it's my birthday today. i know i should feel older and smarter and proud of myself, but for some reason everything just seems to be the same. i mean, i like things the way they are, i love my parents, my brother rocky, my dog koda, and i recently started playing piano which i enjoy. but something is missing. what gives me hope is the envelope my mom places in my hands, stepping back to watch me open it while she leans on my dad's shoulder. my initials swooped in cursive lines and my finger grazed over it, excitedly opening it up. every time i have a birthday or something special, my parents always take the opportunity to write me a letter. each letter gives me so much encouragement and warms my heart, whatever they write is always just what i need to hear in that moment. another part of the letter is that they always attach pictures with it, and this time around it's a photo of us at disney. mom was pregnant with rocky at the time, and dad was holding me up in his arms. i was so carefree back then. dear charlotte, we can't even believe how much you've grown. you have truly became the young woman we knew you would be. we just didn't expect it would happen so fast. you make us so proud darling, and we can't wait to celebrate your special day with you. you are our beautiful treasure, and we hope you never forget that. this year is going to be full of so many new things and experiences, so we thought we'd give you a head start by gifting you a trip to seoul. love, mom and dad i gasp. "are you guys serious? thank you so much!" i run to give them a hug. "i love you both, this means so much to me." "we know you've been dying to get out of la for a little while so we thought this would be good for you." dad smiles. "im so excited, when do i leave?"
✎ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
i wish mom and dad could have came with me to the airport, but they wanted to avoid paparazzi and not get in the way of my special trip. i took a deep breath and stepped onto the plane, making my way towards the first class area. when i got to my assigned seat, a guy was sitting in it. he was looking down at his phone and had headphones on. he obviously wasn't paying attention. "excuse me?" i say. nothing. "uhm, excuse me?" i say again but louder. still nothing. "hello???" i tap him on the shoulder. he finally looks up, a grin on his face. "oh im sorry is this yours?" i roll my eyes. "yes it is." "are you sure about that?" he says pulling a ticket out of his pocket. 34A i glance at his ticket and then the seat number. my eyes widen and i frantically look at my own ticket. 38A shit. "im so sorry!" my face turns bright red. "it's ok." he laughs and in my mind i make note of how nice his laugh is. "im gonna go... sit down now... yeah." i awkwardly wave and walk back to my actual seat. its two rows behind his. the plane starts to taxi down the runway, and i try to focus on the excitement of the trip ahead, but my thoughts keep drifting back to the guy in 34a. i wonder if he noticed how embarrassed i was or if he's already forgotten about the whole thing. as the plane levels out, the seatbelt sign turns off, and the flight attendants begin their service. i settle into my seat, determined to relax. just as i'm about to close my eyes, i feel a light tap on my shoulder. i look up, startled to see the guy from earlier standing in the aisle beside me. "hey, do you mind if i take this seat for a bit?" he points to the empty spot next to mine. "the person next to me fell asleep, and i'm kind of trapped." "uh, sure," i manage to say, my heart skipping a beat. he sits down, and i catch a hint of his cologne— whatever it is it suits him. "i never got to introduce myself," he says. "i'm chan." "nice to meet you," i reply. "im charlotte." so, charlotte, why are you going to seoul?" he asks, settling in. i hesitate for a moment. "just a little getaway. how about you?" "ah it's my home," he says. "then why the accent?" "i grew up in australia." another note to self: aussies are hotter in real life- confirmed. we chat for a while, sharing stories about previous travels and laughing at the small annoyances of airport life. he's easy to talk to—charming without being overbearing, funny without trying too hard. i start to relax, forgetting my earlier embarrassment. when chan falls asleep, i take an envelope out my bag that i saw mom tuck in there earlier that day. of course it's another letter. dear charlotte, todays the day. i hope the plane ride goes smoothly for you. your dad booked you a great hotel room with 24/7 room service, (you know how he is). he just wants the best for his girl, and so do i. we hope you make friends there, but don't forget about us back home. rocky is going to miss you more than he'd like to admit, and the picture im putting with this shows how much he loves you, and obviously how much your dad and i love you.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
i hope our love reaches you in korea. stay safe sweet girl - mom suddenly i felt like i wanted to cry. what was life going to be like away from my family? i took a deep breath though and smiled, looking over the picture and letter again. "what's that?" a voice said beside me. chan had woken up. "oh it's nothing. my parents just like writing me letters that's all." "wow that's really nice of them." "yeah, their letters are one of my favorite things in the world." i beam. chan nods. "you're a really lucky girl charlotte." "i- i guess i am." i laugh. "im so busy with my job i rarely have time to go to australia and visit my family." chan sighs. "oh, im really sorry." "it's ok." he smiles sadly before putting his headphones back on.
✎ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
when the plane lands i grab my belongings and say a quick goodbye to chan. as i enter the public area where the baggage claim is located, im shocked to see so many people and cameras gathered around. there's no way it could be for me, ive only ever been photographed when im with my parents. and it's impossible that the press and all of these other people knew about my trip. then they start screaming, and i realize it's all for someone who is walking behind me. i look back quickly to see who it is, and it's none other than chan.
