I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy

I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need

I'll love you more with every breath truly, madly, deeply do

"You will be absolutely fine, Byul. Just relax, okay?" Yongsun rubbed her hand up and down Byulyi's arm, hoping to calm her nerves.

Yongsun's mom, Hyojin, had been pestering Yongsun to bring Byulyi home for a dinner ever since Yongsun told her mom she proposed to the woman she's dating, even though she had been rejected. Byulyi gave Yongsun a scolding, saying that she must have left a bad impression. Who the hell would like it if someone rejected their child's proposal?

"I can already tell your mom doesn't like me." Byulyi whispered, grabbing onto Yongsun's hand under the table.

"Nonsense." Yongsun whispered back.

"So, how did you two meet?" Yongsun's dad, Sunho, asked to break the almost awkward silence.

"We met in prison." Yongsun answered in a nonchalant way, as if it's natural to meet your soulmate in a prison.

Hyojin almost choked on her water, and Sunho was just busy trying to keep his laughter in.

"You think it's funny?" Hyojin directed her question at Sunho.

Sunho quickly shook his head, winking at Yongsun.

Byulyi hit Yongsun on her thigh under the table, glaring at her. 

Yongsun simply smiled. 

"I just want to make sure I'm hearing this right, you met Byulyi-ssi in prison?" 

"Please, call me Byulyi." Byulyi interrupted. "And yes, we did meet in prison. I was an inmate and Yongsun was my psychologist."

"Oh." Hyojin simply said, and for the rest of the dinner she did not spare even one look at Byulyi.

Though, Sunho did make an effort in knowing Byulyi. He could tell how happy Byulyi made Yongsun. The way Yongsun's eyes sparkle whenever Byulyi answered his questions, the way Yongsun's smile reached her eyes when Byulyi said something funny, the way Yongsun's cheeks turned into a dark shade of pink when Byulyi looked at her, was something Sunho never got the privilege to see.

Yongsun told Sunho how Byulyi had been studying hard at becoming a surgeon and following in her family's footsteps, and how she really tried her best to make amends when she was behind bars. Yongsun told Sunho how proud she is of Byulyi and how far she has come. From this woman who had built her walls so high up, to how she easily expresses what she wants and how she feels now.

Sunho was impressed by Byulyi. Not many people who have come out of prison can say that they've improved themselves and made an actual difference in prison. He could tell whatever crime she committed, it wasn't because she was a bad person.

"Can I have a word with Yongsun?" Hyojin wiped the corners of the mouth with her napkin and smiled an awkward smile.

Byulyi whispered a I'm sorry to Yongsun, which the older woman had no idea what that was for.

But Byulyi knew why Hyojin wanted to talk to Yongsun privately.

It's because she doesn't approve their relationship.

Byulyi was left with Sunho, and the man did try to make her comfortable and less awkward with his dad jokes. Byulyi could tell Yongsun got his dark brown eyes and smile from him.

"Yeah?" Yongsun said as soon as they were in the backyard. 

"Please don't tell me she's the one you proposed to." 

"She's the one. The only one."

"Me and your dad only know that she was a criminal. We don't know much about her, how can you propose to her without telling us beforehand?"

"Mom, you and dad just need to know that I love her. That's all you need to know." Yongsun held Hyojin's hands, "She's a good kid, mom. She's not a bad person, she never was. And I'm not exactly someone who's perfect. I gave my own child up for adoption even though I was fully capable of taking care of her."

"That--" Hyojin tried to argue, but Yongsun cut her off.

"Don't tell me that's different. Because in my eyes, abandoning your own child is the worst. Give Byulyi a chance, please?"

"Fine."

Hyojin gave in. Because she knows that whoever could get Yongsun to talk about Hayoung, then that person must be pretty important to Yongsun. And maybe, Byulyi is that person.

Walking back to the dining room, Yongsun saw Sunho and Byulyi laughing heartily.

"What is so funny?" Yongsun grabbed Byulyi's hand as soon as she pulled her chair in.

"The fact that you tried to make a potion by mixing random liquids in the bathroom while you take baths." Sunho and Byulyi laughed again when Yongsun's eyes turned wide and her jaw almost hitting the floor.

"I told you she would make that face!" Sunho pointed at Yongsun's face excitedly.

"I was ten!" Yongsun slapped Byulyi on her arm. "I hate you." 

"You love me." Byulyi flashed a toothy grin.

Clearing , Yongsun let go of Byulyi's hand and fished for something in her pocket.

"If we are all done with dinner, I would like to ask Byulyi something."

Sunho and Hyojin looked at each other, and gave each other a knowing smile. Byulyi was flustered, and she could feel her heart in . Surely Yongsun isn't going to propose to her in front of her parents?

Of course she is.

Yongsun got down on one knee and opened the little red velvet box.

"I am going to keep this short, and I just want to say that you, Byulyi, are the reason for my smile. I wake up every day smiling because of you. Because of the fact that you are mine. You bring out the best in me and you make me feel lik