Surprise Surprise!!

“I hope shes awake”

Wore out eyes move to the screen on the dashboard check the time reading 7:22. A woman smiles at the thought

“7:2“let’s hope Irene’s a morning person, right~?”

I drive slowly through the street and notice that it’s pretty lively despite the time of hour. The neighborhood grannies are already gossiping and the kids are running about between people, making it into a game. The boxes make it hard for me to view the scenery in the back, but I guess it’s best if I don’t try. That’s not what I’m here for anyway.

“Where does she live again?” I try to multitask as I flip through my papers and drive at the same time. “8...864....864.... ah ha! Found you!” I pull over in front of the white house and turn off the engine. I look over from the window and well, I know it’s not new. However… now that I think about it, there’s something about it that makes me smile. The ivy vines coming from the sides is a nice touch too. Not bad, but is it enough?

I look away and gaze over my outfit, “maybe I should of put a bit more effort…Welp, I’m not here for a party”. I step out and close the door with a nice thud. I head over to the door, hearing the clicks of my heels hitting the concrete and muffle once I land on the welcome mat. “Here I go....” I stop and look back one more time over to my car. No no no no, I can’t, I squint my eyes and stare at the door. My hand glides over to the doorbell and…

Irene POV

RING
RING
RING
RING

“Oh my god…” I burry my head under my pillow. I still hear it going. Lifting my head, I glare at the sound and heave myself up. “Who needs something at…” I turn and see my alarm clock, “7:27 in the morning?”. I swear, society thinks every person in their 20’s has a on and off switch that they can just use to start the day.

RING
RING

“I’M COMING!!” I throw on my white knit sweater and shuffle across my room passing my mirror. Maybe I should at least check how I look. I walk backwards and… yup, no wonder people thought I was always in a bad mood. I quickly brush my hair and tie it into a high ponytail. Ok whatever I…

RING
RING
RING

“HOLD ON! GIVE ME A MINUTE!” What is wrong with this person?! They're so impatient, they're worse than the land lord. I smile and change into a grey tee, edge ripped shorts, and the the same sweater. I run down the hallway, an maybe trip over my rug. Ouch. I walk quickly to the door and yank it open. “Guys, why so…”.

3rd POV

“...earl-?!”

The woman dashes over and wraps Irene in a hug, concealing her face, making it hard for Irene to identify her. She pulls back, “OH Irene sweetie! Look at you~”. She leans back and a mature woman appears in front of her. Her auburn hair falls in front of her face but a beaming smile brings familiarity to Irene. “Oh how I missed you!” the woman comes forward and kisses Irene’s cheeks as if that was normal. She lets go and steps back to get a complete view of the paralyzed host. Irene’s mind is blank and in a way, slowly cooperating with her. The woman brings her hands over and squeals in delight, “You look just like your mother~”. She calms down and walks past Irene, inviting herself in. The bewildered one’s eyes follow the latter with gaped open.

“A-Auntie?” She just stares “Aunt Shoo??”

The woman turns around at the call of her title. “Oh darling I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just barged in like this”

“No! No! No! It’s ok! It’s just…. What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you since I was 13”

The new found aunt laughs at the interrogation, “has it been that long, oh I knew I should have visited you sooner, I can’t believe that you’re…” she stops at the sudden lack of information.

“24”

She whipps her head around and faces Irene, “24?!”

“Yah, I’m 24 now…” Irene shifts around awkwardly scratching the nap of her neck.

“Well, at least I know you’re old enough”

Irene stops scratching and furrows her brows at her aunts odd statement. “What do you mean by, 'I know you’re old enough'?”

Aunt Shoo steps towards Irene and grabs one of her hands with caution. “Irene dear, is there some where were we can sit?” tilting her head, “there’s something I want to talk to you about, that is if you have the time?”

“Yah of course I have time.” She pulls Aunt Shoo along and enter the living room. They come to the couch and sit down. They keep silent, neither willing the break the ice.

