Jinli watched Daehyun pacing up and down and felt her stomach twist. Her father-in-law had been nothing but gracious to her despite his son’s actions and she felt her heart hammering with fear as well. There was a sour feeling as she held on tightly to Mrs. Jung’s cold hands.

            The elderly woman had her eyes closed and moved rapidly with prayer. Jinli leaned in closer and watched Daehyun. His nervous energy was obvious as he clasped his hands tightly behind his back.     

            “Daehyun,” his mother called out. Jinli couldn’t find herself to call out to him despite what had happened. “Sit down, and pray. You’re making my nerves go crazy.”

            “What happened?” He whirled on his mother. “How could it have gotten this bad and nobody knew?”

            “Your father was sitting in the living room and I was going to sleep. During dinner he complained about a tightness in his chest but I figured it was just breathing and told him to take his medication.” Jinli could feel the older woman shaking and placed her arm around her. “I heard his shout, and came running down,” by now tears had taken over her and she couldn’t speak anymore.

            Daehyun sighed and sat on his mother’s other side. When he placed his arm around the crying woman, Jinli winced. Daehyun was touching her too. “Mom, don’t worry. Dad’s strong. He’ll go through surgery and then we’ll start implementing the better diet. Don’t cry. You know dad always hated whenever you cried.”

            Even though it was a completely inappropriate moment, Jinli felt a stab of envy. When would she find someone who hurt when she hurt? Her mother-in-law took in a deep breath and straightened. She turned to Jinli and took her hand and joined it with Daehyun’s. Both avoided each other’s gaze.

            “You two, be happy, okay? You’re going to be companions for life and you need to make the most of it. It’s a beautiful relationship, and you need to try.”

            Jinli looked at the ground. Daehyun made an ambiguous noise and she looked back and forth at them. “Is something wrong?” Her anxious voice snapped them both to their life of faking.

            “No!” Jinli smiled. “We’ll be fine. Right now, let us pray for dad, okay?”

            “Yeah, Mom, don’t worry about us. We’re more worried for you right now.”

            Mrs. Jung glanced at the two of them and dropped it. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few more minutes before the door to the operation room opened. A nurse walked out and then the doctor walked out.

            Daehyun walked up to him. “Any news on my father?”

            “Your father got through the surgery. The next fourteen hours will be the most crucial. We have moved him to the intensive care unit. He may not be awake for a while, so please, if there can be as little noise around him, the better.”

            “I’ll stay.” His mother stepped up. “You two go home. I don’t want you here.”

            Daehyun opened his mouth to protest and his mother glanced sharply at him. “If you sleep here, then Jinli will and then the two of you will just be two extra people I don’t need. I’ll call you if he stirs. But promise me, you’ll go home and bury whatever hatchet it is between you two.”

            “There’s nothing wrong.”

            “Jung Daehyun, do you think that now that you’re an adult, you can get away with lying to your mother? You never got away once when you were young, nothing has changed now. Jinli, dear, please, teach my son a thing or two.”

            Jinli smiled awkwardly. “There really is nothing wrong. Let us stay here, with you.”

            She shook her head. “One day you two will understand that the best care is to be alone together. This silly old man just wants to hear me say sweet things in his ear.” Mrs. Jung gave a watery smile and sniffed. “Go home. I’ll call you if anything happened.”

***

            The car ride back was painful. Both were wrapped in their thoughts, and every thought involved the other. Jinli sighed and wondered how it feels to have someone care so much for her. Daehyun glanced over at her as he turned into the driveway. His mother’s words still rang in his head.

            They walked into the house silently and his eyes darted inadvertently to the pile of papers still on the coffee table. The white contrast of it against the dark furniture seemed like a stain, a glare that offended him. As if reading his mind, Jinli glanced at the papers as well.

            There was a hesitation but she somehow got the words out of . “We’re still getting a divorce. Don’t think that whatever your mother said can excuse your cheating.” But Daehyun could hear that the conviction has faded some in her voice.

            “Right. I’m going to take the papers. I’d like to take another look.”

            “You already signed it.”

            “I actually didn’t date it.”

            Jinli tore the papers from his hand, stared at the empty spot and glared at him. “What are you playing at, Jung Daehyun?”

            He took the papers from her and gave her as innocent a look as he could muster. “I want to make sure that in the time I skimmed it, your lawyer is going to bamboozle me out of all my money.”

            She stared at him and he smirked inwardly at the look of utter exasperation that flitted across her eyes. “Fine. I’m going to sleep.”

            He watched her go up the stairs and followed, turning left to her right. Daehyun sat on the bed and flipped through the divorce papers. He thought about his mother, and about his father and then at the words his mother said. “You’re going to be companions for life. It’s a beautiful relationship and you need to try.”

            The printed black words on the paper blurred and he sighed. Did he really want this divorce? He thought about Jinli, then about Hyosung and he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. The wedding band on his finger blinked at him and he groaned. He placed the papers between the paper shredder and turned the machine on. It was fascinating as the papers turned into unrecognizable strips.

***

            Jinli held out her hand and stared at it. The diamond sparkled in the dim light and she sighed. When she was younger, she thought one of the prettiest sights was that of the shiny band around a woman’s finger, and now that she herself was wearing one, she no longer appreciated the beauty.

            She wiggled her fingers and contemplated taking off the ring. She stared at it and then thought of Mrs. Jung’s words. She thought about the stack of papers and wondered if Daehyun was reading them. She stared at the ring and then, carefully, slid it off her finger.