The door opened to a house that is bigger than a normal house. Li Na went in the house and took a look at it. ‘It hasn’t changed that much since I left to live with my friends.’ She thought as she looked around the house. She went into her room and small smile appeared on her face. “They didn’t touch anything.” Li Na was about to get something out of her room but a voice behind her startled her.

“You finally came home.”

Li Na turned around and smiled. It was her mom. She went over to her mom and hugged her tightly. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

Li Na’s mom, Kiara, smiled and gently her daughter’s hair. “Today’s my day off.” Kiara broke the hug and took a look at her daughter. “My, you’ve changed a lot ever since the last time I saw you.”

Li Na laughed and went back to looking for something in her room. “I haven’t changed that much, mom. I just layered my hair.” She said while pulling out a camera from her closet.

Kiara went over to her daughter and gently took her hands off the camera. “When you become a mom, you will be like me.” She said while taking the camera out in ease. She gave the camera to Li Na. “Did you come all the way here for this camera?”

Li Na nodded. “Mom, I’m going somewhere with my friends for three whole months.”

Kiara gasped and then sighed. She went over Li Na’s bed and sat down. “Where are you going?”

Li Na went over to her bed and sat down next to her mom. “I’m going to Hawaii.”

“Why are you going to Hawaii?”

Li Na and Kiara turned to the door where the voice was coming from. It was her dad, Ji Hoo.

Li Na sighed and stood up. “I’m going to Hawaii because I want to see the places I saw when I was young.”

Ji Hoo smiled. “Then go ahead! Make sure to go the beach where your mom and I meet!” He went over to his wife and kissed her on the cheek.

Kiara smiled and pushed him off lightly. “Did you hear the whole thing?”

He nodded. “Let her go. She’s practically a woman now. She won’t do anything wrong,” he looked up at Li Na. “Am I right?”

Li Na nodded.

Kiara let out a sighed and agreed. “Fine, but call me when you’re in trouble or you just want to talk to someone. Okay?”

Li Na nodded. Then she looked at the clocked and gasped. “I have to go pack now. The trip leaves tomorrow and I’m only half way done.” Li Na kissed her parents on the cheek and left the room. Then she came back and squeezed between her parents. “Smile!”

All of them smiled for the camera.

Li Na stood up again and waved good bye. “Bye guys! I’ll frame this picture!” She said while running out of the house.

Kiara turned her husband. “You always spoil her.”

Ji Hoo shrugged and kissed his wife. “Let’s go eat out tonight.” His wife smiled in agreement. “It’s a date then!” 

“Thank you for the ride, Eun Mi,” said Soo Jae as she stepped out of the car.

She nodded and took a sip of her Starbuck’s frappe. “No problem. When do you want me to pick you up?”

“Pick me up in an hour or so.” She said while wiping the sweat off of her hands on her shorts.

Eun Mi nodded and waved before driving off.

Soo Jae bit her lower lips. ‘What if he doesn’t approve? What if he’ll hate me? What if he’s not there?’ Soo Jae thought as she looked at the house. She started walking up to the porch and took a deep breath. “You just have to ring the doorbell and tell him that you’re going to be in Hawaii without him for three months. Yeah, I could do that in a million years,” she said. She sighed and rang the doorbell.

“Coming,” someone with a deep voice yelled.

Soo Jae smiled. “He is home.”

The door opened and there stood a man with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other hand. He smiled and bear hugged Soo Jae.

“It’s been so long since I saw you,” he says. “Look at you! You’ve grown so much since your high school years. You even grew out your hair!”

Soo Jae laughed at her uncle. “You changed too! You got a little chunkier and you’ve lost some hair,” she said while laughing.

He frowned and touches his head. “What are you talking about? I still have hair! It’s just thin,” he says. “Don’t worry about my hair and come in.” He took Soo Jae’s wrist and half dragged and half lead her to the kitchen. “Sit down and I’ll make you some pancakes.”

Soo Jae sat down and nodded. “How have you been doing, Uncle?”

He shrugged and took out the pancake mix. “So, so but don’t worry about me. I want to know how you’ve been doing.”

Soo Jae sighed and shrugged. “I’m good but I’m about to leave to Hawaii.”

Her uncle stopped what he was doing and looked at her.

Soo Jae gave a weak smile. “Is he mad?” She thought.

Then he started laughing. “Finally! How long has it been since you had a vacation? If I remember correctly, you’ve never had a vacation! Wait here,” he said and ran out of the kitchen.

Soo Jae looked confused and then she smelled something burning. “The pancakes,” she says and ran to the stove. She grabbed the spatula and flipped the pancake over. “Saved!” Then she laughed.

Her uncle came back with a button in his hands. “Here,” he gave her the button. “Take this button. It’ll bring you luck like it did for me.”

She smiled at her uncle and looked at the button. It was a turquoise color with strikes of blue and green on it. “It’s very pretty.”

He nodded. “I found it on the ground when I was going to a job interview and the next day, I got the job. I’ve been keeping it ever since then.”

“I’ll take good care of it!” She said while putting the button in her pants pocket. Then she heard a car horn beeping. She gasped and looked at the kitchens clock. It has been an hour and thirty minutes. “Uncle, I have to go now. My friend is waiting out there for me.” She kissed him on the cheeks and ran out of the house.

He smiled. “She’s growing up so fast.”