It was three weeks later and autumn had come. Sunmi had left the day after Yewon’s stitches were removed and had called her twice a week since leaving to make sure Yewon was okay. This was how Yewon found herself sitting on her rooftop with a cup of coffee and her phone pressed to her ear. She sat huddled up in a blanket as she watched the city below her and waited for Sunmi to pick up the call.

“Hello,” Sunmi said expectantly.

“Hi mom,” Yewon said, running a finger around the rim of her cup.

“Is everything okay? What do you need?”

“I’m fine,” Yewon told her. “I don’t need anything.”

“Oh, well what are you calling for?” Sunmi asked, sounding confused.

Yewon blinked in surprise, realizing that this was the first time they had spoken without an intention. “Oh...well, I- uh...I guess I was just calling to...talk.”

“Oh!” Sunmi said, also surprised at the turn of events. “Right, okay...um..what about?”

“I don’t know. I just...I guess I just wanted to talk,” Yewon said.

“Okay...um...well it’s your birthday soon. Is there anything you want in particular?”

Yewon frowned slightly, realizing that Sunmi was right; it was only a few weeks away. “Um...no, you don’t have to buy me anything.”

“Of course, I’m going to buy you something. I always do, even if you send it straight back to me,” Sunmi said. “Come on, what do you want? A new car? Another Gfriend album? A piece of art?”

“Mom, no!” Yewon told her firmly. “That’s too much. I don’t want anything from you.” (A/N: Hey Sunmi...if your daughter doesn’t want the album...I’ll take it, no worries)

“There has to be something you want,” Sunmi said, sighing into the phone.

“Yeah, I want my girlfriend home safely,” Yewon told her with a small laugh. “Can you make that happen?”

“No,” Sunmi sighed. “Fine. I’ll find you something I like then.”

“Oh great. This will be good. What’s it going to be? A helicopter? A boat?”

“I mean, if you want one,” Sunmi laughed quietly.

“Now I’m curious about what you’ve sent me over the past six years,” Yewon said, smiling as she picked up her cup.

“I’m sure you would have loved them,” Sunmi assured her. “Although that kitten was probably not doing so well in that box. I can’t remember if I poked holes in it.”

“Is that a joke? From you? You actually have a sense of humor?” Yewon asked with a smile. “That’s good to know.”

“It does exist, it’s just not dark and twisted like yours,” SUnmi said exasperatedly, and Yewon could picture her rolling her eyes.

“I happen to be very sarcastic and witty,” Yewon told her. “I wonder who I got that from,”

“It certainly wasn’t your father,” Sunmi told her. “I think we’re more alike than you would like to admit.”

“Don’t I know it,” Yewon said, “I always hated being compared to you.”

“I think that applies to most children. No one wants to hear about how alike they are to their y mother,” Sunmi said.

“Are you talking about yourself or grandma?” Yewon asked, smiling to herself.

“Careful now,” Sunmi warned her, even though Yewon could hear the smile in her voice. Yewon laughed quietly as she sipped her coffee.

“So...uh...I don’t think I told you when you were here, but Eunbi and I are thinking about moving in when she gets home,” Yewon said. She wasn’t sure why she told Sunmi, she hadn’t really spoken to her about Eunbi much, not wanting to give her anything to use against her.

“Oh, really? That’s a...a big step,” Sunmi said hesitantly.

“You don’t approve,” Yewon said as she smiled. Of course, she wouldn’t approve, she rarely approved of anything.

“I told you I wouldn’t interfere in your relationship, so my opinion is irrelevant,” Sunmi told her. “But since you asked. I do think that it’s a bit soon.”

“You’re right,” Yewon agreed. “It is soon, but we’ll have been together over a year by the time she gets back, so by then I think we will be ready.”

“Well, then I’m happy for you. I worry about you being alone too much,” Sunmi admitted.

“Mom, please, I know how to look after myself. I’m good at being alone,” Yewon assured her. “I mean, I don’t want to be alone, but I am good at it...at least I used to be. I’m not so sure anymore.”

“You don’t like it. I could see it on your face every time you would look at that picture in your locket. You want her to come back to you,” Sunmi said.

“Yeah. I do, more than anything,” Yewon sighed. “I guess that’s why we’re rushing.”

“Please just be careful though, okay? I know that rushing into things sounds like a way to solve your problem, but I don’t want you to get hurt,” Sunmi said slowly.

“Eunbi isn’t going to hurt me,” Yewon laughed, brushing Sunmi’s concerns aside.

“Right, of course she won’t,” Sunmi muttered.

“I..uh...I have to go now,” Yewon said after a brief pause.

“Sunmi sighed heavily. “Yewon, please. Don’t go just because I have my reservations about it.”

“It’s not that,” Yewon said quickly. “I just- I’m supposed to be going to Eunha for dinner. They have a Sunday night dinner thing.”

“Just...call me again soon. Please.”

“Yeah, of course, I will,” Yewon assured her. “I promise.”

“Thank you. Look after yourself, okay,” Sunmi said. “I love you, Yewon.”

“Yeah. Bye mom.”

Yewon hung up and drained the rest of her cup as she looked out at the skyline. The sun was just dripping down over the edge of the tallest buildings in the city, and the sounds of the city below her. Sunmi’s words repeated themselves in Yewon's mind, and she could understand where she was coming from, but Yewon knew her own mind and she knew she wouldn’t rush into anything. She was too logical and calculating to let her emotions interfere with her decision-making.

Sighing, Yewon climbed to her feet and walked back down to her apartment. It was a bit early so she decided to reply to her latest letter from Eunbi before going over to Eunha’s place. Sitting down behind her desk, Yewon smiled at the photo on her desk before pulling a blank piece of letter paper and picking up her pen.

Dear Eunbi,

It’s been three almost three and a half months since you left, yet it feels like a lifetime. But hey, at least we’re roughly a third of the way through it. I might miss you more every day, but at least I know you’re a day closer to coming home; that’s the only thing getting me through this. The thought of seeing you again is the only thing I can think of these days.

I love you so much, Eunbi. More than you know. Your love means more to me than you will ever know, and I’m so grateful. You once said that loving is the only thing you know how to do, and that’s not true, but you give it so freely and you’ve made me feel like I’m worthy of being loved. I know you believe it can solve everything and can fix things that are broken, and I don’t share your beliefs about that.

It’s just taken me a while to realize it, but I don’t think I was ever broken, I think I was just hurt. I spent a lot of time trying to cope with that and I just pushed it all deep down inside and told myself not to bring it back up. For a while, I didn’t let myself feel things, but being with you has helped me open up more and not shy away from my feelings. Your love is the reason why I’ve given my mom another chance. I guess I was finally able to see where you were coming from when you talked about being open and loving, and I was more willing to give her a chance. That has brought up a lot of things from my past...but it’s not painful anymore. I think I’m starting to heal, finally. Thank you.

I miss you. Look after yourself, please. I love you.

Yewon

On her way to Eunha’s place, she stopped to buy some stamps and send Eunbi, her latest letter and the care package she had put together. Yewon was willing to wager that Eunbi had more care packages than she knew what to do with. She sent her one almost every week, and she knew Eunha and Jessica sent her some too. Smiling, she got back into her car and set off towards Eunha’s place.

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