What's Next?

Chapter 18 Thanksgiving

Se-ri called Lisa a few days before Thanksgiving and asked what she should bring.

"A couple of bottles of wine, one white and one red."

"What are you bringing?" 

 "Pumpkin pie, apple pie and pumpkin cheese cake. Oh,and my cranberry sauce. It is going to be a feast. Is this your first Thanksgiving?"

"Yes, and I am looking forward to it."

"Has David been playing tour guide?"

"Yes, we went to Big Sur, the Monastery there, the Aquarian in Monterey, Cannery Row and Carmel. Then last week we went to the Getty Villa. It was amazing. I got a lot of ideas and went home and sketched most of the night."

"You should ask him to take you to the Getty Center. 1 That is an amazing place. I will come pick you up at 1 pm on Thanksgiving. Remember we are staying overnight so bring an overnight bag."

"Okay, see you on Thanksgiving."

Se-ri woke up on Thanksgiving Day looking forward to this new experience. She had packed her overnight bag the night before. She looked through her closet looking for the most suitable outfit for the day. David had said his mother and sister were stylish. So, she had to wear a stylish but comfortable outfit. She found the perfect outfit. A deep purple dress, simple cut and midcalf.  She was ready, had the wine, her bag and her overnight bag when Lisa came to pick her up.

"Hi Lisa, thank you for coming to pick me up. I am ready."

"I think you will enjoy it. It will be good seeing David's family, it's been a while."

They arrived at David's Aunt Annette's house a couple hours later. Se-ri was in the living room looking at the family pictures when Annette came into the room. Se-ri looked at her and had a strange feeling. She was not scared; it was a feeling of being safe. She did not understand, why do I feel this way? The only time she felt this way was with Jeong hyeok.

Annette approached her and said "You must be Se-ri. I am Annette, David's aunt."

"It's good to meet you, Lisa says you are one of the best people she knows. Are these photos of your family? This photo, when was it taken?'

"A while back, I was a lot younger then."

"Where was it taken?"

"At my parents' house. They are no longer with us."

"Can I help?"

"Yes, yes. Let's go to the kitchen, Lisa and Kate are there. You can help set the table. Ten adults."

"Se-ri is going to set the table. How long have you been here Se-ri?"

"Since October. I am enjoying my time here. David has been very kind, he is my tour guide. This is a lot of cooking. Do you do this for every Thanksgiving?"

"Yes, every year. We love cooking Thanksgiving dinner." Kate replied.

The table was set, the food was on the table and the family was seated. The new person at the table was Se-ri and they were all wanting to ask her questions. They started asking at the same time. Lisa stood up, quieten them down and said,

"Ground rules people. No personal questions. Se-ri is from Korea and is here on sabbatical for one year. David has been her tour guide, she is living close to David and me. Privacy people, privacy."

She sat down and they looked at Lisa, then David and then Se-ri. They knew Lisa and what she said she meant. The only questions during the meal were how she was liking where she lived and the places David had taken her to. Se-ri looked at them and felt comfortable. A lot of laughter, catching up on each other and making plans for Christmas. Someone had said something to make them all smile. At that moment, Rachael happened to look at Se-ri and saw her eye smile. She looked at her mother and there was the same eye smile. Neither she nor Dominic had the eye smile. And there was the photo. Was Se-ri the baby her mother had to give up? Rachael was very observant; she had always been that way. She felt that there was something there and she would be able to figure it out. Being able to observe people was what made her so good at her job. Her mother could never hide things from her.

The meal was over, the tabled cleared, dishes washed, dried and put away. It was time for desert and they gathered in the living room. Se-ri excused herself to go to the bathroom, it was a busy day with a lot of people. She wanted a little quiet for a few minutes. She was walking back to the others when she saw Annette. She went up to her and asked,

"Can I talk to you? Somewhere private?"

"Yes, of course, follow me." She took her to a room that was used as an office.

"What would you like to talk about?"

Se-ri took a deep breath with her eyes closed. She exhaled and opened her eyes.

"Are you my biological mother?"

Annette looked at her and took her hand.

"I think I am, but we won't know for sure until we do a DNA test. The man you say is your father has the same name as the man who I was in a relationship with and got pregnant."

"You have my eye smile. Your other two children don't. Then there was the photo, you look just like me when you were my age."

Annette looked at her. "Would you be disappointed if I was your biological mother?"

"No, I always wanted to know where she was and why she gave me to my father."

"I will tell you the whole story when it's just us. We need to be alone."

"Should we do the DNA test? I think we should."

"Yes, I will talk to David, he would know where to get it done."

"David? Why David?"

"He told me about you, the eye smile, the photo. And when I met you, it was like looking at my younger self."

They joined the others and David, Lisa, and Rachael noticed.

That evening as Se-ri got ready for bed she thought about the day. She knew she was not happy or sad, it was a strange day. Meeting her mother, siblings, cousins, and aunt. She had a family. She was glad when Lisa asked her if she would like to leave, they said their goodbyes and went to the hotel. Neither she nor Lisa spoke, they were each in their own world. Lisa guessed as to the conversation between Annette and Se-ri. She would let Se-ri tell her when she was ready. When they got to the hotel, they checked in and Se-ri said to Lisa,

"Thank you for taking care of me today. I don't think I will ever forget today."

"If you want to talk I am here. We can leave tomorrow around 10, after breakfast, unless you want to leave earlier?

"Can we leave at 9?"

"Sure, meet you in the restaurant at around 8?"

"Yes, and Lisa, thank you." And she gave Lisa a hug.

1. https://www.getty.edu/visit/villa/