children have grown into, emotions are impossible to control.

                “You’ve grown into such a wonderful, handsome young man,” Byunghun’s mother continued. She shook her head. “You’ve grown up so much,” she repeated ever so softly. “You’ve grown up so much…”

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Sweet chapter, hehe <3