The house was mostly quiet. A soft melody crooned from the speakers of his laptop and floated through the empty rooms, giving the semblance of company. It was too large and too empty, he knew that. Hakyeon also knew it was too clean by far. Years of having been scolded by her had finally caught up and he now cleaned regularly, making the interior immaculate. And yet, none of that mattered as he focused his attention on the canvas before him.

                Sitting in front of the easel, perched on the tall stool with a brush nestled in his slender, wrinkled hand, Hakyeon hummed under his breath as he painstakingly chased away the white background. Loose clothes hung from his aged frame, cloaking his still lean figure in comfortable fabric. She would have chided him – gently – for looking so sloppy on his off days.

                Taking a breath, he sat up on the stool and stretched his tense back. Hakyeon wasn’t as young as he used to be and he couldn’t sit for long periods without stiffness anymore. With the back of his hand, he brushed ebony bangs from his face and sniffed once, tilting his head to admire his work. “Almost finished,” he smiled, wrinkles crinkling around his mouth and eyes. “Almost time too,” he added with a shrug, glancing out the window to see the sun heading towards the tops of the trees on the horizon.

                Hakyeon nodded to himself and then turned his attention back to the painting. The field was the same as always: green and filled with lilies swaying in the breeze. And she was the same as he remembered the first day they’d gone out. Reddish brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, contrasting nicely with the white and yellow sundress on her figure. She had been shy that day, threading a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked down, a coy smile on her face. She’d glanced up at him from under her lashes and he’d been star struck by the sparkling mocha eyes that met his.

                ‘Sunyoung. You’re beautiful,’ he’d blurted, making them both flush in embarrassment. But then they laughed and went to lunch together – a local café that had been her idea.

                Just thinking about it made Hakyeon smile again as he put the finishing touches on her figure. One brow rose when he glanced out the window again, making sure he hadn’t finished too early. He was always unsure when dusk approached. Maybe this time, it wouldn’t happen, and he held his breath as the sun sank lower over the trees. But then the air shifted – some unseen signal prompting a change – and he turned to stare at the painting in expectant awe.

                “Hakyeon,” the figure in the painting murmured, looking up at him with clear, but slightly worried eyes.

                “Sunyoung,” he breathed, the whisper of sound encompassing everything he still felt for her.

                “You’ve gotten old,” she laughed lightly, hiding behind her hand as she walked through the field, coming closer to him.

                “And you haven’t changed at all,” he promised, setting the paint brush down so he could prop his hands on the lip of the stool between his open legs.

                “You look tired, dear,” Sunyoung frowned, reaching out as if she could caress his face. But her hand stopped short, brushing against the canvas instead.

                Hakyeon laughed and waved her off with a shake of his head. “This is how I always look now,” he promised her.

                Her lips pressed together as if she didn’t believe him but then her eyes softened and she shook her head. “So. How are you today? The kids still causing you trouble?” she teased, a twinkle in her eyes.

                “Always,” he grinned, leaning close happily. “Wonshik’s been heckling me to come visit him and Taekwoon sends passive aggressive messages from time to time to remind me how often I don’t bother him anymore. I think he misses it to be honest,” Hakyeon shrugged with a bemused smile. “Jaehwan drops by every so often to badger me into leaving the house and Hyuk is doing well, the last time I checked. Busy as always, that one. How’s Hongbin?” he added, waiting expectantly for an answer.

                It was clear by her raised brow he hadn’t mentioned the ones she’d actually been asking about, but she smiled gently and nodded. “He’s good. Content from what I can tell. Why don’t you paint him sometime?” she wondered thoughtfully.

                “Then I wouldn’t get to see you,” he answered quickly.

                “Silly,” she laughed lightly. “I’m already always with you.”

                “But not like this,” he explained, reaching out to caress the canvas carefully, the paint already dry but the texture mere paper cloth instead of smooth skin.

