Chereads / 'Til Death Do Us Part' / Chapter 89 - 89

Chapter 89 - 89

"Thank you so much for coming. I was thrilled when you agreed to lunch here, and it's so nice to meet you, Greta, finally." Mother welcomes us in with enthusiasm, stopping each of us to hug us as we walk in warmly. We were shown into the main living room by the housekeeper, where mother seemed to have been pacing like a restless cat awaiting our arrival. She's not shy in wrapping her arms around me first, enveloping me in the tightest bear hug, and giving me a cheek kiss before doing the same to Greta. Her enthusiasm for us being here evident in her beaming smile and high energy.

Greta assured me she wanted to do this and finally meet the woman she used to despise with a mindset of giving her the benefit of the doubt. Seeing the life I once lived, knowing the rules and culture of the wealthy society I came from, getting to know Jyeon and Bryant better has changed her perspective on a few things. Knowing my mother has remorse and genuine feelings for me, Greta wants us all to put the past to bed and start over. She's here purely to be introduced as my best friend and life saver and has no animosity anymore than I do anymore.

Mother's dressed up in a glamourous two-piece summer peach pant suit, and her hair and makeup are much like I remember of the old days. Since seeing her for the first time, she's improved in her manner and appearance and seems more like the woman I used to know. Somehow more with it, less unstable, and most definitely as stylish as she used to love being. It feels nice to see her like this again. It warms me to see the return of someone I used to have so much respect for.

We've kept in touch with calls and texts this past couple of weeks, so she's had gradual time to come to terms with my being back, and it's not as awkward as I thought it would be seeing her again. This time, it's comforting to walk in here and see her and this house again. It never felt like home when I first returned, but now… maybe a little.

Since finding out about Yoonah and the car, I feel like it's done something to change my outlook on this place, this city, and all of the Parks. The weight lifted, and I started to see sunshine where shadows had darkened my soul for two long years. I can allow myself to think back on the fonder memories and emotions I once had in this existence. It wasn't always bad. There were times I was genuinely okay, even if my situation with Jyeon wasn't. Without suspicion, bitterness, the heaviness of doubt, and betrayal, I can freely admit, I used to love parts of this life and these people.

"My pleasure." Greta smiles at her and steps back to give us space as she goes in for a second cuddle at me, embracing me for a little longer before she brushes my hair from my face and admires it with an adoring gaze. She holds me this way for a long moment, and I bask in this affection from her. Taking healing from someone I never knew I needed it from.

"My girl is so beautiful….. This way, ladies, I had the cook make us an entire table of Sohla's favorite dishes. I didn't know what you would like to eat, so I spoiled you." She takes my hand in hers as though I am fragile China, linking us together, and leads the way. Tugging me with her while casting me subtle glances and adoring smiles, I find it weird that mother is being this touchy-feely. It's warming, given I never really knew this side of her in life, and I hope this is how it stays between us now. The accident changed so many things for the better.

"I don't know when Jyeon is coming. He said he would, but ….." Mother blushes my way apologetically, and I shake my head.

"He is, he promised. He was seeing Yoonah for a little while this morning first to talk to him about something, and then he said he would come here for lunch. He shouldn't be long as he left a couple of hours ago." After yesterday I made Jyeon swear not to go a single day more without seeing his brother and fixing this mess. He got up early and headed out obediently to smooth things over and grovel. I hope Yoonah will come with him after that, but I am not holding my breath. I haven't heard from either of them at all, and I am not sure if it's a good thing or bad.

"Jyeon and I haven't had the best relationship… not even before….. I was always so hard on him and pushed him, neglected him. I want that to change now we have a second chance. I want my family to get along once more."

"I'm sure he wants that too." Greta breaks in, not far behind me as we get into the formal dining room, and I blanche at how extravagant and dressed up it is. She has gone crazy overboard with fresh flowers, candles, and fairy lights in this already opulent room. The sun is flooding in and making it feel bright and yet cozy. An array of food, like a buffet setting and an entire cart of wines, are professionally displayed for maximum prettiness, and I gawp at how showhome this seems. Greta almost chokes on her saliva, her eyes widening in shock at the setup.

"Greta is right. Jyeon wants all of us to be able to figure things out and come back together as a family again. Mend our relationships, all of us." I'm too busy staring at the food and trying not to count the excessive number of dishes when she turns on me in surprise.

"A family? ….. You and Jyeon?... Is that a possibility?" Her shocked, wide-eyed question makes me realize that Jyeon wouldn't have said anything to her about our relationship. He barely talks to her, and Yoonah would never. That would mean admitting that he still has no hope of ever being more than my brother.

