Hope Eternal

10 Curve ball.

Back at the hotel, Nicole escorted you and said her goodbyes. There won't be another opportunity to see her, not with the errands and tasks you need to do before you return to your sister. These all go well. There is an agreement in place for your apartment. The family is so appreciative. They invite you to dinner at the apartment as a thank you. But you politely decline. Stating emotional distress. They understand and send you a heartfelt letter and a family portrait. The kids are cute. They remind you of Rumi. Checking the time, it's after 4 pm. Time zones are not your friend, but your sister should have had her wake-up call from the little princess.

"Hey beautiful, good morning!" You say with a huge smile, as your sisters face fills the screen. "Ah shit, hi, how are you? why are you all smiley. Oh yeah, that's right," she says as she directs her voice to whoever is in the room with her."You must have slept like a non teething baby, unlike some." Reading between the lines Rumi is still teething, and her dads not helped through the night. "Hey hey, I will be back in a few days, then you can argue with each other then. Not in front of my princess. Where is she, by the way?" You sister walks through the rooms, Rumi is currently in her play pen, with an assortment of toys and things that make noise. "Hey Rumi, look, it's maunty!" When she hears your voice, she stops her game. It looked like fun, too. But she is listening and focused on the screen. "Hey baby, I've missed you." she squeals in response. "Hey, why don't we have a chat while mummy makes a coffee, huh!" You are aware she doesn't understand you, but your sister does. She sets the phone on the side and makes a bee line for the kitchen. "Oh baby, I've missed you so much. I can't wait to get back and give you so many kisses. You are going to get smothered. Do you know your may favourite little person ever. Yes, yes, you are." Rumi babbles while you talk to her. Your sister has put on music for Rumi. But you can't quite believe your ears or your eyes when the next song comes on. Sope, Otsukare. 'What the hell' But she's loving it. She pulls herself to stand up. It looks like she's dancing, you cant believe it. She's a Sope Stan like you. You burst into a fit of laughter. 'The apple don't fall far from the tree' , so when your sister reappears with a coffee cup in hand grinning, you have to ask, "Eh, what? how on this little planet did she decide this was her song? oh my goodness." You are so full of love for them both. You can't wait to get back to them.

The flight is boring, the people on board sleep most of the time and its best you get some too as you will be with your family soon and with a little tyrant calling the shots you know that sleep might not be in your future any time soon.

When you land and get into a taxi, you call Nicole.

"Hey Cole, that's me on my way to my sister's,"

"Wow, I already miss you. I kind of wish you decided to stay here, I'm sure you would get a job and we could see each other all the time." she knows you love to travel and will only find a permanent post code once you find your other half. she really wanted it to be Hoseok, you can tell. You did, too, but you won't be saying that out loud. "Yeah, well, I could still look at another apartment in Seoul, but not right now."

"Huni, I wanted to ask you something, but the time never presented itself, can I ask you now." Nicole waits, and a smile grows on her face. Oh shit, what is she thinking now, "yeah sure, ask me anything." You can tell she has been bursting to ask you these questions. "Please, I've always wondered, are Jin's lips really that soft. They look soft. Obviously, you're biased, but who's better at kissing. Jin or Jhope? Fuck when the Hyung line were all flirting with you, I don't know how you resisted or didn't melt." What a curve ball. You just laugh and have to hold your side. 'Well that's the ab work out done for the week' you think to yourself as you try to suck in air.

"Wow, ok, I see why you waited to ask me that. Make sure I'm not within striking distance" Its not something you have thought about. There's no comparison for you. Hoseok will always be number one. But you get why she's curious. "eh, your right." is all you answer. With a look of confusion she asks "what?"

"I am biased, No one is better. I didn't compare them then and I wont do it now." the grin that dominates your face now is starting to hurt. You can feel Hoseok's lips on yours, a vague memory of his smile brushing your inner thighs. 'don't go down that road. you will only hurt yourself' "I've tried not to think about his kisses. But how can I not, when they were so sweet".

You know she isn't trying to fish for gossip, its just friendly chat. "Cole, the Hyung line were never any completion. yeah their chat was fun and they are good looking and sweet but they didn't stand a chance, not really." you think back to when you first met the guys in the hostel in Northern Europe, and how they were being all shy and not talking, like kids lost at a supermarket, waiting for their responsible adult to show up and speak for them. Even then, there was something about Hoseok. He wasn't bold or Mr sexy, but there was something. "I think going forward we should focus on you, lets find you someone to kiss?" Nicole stops laughing. "this isn't about me." still smiling the car pulls up in front of your sister place. "right Cole, I'm going off grid, my small human master needs me. I will send you a text soon. Love you"

The summer is full of fun, the weather is behaving, kind of, your sisters fiancé has gone back to work and will be gone for just over 5 weeks. That's just fine with you. Even more time with Rumi. Your sister hasn't said anything about returning to work yet, you don't think she will, not for a while. Plus Rumi isn't even a year old yet, there's still a few months on maternity for your sister. Talking about Rumi, she standing and really vocal. Loves the sound of her own voice. Likes to use every sound she knows before the birds are awake. Your days are filled with her. You do mornings and your sister takes the evenings. You have managed to get into a good routine. Rumi's hair is fluffy and getting long, it didn't go blonde, instead its dark like yours. Your sister likes to add bows and clips. Rumi likes to take these out while in the buggy, discarding them as we go, like a little litter bug but with glittery clips. "oh, look, Rumi is leaving sparkly surprises again for the general public. She is so sweet, how her adoring fans must feel the love." you say as you pick up a particularly large pink explosion of glitter attached to something Barbie would wear. You agree with Rumi on this one, It should be ditched.

By the time her dad returns from work near the end of the summer, Rumi is attempting to walk on her own. "yeah, she's got itchy feet like me" you say, she can confidently make her way around the house while holding onto the furniture and walks well when she holds onto someone's hands. "wont be long until she's giving Usain Bolt a run for his money, as far as I've read, once they start walking they get some sort of super power that makes them fast, kind of like sonic and his boots. whoosh and she's gone" you say to your sister, "good luck with that" she reminds you "oh, me! running after her, nah, I have had two kids, I wont be the one doing the running, your bladder wont betray you, the way mines does, you will have to slip into sports mode to catch the tiny terror." You guys have talked about how the next few months are panning out. With your job, you have been able to work from home doing tutoring work. But you really want to be back travelling. Your company have been in touch and want you to be in the US in September. They have a lot of different contracts coming up and you are their first choice, the only draw back is, its four months. On the plus side most of the contracts are based in L.A. only one is in New York. So they are saying they will put you up in one of the nicer suites in a hotel and it can be like your own little apartment for the duration. "yeah, let me think about it, that's a long time to be away from my dependant."

The next few days you mull it over, but your manager gets in contact, not by email, calls you directly. "hey, good afternoon, I know that the contracts are running back to back and there isn't time to fly back and forward so how would you feel about this offer. Your dependants can come stay with you while your working? we will set you up with every thing you need. a car, a driver if you would prefer and a budget for activities for you to do on your down time. Please say you will really think about bit. The company need you back on their books". As you sit down with everyone for dinner you tell them of the new offer from the company. "they really need me back, and we knew that I wouldn't be around as much, i need to be on the move. Do you think you would maybe come out and spend time with me?"