ENTHRALL° s.th

016

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DAEGU
MIDDAY
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✧──────✦ jaehwa and mina straightened their shirts for the last time before opening the door to the entrance way. their mother had just arrived and the two's hearts were nearly beating out of their chests.

it had only been a few months since they'd seen her, but she'd spoken to them over the phone more now than when they had been living in the same house. not that the girls weren't excited to see her, just nervous at the sudden visit.

"girls." their mother pulled her thickly framed sunglasses away from the bridge of her nose and tucked stray strands of hair behind her ear. "it's been a while, hasn't it."

jaehwa stood in the doorway while mina ran up and hugged their mother. mina had a good bond with her, a great one. they'd go on small mother-daughter shopping dates and brunches whenever they could.

her mother gave her a pointed look and jaehwa swallowed the saliva building atop her tongue. she must've been insane to think she would've acted the same as her younger sister. jaehwa had thought after the call weeks ago, she'd be able to establish a better relationship with her, but now that it was actually happening, there was no way.

while jaehwa was breaking down in a skin-welting shower, her mother was out wine tasting with the wives of her father's business partners. when jaehwa skipped out on two out of three meals a day because she couldn't bare to get out of bed, her mother peacefully sat in a garden chair reading a book of poems with a two star rating. hell, she hadn't even showed up to the hospital when she'd had her career ending surgery.

"aren't you going to give your mom a welcome hug?" she spread her arms wide for her and waited. all jaehwa could do was force her legs to move forward and wrap her arms around the smaller woman she must call 'mother.'

the embrace was over far too quickly to even call a hug. it was much more of a touch and go than a reunion between a separated family.

jaehwa wasn't sure if she was supposed to say some after pulling away and stepping back while her grandmother and her mother took a long, long, hug. is that how parents are supposed to act?

"what's the reason for the visit?" her grandmother asked.

"what can i say, i missed my mother. and my girls too, of course." she moved her vision down the line. grandmother, mina, and finally jaehwa.

"i thought you were on an important business trip." jaehwa found her voice and kept her gaze on her mother.

"i had a small vacation. is there something wrong?"

jaehwa shook her head and took hold of the suitcase and carried it into the spare room. the room was bigger than hers. the bed was neatly made and everything was in it's own little spot, along with other bits and pieces of decor. she thought her mother didn't deserve it, but of course, mother's are supposed to dote on their daughters.

once she scratched her mind blank of thoughts, jaehwa closed the door behind her and walked to the family room where everyone sat.

as her presence became known, her mother tapped mina on the shoulder and had her sit on the single chair away from the couch. her mother patted the spot mina originally sat in, and pulled jaehwa's wrist to sit directly next to her.

"i couldn't let you sit on the floor with your knee hurting so badly!" she smiled at her and turned away. it'd nearly been two years. and if she'd have been actively listening during the phone call, her mother would have known it hasn't hurt. she knew it was just a little too good to be true.