"Jyeon and I reconciled… we're trying again," I mutter somewhat shyly. My face flushes with heat and color, and I dodge past her to pull out a chair for Greta. I don't want to make a big thing out of this yet, or she might pin too much hope, and we've only just started.

"Is that what you both want? Are you sure? You can forgive Jyeon?" Mother follows me as I seat Greta, her tone wary, sliding her hand around my arm to pause me as I pull another seat out and turns me to her with a serious expression. There's deep concern etched on her pretty face. "Don't do this for the sake of your parents or me. We were wrong ever to force you together. To put so much worth on OLO and the future of our family legacy as though you, our children, were not important to us. If that's what this is …" Her expression is crestfallen and not what I expected. There is a slight hint of fear in her eye and a deeper something that I can only decipher as genuine worry.

"No, Mother. It's not. I love him, I always did, and he loves me too…. Before… we were going through the motions and never really tried to be something real. Jyeon was never on board with us, but now it's different. It's what we both want for ourselves."

"He always loved you, but we made him resent it. What happened with our little... it was my fault. I didn't take care of you. I pushed you and made you lose her. I know that, and I couldn't admit it for so long. I don't want to lose you again, Sohla. I don't need you to be together. I just need for you to be alive and happy, wherever that is. A place I can visit and spend time with you and know you're living the way that best fills your heart." She seems genuine, and it fills my heart and makes my chest ache with words I never expected from her. A lump forming in my throat and giving me pangs of heartache. The mention of Tia, the acknowledgment of wrongdoing on her part too. The love is shining through, and I get choked up. I needed this more than I ever thought, and I impulsively take her hand and squeeze it tight.

"I promise, it's different this time. Jyeon and I are starting over in our way and not letting OLO or anything pressure us. This is for us and nothing and no one else. The past is done; let's just look to a future and all of us making ourselves happy."

"I wouldn't let her do anything that made her miserable again. She's not the girl she was, and Jyeon wants to make her happy." Greta intervenes, showing support and giving mother reassurance. Mother seems to accept what we're saying, gazing from Greta to me and blinking back damp misty eyes. She gently pats me on the arm before releasing me, watching me with narrowed eyes until she's sure I am not bluffing. I smile at her as I slide into my seat.

"You're my daughter, no matter what. I had a long time to realize I wasn't the best mother for you after ….. you know. It's not like that anymore, and your happiness matters more to me than OLO and Jyeon's position. I want you to know that. Having you back again has made my life wonderful once more, and it's more than enough. It's all I need. I am sorry for what I ever put you through or made you feel." She smooths my hair down before retreating around the table with grace to a seat opposite me over the banquet to be able to look at us while eating. Finding her place and settling down as she picks up a napkin and motions for us to follow.

We do so and quickly settle ourselves in before the housekeeper appears from the other room and starts bringing dishes to our side for us to take servings. We move through the motions selecting food and making thank-you gestures until we all have full plates, and mother sends her off to do something else. I can see Greta in the corner of my eye on her best behavior, trying to be classy and delicate with her portion sizes, making me smirk.

"Jyeon is planning on coming with me for a few weeks back to where I live. Some time alone to see how we go. A vacation, but he'll still be working while we're away, remotely." I know this is the best way to tell her about his absence, and she stops her fork midway to her mouth and gazes at me long and hard.

"Will you be coming back or staying there?" She asks with a pretty neutral expression, and I falter. My food midway to my mouth. Jyeon told her about the island and how close it was, so she knows we won't be far.

"I don't know yet. I have so much I need to think through, and Jyeon and I know that this will take time. We need to see how we are together once the novelty wears off." If this is a honeymoon period, we need to let it wear off before real life shows us if we work.

"You know you can always come here, no matter how long it's been. This is still your home, too, no matter what happens. And if you don't, I will come to visit you."

"I know."

I duck my chin down and focus on my pasta dishes and salad, hoping mother eats a little and relaxes. I didn't want this to be so formal or emotional, but I guess there's still a lot of unspoken hanging in the air between us. My relationship with her was always complicated, but I know I did see her as my stand-in mother and cared deeply about her until the day I took the car. She raised me and cared for me in her own way, and stood in when my parents died. I still owe her for all of that.

"I love you, mom... whatever happens, I won't disappear again." It hurts to say the words I have never uttered to her or ever called her, and she chokes on her food as it hits her hard in the heart and brings on instant silent tears. I guess for her, too, it sounds alien coming from me. Yoonah and Jyeon always called her mom, but she was formal and mother to me.

"Sohla…" She sobs, grabs her napkin, and buries her face in it as she breaks. Her shoulders are heaving as she fights to compose herself.

