You woke and sat up in bed confused. For a moment, you didn’t know why you were back in your bedroom and it took a few seconds for the memories to come back to you. You sniffed the air absentmindedly. There was an extremely mouth-watering smell wafting into your bedroom. You got out of bed and padded out of your room and into the kitchen.

Your mom saw you enter the kitchen. “Oh, you’re up early. Good morning.”

“Good morning, omma. I had a really good sleep so I feel really rested. Anyway, with the food smelling this good, I don’t think I can sleep in even if I wanted to.” You said with a smile.

Your mom let out a laugh. “You really haven’t changed at all. It’s nice that you decided to visit.”

No one said anything after that. The both of you just worked in comfortable silence to prepare the food. You were happy that your skills in the kitchen had improved and you were now capable of helping your mom. When breakfast was finally done, you sat opposite your mom and the both of you tucked into the wonderful spread.

When you had finished doing the dishes and clearing up, you sat down on the couch beside your mom who was watching some variety show. “Omma, I have something to tell you.”

You must have had a very serious expression because your mom turned off the television after glancing at you. “What is it, sweetheart?” She encouraged when she saw you struggling with yourself.

“I have a lot to tell you but I don’t know where to start.” You looked down at your lap.

“Just start at the beginning then and don’t leave out anything. You know you can tell me anything.” Your mom placed her fingers below your chin and lifted your head so that you were looking at her.

“Ok.” You gulped. “But please don’t stop me. I don’t think I’ll have the courage to continue if you do.” Your mom nodded in silent agreement.

You took a deep breath in and proceeded to tell her about everything, about how Junhyung slowly changed into a person you no longer knew, about how he just left without a word, about how you ended up sleeping with him when he showed up one night drunk, about how you found out you were pregnant, about how he reacted when you told him the news, about the contract that he signed, and about how Soojin had stuck with you through everything. You didn’t leave out anything or sugar-coated your words. Your mom deserved to know what was going on in your life. You finished off by telling her about your plan and your decision to accept the scholarship.

You were looking down at your lap when you finished and when you looked up to try and see your mom’s reaction, you saw her reaching out towards you. You shut your eyes tightly, preparing yourself for a slap or to be hit but it never came. Instead, you got pulled into a tight hug. “My poor, poor daughter. You must have suffered so much during these few years.” She cooed gently, rubbing her warm hands up and down your back.

“I just knew that something wasn’t right all those times that you called me. I knew you wouldn’t tell me if I asked, so I didn’t. You weren’t ready to tell me. I knew that I had to be patient and that you would tell me when you were ready and I was right.” You started to cry. You had tried so hard to sound happy but your mom still saw through your act. You shed all the tears that you had been holding back all this time. Your mom stopped talking for a while but continued to rub your back. You let her. It made you feel like everything was going to be alright.

“I never expected things to be this serious though. I wish I was there for you. You must have been really sad all this time. I can’t help but blame myself for this. If I had known that he would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have brought Junhyung over all those years ago.” She whispered, sadly.

You pulled back from her embrace and shook your head, wiping your tears away with the back of your hands. “Don’t say that, omma. You couldn’t have known. It’s not your fault.” You didn’t like the idea of your mom blaming herself.

Your mom took your hands in hers. “Then it’s not your fault too. You need to stop blaming yourself for everything that has happened. Like you said, Junhyung changed, not you. There was nothing you could have done if he wanted to change. You really need to start worrying about yourself and taking care of your health now that you’re pregnant. The best way to be healthy is to make sure that you’re happy. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?” You didn’t respond. You didn’t like where this conversation was going. She sighed. “I know that you don’t want to hear this and you don’t like it. But I’m still going to say it. You need to move on, sweetheart. You can’t be stubborn anymore. You need to start living for the little one growing inside you.” The moment your mom mentioned your baby, you softened. She was right. You needed to stop being stubborn since nothing was more important now than the well-being of your baby.

“Ok, omma. You’re right. I need to be happy for the sake of my baby and if I can only be happy if I move on, then I definitely will do my best.” You promised.

She heard the resolve in your voice and smiled. “I’m sure you will. You’ve always done me proud. I’m sure that you will make me proud no matter what.” It meant a lot for you to hear that she was still proud of you. You reached out for a hug.

“So, now that you’ve accepted the scholarship, do you when will you be leaving?” She asked.

“The date hasn’t been set yet but I’m planning on flying there as soon as I finish my exams so that I can get a job and earn some money before I get too.. big. You don’t have to worry about me, omma, I will settle everything on my own and I will be sure to take care of myself too.” You quickly reassured. “I’ll be back before you know it.”