Amore||Jake Shim

sixteen

"it really seems like you two are getting comfortable with each other now," mrs. shim teased, making ava laugh.

"i'm really glad to have you back hun. i really am, but .. are you back home for good or .."

ava took a seat at the kitchen island and sighed as she fiddled with her fingers.

"ava, honey," mrs. shim began, "if you think that becoming big with your dancing career is going to bring your mom back, i'm sorry, but- you should just forget about it."

"she had all these years to come back, but she didn't. if she still wanted to be in your life, she would have come back a long time ago. there's nothing you, your dad, or anyone could do to bring her back."

"if she wanted to come back, she would've came back on her own. you shouldn't be spending your life on bringing her back. it wasn't your fault she left by choice," mrs. shim ended, turning off the stove to sit next to ava.

ava sat silently and let mrs. shim's words sink in. if anything, mrs. shim was the only person who gave ava that motherly comfort, support, and love. after all, mrs. shim has always wanted nothing, but the best for ava.

"i performed on broadway .. in nyc!" ava chuckled with tears trickling down her face, "i just- i thought i would be so much happier, but i don't feel it. i just don't feel it at all."

"i understand that you want to be good enough in hopes of bringing your mom back, but there is always going to be a time where you'll realize you're not good enough for some people," mrs. shim replied.

"however, in this case, you are simply too good for your mom. but is that your problem or hers?"

ava sighed, "but i'm a dancer. isn't this how it's supposed to be? isn't this the way i'm supposed to live?"

"says who?" mrs. shim questioned, "you do what you want to do. you live the way you want to live. because at the end of the day, you are the one that makes decisions for yourself."

"stop looking for other people's approval of the decisions you make for your life. maybe .. dancing really isn't your dream. what if you aren't living your dreams because you're stuck with living in your fears?"

ava took a deep breath and lifted her head up to face the ceiling, "what if i am? why can't the universe just help me out on this one, instead of making life so complicated for me?"

"honey," mrs. shim called out softly, taking ava's hand in hers, "life is always going to be complicated. that's just the nature of life. that's why you shouldn't search for answers and wait for life to get better."

"but no matter how complicated your life is, i will always be here for you. i'm only one call away," mrs. shim smiled.

"and so am i."

"jake-" ava softly spoke.

mrs. shim stuttered, "y-you weren't supposed-"

"actually mrs. shim," ava interrupted, "it's okay."

"thank you for the talk .. it was very much needed," she smiled, hugging mrs. shim.

"anytime."

"now why don't you go wash up before we all eat? jake, grab ava some clothes will you?" mrs. shim asked.

"sure thing," jake replied, heading into his room.

ava walked back into the guest room, pausing as her eyes landed on the bed with the scenes from the night before replaying in her mind.

"whatcha thinking about?" jake asked, placing some clothes on the bed before standing next to ava.

she looked at his face as the two shared eye contact for a while before ava's arms clasped around jake's waste, her head placed against his chest.

"boy am i glad you're okay," ava sighed, feeling jake's chest vibrate as he laughed at her words.

the two stayed in each other's embrace with countless thoughts floating in their minds.

the hug was so warm and gentle, yet it wasn't a hug of friendship. it was a hug quite unexplainable, but the two managed to focus on releasing their pent up emotions together.

"i'm sorry for eavesdropping in your conversation with my mom earlier i-"

"it's okay," ava mumbled into jake's chest.

jake unknowingly smiled at ava's response and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"i'm always going to be here for you okay? don't even think for a second that i wouldn't come to be your comfort just because of our past. i know what it feels like to be suffocated in your thoughts and i don't want you going through that alone," jake whispered.

ava melted in jake's arms after hearing his words. her legs grew weak and she wanted nothing more than to pour her heart out to him.

but what was it that she wanted to pour out?