Evenstar

19. A Celebration of Love

The days were moving fast and it was time for her family to leave for Bulgaria. Dae Eun met them all at her appa's house as they gathered for the drive to Incheon. She hugged her dad and brothers, her sisters-in-law and her nephew and wished them a safe trip. For some reason they were all teary-eyed all of a sudden, and Dae Eun had to remind everyone that it would just be a few days, two weeks at most. It was the first time that they would not be together on her birthday since she returned from the US.

"It's okay, you guys. I'll be having fun here too," she tried to sound cheerful. Cheul-Soo smothered her in a hug. He was only over a year older than her and she was closer to him than to Deok-Su who was ten years older. He and Taehyung were the same age.

"We'll get you something nice," Deok-Su promised and Cheul-Soo just smiled. They'd gone on many business trips before and the nicest thing they could bring her had been a scarf or some trinket from the hotel lobby shops. But this was the first time they were all going as a family, and Deok-Su made a mental note to really get his sister something good.

The Incheon Airport private vans pulled up the circular driveway and the attendants started loading their luggage. They were all set.

"Now Dae Eun, if you're going out I want you to bring your Uncle Jun-Ho and Nana, or Sunhee. Don't go out by yourself. Jun-Ho will know if you'll need to have more people, so tell him your plans okay?" Chung-Hee didn't want his daughter driving around by herself, especially since they wouldn't be home. None of them traveled alone. Even for Bulgaria, he was bringing three of their staff to assist them.

"Yes, Appa. Try to have fun. Please take a tour or something. I'll come meet you at Incheon when you get back."

"Okay." Chung-Hee put his arm around his daughter's shoulders as they walked out the front door.

Dae Eun stayed until the two vans pulled out of the driveway and headed to the main road. She suddenly felt sad and empty as she walked back into her father's palatial home. Her mom had never lived in this mansion. She died before they could move in, and Dae Eun didn't know what her mom would have felt about the many rooms and large meeting areas. It looked more like a small hotel to her and she knew she would never be happy living there. She walked into every room to check whether it was being maintained well. This would be the perfect time for repairs if any were needed. Before leaving, she made a mental note to prepare the Christmas decorations and buy new ones so that her family could spend a warm and cozy Christmas here come December. They usually got a real pine tree for the foyer, one so large and tall as to reach nearly to the second landing of the winding staircase. She smiled at the thought.

Christmas was a special time for Dae Eun. Her mom was a Christian, and although her dad never talked about religion much, Dae Eun knew he was a believer too. Since being schooled in the US, Dae Eun celebrated Christmas every year while she was studying, and she made sure to make every Christmas special for them once she returned to Geumsan after graduation.

She left the house after exchanging pleasantries with the staff. Everyone was teasing her about her birthday. She wondered what they had planned and felt her heart lifting. She would know by tomorrow.

That evening as she sat up on her bed, she realized that she had not heard from Taehyung all day. Not so much as a text message to say hello. It was the first time it happened since they met last August. She wondered if he was finally losing interest. Who can blame him, she thought. She always knew she was boring, being so introverted around new acquaintances. Still, she hoped she would hear from him tomorrow. She wanted to at least hear his voice, that would be enough of a gift for her.

Dae Eun hid herself under the covers, wishing for sleep. It was almost midnight and still no word from Taehyung. And this, of all days, when her family had left. She wanted to cry, suddenly missing all of them, especially her mom.