It had been too long since Roseanne had returned to the Black Diamond Building for one of the family's infamous monthly dinners.
But instead of being cooped up inside their private dining room, tonight the family was taking advantage of the pleasant weather to sit outside on the patio attached to the restaurant via a long and winding corridor.
It was entirely impractical for anyone else to be served on the patio. But the owners of the building got anything they wanted. Including a small crew of servers who were bringing out the appetizers and another round of wine for everyone at the table as Roseanne and Lisa arrived fashionably late.
"Hey! There you are."
That was Seulgi, one of Roseanne's new long-distance friends. Funny how we didn't become close until I moved to Busan. Seulgi, may not have been from Busan, but she knew a thing or two about dealing with the weather. She'd given Roseanne excellent tips on how to keep her hair in place.
Those long conversations about their biggest beauty secrets had soon turned into best-friend-like chatter. Sure, sometimes Seulgi shared a little more about Irene than Roseanne ever wanted to know, but that was par for the course when it came to being friends with a sibling's girlfriend.
"See?" Roseanne nudged Lisa gently as they entered the patio. "I told you they were excited to see us."
Lisa took her hand, pulling her back and speaking to her quietly. "We haven't told them the news yet. Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"Yes. It'll be fine." Roseanne turned on her biggest smile as she braced herself for a hug from her mother, who was barreling at them at a hundred miles per hour. "Hi, Mom."
"There's my sweet baby!" She gave Roseanne a tight squeeze before taking her other hand and pulling her toward the table. "And Lisa, of course."
Roseanne saw Lisa roll her eyes as they took their seats. They had been given the seats of honor next to her mother.
"You're so tanned!" Seulgi said from across the table. "And Lisa, did you do something with your hair?"
"Huh?" Lisa patted her head while a waiter brought them their waters. "No. I didn't cut it, if that's what you're asking."
"It must be because you're wearing it loose," Roseanne explained to both Lisa and Seulgi. "I guess she never used to do that."
Her mother quaffed some of her wine. "I think it looks great, Lisa. Very feminine."
Lisa narrowed her eyes. "I..."
"Take the compliment," Roseanne whispered to her. "My mom likes you now, remember?"
"No, I don't," Lisa muttered.
But neither of them could deny that Vivianne Park had done a complete one-eighty since coming out with the whole truth about her life. While it had taken some time, when Roseanne returned for her first Christmas after moving to Busan, she'd found her mother fawning over her daughters' girlfriends as if they were her own. Jennie hadn't trusted it one bit. Irene had been hopeful. Jisoo expressed wariness, and Seulgi just seemed baffled by it.
Roseanne was simply grateful. But she hadn't suffered at her mother's hands as much as her sisters had. Nor had Lisa known the ruder side of Vivianne in the same way Jisoo and Seulgi had. Was smothering them her way of apologizing?
Once everyone was settled, Beomseok raised his wineglass in a toast. "It's lovely to see the whole family here again. Especially Roseanne and Lisa. It's been much too long. Congratulations again on graduating, Roseanne."