Irene POV

Why is she here? I look at her and she really hasn't aged since the last time I saw her. She has light wrinkles at the corner of her eyes and small ones at the indents of . She still has the same hair color but it's so short now. I mentally giggle, never thought she'd be able to rock it so well~ She's not as tall as I remember though... Funny, you think so differently when you're a kid...

"Irene are you listening to me?"

Huh? I make eye contact with her and notice her eye brows are creased downward. "S-sorry... I wasn't, I kinda got distracted with... uh... you know, memories"

Her slight frown faded and was replaced with a smile. She leans back and clasp her hands together, tightening her grasp and relaxing seconds later. "Well, I can't really blame you, can I?" She faces me with... A look of sympathy? "It's been a long time, I remember when you used to be all shy and hated boys!" Aunt Shoo laughs aloud, smiling ear to ear, enjoying the situations of the past. She bends forward, crossing her arms with a mischievous grin.

I relax, feeling the weight taken off my shoulders and smile with her.

Aunt Shoo POV

She really has grown. Shin Ae-ah, good job, she's beautiful. I smile at the thought. She pretty but, can I really trust her? I glance at Irene, she's smiling and her shoulders aren't tense anymore. Thank goodness for that.

"Auntie? Do you want something to drink?"

I turn and see Irene already up from her seat, walking toward the kitchen. "Yes please! Water is fine", and there she goes. What do you know, already taking care of the guest. I smile. I wonder if all my nieces and nephews are like this.... I shake my head, of course they're all grown up, what am I thinking. But still... I look and watch Irene busy herself in the refrigerator, they used to be so small. What if I haven't... I can't... I left for a reason, I can't regret it now. What's done is done. My eyes roam the room and fall onto the wall filled with pictures. I stand and slowly walk towards it. The closer I get, the more faces I remember. I trace my fingertips over the carefully framed photos.

"Irene sweetie?"

"Yah Auntie?"

"Are you still in touch with Hyori and Sunny?"

3rd POV

Irene turns around with ingredients in her arms. "I have with Sunny Unnie but I haven't heard from Hyori Unnie for awhile since she went abroad".

Aunt Shoo looks down and fidgets in her place, "Have... Have they been wondering where I been?" .

"Everyone's been wondering where you been."

Aunt Shoo snaps and looks at Irene. The stare was hard and long. Irene's gaze showed her not a child, but a young woman with questions that want to be answered. But she held back. This isn't how you start a family reunion. Irene broke eye contact and walked to the cupboard. "They been wondering where you been... Especially Sunny Unnie and Hyori Unnie, you know, since you're their mom".

Those were the words that sunk deep into Shoo's heart. How painful the words came out of Irene's red lips, but she knows it's to show how hurt her daughters were feeling.

"What about the 3 troublemakers?Yura, Taecyeon, and Chansung?"

Irene smiles at the mention of their names, "yah I kept in touch with them, they're still creating havoc~" she laughs, "Taec and Chanana are thinking about college again".

Aunt Shoo catches this, shakes her head at the obvious conclusion, and continues her investigation. "Jungshin and Eunji?"

"Yup, but flip their personalities around" Irene grins at the change, "oh! And you'd be surprise how tall Jungshin is now"

Aunt Shoo unconsciously looks up and asks, "Seungri?"

"He's up and about all the time, so it's kinda hard to stay in contact with him"

"I see..."

Aunt Shoo POV

Looks like things have changed since the last time I was here. I moved from one photo to the next. They were so small. My eyes land on a group photo. I smile at how much of a mess everyone looked. My sisters and brothers trying to settle the kids down, while the kids don't even want to take a picture. Good old times.

"Auntie, I went ahead and made tea"

I look over and see Irene setting the cups down with a plate of fruits in one of her arms.

Fruits.... I walk to the couch and sat down, I need to tell her, I don't have much time. "Irene, there's something I need to talk to you about."

