“ Ah this girl, why can’t she keep her house clean?” I playfully scold my daughter for not dusting the pictures she has on the shelf. But deep down I know how clean she is and the effort she takes to keep it that way. She has grown into a strong woman with out me. I am guilty and I am proud. I caress the picture of her at a fashion show. The beauty she is and the impeccable fashion she donnes in lady like manner. I can feel a tear in my eye.

*knock knock I hear at the door. I know its not Dara, because, she would just walk right in and I can always hear her heels clack. This is someone else. Should I open the door? What if it’s some Korean speaking to me in Korean? It will be a huge drama. *knock knock I hear the knocks again. With some nervousness I go and open the door and peek through the slight opening.

“Oh hello Mrs. Day.” Siwon greets me from the other side. With a relieving sigh, I open the door to the young man.

“ Please Siwon come in.”

“ Thank you.” he bows graciously and comes in. I notice him removing his shoes as in walks in. all this is very new. Very fascinating.

“ Please sit down.” I gesture him to a couch. “ Would you like some tea or anything else to drink?” I ask him.

“ Can I have some water please?” he says still standing up and his hands folded in manners.

“ Sure. Sit down.” I playfully order him.

I get a cold glass of water and take a seat opposite him.

“ Thank you Mrs. Day.”

“ Siwon you can really stop with the Mrs. Day ad just call me Anne. Well my first name…”

“ Is Annette..i know.” Siwon completed my sentence. That was very thoughtful and cute. So he knows about me. Dara must have told him.

“ So Mrs. Day…” he starts of and I give him a scowl.

“ Sorry, Anne, “ he giggles.

“ I was wondering if you are free now, I could perhaps take you out fro dinner? I have not been able to spend time with you since you came.”

I was pleasantly shocked with the request. But I liked this boy for being so considerate.

“ Sure…will Dara be joining us as well?”

“ Yes definitely but there is something I want to talk to you about. Just you and me. Dara has a meeting with my dad, so she will join us a bit later.”

He wants to talk to me. I’m sure its about Dara. I have to hear him out.

“ Sure, just give me 30 minutes I’ll be ready. In the mean time, do you like some thing to eat? Here are the remotes which I have no idea how they work, the magazines…” I start to look around.

I hear Siwon give out a small laugh.

“ What happened? I ask with a smile.

“ No its just that you reminded me of Dara in a very similar situation. I was here a few days back and she was as flustered as you. I guess she has a lot of you In her.” he says.

I smile at how he has observed Dara. “ So you were here? In the apartment when Dara was alone.” I tease and I see Siwon stiffen up immediately .

“ no….mam….i mean…..yes…” I just wanted to laugh at his sudden uncomfortable situation- kids!

“ Oh come on relax boy. I was teasing with you.” I laughed and so did he. For some reason it I felt there was some kind of bonding between us.

I took less than 30 minutes to get ready. I wore my white pants and pink shirt. Not very fancy…something that Dara would not buy me. Its something I just packed.  I walk out of the room and find Siwon on the phone talking to someone in Korean.

The minute he sees me, he gets flustered and I gesture him to calm down and finish the call.

“ Ok I’ll talk to you later.” He says and turns to me.

“ Now I know where Dara gets her beauty from.” He says making me smile.

“ You are just like my husband…very complimenting.” I say to him.

“ Lets go?” I nod and follow him.

 

In 20 minutes we arrive in a very fancy and I’m sure one very expensive Italian restaurant. A waiter  welcomes us. Siwon offers me his arm and I tangle mine with his. So gentlemanly. I walk with him and I can see a few heads turn to see an old woman with grey hair walk in with a stunning boy.

He has already proven what a gentleman he is and adds another when he pulls the chair for me. I sit elegantly.

Dara’s mum sits beautifully in font of me. She has no idea how nervous I am. I have not done this before and doing something like this out of wit, is new and thrilling. Im doing this for my lady love.

