Twisted Rope

A Perfect Sunday in New York

When Seri was to look back on that time in New York, she remembered that Sunday as pretty much perfect. They'd woken late, lazed around, and then ordered a fabulous brunch to eat in their suite. The hotel owner sent up a complimentary bottle of champagne as appreciation for Jeong Hyeok's performance the night before. They'd opened it with the brunch, giggling at how frivolous they were being.

"We never do silly things like this!" said Seri.

They sat together on the sofa sipping the champagne, still in their robes. She stretched out her legs in front of her, wiggling her toes. He moved his right leg to meet hers and pushed her feet playfully, and she pushed his foot back.

"You're right," he said. "We do spend a lot of time working or with the girls. We should get away more often, just the two of us." He stretched out both his long legs even further and trapped her feet in between them. "Caught you!" he said triumphantly.

She wriggled around giggling, half-heartedly trying to escape, and then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, Yoon Seri."

"I know," she murmured. She nestled back in his arms comfortably. "And I love you, Ri Jeong-hyeok!"

"I know," he said happily back to her.

It felt so good, so new, and yet so familiar.

Later, they shared a wonderful walk in Central Park, guessing, correctly, that this was one New York must-do that Ka-youn and Yeji would not be jealous of. Yesterday, when they had walked here, it had just been a backdrop to their conversation; Seri felt she hadn't seen it at all. Today, she could appreciate the beauty of the trees and the way it created a quiet oasis in the busy city. She loved the way they could still see the tops of the Upper East and West Side buildings, a distinct reminder that this was in the centre of Manhattan. She looked at Jeong-hyeok. He seemed to be smiling to himself.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing in particular. Just that I love being outdoors. I love playing piano, but there's something about being outside that always makes me feel good. That was one of the few good things about being a soldier. The de-militarised zone was actually quite a beautiful place."

He'd mentioned the North, she noticed, and she studied his face wondering how he was feeling. He didn't seem distressed, maybe a little confused with himself.

He'd paused. "Sorry."

"Don't be, there's no need! You're right, it was a beautiful place. I thought it was a national park!" She hugged his arm. "And what's wrong with thinking about it, anyway? That's where we met!"

"I guess so. You're right. And I do want to remember it. That was the best day of my life!"

"The best day! I was terrified!" She teased him.

He grinned back. "Ok, maybe not the best day. Just the start!"

"That's more like it!"

They carried on through the park, sharing happy memories, enjoying the space and the calm. They didn't need to do anything in particular. Just spending time together, enjoying each other's company, and feeling that their love was back on solid ground was enough.

They were now both looking forward to the arrival of Ka-youn and Yeji. Their family assistant, Lim Sun-Hee, and her friend Song Hiah, were accompanying them and the flight had just landed. Seri and Jeong-hyeok were waiting for them in the arrivals hall, drinking coffee whilst they waited. Anticipating the following few days also felt special. They hadn't spent too much time as a family over the last few months, away from school and work; so coming together in an exciting city like New York would be precious.