“Oh, honey! What brings you here?”

 

“Surprise?” I said awkwardly.

 

My mom rushed towards me and engulfed me in a big hug. I hugged her back.

 

“A wonderful surprise indeed,” my mom said, looking at me all excitedly. “Come in. We were just about to eat. Have you eaten yet?” she asked me.

 

I shook my head no.

 

“Look who’s here to visit!” my mom announced as we walked towards the dining area.

 

I saw my father turn his head around and my little sister looked up as well.

 

“If it isn’t my lovely daughter. Come and eat,” my father ushered me while smiling brightly at me.

 

“Unnie!” greeted my sister as she ran towards me and pulled me in for a big hug. I chuckled at her excitement and hugged her back.

 

“Soojung, let go of your sister already so we can eat,” our mom said. “Your father’s hungry and I’m sure your sister is too.”

 

We broke away from our hug and sat ourselves. Lively chatter filled the dining table as we talked about our day.

 

Being with my family like this, I realized how much I’ve missed them and this house. My home. I took a quick note to visit more often.

 

You see, I didn’t intend to buy that big house for me. That’s too much space and impractical for just one person. I actually bought it for my parents. When I enthusiastically told them about it, they looked at me with proud smiles.

 

I thought they would accept it however, they told me that they were grateful but they didn’t want me spending my hard earned money on them. They told me they were content with our house. That they already built a home here and told me I should keep the house for myself.

 

“We’re very flattered and proud of you for being such a thoughtful daughter. But, we’re quite fine here, dear,” my mom said.

 

“But I bought it for you.”

 

“And we’re very pleased to hear that. But, we’re very much content here already.”

 

“Then what should I do with the house? I already paid for it,” I sulked.

 

They looked at each other guiltily. I then saw my father shake his head as if telling my mom not to give in.

 

“You can resell it. But I highly suggest you keep it. Just like we did, why don’t you start from there and start building your own home?” my father spoke.

 

At first, I couldn’t understand them. I sulked after that. I felt rejected. They assured me that it wasn’t like that but I still couldn’t help feeling like that.

 

That it wasn’t good enough.

 

I chose to keep it, obviously. I can’t say there’s nothing wrong with a large house. Most people would dream of having one. But, that’s just it. It’s just a large house. What’s the point when the people important to me aren’t there to share it with me?

 

I got mad at them when they told me that living alone would be good since it’ll help me become more independent.

 

"Independent? Haven’t I always been independent?"

 

My parents further explained.

 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, my dear. Your father and I...we regret that we’ve been too protective of you and your sister. And that ultimately led you to isolating yourself from others. It just saddens us to see you not having any friends,” my mom said.

 

“But I do! I have Tiffany!” I exclaimed.

 

They looked at each other and sighed.

 

“Yes, you do. God bless that child for putting up with you,” my mother said, mumbling the last part, probably for me not to hear. But I heard it anyway which only made me annoyed as I crossed my arms indignantly. “But having just one friend to depend on will get harder once you both become busier in life. She won’t always be there for you -- not that I’m saying she won’t because I’m sure she’ll try her best to be there for you -- but her life doesn’t only revolve around you.”

 

“But I have you guys, right?”

 

I was on the verge of tears.

 

“That’s exactly what your mother meant,” my father told me. “You’ve...we’ve made you too dependent on us. And for that we apologize dearly.”

 

“Why is that wrong? Am I being a burden to you?”

 

I felt a tear slide down my cheeks. My mom hastily ran to me and hugged me.

 

“No. No. No. Of course not. You’ll never be a burden to us. Never, you hear me?” she told me seriously.

 

“We just want what’s best for you, Sooyeon-ah. We’re growing old and we want to be assured that when we’re gone, you have other people to rely on. We just want to see our lovely daughter happy.”

 

“You’re talking like you’re going to die soon,” I said. “Wait! Are you?!”

 

A sudden rise of panic came over me.

 

“Hush, dear! See what you’ve done,” my mother scolded my father. “No. He’s not. We’re not. But it’s true what your father says. We want you to have other people you can rely on. We’ll always be here for you. Your sister too. But, it would be better to have more people, friends that you can depend on other than family.”

 

“That’s why we want you to become a little more independent from us. And living alone on your own, on your own two feet will be a good start,” my father added.

 

I get what they’re saying. I understand that now.

