"I met Kayden when I was just fifteen. I got my first job at a national burger shop. He worked there with a bunch of his friends. I had a crush on one of his friends, Travis. We even dated for a few months." I pause and close my eyes. "Fifteen? How old was Kayden? 19?" Yoon-Gi asks. I nod. "Yes. He told Travis and his girlfriend at the time, Dawn, that he would end up marrying me. I guess he was taken with me. After I quit working at that job, I didn't see him for a few years. I had gotten a job at another burger place, this time with waitresses. I did everything in that store. Cooking, prepping, cleaning, waiting tables."
"Wait a minute. Were you a waitress? Why did you not tell me this part? Are there pictures?" Yoon-Gi says excitedly. I open my eyes and look up at him. "No, Min Yoon-Gi, there are not pictures of my 17/18-year-old self-waiting tables. You are so silly sometimes." He just keeps smiling and gestures for me to continue. I roll my eyes.
"I had just turned 18 when Kayden came back into my life. Travis started working at the same restaurant. While waiting for Travis to get off work one day, Kayden decided to get food. During that time, he asked me out. I was a senior in high school, and Prom was coming up. I didn't have the patience for the guys at my school, so I turned down everyone, so I told him he could take me to Prom if he wanted to. We also made plans to go to a tattoo convention a few towns over that next weekend. It was only a month from my 18th birthday, and I already had three tattoos, he also loved tattoos, so it fit, I thought, for our first date."
"Is Prom that reception thing you guys do in the states? Like a formal dance?" Yoon-Gi asks.
"Yea, there are a few dances throughout the year in the states. But that is the biggest one. People go all out too, spending hundreds on the dress and tuxedo, hair, make-up for the girls and it is commonplace for limos to be rented. I have always thought it's too much. I bought a cheap dress, did my make-up and hair, drove in Kayden's van. I've never really been one who wants things to be too big or overdramatic."
"How well do I remember," Yoon-Gi says darkly. I know he is thinking of the first time he asked me to marry him. "You know I still feel bad about that…," I reply softly. "I know, my love. I didn't take anyone seriously when they told me not to. I thought all women liked things to be too much." He smiles. I smile in response.
"The next few months are like a blur now. My step-mom kicked me out because I was 18 and she thought I should have my place, so I moved in with Kayden. We fell in love so quickly. I knew from the first day I wanted to marry him. Even now people think I am crazy because I was so young. But, due to my childhood, I was extremely mature for my age. I knew what I wanted in life." I pause, looking up at Yoon-Gi's face. It feels bizarre to tell him about falling in love with Kayden. He looked away, out the window. When the pause reaches more than 15 seconds, he looks down.
"Stop worrying." He brushes my hair away from my face. "This is a story I have longed to hear from your lips for a very, very long time." He doesn't smile but pouts just a bit, which is hugely unfair because he knows how much I love that face. He can get away with almost anything when he pulls that face out.
"Ok. But can we continue the story at home?" I sit up and get my cup to throw away on the way out the door. "Of course. We both stand and make our way to the front of the store. We wave bye to Bona and step out of the door. I smile as a soft breeze plays around my face. Yoon-Gi takes my hand, and we walk toward our home. I have always found Yoon-Gi's presence so relaxing, there has never been a reason for needless talking, silence is preferable for us both.
We walk through our back gate and see Sidda and Mary, sitting around the outdoor fireplace. They both smile when they see us. Mary is probably the most supportive person I have ever encountered. I didn't know how she would accept all the changes since her son died, but she understood every shift I had to make, including marrying Min Yoon-Gi and moving my family to South Korea.
"Today has been such an amazing day. Thank you so much, Leigh, Yoon-Gi, for inviting me and letting me stay in your home," she says. For some reason, that phrase hurts a bit.
"Of course, you are included and invited to stay in our home," I say. I want to continue, but Yoon-Gi interrupts, "You are always welcome here, Auntie. As the grandmother of Leigh's children, you will not be welcome in our home. For taking such good care of Leigh and the girls when she was so reluctant to let anyone else do so, you are always in my debt." I realize, as he speaks that I was too quick to be hurt, a problem I've always needed to work on. I smile and say, "I am so glad you came. Since we've moved I know, it's been hard only to see us in person a few times a year. We all cherish the time we get with you."