A waiter welcomes us for the evening and hands us the wine list. “ What would you like to drink Anne?” I ask as she wears her glasses and browses through the wine list.

“ I’m not very familiar with wines, any thing you suggest Siwon?” she asks me. This is my lady love’s mother. My future mother in law. I have to treat her well. I order for the best- Chteau Latour Pauillac 1990. The waiter gives a gasp and so does Anne.

“ Siwon” she whispers and leans forward as she covers the side where is waiter is standing. “ This seems to be very expensive. Lets have something else.”

“ Anne, its fine. I want to treat you well.” I tell her.

The waiter leaves with a nod of the head.

“ Thank you very much for accepting my request to come to dinner with me in such short notice.” I apologies.

“ Its not like I was busy or anything. Besides I wanted to thank you too.”

“ Thank me? For what Mrs. Day?”

“ Well, for starters, I saw my daughter for the first time after 7 years and there was this sort of a clarity in her. Serenity perhaps and most of I saw happiness in her eyes. You have no idea what that means to her and me. I have seen her cry in silence. When she is truly depressed, she never cries. There will never be tears in her eyes. Her eyes will be dry but her heart will be shattered. She has been way to strong for a long time. I wanted to be with her and hold her when she cried. But I was not there. I felt guilty. But when I saw her, she was clear, her eyes were clear, she was warm, she was considerate.” Anne says to me and continues,

“ Recently I have seen a lot of changes in her as well. She is smiling to herself, she is eating cakes and chocolates, which is very new, she talks to herself, she enjoys the breeze. All this may be something everyone does, but for Dara, all this is new and I’m am very very sure, that all this is because of you. so thank you son.” She said with tear filled eyes and this is the first time she has called me Son. Son! She has accepted me as a part of the family.

She wipes away the tear that rolls down her face with a napkin. “Im sorry.”

“ No please don’t be.” I whisper.

“ So what is it that you want to talk ‘bout?”

“ Well…..” I stutter.

“ Go on son.” She says placing her warm hands over mine.

“ I asked Dara to marry me.” I said nervous unexpected of the reaction and closed my eyes. Suddenly I felt warm palm cupping my cheek. I open my eyes wide.

I smile at Anna, who was looking at me with the warmest eyes- something that I have seen with my mum when I get hurt.

“ Do you really love her?” she asked taking her hands of my cheek.

“ I would do anything for her in this world. If she wants I will put the whole world under her feet. She is everything I want. ” I said with my truest feeling.

Anna did not say anything but just smiled at me.

“ I’m happy she found someone who loves her this much. Are you sure about your decision Siwon?” she stressed on the word your.

“ I am very sure. I can’t think of a future without her. I mean I don’t know what I would do if I don’t see her for a day. I’ll go mad. I need her Anna, to hold me, to be my friend, to hold my ground at work, to by my everything. It just…she means everything for me now. I cannot live without her Anna.”

“ Siwon, Dara has been through a lot. She faced life in the most brutal way when she has to be enjoying life like every other girl. She had no friends and at a point of time, she did not have us….me. But today she has someone who loves her and she trust in you. Believe me when I say this,  she trusts you, she would trust only you and would jump of a cliff – blind if you asked her. That is the kind of trust and belief I see her eyes now for you. Will you promise me just one thing Son?”

“ Anything Anna.”

“ No matter what happens, please please don’t ever let her hand go . She will die and I will not be able to get her again. We let her hand go and it is a mistake both me and her dad regret till today. ”

“I promise with all my life and soul, I will not betray her. I will never let her go.” I said.

Anna, wiped another tear form her eye.

“ I’m sorry, I’m making you cry a lot today.”

“ Don’t worry. These are happy tears that I wished for a long time.”

“ So has Dara told you an answer yet?”

“ No that’s the problem……she has not. I know she loves me and she knows I love her, but something is stopping her. She’s just not saying the word.”

“ Its very typical Dara, Siwon. She has always been like that. If you ask her something important she goes into a shell and over analyses it. She for some reason has the fear that the decision she makes may go wrong. But till now, every decision she has taken has never gone wrong. She just takes a bit of time. I’m sure her answer would be a yes.” Anna tells me reassuringly.

