Destiny Road

~22~

"That's sad. How could his kids not even care about the memories that might have been here? I wish I had something to remember my parents by." She suddenly looked sad. "I had a photo album. It was the only thing I took from the house when I left, after my daddy passed away. But my boyfriend ruined it. He filled the sink with water, and dropped it in. I found it later. I couldn't save any of the photos." 

~♡~

I looked at her, my heart full of so much sorrow for her, and what she had been thru. It hardly seemed fair that someone so young had gone thru so much heartache.

"I'm sorry, Y/n. That was a pretty rotten thing for him to do. A photo is the best way to capture a memory. But even so, photo's don't last forever. They fade and yellow over time. The best memories are the ones we hold in our heart."

She stared into space, thoughtful, and then looked up at me with a smile.

"Thank you, you always seem to know just what to say to make me feel better."

I gave her a wink, causing her to look away, her cheeks blushing slightly. But a few seconds later, she looked up shyly, handing me back my phone. I took it, sticking it back in my pocket.

"So, do you plan to try and ride them? The horses?"

"I do. I would have done it already, but I got so involved in trying to make sure everything was ready for winter, that I haven't had time to try." I crossed my arms and pursed my lips, a thought popping into my head. "Actually, all this snow might just make it the perfect time to try. That way, if they don't want me on their back, and they try to buck me off, it won't hurt so much when I hit the ground."

Her eyes widened, and I heard her suck in a breath. "But you could still get hurt..."

I shook my head, laughing lightly. "You sound just like my best friend. He's always worrying  about me because I live alone, and he thinks I shouldn't ride the horses, in case I fall off and get hurt. I could get hurt doing a lot of things around here though. I can't think about that every time I get ready to do something.  

"I guess that's true. But I don't blame your friend for being worried either."

I smiled fondly, thinking of Jimin, and how much I missed him. His hugs, his laugh, the never-ending attention he always had for all of us.

My mind wandered, and I was remembering our time together, as BTS. We were together pretty much every second of every day. We worked hard, but we also had fun. We laughed, and we cried. I missed all of them, so much. But Jimin and I had a different relationship than what I had with any of the others. We could tell each other anything, and we told each other everything.

He always knew when I was having a hard time, even if I tried to hide it. He knew how worried I was about my acting, but he also knew how it was a dream of mine to act, and he always had a positive word to say that pushed any anxiety I had away whenever I was getting ready to shoot a scene. He knew when I was feeling self conscious about something, and always knew just what to say to make me feel better.  He knew all about Sunhae, and how she suddenly changed, became a different person. He also knew how much I loved her, and how much it hurt to let her go. But he supported me, in every way, 100%. He had been there for me, letting me cry to him, encouraging me to do whatever I felt would be best for me, even though he knew that could mean I would leave Seoul for a while.

"You miss him, don't you?"

Her soft voice brought me out of my thoughts. I looked at her, and she was watching me, a small, sad smile on her face.

"So much. But we keep in contact. I video call him once a week, so it's okay. Once winter is over, and it starts to warm up, I'm hoping he will come to visit. Actually, I hope all of them come visit."

I smiled at the thought, and it made me wish winter was over already.

"All of them?" She looked at me curiously.

I stood there for a minute, trying to decide what to say. "Besides my family, the six most important people in my life, my friends. We've been thru a lot together. I miss them all very much."

She nodded, smiling. "It's nice that you have something to look forward to."

I swallowed, glancing at her. She was looking at her hands in her lap, and I again felt bad for her. She had no one, nothing. No place to go. No family. No friends. What did she have to look forward to? So I said the first thing that popped into my head.

"You should look forward to meeting them too. I think you'll get along with them very well."

She looked up at me, confusion clear on her face. But it quickly turned to sadness. "I'm sure by the time winter is over, I'll be long gone. You've been more than kind already, and I feel bad that I can't properly thank you for everything you've done for me. I would feel like I was taking advantage of your generosity if I stay much longer."

"I'm enjoying your company, Y/n. Really. I'd like it if you stayed, at least until winter is over. I wouldn't feel right sending you off, when I already know that you have no where to go. Stay here for now,  where you're safe. Once the weather warms up, I'll help you get to wherever you want to go."

"But...I..." she looked up at me, and there were tears in her eyes. "Why..." she whispered. "Why do you want to help me?"

I clenched my jaw, trying not to show anger. "Because I know what it's like to be treated like you don't matter, to be insulted on a daily basis. I know how it feels to give someone the best of yourself, and get nothing in return. I know how it feels to leave everything you know behind, just to try and save your sanity. We aren't that different, Y/n, except that I had my friends to help me stay strong. Who did you have? I got thru it, and I'm okay. It still hurts, it probably always will to some extent. But I'll be okay, because I had someone to talk to, someone to lean on. Now I can help you, and be that someone for you to lean on."

She stared ahead, not saying anything for a few minutes, and I just watched her.

"You had your friends, people you knew, people who loved you...I don't have...friends..."

She trailed off, her eyes closing, her shoulders slumping.

"I'd like to be your friend, Y/n, if you'll let me."

I watched as a small smile curved her lips, and she looked up at  me, her eyes meeting mine.

"I'd like that."

I nodded. "Okay then." I sighed. "Do you need anything, a drink, more broth? Would you like to try some toast?

"Um, actually," she looked away quickly, "I have to pee."

I smiled a smile that she didn't see, because she was too embarrassed to look my way again.

"Okay, do you want to try to stand. Here, take my hands, don't let go, lets see how you do."

I held my hands out, and she reached for them. Her small hands disappeared in mine as I closed my fingers around them, and she slowly rose from the chair. We stood there for a minute, not moving so she could get her bearings.

"Okay, lets try a step. Think you can?" I took a small step back, and she stepped forward, still a bit weak and a little shaky, but she kept coming, so I moved backwards slowly, leading her out of the room and to the bathroom. "You're doing great, just a few more steps."

Once we were in the bathroom, she looked up at me awkwardly. "I think I can manage...but...stay outside the door, just in case."

I nodded and reluctantly let go of her hands. I backed out of the room, closing the door behind me, and turning to rest my back against the wall. I leaned my head back, closing my eyes, wondering what the hell I was doing. I wasn't sure why I'd asked her to stay thru the winter. It would have been just as easy to send her wherever she wanted to go now as it will be once spring gets here.