JIYONG POV

It’s my turn to meet Sandara’s parents. I’m nervous. “What if they don’t like me for her?”

We were welcomed by her parents in their house. Her parents were lovely people, especially her mom. She looked like an older version of Sandara.

“Hmm…now I know what she’ll look like when she gets older.” He thought.

The dinner was lovely. Her parents seemed to like him.

Afterwards, Sandara requested her mom to play something on the piano. “Ma, could you play something for Jiyong? I told him I learned from you.”

Mrs. Park obliged and played Brahm’s lullaby. It was beautiful. I wondered why she quit her career.

“Auntie, you played very well. I see that Sandara learned from you. How come you did not pursue a career? Even my father knows you”

“Because I wanted to be a full-time mother to Sandara. Who are your parents by the way? Mrs. Park asked.

“My parents are divorced. My father is Kwon Dong Gun and my mother is Kim Jung Hwa. You must know my father since he is in the media. business”

“Actually we know your father from high school. My husband and I have been friends with him then. We last saw him about 9 years ago when we attended, that’s right, it was your birthday. I remember now, what happened to-- ”

Ring! Ring!--- Jiyong answered his phone. ”Yoboseo? What happened to mom? Okay, put her to bed. I’m coming home.”

SANDARA POV

Jiyong looked concerned. Something must have happened to his mom. “Excuse me, uncle, auntie. But I have to cut my visit so soon to attend to my mother.”

“It’s alright we understand. We’ll catch up sometime” Ma said

“Take care then and send my regards to your parents.” Pa said.

I walked Jiyong up until our gate, kissed him on the cheek and saw him leave. I wish I could do something to cheer him up.

As I walk back into our house, I asked my mother “How come I did not know you and Pa were friends with Mr. Kwon?”

“It’s because we’ve lost contact with each other after our high school graduation. We attended different universities and later on he became busy with his work.” My Ma explained.

” We saw each other again 9 years ago, and he invited us to his sons’ birthday. Don’t you remember the birthday we attended? It’s just we lost contact again when we went abroad.”

“Of course I remember, I met Jiyong there.” I thought. I asked again what my mother did not finish to say. ”Ma, what were you going to ask Jiyong?”

“Nothing important. I was just going to ask what we gave him for his birthday because I couldn’t remember.” Mrs Park evaded her real question, thinking that Sandara might not know about it yet.

JIYONG POV

When I came home, I found my mom was wasted again. She was holding an old photograph with 3 people in it: I took the photograph and stared at it.

It was a picture of 2 boys and a girl, all in their highschool uniforms, in what seemed to be their graduation. As I stared at the picture, I came to realize who they were. “The girl looked a lot like Sandara! This must be my dad and Sandara’s parents.”

I looked at the back of the picture with the names: Kwon Dong Gun, Park Eun Kyung, Park Ki Joo Graduation, 1984

 “They really did know each other then” I thought. “But why does mom have this picture”

“It’s her! her! Always her! When will you learn to love me?” My mom was crying in her sleep.

“It’s okay mom, I’m here.” I tried to comfort here. “I’ll always love you”

She woke up. “Jiyongie. I know you’ll hate me but please stop seeing Sandara from now on. You’ll only get hurt“

“Why? mom, Why?” I could not understand what she was saying.

“Because your father is in love with her mother!” she sobbed.

With that, I felt my world collapse.