“ I hope so and I also got her this…” I bring out a blue leather box.

“ What is it?” Anna asks me.

I smile and open the box.

He smiled and opened the box. In between the expensive white velvet material, sat a 14 caret single solitaire diamond embedded in turquoise, ring supported in platinum. The contrast of the diamond shine with the mellow yet sharp blue of the turquoise made it look gorgeous- well no, gorgeous is a very small word to use to describe the ring Siwon had bought for my daughter.

“ that’s just wow.” I said. I was almost blinded by the shines the diamond was emitting.

“ Thank you. it’s a vintage……..it was owned by one of the English queens.”

“ Queens? How did you manage to buy that?”

 Siown laughed at my sudden question. “ Well Anna, you have no idea the lengths I would go to get the best for my lady love.”

I dint know what to do than just smile at him and thank God for leading my sweet, sweet daughter to this man. Looking at his eyes, I could see the love he had for Dara. The purest. I just wish she would accept him soon, settle down and have a beautiful family. I want to see my Dara happy. My happy baby.

Anna placed her hands on mine and said, “ Dara is a very luck girl, son.”

“ No Anna, I am a very lucky man.”

“ Why are you lucky?” we both heard a voice from behind. I turned around and saw Dara smiling at us- tired yet ever so beautiful.

I immediate closed the ring box and put into my jacket pocket.

“ Hi baby.” I got up and gave her quick peck on her cheek, wrapping her in my arms.

“ Hi” she stuttered uncomfortably and tried to push me away. I understood that she was feeling shy or she dint want to be suddenly caught with a guy. She has no idea all the things I told her mother.

“ Hi sweety. Had a long day?” Anna asked her as she sat in-between me and Anna.

“ Yeah…I kind of had a long day. I’ve been trying to get Nancy Rawaq, a designer online but I just could not get hold of her. she is a person of high importance in Morocco and its also said that she is a part of the Royal family.”

“ I’m sure you will get her tomorrow. Don’t worry.” I said and caressed her cheek, which was intensely being observed by Anna.

“ I’m hungry, lets eat.” Dara said with nervousness that both me and Anna enjoyed as our little private joke.

“ What do you want to eat?” I asked her as I gave her the menu card, which was handed to us with our wine list.

“ And how about you Anna?” I asked who was intensely observing her daughter- in a very mother way.

“ Anything really.”

I called for the waiter who came running to us.

“ Do you want some wine Dara?”

“ No..i think I’ll just have some water.”

“ Right and you Anna? More wine?”

“ No Son….water will do as well.”

“ Son?” Dara repeated surprised to which Anna just smiled.

The waiter came to us with his notepad ready to take orders.

“ Ladies…” I gestured them to order their food.

“ I don’t know what to have Dara.” Anna said in a sweet helpless way.

“ No problem ma….. You want chicken? Fish?”

“ Chicken…. then grilled chicken with veges ok ma?”

“ Sure darling.”

“ Right, can you give her one grilled chicken with veges and garlic sauce, I’ll have the Salmon risotto with sparkling water and Siwon?” I smiled at the flow her of her order. She can have me anytime in anyway. Sudden desire. I snap out immediately.

“ I’ll have the Spinach Gnocchi” I ordered mine. The waiter left with glee.

My mum who was daggering her look at suddenly asked me, “ you did not tell me something Dara.”

“ What did I not tell you mum?” I panicked.

“ That you are in a relationship with this fine man.”

I felt a sudden blob of panic in my stomach. Yes, I did not tell her that I’m in a relationship with Siwon…why? Because, I just dint know how to tell her. He is the first man I’ve been with both emotionally and physically. How do I tell this to my mother who I am seeing after seven years. But I guess Siwon has told her about us and that’s why she is asking me about him. i gather up the courage from within to tell her. Why is this so hard for me? im just telling my mother about a man I love. It’s not like I’m having an affair that I should be ashamed of.