She looks over, shocked at my input. She settles down next to me without a word. "Irene, there's a reason why I'm visiting you. There's a reason why I'm seeing you first out of all your cousins. Why I didn't go to my own daughters first". She looks at me with seriousness in her eyes. I continue, "you know I haven't been here for a while, about 11 years since I found out your age". I see Irene blush at the mention of age, oh hun, your still to young to be embarrassed about numbers. I mentally laugh. "Despite you not being the oldest, I think you're the most suited for what I'm going to drop on you".

"Drop on me?"

"Yes, you see, I have boxes in my car, and I need somewhere to put them".

"You're... You're serious...?". Her face obviously showed me that she thought I've gone mad. "Auntie if they're just boxes, why couldn't you just have Jungshin and Eunji hold them for you? They live in a 2 story house" Irene explains with her flailing arms. "If you haven't noticed, I live in a pretty limited area".

I look around at the mentioning of her words. She wasn't lying, I realized it was pretty small. That makes me even more nervous. No no no no, that doesn't matter. "Irene sweetie, I'm sorry, but you're the one I trust the most with my possessions" please believe me, please believe what I'm telling you.

Irene POV

I stare at Aunt Shoo begging for me to take the boxes. What's so important about them? I look away but I still feel her eyes boring holes into the back of my head. I sigh, I can't be heartless, I mean they're just boxes, it's not like it's going to take up all my space. I glance back at Aunt Shoo and nod my head. "I'll take them, if you really want me to, I'll hold them for yo-"

"OH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!"

"Auntie... Auntie I can't breath!"

She release her death grip hug and I collapse on the couch. For someone who in her 40's, (readers I know she's not that old in real life :D) she's stronger than she looks. She laughs and stands up, "there's only a few but they're a little heavy, can you help me?"

"Yah yah I can help" I follow her out and I see the car.

......

SHE CALLS THAT A FEW?!?!? Oh my god, there's like no room in there at all! "Auntie, you sure you're using the right words, because I think you mixed up FEW with ALOT. I stood there staring at the car, man there goes my storage space.

She laughs at my comment and hands me a box, "Okay, maybe I tweaked my words around abit~". She goes back to her car and starts piling out boxes onto the sidewalk. I take them one at a time and put them inside the house in the living room.

30 minutes later...

3rd POV

"Okay, I think that was the last one!" Irene hollers from inside the house.

Aunt Shoo slams the car doors shut and walks to the doorway. "Thank you for letting me keep them here sweetie, I'm sorry if I'm being inconsiderate".

Irene jogs over to Aunt Shoo and hugs her warmly, "Again it's ok, so it takes some room, so what?". She smiles, "I can't be selfish to my own Auntie Shoo~".

"Aigoo~ This kid" Aunt Shoo pinches Irene's cheeks, "you really are your mothers daughter"

The younger woman giggles, "so what now? You going to say hi to the family?"

Aunt Shoo grins and nods, "well duh~"

The two exchange goodbyes and go their separate ways.

Aunt Shoo POV

Irene hun.... I'm sorry but I'm not ready to see the family, not yet, not for awhile. I hope I didn't make things harder for you in the future... And please, take care of them. I know you'll love them better then their own mother.

Here I go, Europe here I come.

Irene POV

I collapse on the couch and look around the room. "Now where to put you..." I start to take the smaller boxes and stack them on top of each other. Almost there, "I swear there were 6 of them...". I search around the maze of containers and found the last one. I drop it on the stack and dust off my hands, "there you go, now for the ne-"

"Mhamhaaaa..."

What was that... I slowly turn around and scan the room. "W-who's there?". Nothing happened, no sound... Maybe I was just
Imagi-

"Mahmmmma"

I whip my head around and walk back, tripping over the couch. "S-s-show yourself! I have n-nothing you want!"

"Ma.. Wmhmm.. Wha-whaAAHHH!!!"

There! I run to the box and open it. It's... It's.. "A BABY?!?!"

"Hu-huh.." It looks at me, "U-umma?"

"UMMA?!"