                Sunyoung shook her head and her smile widened. “Indeed.” Shifting from foot to foot, she placed her hands behind her back and nudged, “And the other kiddos?”

                Hakyeon’s smile grew wider. “They’re good, love. Jihoon is doing well with his wife and their three kids. They’re all getting so big,” he beamed, touching the side of the painting as if it was Sunyoung. “I’ll have to show you a picture sometime,” he promised idly.

                “I would like that,” Sunyoung smiled, laughing in delight, though her slightly sad eyes knew he would probably forget again like he usually did.

                “And Sooyoung is doing well too. She’s been in remission for six years now, and making me proud as always,” he chuckled under his breath. “Still trying to work things out with her husband but the kids are helping her as best they can. She keeps trying to tell me to come live with her so she can keep an eye on me. Maybe one of these days,” he shrugged, twisting his mouth to the side.

                “The company would probably be good for you,” Sunyoung agreed with a knowing smile.

                “Ah, but then I wouldn’t get to see you,” he shook his finger at her. Sunyoung didn’t say anything in response. Her sad smile said more than enough, but he didn’t let it bother him. “I might be getting old, but I’ve still got some life left in me,” he winked, the expression a bit forced. “As such, my lady, would you care to dance?” he smiled, stepping off the stool so he could bow and extend his hand as if she could take it.

                “I’d love to,” Sunyoung grinned, curtsying in response. “But you should go see the kids soon,” she added before he could step away. “I know it would be good for all of you.”

                Hakyeon paused as he stood upright, peering at her on the canvas. “You’re probably right. You always were,” he admitted with a bemused huff. “Maybe,” he conceded, extending his hand again. “Shall we?” he went on, effectively ending the conversation.

                “Of course,” she added after a slight pause, holding her hands up as if he was able to lead her around the field.

                The quiet music in the background was just loud enough for them to listen and pretend that they were in the same space. One of their shared interests had been dance, and it was something they’d done together up until cancer had made it impossible for Sunyoung to continue. And then Hakyeon had danced for her, almost like he was now. In this hour, he could remember what it was like to be with her again. They could pretend things were the same as they had been before she’d passed away, before sickness had eaten away at her body, before life had started to take its toll. And this was the happiest hour of every day for Hakyeon.

                Followed all too quickly by the saddest hour in turn…

                When dusk ended and became full night, the air shifted again and Hakyeon paused, feeling his energy drain away like the water in the tub. Sunyoung was gone. The field remained, as always, but she was missing once more. His chest was tight when he moved to stand directly in front of the empty field, fingers brushing over where she had been. “Don’t go,” he sighed wistfully, knowing it was useless.

                He loved and hated dusk. It was when he could see her again, but when it was over, so was their time together. And he had to do it all over again the next day. Hakyeon didn’t remember the exact day he’d discovered this strange bit of magic, and he wasn’t entirely sure if it was real or just in his head, but he was happy about it. He knew he’d cried the day his painting had come to life and he could speak to Sunyoung again.

                Her passing had not been easy for him. Nor was her leaving every evening. Physically weary, Hakyeon shuffled to his reclining chair and sank into the soft cushions, leaning back so he could stare at the ceiling. Time felt heavy on his aging frame. How many years had it been since the illness had claimed her life, after claiming her vitality? He didn’t remember and it didn’t seem like it mattered. It felt an eternity to him anyway.

                “Tomorrow,” he hummed under his breath, bony fingers gripping the arms of his chair. Tomorrow was the weekend. He could go see Jihoon and surprise the grandkids at least. If he wanted to see Sooyoung, he’d need to call ahead of time to make sure she was free, but that would be doable. “It would be nice to see them. And the boys,” he smiled, letting the tired expression warm his aching heart. “I’ll work on it tomorrow,” he nodded, letting his heavy lids close so he could sleep and dream of lily fields and the woman who waited in them.