Dara gasps in large amount of air and looks at Anna.

“ Yes mother, I am madly, deeply and crazily in love with Siwon.” She said. Nobody in the world could have made me happier at that second. Happy is a mere of a word to how I felt that moment. I could feel that I’m grinning and my happiness has no bounds now.

“ You know Dara, for how long I’ve been waiting to hear those words? I wanted you to fall in love with a man and settle in life and now I’m happy that its Siwon.” Anna could not control her motherly smile.

“ And look at Siwon. He is the happiest man now.” Anna says and two ladies look at  me when im ecstatically grinning.

The waiter interrupts the happy moment by serving us hot, delicious food.

“ That smells good.” I say

“ And I’m starving.” Dara says.

We eat our delicious food as Anna shares stories about Dara’s childhood. It was so cute to see Dara blush in embarrassment. I saw her turn into a little kid for a while. I shared my life with them and Anna and Dara threw a new light to my life. They saw my life in a different way than how I saw and have been seeing it. I just cant wait to marry Dara and make her my family.

“ That’s was some good food. I enjoyed it. Thank you Siwon.” Anna thanked me.

“ Anytime. Any dessert ladies.?”

“ No, nothing for me. I think I will head home. I feel a little light headed with the very expensive wine.” Anna announces her retirement.

“ Oh ok..i’ll take you home then ma…”

“ No Dara, you be with Siwon. Spend some more time with him. Its fine. I can go home myself.”

“ No Anna, wait….i’ll call Yan Suk and he can drive you in Dara’s car and head home.”

I make a quick call to Yan Suk who arrives in the restaurant within 15 minutes.

“ Sorry to call you at this hour Yan Suk. This is my mother by the way. She came to visit me. Ma, this is Yan Suk, he is my friend, my team, my support, my soldier.” Dara praises Yan Suk, to which he blushes very much.

“ Don’t blush Yan Suk, what she says is true.” I support him.

“ Thank you very much Sir, madam. its very kind of you. Welcome to Korea Madam.” he says nodding his head at Anna.

“ Yan Suk, can you drop her my place please?”

“ sure not a problem.”

Anna gets up from her chair and collets her scarf from the chair.

“ Thank for the lovely meal Son.” She says to me and caresses my cheek with her warm, motherly palm and walks with Yan Suk. After a few steps, she turns around, “ don’t keep my daughter to yourself Siwon, I want to spend some time too.”  She teases and I notice Dara blush.

We see her go and sit back on our chairs. I see a relaxed and smiling Dara.

“ Do you want some wine Dara?”

“ What did you tell her?”

“ Me? Nothing much.” I smirk

“  You are smirking and I don’t trust you when u smirk. She seems to be very………different….very happy for me.”

“ that’s good right?”

“ I don’t know….i think so.”

“ Are you happy?”

“I am very happy.” She gives me her best smile and I swoon over it like how Romeo felt on his first meet with Juliet.

Do you want to go for a drive?” I ask her

“ Sure.”

We immediately settle the bill off and head out.

“ By the river side?” I ask her

“ yeah..some where quiet would be nice.” She suggested.

We drive in silence to a secluded part of Han River. We don’t find anyone there, but just the river, the wonderful wind, silence and the beautiful view of the city on the other side.

I park the car and come around to open the door for Dara to step out. She gracefully slides out of my Mercedes and immediately removes her Jimmy Choos off.

I watcher her inhale a large amount of air into her lungs and smile at the smell of freshness. She walks a few steps forward from me. I lock the car and join her.

“ Dara.” I call her, asking her for her full attention

“ Baby, I have something for you. hold you hand out for me please?”

No words come out from her, but just a smile and a slight scowl.

I pull the blue leather box from my jacket and place it on her pinkish palm.

“ What is this?” she asks pretty surprised.

