THAWING FIRE • VHOPE

C33 - Would you like to come back home?

C33 - Would you like to come back home?

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"Taehyung?" she asks, voice cracking at the last syllable when she cries, chest heaving as she slowly trudges towards me, clutching her green purse close to her hip. "Son, is that you?"

The woman a few meters away from me who's clothed in a red, lacey dress, blue high heels creating noises whenever they hit the ground as she steps forward, a big, black hat sitting on and adorning her curly locks, is my mother.

The tears from her eyes seem to flow even more as the distance from me to her is getting shorter, her arms wide open.

I can't move, it's like my shoes are glued to the cold hallway floor

Before I even know it, mother is already embracing me, whispering into my ears of how much she missed me.

I think I'm being electrocuted because of how all my cells shake upon her touch, seemingly starting to wake up from their deep sleep.

I hug her back tighter, causing me to shed tears again.

God, this feels so right. I missed this.

"I missed you so much, my baby," says mother, digging her fingers through my hair.

And as I'm about to say I missed her, too, I don't because I see father walking towards us from afar.

He's smiling, and it's a good thing.

He must be from work because of the blue dress shirt he's still wearing, the bow tie, and his shiny black shoes the butler never forgets to polish bright every morning.

I can't help but stifle a loud cry when his wide arms suddenly spread out like a bird's wings, scooping me and mother, closing his eyes as he leans on her back, warm cheeks meeting mine.

"We missed you, Taehyung," he says and smiles, eyes opening and looking right at mine.

I smile at the crinkles in his face, freckles adorning his ruddy cheeks.

"I missed both of you, too," I manage to say even though I find it hard to speak as of the moment, it being my throat being clogged of something as I cry.

He smiles again and that's enough to shut me up for a moment, silently thanking the Heavens for this wonderful surprise.

I wish this would last forever...

--

As the three of us walk together into the cafeteria – me being in the middle of my parents who are having their time glancing around and scrunching their noses at some things contrary to their perspectives – amused and curious eyes are instantly on us.

There are no students to be seen here because all have gone to their classes, so only the cafeteria's crew and some nurses who are having their breakfasts are here to witness us as we enter inside and take the empty table next to the lunch counters.

Some nurses still haven't looked away the moment father reluctantly and grumblingly sits on the chair opposite mine while mother just stands beside me.

"Son," mother says as she narrows her eyes at the chair in front of her, opening her purse and dipping her hand inside, "are you sure it's fine to sit here? It doesn't look very... clean to me."

(I almost forgot that my mother is a clean freak.)

She brings out a hankie from her and I almost roll my eyes at her, but then I remember that I've never rolled my eyes back at home; it's a nasty habit, my teacher said.