Memories || Wonu ff

eighteen

Ji Young

Dinner was more quieter than usual, so much so that we would probably be able to hear a tree falling from across the city. It was hard to get through my meal while my stomach was twisting and turning from anticipation, but I eventually finished and got up to wash my plate.

"I'll clean up our dishes, sweetie." Dads says as he got up from his seat, finishing his meal too "Just wait for me in the living room, ok?"

Nodding, I head towards the living room and sit down on the couch to wait for him. I was just staring blankly at my phone while my heart was pounding from it all.

Why am I so scared? And why do I have such a bad feeling about this?

"I'll be there in a few minutes, I just need to get everything from my study." Dad explains before disappearing from the room.

Everything?

He finally returns with his laptop, a shoe box with a string tied around it and the box I found full of mom's old art. Laid out across the coffee table in front of us, he sits down next to me and takes a deep breath.

"Are you sure you're ok with this dad?" I asked to double check if he was in the right condition to face this.

"Yes." He confirms "I don't want to delay this to you any further. Honestly, I was planning to tell you a year ago, but I was too much of a coward. I still am now."

He remains silent for a moment as he reaches for the box full of moms art, pulling out a familiar bundle of papers while he asks "Do you remember the short story I wrote in college? It was mentioned in my journal, so I'm sure you read it right?"

I nodded as I muttered "The one that inspired Withered..."

"Your mother was in love with that story... because it was about us. It was a love letter I wrote to her about how she changed my life. And when I got the encouragement to turn it into a book, I did it happily knowing that the world could read our love story without knowing it."

My mind was then brought back to the book he currently has been procrastinating on finishing, and hearing him say that, something finally clicked.

"So the final book of the series, when you said it has a sad ending-" Looking at him, tears were pouring down his face before I could finish that thought. He nods as he wipes his eyes with his sleeves.

"The book will end with the alchemist dying and the florist finding the strength to move on and live for both of them. Just like how I had to continue to move on after I lost her."

My heart sunk hearing that, I tried to tell him we could do this another night only to be immediately stopped by him.

"I know what you're going to say, sweet pea." He asserted "You don't have to worry about me. Like you said on the day of your class trip months ago, I'm not ready to face the end of this story. The only reason why I'm not ready is because I had been running endlessly from the grief, trying to forget everything that happened, but in reality... I just can't bring myself to forget about her."

"Dad..."

"I know, but it would be unfair to you. I may not be ready to acknowledge how the story ends, but all stories need to end. All stories need closure. The woman I love may be gone, but I will never forget her and how she changed my life." 

He then unties the string around the shoebox box and removes the the lid to show a mini photo album, a stack of many letters, a necklace and a USB.

"And if anyone deserves as much closure, it's you Ji Young." he then grabs the first letter at the top of the box before handing it to me.