“ Open it, you’ll know”

With an excited smile and a playful suspicion in her eyes, she opens the box and momentarily her expression changes into a  serious one. I can see her getting chocked on her breath and searching for words. She looks up at me with a heavy face and wide eyes.

“ Say something Dara.” I whisper

“ Wow.” She breathes her gaze stuck to the shining rock in the box.

“ So I’m assuming you like it?”

“ What is the meaning of this?”

“ You exactly know the mean of this Dara.” I say softly observing her unreadable face.

“ Siwon.” She whines.

“ Dara, I know you said you wanted your time to think about my proposal. If……..when you say yes, this is what your ring finger will bear. I wanted to show you. that’s all.”

I see her face having a cloud of confusion and happiness.

“ Look up at me Dara.” I say and pull her face up with my fingers on her chin.

“ When you are ready, when you think you are ready, wear the ring. When ever it may be. I will, wait for that day, I will wait for you. till then let this be with you. Its yours.”

“ Siwon, no…..this….this….”

“ Take it Dara….don’t give it back. I am asking you to accept it, but just take it for now.”

“ This is a lot Siwon.” She whispers

“ Baby, I don’t understand why are so reluctant to let your self go? Let your guards down for me. I will never hurt you. I will never let go you. I love you. trust me please.” I plead to her. Hell I would beg on my knees for her. That how much I want to make this magnificent woman, mine.

She looks up at me again,  smiles at me with tears In her eyes and pulls my collar towards her making us nose to nose. “ what did I do to deserve you?” she lets her sobs run down her cheek and hugs me….hugs me tight. “ Thank you” she says through her sobs.

 

After a couple of hours, I drop Dara at her place.

“ So….” I say not to see her off. I wish she could be with me tonight sleep with me, cuddle with me.

“ So…I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“ Yup…bye baby.” I say and give her a peck on her nose and descend from the car to open the door for her.

She gets down and the minute I turn after the closing the car door behind her, she pulls me into a heated, passionate kiss. A long kiss where she lets me into almost immediately and wanting my tongue in . I hold her tightly.

A moment later, I pusher her away. “ Go now….if you stay any longer, the car’s back seat is always enough for me.” I say, fighting myself not to think of any physical activity with her.

“ Bye…” she giggles and leaves.

 

I smile all the way up to my apartment. I cant stop smiling and before I pin in the door code, I look into my purse and see the blue leather box. I smile at it again.

I press in the password and get into my apartment calling for my mother.

“ Dara..why are you being this loud?” my mother, playfully irritated comes out from the bedroom In her night gown.

“ Oh you are awake.” I say to her.

“ Yes, you woke me up with your yelling.”

I smile at her being cutely angry with me.

“ Right so I’m  going to bed.” My mum informs me, turns around and head to the bedroom

“ Mum, would you like to have some tea with me?” I ask . tea can fix anything and recently I have found chocolate to have the same effect.

She takes a second and with a huge smile she turns around and says, “ sure darling.”

“ Ok I’ll just change..” I say to her and head to the bath. I quickly change into my comfortable, very loose PJs. I take the blue leather box Siwon gave me. When I walk out, my mother is sitting on the couch with her shawl around her and tea steaming hot for the both of us. When she sees me, she gestures me to come and taps the couch seat next to her. I go and take my place. I fold my legs and hand tightly still uncomfortably and nervously holding the box.

My mother gazes my confused face.

I place the blue box in the small space between us. There is some kind of familiarity on her face.

“ What is this?” she asks me in a coy way.

“ Open it. You will know.”

She does as I said and does not give much away. I expected her go all ga-ga about the dazzling stone, but she was very calm.

“ What is this?” she asked me

“ Siwon’s…………..uumm…..gift?!” I say unsurely

“ Are you not sure or are you convincing yourself that you are not sure what this is?”

“ Mum….” I bow my head down.

She lifts my head with her hand on my chin.

“ Tell me Dara what is your confusion?”

I sigh….well, I will have to give him am answer sooner or later and I need to think this through. If I think about all this by myself, I get all confused and fizzy and for some reason wanting him. Friends? Nope..i don’t think so. Mum…….may be.