 

My parents were very protective so I was pretty much sheltered as a child to the point that it became hard for me to interact with other people. It also didn’t help that the default expression on my face didn’t exactly come across as ‘friendly’. At the beginning, I tried but to no avail. Later on, I found it too tiring to even make the effort so I just settled with being alone. Loneliness was my only friend until a certain pink-loving American came barging in on my life one day.

 

“Your sister and Tiffany have told me you’ve been getting...close with someone lately,” my mom tried to bring up as casually as she could.

 

My hands stopped their movements. Schooling my features, I looked up from my plate.

 

My mom was looking expectantly at me.

 

“What do you mean?” I feigned innocence.

 

My mother narrowed her eyes at me.

 

“Like I said, your sister and Tiffany told me you’ve been hanging around with someone lately.”

 

“Oh, did they?” I feigned ignorance, still keeping up the small smile on my face. I spared a glance towards Soojung’s direction.

 

I saw her immediately look away and drank from her cup.

 

“So?”

 

That brought my attention back to my mom.

 

“Well, that someone is a friend I’ve met recently,” I said.

 

I heard my sister scoff. I turned to give her a glare.

 

“Don’t glare at your sister,” my mother chastised.

 

Then we heard a loud sigh coming from my dad.

 

“Let her be. We should be glad she’s found a friend. And if that friend is something more than a friend...then I trust our daughter. She’s a grown woman. Let her date who she wants,” he said.

 

“We-we are not dating!” I found myself all but shouting in denial.

 

They all looked at me in surprise.

 

“I...we...we really are just friends. And besides…” I didn’t continue.

 

My friend is a girl.

 

“Okay then. We won’t pry. As long as he’s not like your ex-boyfriend,” my mom said with such disdain.

 

“And as long as he makes you happy, then we’re happy,” my mom said.

 

He, huh.

 

I felt a sudden sadness wash over me.

 

“Thanks, umma...appa,” I replied.

 

It’s not a first but this was one of the few times I had to force a smile towards my parents. But this time, I had to put in a little more effort.

 

“Of course, dear.”

 

---

 

As per their usual sleeping arrangement whenever Jessica visits, the two sisters were lounging on Jessica’s bed in her old room. Her mother had kept it neat and tidy all these time she’s been living away.

 

They chatted for an hour, catching up on each other’s lives. Krystal excitedly told her sister about how university was treating her. Jessica just smiled sympathetically as she listened to her, trying to recount her own experiences.

 

Besides her complaints about school work, professors, and certain people in her course, it seemed her sister was enjoying her time if that silly grin on her face was anything to go by.

 

Just wait ‘til she’s in her final year. We’ll see if she’ll still be smiling like that.

 

“What are you smirking about?”

 

“Nothing,” Jessica replied nonchalantly.

 

Krystal shrugged.

 

“Anyways, can I visit sometime soon?”

 

Turning her head to her sister, she looked at her.

 

“Sure. Just tell me when and I’ll come pick you up.”

 

 

“Yes!” Krystal pumped her fist in the air.

 

Jessica giggled at her enthusiasm.

 

“Did you miss me that much? Or maybe you just want me to treat you to something,” she teased.

 

“Definitely the latter,” Krystal all but replied immediately.

 

Jessica flicked her forehead.

 

“You shameless, brat.”

 

Krystal just gave her a grin.

 

“You’d rather I lie?”

 

“At least kiss up to me first. It’s my money.”

 

“But I’m your sister. Your cute sister. Isn’t that enough?” was her cheeky reply.

 

Jessica rolled her eyes.

 

“More like annoying.”

 

This then led to an inevitable pillow fight. Their loud laughter and bickering resounded throughout the room. A few moments later, they were brought to an abrupt stop when their mother came pounding at their door telling them to be quiet and go to sleep.

 

They giggled to themselves as they dropped the pillows and laid back down on the bed. Both were panting trying to catch their breath.

 

“Unnie.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

”I miss hanging out with you,” Krystal confessed.

 

“Me too, Soojung-ah. I’ve been so busy with work recently.”

 

“Not busy enough for someone else apparently,” Krystal mumbled.

 

She raised an eyebrow at her.

 

“What exactly has Tiff been telling you?”

 

“Just that you’ve met someone named Sooyoung.”

 

“Anything else?”

 

Krystal averted her eyes from her sister’s scrutinizing gaze.

 

“Nope.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Really.”

 

“Liar. I know Tiff enough to know she’s probably told you more than that.”

 

Sighing, Krystal then looked back at her sister.

 

“She told me you guys hang out and that she brings you lunch.”