"Yea, Grandmaw, you should come here more. It's so nice, and you could spend some time on the farm with Tae and me," Sidda says.
"It is very nice to see and experience different things. The last time I was here, for your wedding, Leigh, I was not able to see much. The girls have shown me so much this week. I can see why you love it here," she smiles. I suck in a breath. Sometimes it is hard to look right at her, her son looked so much like her, and it takes my breath, even now, over ten years later.
"Oh, Leigh. I see it in your eyes now. Kayden has been gone for so long. Let him go. It's ok. I promise," she says, with a smile. "You have spent ten years grieving and the last six years denying the truth." She comes and takes my hands in hers. "I know how much you loved and still love my son, but you love Yoon-Gi, and I have loved watching you fall in love again, just like I watched you fall in love with Kayden. I am so grateful you have found someone that loves you as much as Kayden did." She reaches one of her hands for Yoon-Gi's. He takes her hand, his tears springing up in his eyes, which is a rare occurrence. "Someone who takes such good care of you and loves the girl's unconditionally, like they were his own." I am a bit shocked at her words. She has always been respectful of my relationship and decisions, but she's never addressed Yoon-Gi in this manner. My heart swells as I look between the two, having such a sweet moment.
"Guys, stop it," Sidda says, voice muffled. We all look around. My eyes get big, Sidda doesn't cry. Like, not at things like this.
"Sidda," I say, my voice high with anxiety. She looks at me, wiping her tears. "I know, Momma. I don't know what is wrong with me. I cry at everything anymore. I even cried with Tae jokingly took my spring roll yesterday." I laugh. "You're pregnant. You and Tae didn't waste any time, did you?" I am overcome with laughter as I look at her horrified face. Mary and Yoon-Gi are frozen in place. "Momma! No! I am not ready to be a mother," Sidda exclaims, her tears still flowing.
"Shhh, child. You will be fine. Wait until you take a test to tell Tae." I turn to Yoon-Gi and Mary. "A grandmother at 47…. wow." Mary playfully pushes my arm. "How do you think I feel? Great Grandmother. Oh goodness." I smile at her and look at Yoon-Gi's frozen form. I lightly touch his cheek.
"Yoon-Gi?" His eyes snap to mine. The expression in them is something I have not seen in a while. Since Tae asked me if he could marry my daughter. I smile. "They're married now. Kids kind of come along with the territory…." He takes a breath, "I love Tae, but I want to kill him for touching my child," he states harshly. Sidda, Mary and I laugh at the intensity of his voice. His eyes soften. "Sorry, I love them all so much," he says quietly. "We know, that's one of an infinite amount of reasons I married you." I pull him into a hug, and he hides his face into my hair. "Don't be embarrassed. I am grateful for your love of my children. Especially since I was not able to give you one of our own." He nods and pulls back. "To be fair, I couldn't either. When the little one starts dating, I swear, it will be the death of me."
Sidda laughs, "I think Jimin might kill someone when that happens." Mary goes and sits back next to Sidda. "Speaking of Jimin and your sister, when did they all leave? Did Marie go with them?" Yoon-Gi places his chin on my head and gently rocks us side to side. This is his subtle way of asking for alone time. "Right after we all finished cleaning up, so, about, thirty minutes ago? Yea, Marie went along, so did Jin, Nova, and Liam." "I hope someone takes videos, my goodness," I say, imagining all of them singing and probably drinking, "I swear, if they wake me up when they come home," Yoon-Gi says.
"I'm tired and going to lay down," I say, pulling away from Yoon-Gi. "Me too," he says. "Goodnight Momma, Yoon-Gi," Sidda says, finally done with the tears and calming down in the presence of her grandmother. "Goodnight guys." I wave and start toward the back door. I look around the kitchen, making sure it is cleaned how I like it. I hate waking up to a dirty kitchen.
"It's fine, come on, we're not sleeping anyway. You still owe me the story," Yoon-Gi says, gently pushing my shoulder the direction of the stairs. I sigh and walk up the stairs. "You're not normally this pushy, Min Yoon-Gi," I joke. He laughs quietly; he's exactly this pushy. I walk the length of the hall, my fingers trailing the tapestries hanging on the wall. Some of them came from Yoon-Gi's family home; I was shocked when his mother showed up with them, as his parents didn't agree with our union.