My Songbird's Dream

25. In the haunted mellow

January, 1945
Occupied Seoul

"And that should do it!" Etta turned from the bubbling pot on the stove with a satisfied smile, wooden spoon held aloft. "This soup will have everyone feeling right as rain in..."

Her pleased explanation trailed abruptly off as she registered empty air where little Daniel should have been perched attentively on his small stool, watching raptly while she cooked and keeping up a steady stream of commentary just for him. Unease trickled down her body.

"Daniel?" Etta cast quick eyes around the abandoned kitchen, pulse already accelerating. She took a half-step toward the vacant hallway, calling louder as she searched desperately for some glimpse of her wandering son. "Daniel!!"

For a heartbeat, she thought perhaps one of the servants had taken him away as a joke on her, or to run an errand. But there was no one. As the seconds dragged on, Etta could not explain the suffocating dread that was clawing its way up into her throat. She tried to swallow the fear, whispering her son's name against the stones lodging there.

The creaking floorboards and phantom scratching in the ancient walls seemed suddenly deafening with absence. Gripping the counter hard as her knees wobbled, Etta's vision swam. She could scarcely draw breath to scream again past paralyzing vise on her chest—

Just then swift footsteps had Ji-tae rushing into view around the corner, a whimpering Daniel gathered tight to his chest even as the toddler reached yearningly for his mother. "All is well, songbird! Our little explorer just went wandering rather intently down the hall. No harm done..."

His gently reassuring words barely penetrated Etta's panic. She was already enfolding her sniffling son fiercely, relief crashing over her as she buried her face in Daniel's tousled hair. The sweet scent and weight restored sense that she had nearly lost him to the shadows battering ceaselessly at their fragile door.

After long moments, she became aware of Ji-tae observing their emotional reunion, features lined with concern and questions. Gently he reached to massage the tense line of her shoulders, voice soft.

"Would it be acceptable if Mi-sook minded the little one for a short while? I was hoping we could talk..." 

Etta lifted a tear-streaked face from Daniel's downy crown at the quiet request, reading empathy and care shining through Ji-tae's hesitancy to intrude. After the panic attack edged away to numbness, she could only nod weakly.

Understanding implicitly, Ji-tae smiled comfortingly down at Daniel's upturned face. "What do you say to spending a bit of time with Halemoni Mi-sook, hmm?" 

At the toddler's answering grin, he leaned out to flag down the passing elderly woman. Soon enough Mi-sook came bustling up to sweep Daniel into surprisingly strong arms. 

"Ah, are they already passing you off to me then?" She angled a conspiratorial wink Daniel's way even as Ji-tae chuckled. 

"You have my gratitude as always, halemoni." Ji-tae bowed respectfully before turning to offer Etta a supportive hand up.

"I hoped to borrow Miss Walker for just a short while if that's amenable?" At Mi-sook's shooing motions, he drew Etta gently toward his nearby office. 

Settling her on a leather couch inside the cozy space, Ji-tae perched beside Etta without releasing the clasp of her hands. His eyes searched her downcast features with profound compassion shining through.

Etta wiped at her face, offering a weak scoff. "I'm not certain what came over me honestly...I sometimes have moments where trauma bleeds irrationally into the present." She glanced down, abashed. "I apologize you had to witness such things..."