CHAPTER 23

Seohyun placed the flowers before her parent’s grave stone. Her fingers traced the lines carved on the stone. Sudden emotions flowed into her as she try to remember and recall everything --- from her father’s soft chuckle to her mother’s beautiful hair that she can’t help but touch when she was younger. She closed her eyes and imagined herself sitting in the car. That day was beautiful, she remembered. That dress she wore, with flowers all over, was even a gift from her parents. She remembered that music on the background, how her parents bobbed their heads and how her mother patted her head.

With her eyes still closed, she allowed her fingers to trace the lines on the grave stone once more. Seohyun couldn’t forget the way her father lovingly smiled at her. Neither could she forget seeing her mother hovering above her, lifeless. Everything seemed too real as if time had brought her back to that very moment. Everything seemed too real until she felt a finger brush her cheek.

Kyuhyun knelt beside Seohyun, wiping away her tears. He had seen her this way a lot of times. It was always a cycle--- Seohyun visiting her parent’s grave the day after her birthday, Seohyun crying over her loss at a very early age and Kyuhyun wiping her tears as she shed every drop of sadness and grief. Kyuhyun had seen his stepsister like this and it always pain him every time.

“I miss them.” Seohyun sobbed.

Kyuhyun held Seohyun’s trembling hands. “I know they miss you, too, Seohyun. And I know they don’t want to see you like this.”

Seohyun continued to cry. No matter how hard she tries to move on with her life, she couldn’t.

Because she was there. 

She was there when her parents died. The memories of that tragic day kept coming back.

“They’re happy now, Seohyun.” Kyuhyun told his stepsister. “I know that they’re wat