The next day, Luna basked in the morning sun as she wheeled Brienne's wheelchair through the hospital garden.
It could've been because it was a very expensive and well known hospital, the garden was the most beautiful she had ever seen. Every flower played its part in making the scene a visual symphony. A patient would be cured of depression if he took even one stroll in it.
After the confrontation yesterday, though it was a disaster, Luna felt as if a burden had been lifted off her shoulders. Things were clearer now. She could move on.
"You're wearing yesterday's clothes." Said Brienne, "You didn't go home?"
Luna chuckled, "Home? Charlize wouldn't let me back in. My home's in Korea now."
"I was sick when you got out, thats why I couldn't come see you."
"That's okay. I didn't expect you to, what, after my horrible behavior towards you, when you had just been trying to help."
Brienne held her hand up asking them to stop, they were under an Illawarra Flame Tree and the heat from the sun made the coolness bearable.
"We all have our bad moments. People who have been through worse have worse and frequent breakdowns." Brienne always spoke like she had all the time in the world, "I have had my bad moments too."
"You have?" Luna said with a little bit of sarcasm, if you lived with Brienne, you'd think everyday was her bad moment.
"I tried to kill myself once too."
Luna sucked in a breath, she had an idea of something like this being possible but it actually being true was like a punch to the gut.
"It was when Seokmin died. I loved him alot you know."
Yeah, we know. Luna replied dismally in her head.
"Back then he was always working and he almost never had time for me and Changmin. And then one day I just got so frustrated with having to eat dinner alone again and again that.." Brienne trailed off, Luna sat on the grass in front of her and let her take her time.
"I lied to him that Changmin was very sick and that he needed to come home urgently. He must've rushed his car through the streets because the next thing I knew I was getting a call from the hospital."
Luna looked down and sighed, Brienne must've beat herself over the death of her lover all those years, no wonder she couldn't bring herself to smile, ever.
Her pain was both grief and regret, was there a worse kind?
"So, I locked myself in the baby's room with a bottle of sleeping pills in hand. And Im sure I was crazily crying, yet Changmin, that stupid baby stared at me with his big innocent eyes and.. smiled. It wasn't one of pity or empathy like the ones I had been getting ever since the accident. It was pure and full of warmth and I just couldn't get enough of it."
Luna was ashamed of not listening to her Grandma's story with full attention, but all that she could think of from the word 'smile' was, Haemin and his sunshine-like smile and how it healed a part of Luna every single time.
"And I couldn't end it. Even when I was at my most miserable, death never appealed to me, it was never the answer. But my regret was like a screeching shadow, looming over me, reminding me that it was my fault. All I needed was one strong enough reason to not do it, that was Changmin, my beloved son who's a splitting image of his father. And also, me. No matter what, there was one thing I was absolutely sure of, and that was his love for us. I couldn't let him down like that."
Luna smiled goofily, "Smiles do work wonders don't they?"
Brienne pinched her cheek, "I also said one other thing, were you even listening?"
Luna snapped out of it and gave her an embarrassed smile, though Brienne was glad the conversation didn't turn into one of those suffocating and emotional ones.
"Yeah, I did. Life is precious, the way Grandpa Seokmin's ended abruptly, shows how we should be grateful for ours. Everyday is a chance someone else didn't get."
Brienne leaned forward and patted Luna's head, "Good girl. Now lets go towards the roses."
Luna got up and started pushing her wheel chair, "So, guess what." Luna started shyly, "I also fell in love."
Brienne turned her neck so fast, Luna was worried she might break it, "You have? Oh thats splendid! Who is it?"
Luna smiled at the sky, " Lee Kijun's son."
"Ohh, Changmin's friend! The one with the cyber tech company!"
"Yeah."
"What's his name? What's he like? How did you two meet?"
Luna giggled, "His name's Haemin, and he is like... the sun." Passion colored her words.
"He shines the brightest just by smiling."
"Oh, so that's why I lost you at the word 'smile'."
Luna laughed, "And when he is around, everything is better. He lessens my worries and I want to do the same for him! And I think that's love in the simplest form. When Im happy it's mostly because of him,"
Brienne looked at her and laughed, she was in another dimension right now. Luna went on dreamily,
"And when Im sad, I think of him and it calms me, soothes me. He's my safe haven, my favourite thought."
"And like I said, when Im happy I think of him and even now I can see him."
Luna stared ahead and saw Haemin standing there with a comforting smile on his face,
He walked towards her and stopped a few steps away from her. He bowed to greet Brienne and Luna's eyebrows furrowed.
Why is imaginary Haemin greeting her grandma? Thought Luna.
"Hello, Im Haemin Lee, Luna's friend."
Imaginary Haemin would never call me his friend.
"Grandma, you see him too right?"
Brienne extended her hand, "You must be quite extraordinary because Iv never seen my genius granddaughter act this silly. Hi, Im Brienne, Luna's paternal grandmother."
Haemin quickly looked at Luna and then back at Brienne, "How are you feeling? And congratulations on the successful surgery."
Brienne waved her hand, "This thing here is made of stone. Nothing to worry about." She said pointing towards her heart.
Joy also came walking in with a slightly faster pace, "Oh sweetie." She hugged Luna, "How are you? Is everything okay now?"
"Uhh yeah, my grandma is okay now. What are you guys doing here exactly?"