                Despite his desire to stay home and paint – a past time he’d begun when his usual dance routine had become too strenuous for his age – Hakyeon did convince himself to go see his son. He felt almost like he was dealing with withdrawal when he was driving, but as soon as he arrived, the joy and energy of family and youth washed the feeling away. They were surprised by his visit but happy enough to entertain him for the afternoon, postponing plans to go out until Sunday.

                “You should have let us know you were coming!” Jihoon chided as soon as he saw his father, ushering the older man in with the announcement of: ‘Grandpa’s here!’

                A screaming, delighted child of ten – a very late accident daughter – was the immediate response before Hakyeon was greeted by her, shortly followed by her older brother who still lived at home. Her brother was twenty three and the eldest was twenty eight, but he no longer lived at home; he was married with his own children by now. Hakyeon was grateful for those he could see though, and the hospitality they were able to grant him for a day. In truth, he often forgot how nice it could be to visit people outside of his home. He would have to tell Sunyoung she’d been right again.

                And he was happy for the time spent with them, but not unlike after dusk, when he left, Hakyeon felt the pang of loss settling in his chest again. The vibrant energy that kept him afloat when he was there turned to a curious numbness that lingered even when he returned home. It was worsened by the sight of the empty canvas. He had no time to bring her to life tonight, and even if he worked as quickly as possible, he wouldn’t risk doing a poor job on painting her.

                After the first miracle of seeing her come to life on the canvas, it had taken some trial and error to figure out just when he could get it to work. If he finished too soon in the day, the magic wouldn’t take hold and she would just be a painting, immortalized on the paper cloth but just an image. He had several paintings of her hidden away in his attic from his failed attempts, in fact. If he waited too late, he would only have a short time to see her, so he’d gotten very good at carving out the time he needed to make it perfect on any given day.

                That changed when he tried to see people, or when people tried to see him. He was afraid he’d been a bit short with Jaehwan the last time the old man had come by to visit him. He should probably apologize and set something up with him. He could be annoying but he was a good friend and he’d been very supportive of Hakyeon when Sunyoung had passed away. He deserved the effort, if nothing else.

                “Maybe I’ll get in touch with him tomorrow,” he mused, biting his lip as he forced himself past the easel and into the kitchen for a bite to eat.

                ‘Tomorrow’ turned into another visit with a joyous Jaehwan and his wife. They caught up on all the things they’d both been forgetting to tell the other and his wife told stories of all the trouble he’d been causing her lately. The three laughed and forgot time for a bit as they reminisced and simply existed with each other again. Hakyeon had forgotten what it could be like to visit friends. It was refreshing.

                Jaehwan made him promise to come by again some time soon, and Hakyeon hesitantly agreed. When he returned home, the canvas was still empty, but it was not as heartbreaking as before. He the music – a compilation of “their” songs over the years – and started to make a list of all the things he would tell Sunyoung tomorrow, or the next time he painted her.

                Instead of painting Sunyoung, Hakyeon spent the next couple weeks reconnecting with all the friends and family he’d let slip from his mind when he discovered the magic hour. Sunyoung was never far from his thoughts, but she was also alive in almost every conversation he had with whoever he was visiting. She’d brought life with her wherever she went and her presence was felt just as warmly when she came up in their stories.

                When grabbing a drink at a local pub, Wonshik recalled how she’d had to track Hakyeon down after one of their first dates because he’d been so embarrassed by something that he had done or said. Neither could remember what it was anymore, but they laughed so hard they cried. Especially because Wonshik was ridiculously good at embellishing her part in the story.

                And Hakyeon finally made good on setting aside time to bother Taekwoon for an afternoon as well. The old codger gave him a death glare that should have shaved a couple years off his life when he actually surprised him in the private rest home his kids paid for. Several of the old cats in the home decided Taekwoon’s room was one of the best to sleep in so Hakyeon was severely distracted by the cute, fuzzy critters, but he could tell his ‘ridiculous’ antics made his friend feel better. A tiny smile blossomed at the edges of his mouth and, while Hakyeon did most of the talking – including recounting the story Wonshik had told the other day – he was pretty sure it was a nice visit for both of them.