"I love you too." She pushes out the mumble of croaky and emotion-ridden words as she tries to calm down, which gets to me the same way. My eyes are misting over, and I have to swallow hard to stop myself from crying. Greta's hand slides to me, and she cups it in hers with a supportive squeeze. I glance her way and catch Greta, also damp-eyed, nodding.

"Now ladies, come on now. No one is dead.. no one is up and leaving without a word. Eat and be merry before Jyeon comes and thinks it's true that all women do together is cry." She jests, letting me go and raising her wine glass or tropical juice instead, which the housekeeper dished out. "To the future." She motions.

"To the future." I agree and lift my glass to clink against hers and catch mother dabbing her face before copying us. She stands and leans over the food to be able to reach us, and we mirror her. Rising to stand as all three clink over the narrow table and raise them.

"For my daughter coming home." Mother sits first, and we follow, all drinking the tart but delicious liquid and laying the glassware back down delicately.

"Are we missing the party?" Jyeon's voice floats our way from the hall, and we turn our heads in unison as he strolls in with a grin on his handsome face.

"We're just getting started," Greta responds with a cheery wink.

"Room for more?" Jyeon looks at his mother as he walks up behind my chair and leans over me to kiss me on the top of the head. His hands land on the back of my chair as he rests his body weight against it. There are no apparent signs of a struggle or fight. He seems in a happy mood, and I guess things went well with Yoonah.

"Plenty for an extra body. Sit next to Sohla." Mother's expression is delightful, with sparkling eyes and a wide beaming smile witnessing Jyeon's affection for me. It seems, despite her words, she truly wants to see us this way more than she let on.

"Ummm two… I brought a straggler." Jyeon leans in and pecks me on the cheek, distracting me from turning around before he planks himself down in the seat next to me so I am between him and Greta.

"I'm here too, Mom. The more, the merrier." Yoonah's voice trails in behind me, and I swivel to see him sauntering it. With a sheepish look on his face and awkwardness in his manner, I almost break down and cry at seeing him. It's obvious there have been tears on his part as he has that mottled tell-tale on his cheeks and his eyes are a little puffy.

"Hey." I throw him a woosh of soft words and reach my hand out to him to tell him we are okay. Yoonah takes it and gives me a tiny squeeze before letting go and walking past Jyeon to pull out a seat. There's an aura around him of a heavy weight lifted, and for the first time in a long time, I see no glares his brother's way. It makes my heart soar and brings an instant smile to my face.

There's a whole row of us on this side when seated, so mother gets to bask in our glory. Her contentment with her view is evident in how she sighs and appraises us with a sheen to her eyes. I don't think I had ever seen mother look at us like that in the past, and it's like she finally got her family back in one place.

"This looks good, mom. Been an age since we all sat to eat like this. I think the last time was before Sohla…." Yoonah's words die on his lips, and he throws me an apologetic grimace. Reminding me of a rare night, we ate together when we had a formal party here for something OLO-related. Jyeon had been forced to come to dine too. It was rare for him to be by my side at this table.

"It's been a long time coming, and here's to many more." Jyeon cuts him off, covering his faux pas, and lifts a juice decanter to pour his brother a drink. There is a flicker of something passing between them that seems like a sibling truce. It's not quite love and roses yet, but there's a silent agreement for them that's obvious to me. I hope this is the beginning of something better than how they have lived. Not just in the past two years, but for the last decade where I felt like Yoonah always hated him because of me.

"How about we call over Avery and Bryant to come help eat all this, have ourselves a real party. Seeing as mom's feeding a million with this get-up. That Lyson girl has the hots for you, Yoonie, she could come with Avery's fiancée, seeing as they are friends." Jyeon winks at Yoonie and gets a disgusted glare in response. It's obvious he is not partial to that suggestion.

"Over my dead body. This is family time… a nice meal for us to enjoy one another. No having your friends gate-crash, young man." Mother's scornful tone and frosty stare shut him up, and he ducks his chin to start paying attention to filling his plate with food, knowing when to back down and not argue with our Queen of the castle. He holds out dishes to Yoonah while he fills a plate, making sure his brother gets the ones he can't reach, and I sigh at the little show of care.

"You tell him, mother," I smirk.

I catch Greta out of the corner of my eye, deflating a little, and know that the mention of Bryant most definitely piqued her interest. She still can't admit she likes him more than she wants to. It's not the worst thing if Bryant isn't looking for a good time, or I'll cut his balls off.

"Eat." I nudge Jyeon and bask in his Hollywood smile as we make eye contact. Happy that he brought Yoonah here, delighted that we're all together. All the people I love most in the world, and it feels like tomorrow is the start of a bright new day.