 

“And?”

 

“...”

 

“And?” Jessica asked again with more weight.

 

“I can’t really say.”

 

“Why can’t you?”

 

“I’ve sworn to secrecy.”

 

“Now I’m just getting curiouser and curiouser.”

 

Krystal panicked.

 

She pretended to yawn and turned her back to her sister.

 

“I’m going to sleep.”

 

“Yah!”

 

Jessica kicked her feet but Krystal just ignored it and focused on sleeping. Jessica clicked her tongue at the obvious evasion.

 

She decided to let it go.

 

For now that is.

 

---

 

“It’s like a flower shop in here,” Krystal commented.

 

She looked around the living room and noticed various flowers placed in vases. Some of them she noticed had petals wilting and falling off.

 

She brought up the flower she picked from her sister’s mail when she came. and examined it. She quietly thought to herself. She didn’t think her sister would be one to purposely buy flowers for herself. It didn’t seem like she ordered it either.

 

It’s as if someone just dropped it in there.

 

“Why are you so early? How did you get in here?” came her sister’s bleary reply as she padded towards the living room with a warm cup of tea.

 

“I used the spare key you gave mom and dad.”

 

Jessica hummed in reply as she took a sip from her cup.

 

“You could have called first so I could pick you up.”

 

Krystal snorted at that.

 

“It’s the weekend so I knew you didn’t have your alarms on.”

 

“You could have still called.”

 

Krystal scoffed.

 

“We lived in the same house for years. You literally slept through an earthquake.”

 

Jessica looked at her for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.

 

“Anyways, here.”

 

Krystal dropped the flower on her sister’s lap. Her sister jerked upon seeing the flower. She watched as her sister tried to contain her smile but the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her.

 

“Well well well,” Krystal thought.

 

She finally realized it was a gift.

 

“A blue rose, huh.”

 

Krystal grinned.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Do you know what a blue rose means, unnie?”

 

Her sister shook her head and was now looking curiously at her.

 

“When you give someone a blue rose, it means that they desire that person but see them as unattainable.”

 

Her sister looked surprised then moved on to taking a sip from her cup again. She then noticed her sister look at the other flowers around the room.

 

Krystal caught on quickly.

 

“Oh my god! Unnie!”

 

Krystal quickly sat beside her sister and gawked at her with excitement.

 

“How could you not tell me about these?” she said gesturing to the flowers.

 

“Calm down,” was her sister’s mumbled reply.

 

“You have a secret admirer,” Krystal concluded.

 

Jessica blushed.

 

“How long has this been going on?”

 

“Since Valentine’s Day.”

 

“Oh my god.”

 

Jessica blushed even harder that the tips of her ears were also turning red.

 

She took another sip, avoiding eye contact.

 

“They’re just flowers from a stranger,” Jessica said.

 

“They’re not just flowers, unnie,” Krystal reasoned. “Have you ever bothered searching for their meanings?”

 

“I...I never thought of that.”

 

Jessica frowned at herself.

 

“I’m quite impressed they didn’t give you something so cliche as red roses. I mean that’s usually the go to option of a lot of people. And the fact that they’ve given you different flowers, clearly they’re trying to convey a message.”

 

“A message, is it?” Jessica murmured thoughtfully. She then turned to her sister. “Care to tell me what the others mean then?”

 

“Sure. But I only know a few so I’m not really sure about the others. We can search it up?”

 

Jessica nodded.

 

Krystal recited the all of flowers’ meanings to her sister one by one. Jessica told her of the earlier flowers she received as well to which her sister reacted with a smirk.

 

The more Jessica listened to her sister the warmer her cheeks got.

 

She also couldn’t hide the growing grin on her face which did not go unnoticed.

 

“So...any idea who it is?”

 

“Nope,” Jessica answered.

 

“Are you sure?” Krystal asked again, not really believing her.

 

“Yes, I’m sure.”

 

Krystal looked at her suspiciously.

 

Wanting to get away from her sister’s scrutinizing gaze, Jessica finished her drink and stood up.

 

“Anyways, Soojung. I need to head to the office first to check on some things. After that, I’m all free and we can spend the rest of the day together.”

 

Krystal’s ears perked up at that, the conversation from earlier all but forgotten.

 

“Okay.”

 

“You can stay here if you want.”

 

Krystal shook her head.

 

“I feel like roaming a bit, unnie. Let’s just meet up later.”

 

“Okay, later then.”