Chance Upon A Tempest

Chapter 29

Jimin arrives at his parents' home around 6:45 PM. He walks into his childhood home and is greeted by his doting mother. She comes up and embraces her son and says, "Oh, my sweet boy is home. How have you been Sweetheart? You need to call and visit us more often! How come you are alone today? Where is your bride?"

Jimin replies, "I wanted to talk to you and dad alone. Where is he anyway?"

"Where do you think? In his study reading the newspaper."

"So, what is it that you need to talk to us about without Piper. Are you planning some kind of surprise for her? I'm telling you, that girl has no idea how lucky she is."

"Mom, it's nothing like that."

"Oh, alright. Well, dinner is almost ready. Why don't you go say hello to your father. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you." Jimin gives his mother a smile and leaves her behind and heads for the study.

The study. That room has always been a place that intimidated Jimin, especially when he was a child. The entire room is covered in built-in bookshelves filled with law books and texts, cherry wood paneling, and in the middle, there sits a large desk that is rivaled only by the Resolute Desk in the Oval office. Behind it is a large and equally stately tufted leather executive chair. All of this is set in front of a large picture window that looks out over the well-manicured property. Jimin remembers his father sitting in that room, behind that huge desk, reading the newspaper or pouring over a case that he was working on. When he was younger, he hated having to go into that room to talk to him or to pass on a message from his mother from somewhere in the house.

That unpleasant feeling of going into that room slowly dissipated as he became an adult. However, this evening, walking towards the study to find his father has activated that same part of him that was always intimidated. Jimin's father was the DA for over twenty years before he finally retired. Now, Jimin's father spends his time teaching and consulting. A regimented man, even to this day, he wakes up at 6:00 AM to go through his morning routine as if he was getting ready to go to work. Jimin often wondered how his parents spent their time nowadays. Now that there were no more children to tend to, or parties/fundraisers to organize and execute. His parents were waiting for their first grandchild for a while now. Jimin is the youngest of three children. His older brother is the DA of a neighboring district, and his sister practices international law. Jimin's brother has been married twice now and still has no children and his sister has been too career focused to contemplate having children. Although you know that his brother-in-law has been wanting them ever since the two had gotten married. So, as far as grandchildren were concerned, Jimin was their best hope, well... was.

Jimin walks up to the open doorway and knocks on the door jamb. Jimin's father looks up from his newspaper over his reading glasses and Jimin can see his father's face morphing into a giant smile. "Son! Come in, come in. Your mother told me that you'd be joining us for dinner tonight." He gets up out of his chair and comes to embrace his youngest, and favorite son. Of course, he would never admit that to anyone out loud, but he always saw himself in Jimin the most.

Jimin's father guides him to the couch and says, "Sit, sit. Son. So, what's going on with you? Your mother would like it if you'd call or visit more often. And where is that pretty girl of yours? Why are you flying solo tonight?"

"I needed to talk to you and mom alone. What have you been doing with your time, Dad?"

"Oh, you know. A little of this and a little of that. Still teaching, still consulting, and I'm golfing with your mother more often now. She is tickled to death about that. I wish I could have gone with her sooner. You should see her. She gets so mad on the course. I haven't seen her break a golf club over her knees yet, but she curses like a sailor. Oh... cutest little thing ever, your mother is." Jimin's father chuckles and looks off into the middle distance, as if he is reliving a particularly fond memory.