“ Well mum, you know about me and Siwon….he kind of proposed to marry me a few days back.” Again I thought my mother would jump form floor to sealing. But she did not. I was stupid enough not to realize why.

“ And what did you answer him?”

“ Nothing.”

“ What do you want to answer him?”

“ I don’t know.”

“ I don’t know is not an answer Dara, it’s a escaping route……….a very lame one.”

“ I know……….but I don’t know what to say.”

“ Deep down what do you feel about him?”

“ I……..i……….love him.” there I finally said it. “ I love him like crazy, I cant spend another day without thinking about him. I cant bear to see him with anyone else, I have this feeling to start and end the day with him, I just feel alive when im with him…………..  I feel happy around him.”

“ And this does not answer the question you are asking yourself?”

“ But wait mum, the reason why I am not answering him or even me, is because, im not sure if I’m the right one for him. He’s this very nice guy from a very rich family. He’s born with a golden spoon- I mean it literally.”

“ So its the money you are worried about?  Do you think you are as rich as him? are you intimidated?”

“ Well, that too and im not sure, if im the right one for him. Sometimes I fell I want my career to take off very well and I have this urge to go to any limits for that. But Siwon is not like that. He wants a family, he wants me and little kids. But can I do that for him? can I give him all that? Can I make him happy?” I feel my eyes watering up.

“ Don’t you dare cry Dara. Don’t look at it emotionally.” My mother says and wipes my eyes and nose in a very motherly ‘ew’ way.

“ Why do you think you don’t make him happy? Did you see that boy today? Just one evening is enough for me to know that he is head over heels for you. He trusts you Dara. And trust is the most important element in a relationship and both of you have that on each other.” She says as I battle more tears trying to escape my eyes.

“ But do you trust yourself?” she asks me, making me feel as thought ive been slapped across the face.

“ ma….” I whisper.

“ I am not talking about career or profession. You have done exceptionally well in it and I know you will do even better. But this is life Dara. When you come home, you will need someone to give you a warm hug, a warm hug that is filled with love. You will need someone to protect you in everyway. You will need someone to share your life with darling, to walk with you through all the good and the bad.”

“ Yes….but marriage…………..its just scars me. I feel I will let him down.”

“ What do you think of marriage Darling? You have seen me and dad fight so many times, yet, we are still madly in love as we were 35 years ago. Just because we have physically changed, have grey hair does not mean we leave each other and go our own way. That is not love to start off with. That will be just infatuation. But facing every problem together and doing it for 35 years and still finding that warmth in everything we do is love. I know you want it too and Siwon is right there to give it to you. Why don’t you let him?”

I just cant answer her for this question…i see myself relieve slowly from the confusion. I have seen a living example of my mum and dad who have been through a lot and yet have that special bond. Should I take my chance?

“ So should I marry him?”

My mother lets out a heavy sigh and caresses my cheeks.

“ Do you want to?”

“ Yes.” She smiles at me planting a kiss on my forehead.

“ I’m happy for you baby.” She says as she lets down a tear from her eye.

I smile at her. i finally I have said it. In my heart, mind and soul, I want to marry Siwon. I trust that man. Now I have to trust myself.

“ Thanks ma….” I hug her tightly.

“ When are you going to tell him?”

“ The launch of the brand is only a few weeks away. I will tell him on the launch night. It will be a surprise…if I tell him now, he will not concentrate on the launch.” I say and get gulp down delicious tea and head to my bedroom.

“ Are you not going to sleep ma?” I turn and ask her.

“ When was it?” my mother asked looking at me intensely.

“ What?” she her head to one side and gives me a ‘I know’ smile.

“ The first time you were deflowered?”

I gasp. I gasp seriously and audibly.

“ How…..how….do you know?”

“ You think I would not know if my own daughter is a or not?  I have been through your age Dara. I found out the first day i saw you here. I know its Siwon too.” She says and turns her attention to get book.