My One Great Love

One

Lisa's PoV:

"I'm sorry to disturb you Captain, but according to my GPS we already arrived in our destination." I hear someone while tapping my shoulder.

I softly groan and open my eyes to look around, we're in front of my house and I look at my wristwatch.

18:33

"It's half past six. Thank you for the ride lieutenant. I'll just get my duffel bags at the back." I say groggily and smiles politely at her while adjusting and stretching from the slumber that I took for almost two hours.

"I'll get it for you." Seulgi without a hint of hesitation, immediately hop out of the driver's seat. Not giving me a chance to refuse her offer.

I slightly laugh and shake my head for a moment. As soon as I step out of the car, my eyes wander around and automatically look at the flash of light that comes through an open window of our house. Suddenly, something seems familiar lingers in my sense of smell. I close my eyes, savoring the inviting aroma.

Mom is probably the one cooking right now.

"Your bags Cap." Seulgi say interrupting my momentum then, "Do you smell that? Someone's.." she sniffs "Someone's cooking a delicious food, I guess."

I laugh while getting my two duffel bags from her hands.

"Thank you Kang. Yeah? I might've been gone for years but one thing is for sure, that's my mom's." Then I look again at the open window. Seulgi follows my gaze.

"Wow. You're lucky Cap. Survived all your missions and now.." she then look back at me "Rewarding by you mom's amazing cooking skills." She says while smiling genuinely.

"Well then, as my thank you, I'm inviting you inside to eat dinner. So you can experience my mom's cooking skills." I say exaggerating the last two words.

She laughed but managed to get serious again. "As much as I would love to, I can't. I need to go back Cap. It took me forever to get you here, and might as well my ride back will take another. You literally live far from the city." Is she complaining now?

"I already warned you it's far. I should've-"

"Cap, relax. I'm just kidding, you think I'm complaining?" she cuts in softly, as if reading the question in my mind then look at me with teary eyes "I was just hoping during the ride that.. That you'll change your mind." This timid Seulgi is way different than the Seulgi I've known for years.

Processing what she just said. Astound for a moment. I never thought I could see the soft side of Seulgi. Usually, she would joke around. Or look serious and tough during missions. That's why we get along, I could almost see myself to her, but not the womanizer part.

"You know? You're one of the toughest soldier I know. It's just.. I'm just.." she shakes her head.

I drop my bags and hold both sides of her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Seulgi, as much as I want to continue serving.. This place" I raise my arms and look everywhere "This is my place, I need to be home. This is where I belong. My mom.." I paused to stop the tears that wants to escape "She's getting old. No matter how many times she told me that she's fine. I know she's not."

That's true, it's because of my mom. I've witnessed the way she embraced the pain when an unknown soldier knocked in front of the door to tell my mom the worst possible news that he could ever had. He informed that my dad was shot during a war in Iraq, unfortunately dead on the spot. I was ten back then. But the pain, it never leaves until now that I'm twenty eight years old.

As much as I want to stay out of this place, to run away and never comeback. Because everything here reminds me of the person I chose to let go.

I need to set aside my own feelings. This is where my mom found her safe haven three years after my dad passed away.

"I'm the only one left to make her feel not alone. I can't even bare the pain every time I think of the possibility if something bad might happen to me.." swallowing the lumps in my throat "How about her? For the second time she lost another precious person in her life. And you know my other reason, right?" then I couldn't handle it anymore as my tears begins to show. I quickly wipe my eyes.

I feel her arms circling around me as it gets tighter.

"Then it's an honour for me to get you home safe and sound captain, welcome home." She says in a whisper then drop her arms to stand straight, showing her best tiger look and salute in front of me.

I did the same and we both laughed. She walked beside her car, leaning against the roof.

"I'll pay you a visit when my vacation leave approves. I think your place is awesome. Can't wait to experience Mrs. Manoban's specialties. And maybe the one for me is living somewhere in this town." She utter but got startle by the sound of a honk from an approaching red car, Seulgi furrow her brows in irritation and ready to fight whoever inside that car, but it didn't stop and just continue accelerating.

"What the hell? Does that person can't see the road is a bit wide?" She complain.

"Don't mind it. Just go now, it's getting late."

"Okay, okay." She raises her hands in defeat and look back to me "So again, I'll comeback here." She assures and hop back inside the car but before she starts the engine.

I lower my head to look at her inside the car, she open the window at the passenger side "You're always welcome to come here, just don't forget to inform me. And by the way, women in this town are different from what you usually encounter lieutenant. Thank you again for the ride. Drive safely."

After Seulgi left, I crouch slightly to get my duffel bags from the ground. I stand in front of a two-storey house. It still looks the same when I left. I wonder if my motorcycle is still in the garage. Mom probably don't know how to use it so I need to check if it still works.

I glance again at the front house. My mom never gets tired taking care of this house. Lawn grasses are trimmed. Her flowerpots are perfectly align through the pathway as I walk straight to the door.

I can't help but smile when I tell myself..

"I'm finally home."

••••••••••