My One Great Love

Two

Lisa's PoV:

Countryside will always be the best place to live a simple and a peaceful life. But I don't feel it, not anymore. Or maybe not anymore in this town.

Ten years.

I've been gone for ten years. Without a contact to anyone even my old friends in this small town, except my mom. And it feels like it only happened yesterday. I was young and dumb.

Am I still welcome here?

I couldn't help but asked myself that question.

I was a goddamn selfish.

I left the town and went to a military academy. I left everyone, especially the love of my life.

Why did I even choose to be a soldier when it was the reason why my father died? It's because he's my role model. I look up to him. Before he left to fulfill his duty, I promised to him that I wanted to be like him. He was so happy and told me that he was already proud of me. He hugged me so tight and kissed my forehead. I never thought that, that would be the last time that I could ever see his face. Smiling. I should've beg for him not to go. I will never forget when he told me whatever happens, I'll look after mom. And so I promised again.

Now that I'm done fulfilling my promise to be a soldier in honour of him. It's time to fulfill my other vow.

I was a pain in the ass, and my mom, she never fail on making me feel loved despite of everything that I've done. And I'm grateful for that, though it took me years to realized how fucked up of a person I was before I changed.

Surely I couldn't turn back the time to correct what I did and my poor choices, but now that I'm back in this town with a different perceptions in life, I will do everything for my mom. To see her genuinely happy again.

I walk towards the front door. Drop my bags both sides. I heave a deep sigh. Battling inside my head whether knock or walk silently to surprise my mom. I chose the second thought.

Holding the doorknob, silently twisting. I slowly open the door, careful not to make a noise. I peek directly in the kitchen area where I can hear my mom talking to a little boy. Then they burst into laughter.

Wait what? A little boy?

Big and heavy footsteps can be heard because of my boots, I hurriedly walk into the kitchen to see what is happening.

"Mom?" I call with hesitation and a little frantic tone.

The boy is sitting on one of the stools, his hands rests on the counter table while my mom stands in front of the stove, facing the little boy.

They both look in my direction, they stop to whatever they were talking and laughing about. When my mom's senses came back and realized that it's her kid who called her a while ago, she unconsciously drop the spatula she was holding on the floor. Eyes wide with an open mouth.

"Oh my God! Honey!" my mom retrieves and runs to hug me. I close my eyes to feel her warmth and hug her back. We stayed in that position for a minute. Hearing my mom's sobs, I let go to look at her.

"You didn't lock the door mom, what if I'm an intruder? I easily got inside the house without you noticing my presence." I scolded my mom.

She then tweak me on my left arm. "Ouch mom! What was that for?" I wince in pain while rubbing my arm.

"Why you didn't inform me? When did you arrived in Korea?" She asks not minding my lecture.

"Just this afternoon mom, my comrade picked me up at the airport."

"Why you didn't tell me you're coming home?" she inquire again.

"I just want to surprise you mom."

"You should've told me, so I could've clean your room and prepare your favourite foods." she says getting teary again.

"Mom, don't worry about it, I can do the cleaning and you can cook my favourite foods" I hold her arms "I missed you so much." I kiss her forehead then back to hugging her again.

"I missed you so much too honey, always." her grip on my shoulder gets tighter, tears streaming down her face, I pull away and I run both of my thumbs on her cheeks.

"Well, you'll see me everyday again." Furrowing her brows, questioning my statement "I won't leave mom, not anymore." I grin at her then she cries again.

"Grandma, did she do something bad to you?" The small voice interrupts the mother and daughter's drama scene. I almost forgot so I look at him and back to my mom. Raising my brows. Questions written on my face.

"Oh, I forgot." mom quickly approach him and hold his little shoulder "Austin, this is Lisa. See that big picture on the wall?" my mom points her index finger and my eyes follow where she's referring, a photo of mine wearing a class A military uniform hanging in the living room wall "That's her, Lisa."

"And Lisa, this is Austin Kim."

When I heard his surname I couldn't hide my curiosity so I look back at him to study his features. He has a fair skin, blond hair, small eyes, chubby cheeks and white baby teeth grinning perfectly at me and I chuckle. His charming smile makes my heart flutter so I smile back and offer my hand for a handshake. Without hesitation, he accepts my offer.

"Oh I see.." he tilt his head a little "It's nice to finally meet you Lisa. Grandma talks a lot about you." He says in a mature way, then grin again.

Is he somewhat an old person in a child's body?

"It's my pleasure to meet you too, Kim." I grin too.

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