#Taejin: Married to My Best Friend

Chapter 10: The Memory Clinic

The day was still early when Seokjin and Taehyung arrived at a Seoul Memory Clinic. This is a special clinic with trained health care practitioners dedicated to taking care of Alzheimer's/dementia patients. For a simple explanation, Alzheimer's was a disease that caused the brain cells to die and it was the most common cause of dementia—-a severe loss of memory and other thinking abilities.

As dementia can't be cured, the patients would need utmost care. This clinic particularly provided experienced nurses with specialist dementia training and other experts to handle the patients, including physicians and psychologists.

This clinic had been a home for Seokjin's mother for almost four years now.

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A nurse brought Seokjin and Taehyung to the garden, where Jin's mom currently enjoyed her reading time alone. She was only 65 and had been diagnosed with developing young onset dementia about 9 years ago. Her condition worsened and worsened, especially in the past 5 years, and forced Seokjin to finally put her in this clinic to get maximum care and treatment.

"Eomma... I'm here." Seokjin handed her a bucket of baby blue Forget Me Not flowers.

"Seokjina!" Her mother smiled widely and opened her arms wide to hug him. Thankfully, she still remembered her son and Seokjin made sure of that. He visited her often, framed many pictures and put them on the table in her room, made special photo albums and scrapbooks of their family's happy memories together, even collected and stacked many past videos for her to watch anytime she wanted.

"Eomma, I bring someone today. Do you still remember him?" Seokjin sat on the bench right beside her.

"Yes, I know your face." She forgot Taehyung entirely now. Years ago, Seokjin's mom was like a second mom for Taehyung. Their house was his second home in Seoul. She treated and cared for Taehyung like her own son. Cooked him his favorite food, gave him a sanctuary and unconditional motherly love.

Taehyung smiled. "Eomeoni, It's Taehyung. You look healthy and beautiful. I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you for so long." Taehyung held her hands and kissed them Trying hard to hold up his tears.

Seokjin's mother smiled. "I saw a lot of pictures of you in the photo albums. Seokjina labeled the pictures with your name, too. Are you Seokjin's boyfriend?"

"Eomma—-" Seokjin was about to explain, but Taehyung cut him off.

"I am, Eomeoni. You don't have to worry about your Seokjin now. I'll make sure to take care of him well, hm?" Taehyung grazed her hands, while Seokjin had to divert his teary gaze away.

She smiled and nodded. "Please take care of him. He's my only son and he's a good man."

"I know. I will." He assured her.

They talked some more. Seokjin told her about his work and his life recently, and also about Taehyung who just came back from Germany. Seokjin promised his mom to take her on a trip later and have dinner together in a nice restaurant, like they often do.

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Day went by quickly and they finally had to say goodbye. Seokjin kissed his mother's temple and hugged her. "I'll visit you again soon, Eomma." He promised. "I love you."

"Thank you, Son. I love you too."

They bid goodbye, but his mother called him back. "Seokjina..."

"Yes, Eomma?"

"Tell your father to visit me sometimes. Why is he never visiting me? I miss him so much... Please... Please...." She begged so heartbreakingly. Her voice choked.

Seokjin was left speechless and frozen.

Taehyung hurriedly said, "I'll tell him, Eomeoni. He will visit you soon! Don't worry, you know he loves you so much."

Seokjin turned his body and walked away fast from the garden and went into the nearest nook in the building. He slumped down on the floor, covering his face, and sobbed in grief.

His mother always asked about her beloved husband....

She didn't remember that her husband had already passed away 5 years ago....

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Taehyung ran after Seokjin, sat with him on the floor, and scooped him into his embrace. "Baby..."

This was exactly what he had always dreaded while he was in Germany, that he was far, far away from Seokjin in times like this.

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After having lunch in the nearest restaurant they could find on their way, they continue to their next destination: Seokjin's father's burial ground.

They parked the car and walked to the cemetery. Taehyung put a bouquet of white roses on the grave.

Abonim, I'm back now. I promise I won't leave Jinnie again. I promise I will take good care of him, as I promised you back then. So, don't worry. Please rest in peace and watch how happy we are from above.

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