                A casual visit with Sanghyuk a couple days later had Hakyeon checking on the younger old man to make sure was doing alright. Retired but still willfully busy, he didn’t have as much time to spare, but he did take Hakyeon out for lunch. They reminisced and teased each other about getting old before parting ways once more. And on the way home, he swung by the Sunny Hills Cemetery to pay a quick visit to Hongbin. Someone had left flowers recently and he suspected it was one of Hongbin’s adopted children. His partner hadn’t stayed in the area when he’d passed away, choosing to return home to be with his own family, but their kids had remained in the area.

                “How you doing, old friend?” he asked quietly, sitting down in front of the patch of grass that was where he’d been laid to rest. “Sunyoung says you’re alright so I’ll take her word for it for now,” he winked, picking at individual blades before starting to pile them up in front of him. “Maybe I should paint you both one of these days and we can all have a grand conversation,” he grinned, amusing himself. “It’s weird getting old, you know?” he wondered aloud, glancing around the cemetery where he imagined several others might be in due time. “I’m gonna have to stop doing it soon. Bad for the health,” he shrugged, scratching at his head. He wasn’t really sure what to say so he rambled, venting to the one who would listen without interrupting and without judgement.

                There were so many things he had kept hidden so as not to make others worried. He was lonely. And he did miss Sunyoung even when he said he was better. He was afraid of getting older and afraid of leaving people behind. He was worried about his kids – especially Sooyoung – but also worried about himself. He’d dodged all the major bullets of health scares but he certainly knew he was running on borrowed time. Dancing had been, and still was, his passion, but it wasn’t the kindest on his body. His joints ached and he was stiffer than he cared to admit some days. That was bad enough, but he was also afraid the magic hour would stop working too and that he would lose Sunyoung again…

                “I haven’t tried in a few days now and I’m a bit worried she won’t come back when I do,” he explained, making blades of grain rain in gentle sprinkles. “I’m gonna go spend some time with my daughter first and then… we’ll see,” he added, nodding his head emphatically. “Anyway. Thanks for listening, Binnie,” Hakyeon murmured, standing up and brushing his hands off. “We should do this again sometime,” he added with an awkward wave before heading out.

                Going home wasn’t as bad as it had been the first time he’d gone out. And seeing the blank canvas also didn’t cause quite the pang. He his music like always, touched the canvas on his way to the kitchen, and focused on finishing plans with his daughter. They’d agreed he would spend the weekend with her and the kids, without the husband around. He was happier with that arrangement. Hakyeon was proud of Sooyoung for trying to make things work, but neither he nor Sunyoung had really cared for her choice in men…

                The next day was a Thursday and Hakyeon nervously painted Sunyoung on the canvas in the afternoon. His clothes were of a better fit this time around, but his hair was messy because he hadn’t really bothered to style it earlier that morning. He didn’t think anything of it as he waited with baited breath for dusk to settle in. And he very nearly could have cried when he felt the tell-tale shift in the air. A smile bloomed on his face and he leaned forward when Sunyoung looked up to meet his eyes.

                “You’ve gotten old,” she laughed, moving through the field to get closer to him.

                “And you haven’t changed at all,” he promised, replaying their usual dialogue.

                Her expression turned thoughtful and her smile softened. “You look happier,” she stated, brushing her fingers against the canvas reflexively. “Hongbin said you came by too,” she added with a giggle. “He said you had a lot to say.”

                “He has a big mouth,” Hakyeon pouted, pointing at her.

                Sunyoung laughed then. “And you have a big heart,” she assured him, blowing him a kiss.

                Hakyeon reached to catch it, pressing his closed fist against his lips and then his heart. “Only because you made it that way.”

