ME: I miss you too

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Mom arrives from the hotel first thing in the morning. I go out to the gate to let her in. She holds up a prettily wrapped box with strawberries on the paper cover. “These were sitting outside. The box has your name on it but I also brought breakfast.”

There’s a forlorn note in her voice as if she is anticipating my rejection of her gift. “Come in. I think the strawberry pastries are from Yujun.”

“Yujun? Who is she?”

Oh God, I didn’t even think about explaining Yujun to my mom. Hey, so I hooked up with a guy from Seoul and he happens to be Wansu’s sort of adopted son. Crazy how that works? Keeping it all in the family! Yes, I’m super dysfunctional!

Mom would haul me to the airport before I could take another breath.

We barely clear the threshold when Ellen hits me with a curveball. “I think we should both meet Wansu together.” I stumble on the shoes and Ellen has to catch me by the elbow. “It’s the right thing to do. Let’s face her together.”

“Face her? What did she do wrong?”

Ellen’s face grows tight. “So you’ve decided I’m the villain.”

“No. That’s not what I meant. I’m not trying to leave you, Mom. I’m trying to figure out my place in this world. I’m trying to come to terms with all of it. I said some bad things to Wansu the other day and I need to apologize for that.”

A deep, shuddery sigh of relief rushes through Mom’s body.

“Oh, Hara, I couldn’t sleep last night.” The tears are coming again. I brace myself. “I thought you would hate me.” She dashes the back of her hand against her cheek. “I’m sorry for crying.”

“It’s okay.”

“Let me get it all out here so I don’t look foolish in front of Wansu. I bet she doesn’t cry.”

“No. I don’t think so.”

“Just like you.”

I stand frozen as Ellen makes her way into the house. Just like me. I’d thought I wasn’t a crier because Pat had trained it out of me, but maybe it’s part of my genes.

“Come in and show me how to make coffee with this machine. Is this a coffee maker?”

I get a grip and hurry inside. “No. Koreans drink instant coffee a lot. It’s just a hot-water dispenser. You can get real coffee from a coffee shop.”

“I noticed so many of them on the way here! By the way, my calves are killing me. You should have rented someplace that didn’t have so many stairs.” She sits at the table while I make her a cup.

“I’m sure that’s why the cost was low.”

“I suppose so.”

I hand her the coffee and take a seat. The ttalgi café box is full of small cakes and pastries. I take one and push the box in front of Ellen.