Between the lines

The ring

Shim Su-ryeon parked the car outside the Ghangam prison building. She let out the air she didn't know she was holding and swallowed with difficulty. Three years was a long time. An eternity, if you thought about it. It is of common knowledge that time flies by, but it's not like that when the person you care the most is not by your side. For what others felt like one minute, for her felt like hours.

"Hey, it's okay," Bae Ro-na said, putting her hand on top of hers. She gave it reassuring squeeze and smiled at her. "You need to relax or you'll pass out," she added, chuckling. Su-ryeon snorted. The younger woman was right. She needed to calm down.

"I don't know why it seemed like a good idea back then. I should have stayed home. I feel like an intruder," Su-ryeon said, unfastening her seatbelt. Ro-na laughed.

"Because I asked you to. You and I are the only people my mom's got. We can't let her down now. She'll be happy to see you," Ro-na assured her, kindly. Su-ryeon clenched her jaw. She wasn't so sure about that. "There she is!" Ro-na exclaimed, excitedly. Su-ryeon's heart skipped a beat. The teenager got out of the car and ran to her mother. Su-ryeon didn't want to get out of the vehicle just yet. The moment she did, she would have to face reality. She sighed in frustration and looked out the window. Ro-na threw herself to her mother's arms and hugged her tightly. It put a smile on her face and her heart melted. Su-ryeon grabbed the bucket of roses they had bought and forced herself to face reality. She couldn't avoid this meeting forever, she told herself. The older woman closed the car's door and made sure she looked presentable before walking towards them.

"Oh Yoon-hee, it's very nice to see you again," Su-ryeon said shyly as she approached them. Yoon-hee stepped out of her daughter's embrace at the sound of her voice. She turned around to see her as a smile appeared on her face. "We brought you some flowers," Su-ryeon added, handing her the yellow roses. Yoon-hee was about to speak when she noticed something shining in Su-ryeon's finger. She frowned and she could swear her heart stopped beating when she realized that it was a ring. An engagement ring. The blood was drained from her face and her smile disappeared at once. Suddenly, the air wasn't enough. She forgot how to breathe. Su-ryeon noticed her reaction and she followed her eyesight. It was fixed on her left hand.

"Let's go home. We prepared breakfast for you!" Ro-na exclaimed, unaware of the scene taking place right now. Su-ryeon swallowed hard. She didn't know what to do. She thought Ro-na had told her about her engagement, but apparently, she didn't. She tried to approach the younger woman, but Yoon-hee walked away from her. Yoon-hee couldn't even bare look at her. She tightened her grip around the bucket of flowers and bit her lip. She held her daughter's hand and walked towards the car. To say that she was upset was an understatement. Su-ryeon walked behind them and they got in the car.

Ro-na tried to make small conversations on their way home, but neither women were eager to engage in it. Yoon-hee would try to reply, but her eyes kept staring at the rock in Su-ryeon's hand. She wished it was a small diamond so it wouldn't be the focus of her attention, but of course that Logan wouldn't go small. She gritted her teeth at the thought. Su-ryeon would steal glances at her and notice just how serious she looked. She wished they could talk, but she didn't want to drag Ro-na into what would turn into an argument. However, fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Hera Palace and Su-ryeon prepared for the battle. They got out of the car and Ro-na hurried to the elevator to leave them to it. She could sense they needed to talk privately and she didn't want to be the third wheel nor the shot messenger. She decided to play it safe as she told them she would set the table for breakfast.

"We stayed up late making your favorite breakfast and lunch," Su-ryeon said, clearing her throat. She had had enough of this silence treatment. She looked at the woman standing next to her, but Yoon-hee held her head up high as though she hadn't heard her. Suddenly, the elevator in front of them seemed quite interesting to her. Su-ryeon sighed. "Oh Yoon-hee, we need to talk," she added, folding her arms. The elevator rang and they walked in. When its door closed, a third passenger seemed to have entered because the tension was standing right between them like a third party.