                “Ugh, that’s so cheesy,” she flushed, shifting in place.

                He shrugged and looked up but didn’t deny it. “So… I’m going to see Sooyoung tomorrow,” he explained hesitantly, his lips. “Her husband isn’t going to be there, but the kids will be.”

                “I’m glad,” she admitted earnestly. “She says a lot of prayers nowadays.” Her lips thinned slightly as her eyes fell just a touch.

                “Yeah?” Sunyoung nodded with a hesitant shrug. “I didn’t know,” Hakyeon sighed with a frown.

                “She’s like you that way,” Sunyoung explained. “She tries not to make others worry but manages to make it happen anyway.” She shook her finger at Hakyeon with a knowing look.

                “What?” he snorted, waving at her with one hand. “I know, I know,” he admitted with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “I’m working on it,” he promised instead, folding his arms over his chest. The look she gave him said she didn’t quite believe it, but she didn’t press the matter. Hakyeon let it stay at that and then wondered, “Is there anything you’d like me to say to our daughter?”

                “Just… remind her she’s loved. And not alone,” Sunyoung emphasized gently, the hint obvious for him.

                “I understand,” Hakyeon nodded slowly, a gentle smile on his lips. With that bit out of the way, he asked her if she wanted to dance and, even after the magic hour ended, though she faded from the canvas, Sunyoung followed him to his dreams and they danced all night there too. In that fabled realm of possibilities, he did not feel old at all.

                After such pleasant dreams, the prospect of seeing his daughter and her children seemed brighter on the morrow. He arrived later in the day, with dinner so she wouldn’t have to make it. She arrived late, but at least the kids were there to welcome him. Sooyoung’s son and daughter were old enough to be married with their own children, but when their mom had gotten sick, she’d become their priority. Areum, who looked just like her mom, moved back in with her mother to help her during cancer treatments and had stayed when things continued to be difficult. Jay lived away from home but helped on the weekends when he could. He’d agreed to stay over this time to spend time with his mother and grandfather.

                Hakyeon realized he really had been missing out on quite a bit with how isolated Sooyoung made herself. She was more like him than he recognized, unfortunately. But it was good to see them regardless. During the weekend, they pulled out family videos and watched movies all night. He spoiled them with homemade popcorn and brownies, and they ordered pizza one evening. They even spent one night, after pizza, drinking and laughing and crying at all the stories they had to share about the events that had happened in their lives – from the embarrassing to the annoying and even the upsetting turned funny in retrospect.

                And though she was all smiles when the kids were around, Hakyeon had the chance to feel his heart break and then mend again when his daughter curled against his side on the couch and finally unburdened herself of the things she had kept in. “It’s alright, sweetie. Daddy’s here,” Hakyeon soothed as she sobbed against his chest, rocking her back and forth on the sofa in the wee hours of the morning. And as he tucked her into bed before he called it a night, he kissed her forehead and whispered, “Your mother and I love you. Very much.”

                “Love you too, daddy,” she mumbled in a half-asleep daze. “And momma…”

                Sunday morning, Hakyeon made pancakes and pretended as if the evening hadn’t happened for the sake of his daughter and her children. She looked… better for it. Even if it had been hard, he was happy enough he could be there at least one more time.

                They took lots of silly pictures that day, making faces and playing games like they had when his kids were just children. Jay suggested they go see a movie at the theater in the afternoon and they finished with dinner at a family restaurant followed by ice cream. More pictures were had and Hakyeon dabbed whipped cream on all their noses, causing them to retaliate in turn. It was a messy but funny affair and he went home feeling better about his daughter and her situation. She wasn’t where he hoped she’d be at this point in her life, but he was pretty sure she’d be alright. She did take after him after all.

                At last, Hakyeon was able to sit down and paint Sunyoung so that he could tell her everything she’d missed while he was doing what she suggested. There were so many stories, he couldn’t do it in one night, and though they didn’t dance in the living room, they continued to dance in his dreams afterwards. And each night he dreamed, the more real it felt.

