It was 9pm, and nightfall was creeping in over Seoul.  Two young women returned to their silent and empty apartment, their soft footsteps on the hallway carpets the only sounds to be heard.  The pair separated, the shorter of the two heading for the sofa and falling onto it in a confused daze, the taller heading towards the kitchen and taking two bottles of water from the fridge.  She returned to the depleted woman and handed her a bottle.

“I still don’t believe it,” Sunny mused, absently taking the bottle.

“That makes two of us,” Yuri weakly comforted.

“But … how?” Sunny asked, trying to make sense of the events of the past evening.  Yuri shook her head, completely clueless as to how to answer.  Instead, she sat on the cushion next to Sunny, removed her shoes from her feet and curled her legs underneath her body.  “Did that really happen?  Were my parents really like that?” Sunny asked.

Yuri nodded.  “It happened,” she assured her.  “I don’t get it either, but … it happened.”

The absolute bewilderment on Sunny’s face was visible from the International Space Station.  Hell, it could even be seen by the New Horizon spacecraft.  “Your parents,” Sunny started, repeating the day’s encounter, “came to visit.  They were … ok with us.”  Yuri nodded, confirming her account.  “Your dad was most ok, mostly because I wasn’t being a prized to you and I treated you right, but they were still a little weirded out by it all.”

“Uh huh,” Yuri nodded.

“We expected there to be discomfort, but we were surprised that they were still ok,” Sunny stated, not once looking at Yuri for confirmation.  Yuri nodded, giving it regardless.

“We decided to break the news to my family, given this new burst of strength that we both had.  And how did my family react?” Sunny asked.  “How did my parents take to the news that their youngest daughter was gay and she was in a relationship with a woman that she loved dearly?  They went crazy!” she answered.  “They went absolutely ape-!  They screamed, shouted and cried like they’d won the lottery in every single country, found the cure for every disease on the planet stuffed in their sock drawer and learned that I’d been made President of the whole god-damned ing Universe!”  Her answer was met with the largest of smiles forming across her own lips and a stifled laugh escaping from her partner’s.

“I mean,” Sunny tried to place everything in order, before turning to face Yuri.  “You were there, right?  I didn’t imagine that, did I?  It actually happened?”

Yuri nodded, beaming with pride, watching Sunny trying to comprehend her parent’s unexpected reaction.  She turned back and gazed off into the distance.  “Your Mom was insane,” Yuri mused, unscrewing the cap from her bottle.

“Tell me about it,” Sunny echoed.  “‘Oh my god, I’m so happy,’” she repeated her mother’s words with a deadpan expression.  “‘I’m so glad you’ve finally come out.’  I mean, what the ?!?!  ‘Finally’?!?!”  Her confusion only lead to louder, more musical laughter from Yuri.  A perplexed shake of Sunny’s head gave the impression she was finished wrestling with understanding just how accepting her parents had been.  More to the point, they had brought Yuri’s parents more to their way of thinking: Parents not only gave birth to their children and wanted the best for them, but they gave birth to people with their own will, their own dreams, their own wishes, their own passions and the ability to form their own beliefs.  As long as they were not doing anything ‘wrong’ or illegal and they were happy in doing what made them so happy and they were bringing nothing but pride to the household and the family name, parents had no reason to complain.  Sunny and Yuri brought pride and respect back in spades and, whilst their relationship was “unconventional”, to quote Mr Lee, it was as natural as any other relationship and should be treasured as such.  Sunny rested her head on the back of the sofa and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

“At least they know now,” Yuri smiled, letting out her own sigh.

Sunny laughed and nodded.  “You do know that, if you break up with me, my mom is going to hunt you down and torture you until we’re back together, right?” she asked, a smirk plastered across her face.  Yuri nodded, beaming proudly.  Neither of them had any intentions of ending their relationship.  Especially not now.  Not with their parents being so supportive of their relationship.  Their parents.  Supportive.  The whole notion was surreal to them both.  They hoped their parents would be accepting, even if they didn’t agree with their choice or support it.  But they did.  Yuri and Sunny turned to face each other at that moment, realising how fortunate they had been, knowing that many others didn’t have supportive parents, even in countries where homouality was generally accepted, even in countries where gay people could get married, where they had full, equal rights.  Without saying a word, they reached out their hands to one another and held each other tightly.  A slight but very present smile crossed their lips.

“I love you,” Yuri whispered.

Sunny’s cheeks were pushed higher by her smile.  “I love you too,” she whispered back.

Yuri uncurled her legs from underneath her, sat flush on the sofa and leaned back; a position Sunny always took as an offer of a snuggle.  This time was no exception, as Sunny climbed over and cuddled into Yuri.  As Yuri put her arm around her, the pair felt every one of their stresses evaporate, something that seemed to happen a lot with physical intimacy between them.

“We need to do something to celebrate,” Yuri stated.  Sunny nodded into her chest, taking a deep breath of satisfaction mixed with Yuri’s scent.  “Should we call the girls?” Yuri asked.

Sunny shook her head.  “You’re not moving from this spot until I say so,” she pouted playfully.

Yuri laughed.  “What about after that?” she asked.

Sunny pretended to think for a while, then nodded.  “That would be ok,” she blushed, snuggling tighter with her lover.

Minutes passed in silence, the pair remaining on the sofa, neither of them moving save to adjust their bodies in comfort.  Yuri smiled.  She had found love, a mutual respect and a partner that made her feel truly alive, one that allowed her to grow.  For the first time in months, possibly for the first time since last year, Yuri felt happy.  A slight hic and a quiet sniffle on her chest brought her back to the real world.  She looked down at Sunny, not seeing her face.  “Baby?” she asked, tracing her fingers along her cheek to her chin and lifting her head up.  Sure enough, Sunny was the source of the sniffling, with tears streaming from her slightly puffy eyes.  Normally, Yuri would be desperate to quell the sorrow in Sunny’s eyes, eager to bring her partner back to the land of happiness.  But now, she couldn’t.  Despite her tears, Sunny’s eyes twinkled.  Even though it was slight, her lips wore the softest, sweetest smile Yuri had ever seen.

“They’re ok,” Sunny whispered, shaking slightly.  “They’re all ok.”

Yuri nodded as Sunny fell into her arms, sobbing onto her shoulder, crying tears of relief that had been held back for what felt like forever.  It was amazing to Yuri how she had fallen so deeply with Sunny that she had almost forgotten there was a time that she hadn’t had her pint-sized partner by her side.  There were reminders, but it was as though her mind had reset itself on the very day she had moved in.  Two months had passed.  Two months.  It seemed like yesterday, and yet still felt like forever.  Yuri held Sunny close to her, letting the tears run, letting Sunny soak her shoulder with the cries of joy.  Hearing the woman who had stolen her heart crying in such a way brought Yuri to tears herself.  For the first time in her life, she cried in a way that healed her.

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