Lifetime

Divine

My dad was in good spirits, bopping by the kitchen counter with the TV set on one of those random music stations I spent hours listening to as a kid. He hooted as one song transitioned to another, keeping up with Busta Rhymes effortlessly and stirring the pot of his signature soup that carried an aroma I'd never forget.

He asked about my day and for me to taste test a small spoonful, still muttering along to the music I turned down.

"I was thinking of flying back home for a few days. I want to check on the restaurant, take Bella off Donna's hands for a few days." He tapped a ladle on the side of the metal pot, leaving it to simmer on low.

"Do you feel well enough to be traveling?" I responded.

He nodded. "I'll wait a couple of days to make sure."

"Okay," I paused, "I'm having dinner with Seokjin on Friday. Maybe we can book tickets for after that."

"I forgot to mention that the third reason I'm going is so that the two of you can spend some more time together." He iterated pointedly, striking down my response as soon as my mouth opened by holding up a finger. "Without you having to worry about me."

I leaned onto his arm, my cheek pressed against his equally as soft skin. "Okay, but I'll worry about you either way."

I'd be thankful for the following day of light tasks, splitting soup into mason jars and washing linens between lounging around the apartment. I spent early Friday afternoon sifting through outfit options for dinner at Seokjin's, items of clothing scattered across my bed and eventually abandoned for an attempt at my hair and makeup.

Heated curlers hung from the ends of my hair and I'd just primed my face when my dad appeared in the doorway, seen through the mirror. He'd been in bed for most of the day, overexerting himself with cooking and dropping off soup to a few of our older neighbors.

"I'm going to move the car ride we booked for later up. I need you to go check on Jin." His voice was still full of sleep. He pulled the phone back to his ear and I could hear it ringing until it clicked to a voice message.

"I'll be over there with him in a couple of hours. He's probably been cooking all day." I hadn't finished speaking before he was shaking his head to disagree, opening his phone to a ride share app.

He pressed at the screen with his index finger, still a little slow with technology. "We always check in by three and I haven't been able to get ahold of him."

When I turned to actually look at him I could see the true worry in his expression, his mouth pressed into a tight line and the wrinkle across the middle of his forehead deepened.

"I'll go check on him." I reached up to the first roller in my hair, unclipping it while it was still slightly warm. The look on his face triggered my own nervousness and I carried it with me all the way from grabbing my purse off the nook on my way out of the apartment to Seokjin's front door, the tail lights of my ride fading from the driveway behind me.

There weren't any visible lights on inside but the blinds were open. I rang the doorbell, listening for the sound of anyone approaching before trying again.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I did my best to deny that anything might be wrong as my dad instructed me on finding a hidden key among the trinkets that decorated the porch.

"If you have me breaking into Seokjin's house and he's making a quick run to the store or something I'll never let you live it down." I warned him as I put in the passcode for a lockbox disguised as a small planter.

The soles of my sneakers were dusted with snow that flaked against the heated floor into droplets of water. I left them by the door, dropping my bag off on the kitchen island and noticing that the only evidence of dinner plans were the slabs of meat thawing in the sink.