                The days blurred together and while he called and sent the occasional email to people, his focus remained on Sunyoung. She felt more and more real as the days went by and he continued to tell his stories to her. At last, he finally got to the end. “I think she’ll be okay, love,” he admitted with a nod, talking about their daughter. “She finally opened up to me like old times. And I held her as she cried like a child,” he laughed in fond remembrance. “It felt good to be needed, if only for that moment,” he admitted.

                “I’m glad, honey. Really, I am,” Sunyoung smiled, the expression sincere but also a little sad.

                He paused as he noticed the look on her face. “What’s wrong?”

                Sunyoung took a breath and shook her head. “Nothing. It’s just… when I died, I was so worried about you,” she explained, fidgeting in place. “You just seemed so lost,” she added with a shrug.

                “I was,” he admitted, knowing that to be true. “You were my life,” Hakyeon whispered. “I wasn’t ready to lose you and I had to anyway.”

                “I was happy when you found me again too,” she assured him, reaching out as if she could touch him in person. “But a little sad as well.”

                “Sad?” he wondered, leaning forward curiously.

                “You were starting to let me go,” she smiled sadly. “Starting to move on and live your life again,” she laughed. “But then this happened,” she gestured at the painting. “And you started living in the past. I was worried you’d forget about your present.”

                Hakyeon grimaced at the explanation. “I… did.”

                “I know,” she acknowledged. “But you also found it again. And I’m so happy for that,” she promised, clasping both hands together.

                “Me too,” he answered after a pause, feeling just a bit as if the conversation was different. Not just in what they were talking about – that was new – but for the whole thing. “So… care to dance then?” he asked, as he always did, when there was time.

                “Of course,” Sunyoung nodded, hesitating before she moved though. “Just promise me one thing first. Before you see me again tomorrow, call Sooyoung, okay?”

                Perplexed by the timing of the request but seeing no harm in it, Hakyeon nodded. “I will.”

                “Thank you,” she beamed, finally moving into position to dance.

                That night, Hakyeon felt even more alive in the dream world than he had before. It was almost as if he could actually feel Sunyoung and the sun caressing them in the field. He woke feeling even lighter than normal and spent the day tidying up and sending emails to friends and family. He kept an eye on the clock so he’d know when to start painting, but before that, he fulfilled his promise to his wife.

                The phone rang a few times before his daughter picked up. “Hey, dad? What’s up? Everything okay?” she asked, obviously confused as to why he was calling in the middle of the day.

                “Everything’s fine. Nothing much, sweetie,” he assured her, a smile in his voice. “I just wanted to call and let you know I had a really good time seeing you this past weekend.”

                “Oh. Yeah. Me too,” she smiled back, the expression obvious in her tone. “Areum and Jay were really excited too. I haven’t seen them that happy in a long time,” she laughed, the hint of tears in her voice.

                “Listen, sweetie. I’m just… I’m sorry I wasn’t there as much as I could have been,” he explained, shrugging at the thought.

                Sooyoung made a sound in the back of . “I… understand,” she hesitated, wanting to say more but holding back. “I know it was tough when mom died,” she explained instead.

                He didn’t need to hear it to know she was thinking for her as well as for him. “Yeah,” he agreed awkwardly. “But you’ve done an amazing job of holding it all together.”

                She scoffed at the response. “I’m just shy of falling apart and you know it.”

                “Nah,” he shook his head, letting the pride shine through. “You’ve had it tough, I know, but you’re stronger than you’ll ever give yourself credit for. You’re mine and your mother’s daughter. And we’re both so proud of you, hon. Never forget that,” he assured her determinedly.

                Sooyoung laughed and he guessed she might have been wiping at tears. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been drinking,” she explained, swallowing loudly. “You sure everything’s okay, dad?”

