❝𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗮❞ [✓]

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙑𝙄

M I N A

I stopped to get a grip on myself. "She said every day after she made her decision was a blessing and she did everything she could to enjoy her new life and make sure I would never go through what she did. Before she died, I kept saying she was too young, but her answer was she had lived twice as long as she should have and it was all because of me."

I gave up saying anymore and putting my head down, pressed the napkin to my eyes.

"That's a sad story, but a beautiful one." Chaeyoung said softly, "Your mother was right; she beat the odds and left the world something wonderful to remember her by."

"I just wish she were here." I said in a choked whisper. "I need her."

"Life always gives us what we need." Chaeyoung said, "But it's up to us to realize what it is and use it."

"Have you found it then?" I asked.

"I think maybe I have." She said quietly.

"What is it?"

"I don't want to jinx myself," she gave me a nervous smile, "You know me; I don't like to change things up."

"It would change things?"

"That would be an understatement." She said more to herself than to me.

She didn't say anything else and trying to get my mind off of my mother I said, "Okay, well you saw my hand, you ready to show yours?"

"That Minari, is a more loaded question than you think."

"What's that mean?" I tried to meet her gaze, to see if I could figure out what she meant.

"What's your question?" She asked, her eyes avoiding mine.

"Why no one?"

"Why does everyone ask that?"

"Because you're a good looking lady with a good heart and a great personality. You have too much going for you to be alone."

"Don't forget my sense of humor."

"Let's stick with good heart and good looking." I grinned.

"You think I'm good looking?"

"For an older lady." I winked.

"Ouch."

"Kidding, I think you're very attractive." That wasn't a lie; she'd been getting more attractive the longer I lived with her and was looking damn good tonight. "Quit ducking the question and don't give me you work a lot or they're out for your money. Like you told me, I want the real story, I deserve it after that."

"You do." She took a deep breath, "Just understand it's hard because it's a little embarrassing in a way."

"So is eating at a soup kitchen, but you told me that didn't matter."

"How old are you?" she frowned, "You sound like a wise old girl sometimes."

"Answer." I tapped my long red nail on the table.

"For the answer we have to go way back to high school which is when I met Nako. We were sophomores and I sat next to her in geometry. She was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen and I would blush every time she looked at me." She smiled at the memory, "but she would do the same. Not sure how you kids do it now, but back in that day it came down to having a mutual friend ask if the other person was interested. I sent my best friend to ask Nako's best friend. Her answer was "only if she has the balls to ask herself."

"Fortunately I did have them and we went out to a movie and just kept going out from there. I had a part time summer job at my grandfather's company and saved my check for three weeks so after the winter ball I could afford a motel room that an older friend rented for us. We had friends covering us for where we would be and our first time was that night."