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Present Day
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"Grandma, did you always know grandpa was the one?"
I smiled at the curious question as I reached into my memories, pulling at the ones that had been tucked away into the deepest corners of my mind.
Faces instantly flashed through my thoughts as each memory brought the familiar little tugs to my heart.
Joohee gazed at me expectantly as I slowly brushed out her hair.
"Not always," I admitted. "It took me some time and some growing up, before I realized that yes - he had always been the one."
My grand-daughter sat quietly as I set the the brush down on the bedside table, humming softly while reaching out to tuck her in.
"Instead of a fairy tale, will you tell me the story of how you and grandpa fell in love?"
"That's too long of a story," I answered, chuckling when Joohee stubbornly pouted.
It took another few minutes before I let out a sigh, slowly nodding in defeat when the little girl persisted.
"Alright, alright. But in order for you to understand how your grandfather and I ended up together... We'll have to start from the beginning."
"The beginning of what?"
"My fairy tale."
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Past
June 14
Age 7
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My face crinkled up in frustration as I let out a small sigh.
The sand castle I had been attempting to build for the past hour was far from cooperating with me. Shoving another pail full of sand up, I began to gently rebuild, making sure to pay close attention to even the smallest details.
Nothing will make you fall this time.
I was alone on the beach, which was unusual considering it was the high peak of summer.
Perhaps it was the gloomy weather, my own parents had refused to partake in any beach activities - opting to stay shaded under some extremely large beach umbrellas. I didn't share their complaints, I loved the rain - even thrived in it.
Besides, the soft drizzle of the falling rain had adequately helped in making the sand firmer, making it easier to mold and build.
Slowly and carefully, I placed the last chunk of sand at the very top, and quickly moved away to observe my work.
Glancing around, my eyes scanned in search of the beach for my parents - after tiring hours of my hard labor, I needed the deserved praise for my well earned masterpiece.
My eyes found them to be in the same spot they had been before, lounging in their beach chairs as they chatted with some friends.
They were too far away to call out to, and I wasn't in any place to leave my perfect sand castle alone even for a second.
Deciding to just enjoy my work alone, I plopped myself down in the sand and admired my creation, patting it down here and there to gently tuck the sand in firmer.
It was perfect, and yet, my lips were curved down into a frown as a gnawing feeling crept within me - something was missing... But I couldn't figure out what.