                “Yeah,” Hakyeon answered easily, nodding along. “I just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you and I love you, sweetie. Okay?”

                “Yeah. Love you too dad,” she responded, sniffing quietly. “Listen, I gotta go, but keep in touch, alright? It really was good to see you again.”

                “Love you sweetie,” Hakyeon reminded her, a smile on his lips. “Bye for now, and have a good day!”

                “You too!” she shot back, a smile in her voice but rushing to get off the phone.

                “Silly girl,” Hakyeon chuckled as he shook his head and then turned to look at the empty canvas. “Alright, love. Promise kept,” he grinned, moving to get his paints.

                The next morning, Sooyoung felt a bit strange about the conversation she had with her father the day before. While she was getting ready for work, she decided to call him, just to check. Strangely, he didn’t answer, which was highly unlike her father. He never missed a phone call. Frowning, she set her cell down and moved to finish getting ready. A moment later, she came back to try again, an unsettled feeling in her stomach.

                The result was the same: no answer.

                “Come on, dad,” she frowned, chewing on her thumbnail. Ordinarily, she would have chalked it up to an off morning or something like that, but this felt different. “Areum!” she called to the back of the house. “I’m gonna leave a little bit early today. Make sure you lock the door when you leave!”

                “Sure, mom!” her daughter yelled back, her voice faint but clear.

                Sooyoung called work to let her boss know she might be a bit late, but she needed to check on something first. They understood and she made her way to her father’s house. His car was still in the driveway and the door was locked when she tried the handle. No lights were on though and he wasn’t answering the doorbell. “Strange,” she murmured, fishing the spare key out from under the potted plant so she could get inside.

                Somewhat surprisingly, the place looked spotless, but her father was still nowhere to be seen. “Dad?” she called out, pausing to admire the painting in the living room. “Wow,” she mused, stepping closer to get a better look. She knew her father had been painting in his spare time but she hadn’t realized he was that good.

                In the painting were two figures. Her mother was recognizable by the dress she’d been wearing in the picture her father had shown her of their first date. She couldn’t have been more than twenty in the image. And though she hadn’t seen the picture in some time, she knew the other person was her father. Only, he was just as young as Sunyoung. Gone were the gray hairs and the wrinkles. He was finally wearing clothes that actually fit him again, and he looked so very happy. Standing in the field of lilies, holding Sunyoung’s hands as they stared at each other blissfully, it felt strangely intimate seeing the scene. They just looked so… real.

                “Dad?” she tried again, finally prying herself away from the picture so she could keep looking. “I tried calling you this morning but you didn’t answer,” she admitted, making her way through the rooms until she got to the closed bedroom. Awkwardly, she knocked, waiting uncertainly at the doorway. “Dad?” she called, knocking again. “Um. I’m coming in, okay?” she announced, feeling very strange about the whole situation.

                As soon as she got into the room, she stopped and just stared at her father in bed. She wasn’t even close enough to know for sure, but she knew anyway. He wasn’t sleeping… but the look on his face was so very peaceful. He looked… happy.

                Pursing her lips, Sooyoung shuffled closer and placed her hand over her father’s, feeling close at the confirmation. His skin was cold to the touch. Struggling with the realization, she pulled her phone out and called emergency services. She finished as quickly as she could and then moved into the living room to wait for them to arrive, in shock about the whole thing.

                She wanted to just cry, and she was close to it, but then she saw the painting again, and she did a confused double-take. Instead of facing each other, the pair were now facing the front of the painting. Side by side, they were hugging each other and their hands made a heart symbol between them. If she didn’t know better, she would say they were looking right at her.

                “Mom? Dad?” she asked softly, her lips as she approached the painting. Carefully, she touched the surface and brushed her fingers over them. She didn’t hear anything and nothing changed on the picture, but Sooyoung knew. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes and she smiled through her tears this time. “I see,” she choked, wiping at her eyes.

                They were together again, as they were always meant to be.