Two days before Dara’s 18^th birthday…

I knew I was dreaming and in this dream I was eighteen, instead of seventeen, my most hated number at the moment.

The main town was only a fifteen-minute walk from our house. Therefore, instead of taking his beat-up Bentley, he forced me to take a walk with him.

I usually wouldn’t like this idea. It was a small town and everyone knew each other. If someone saw us hand-in-hand, it wouldn’t take five minutes for his parents to hear about it. If that happened, then everything we did for the past months would go to waste.

However, I was eighteen in this dream, so I let him hold me.

Instead of black pavement, the sidewalk and the road in our town were completely made of cobblestones. When I asked Daddy, a few years back, why they did that, he said, “There are always a lot of people in town, but because it’s made of cobblestones, the drivers have no choice but to slow down. Ergo, no accidents. And don’t you think the cobblestones make our town look more rustic and classy and lovely, princess?”

As usual, Daddy was correct.

We reached the town and the sun had already set but lamplights stand by the sidewalk, every fifteen steps or so, glowing and making our town look even more rustic, classy and lovely. However tonight, I would add another adjective to my Daddy’s description of our town.

It was romantic. Maybe even Victorian, straight out of a Brontë novel. A small town where two forbidden lovers reside.

He let go of my hand but before disappointment settled, I felt his hold on my waist as he pulled me closer to his warmth. We walked around slowly, taking our time in the world, because for once, we didn’t have to hide. We were welcomed.

We would stop from time to time to look into each other’s eyes, whisper to each other and our lips would touch, sometimes light, sometimes deep, sometimes short, sometimes long.

We were free to show our love to each other.

Kwon Jiyong and Park Sandara. Finally.

Jiyong directed us to the town’s café shop. He bought me white frostea chocolate latte while he got his hot mocha peppermint. Of course, he would get peppermint. My man ate peppermint, of any kind, at least twice a day. It was what made his kisses so delicious and well, so minty.

We sat on a bench in front of the café. My left hand was heated up by my drink while my right was clasped by Jiyong’s hand. It was early November and the temperature was starting to go down, however with the cozy shade of the lamplight above us and with his body radiating heat into mine, it was just... right.

“Dara?” I heard Jiyong’s voice. I turned to him with a smile and I saw that he was looking down at our hands. His thumb was one of my fingers and it sent a current to every nerve, making me feel more alive than ever.

His eyes finally met mine and after seeing my smile, he returned it with his own.

“Yes?”

“Are you happy, Dara?”

“Ecstatic,” I leaned in to give him a kiss. With our lips still touching, I asked him the same question, “Are you happy, Jiyong?”

He pulled me for a deeper kiss. I knew each of Jiyong’s kiss was unforgettable but this one was different, this was something I would engrave in my memory so that even in my sleep, I would dream of it over and over again.

When he pulled back, just slightly, he whispered and breathed life into my body and soul, “The happiest I’ve been in my whole life.”

I smiled against his lips and as I was about to continue our passionate kiss, he added, “But-”

“But?” I hissed quietly.

He fully grinned but he still gave me a quick kiss. “Yes. But… you would make me the happiest man, for endless lifetimes, if you agree to be my wife.”

And then, a ring emerged from nowhere, right in between us.

A ring that would bind me to this man.

A ring that would show the entire world that I was his.

A ring that would remind me of his love for me.

I looked into his eyes, hopefully displaying the same intensity of my love for him. I smiled and started to say my answer when he cut me, saying, “Answer your phone, baby. I want to say goodbye before I go. Hurry.”

I was about to ask him what he was talking about when I finally heard the ringing. I looked down to get my phone from my pocket and when I saw the caller-id, my eyebrows narrowed. It was Jiyong.

“Jiyong, why are you calling me when you’re right here-” I asked as I pulled my head back to look at him but upon doing so, I saw nothing.

Nothing but complete darkness.

The vibrant glow of the lamplights, gone.

The warm touch, non-existent.

And the man I loved, vanished.

I felt a drop in my gut and that was when I jolted awake. I quickly pushed my body up the bed and my eyes scanned the room.

Jiyong’s room.

It was dim but the light from outside let me see the shapes and shadows of the furniture I had just started to become familiar with.

I guess I had fallen asleep while waiting for Jiyong. I was about to get up when I heard another ring. I grabbed my phone and answered it as soon as I read who was calling.

“Jiyong. Where are you?” I look at the clock on top of the nightstand.

12:12 am.

“I’m almost there, baby. Go ahead and sleep. I’ll be there in no time.”

“Ok. But I want you to wake me up when you get home.”

His voice went a knob lower, “Home?”

“Yes. Where else would you go?”

I heard him chuckle, “Home.”

“I’m sleepy. Goodnight, Jiyong.”

“Bye, baby. I love you.”

Jiyong never said goodbye. It was usually ‘see you’ or ‘later’.

Again, I felt a drop in my gut. This time, it was deeper and it stayed there until I was slowly drifting asleep. Just when I was about to completely succumb to slumber; I realized I didn’t reply to Jiyong. I dialed his number, half-drowsy.

It rang.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

And when I heard the fourth ring, I hung up. Jiyong always answered before the fourth ring. He was probably driving.

I checked the time again.

12:22 am.

He would be home soon. I would just tell him then.

However, as my mind knocked at the door to dreamland, I unconsciously whispered into the unusually quiet and chilled room, “I love you too, Jiyong.”

And then, I fell asleep.

But this time, I didn’t dream of cobblestones and lamplights and delicious kisses and peppermints and Jiyong.

It was a nightmare… of two cars colliding, one of them skidding out of control, driving through the forest, hitting a tree and finally breaking the car into three, ending the life inside it.

On the other side of the windows, the rain poured.

When the rain pours over the earth heavily, an angel in heaven weeps deeply.