#% ILLIAD MOON <3 !!!
"i don't see you" i say into my phone as i scan the many faces in the crowd of people waiting to greet their loved ones. "i see you!" my mom squeals into her phone. the call cuts off and i just stare down at the black screen.
the nerve of this woman.
"ah my princess!" is the only thing i hear before being attacked with hugs by a tall woman. i instantly wrap my arms around the thin figure. i can recognize one of my mothers hugs anywhere.
she squeezes me tighter than i've ever been squeezed before. "hi mom" i say as i hug her back, my voice is strained as she hugs me tighter and tighter.
"it is so nice to have you in my arms" her voice raises a few octaves and i laugh. i haven't seen her in 6 months. i never had the time to come back to korea and they rarely had time to come see me in the states.
they came once when harley was around 6 months. now he's a whole year old and totally growing into his features. i might be a little biased, but he's the cutest baby i've seen in the entirety of my life.
"wow, i guess i'm chopped liver" i hear my dad say and i look to see him holding a smiling harley in his arms. my baby brother looks at me and giggles, a wide smile spreading onto his face, his chubby cheeks totally blocking his vision. "i'm sorry dad how could i forget you and this little munchkin" i say. i pass the crate with benny in it over to my mother before going over to hug my dad and tickle the small nose that takes its place on my brothers face.
"can i hold him?" i ask and my mother gives me a look. "why would you even ask that?" she says and i laugh before taking my sibling from my fathers arms.
"il!" the toddler shouts wrapping his arm around my neck. i can feel his tiny lips press kisses to my collarbone. the boy is already so advanced for his age.
he is already walking and can say a few words, one time he created a whole sentence. my parents sent a video and i called them immediately so we could freak out together.
my bottom lip forms a pout at the sweet nature of my little brother. the boy is just so cute. "hi harls" i say taking my free hand, tickling his stomach with it. his giggle echoes in the airport and it's precious.
"say hi harley" my mom says in a sweet voice next to me.
his one hand breaks free from the grip around my neck and waves to me while saying a sweet, "hi!" he drags the 'i' out and it's the cutest thing i've ever heard.
its things like this that make me wish i never left korea. make me wish i could be here all the time for moments like these. the one thing i hate about being in the states is not being with my family, missing milestones and making memories.
"let's get you home honey" my dad grabs my suitcase from next to me and the four of us make our way to the car. it's not a long car ride. quite scenic, i talk to my parents as much as i look at all the familiar scenes and play with my brother.
he giggles every time i play peek-a-boo with him. my mom snaps pictures and i know she's beyond happy. benny's carrier sits on my lap and it's sweet to see our little family all together again. just with a new, tiny human.
when we pull in the driveway, the house seems much bigger than i once remember it being. i feel like jisung for once. i'm staring at the house in awe. the thought of him gawking at my house with wide eyes makes me laugh to myself.
the trunk to the car is opened and i quickly take my bags before we walk up the pavement, going into the house. benny softly meows and i can tell he knows where we are.
we're home.
"ahh it smells so good in here" i take in the scent of the place i grew up in. i remove my shoes and set my suitcase off to the side before i run into the living room, placing benny's carrier on the squishy couch cushions.
these couch cushions have seen way too many things they shouldn't have. hyunjin and i literally almost fist fighting, seungmin and felix's fort that was made out of their bodies and jaemin and i's weird time on the couch. the first time we ever went further than a simple kiss on the lips.
i take the tab and unzip the metal teeth that held poor benny in his crate for as long as it did.
the black cat looks around before looking at me. his look says something like, "mom? are we really here? or did you drug me and this is all fake?"
"we're here buddy" i coo to my own child, petting his black fur. he seems to get excited, jumping off the couch and running over to see harley.
harley and him grew together before the young boy even left my mother's body. they had an instantaneous bond and when my parents came over to see me once when i was in the states. we caught benny inside of harleys temporary crib.
the cat was snuggled right up to him. it was the sweetest thing i had ever seen. i loved that he protected my baby brother.
"we're so glad to have you home il, you don't even know" my father sits down on the couch across from me. i smile at him. "i'm so excited to be home, it's literally the best feeling in the entire world" i say.
"seriously il, we have missed you so much, it's been so weird without you here" my mom says, picking up harley and placing him on her lap. "it's been quiet, well besides harley's crying but you get it" my dad says and i laugh at him.
without me there was really no surprise visits from the boys. they didn't just show up because they suddenly wanted to hang out with me. i know they stopped by a few times especially to meet harley but it was never anything big, never anything huge.
harley crawls over to me and i put him in my lap before looking at my parents. "when was the last time the boys came over?" i ask and they look at each other before looking at me.
"well felix, seungmin and jeongin were here a month ago, jisung and minho came with them 2 months ago and yeah, hyunjin came to see us 6 months ago. we haven't seen chan, changbin or jaemin since you left" my mom tells me and i bite the inside of my cheek.
"did something happen between you and jaemin il? you didn't even talk about him when we came to visit you in the states" my dad fixes his glasses and my mother cocks an eyebrow my way.
"he stopped texting me about 7 months ago, so like a month before you came. he debuted as an idol and i don't know what happened from there" i shrug and i can feel my eyes softly swell up with tears.
i always brushed him off when i was in the states. i brushed a lot of things off when i was in the states. a lot of things that pertained to here and what happened to me here. but now that i'm here i realize how much it really hurts.
"i'm sorry" my parents sigh and i shake my head. "no, no. it's fine."
i look down at my baby brother who looks at me in awe. like i'm the most beautiful specimen he's ever put his eyes on. if no males love me, my dad and my brother always will.
a sigh leaves my body and i put harley back in my moms lap. "we're going to dinner right?" i ask them and they nod at me.
"then i must get ready, i need to get out of these slob clothes" i say and my parents shake their heads.
"adios mis padres, i must wash my stinky body"
i bow to them before exiting.
this is nice, being home with family. being able to talk to someone else that isn't your cat or a 19 year old girl/20 year old boy that had no real idea about what you're going through.
home. home is where i belong.
AUTHORSNOTE.zip
i'm so glad you guys loved letters
enough to read this sequel it means
the absolute world to me. thanks for
reading. vote and comment for more
oh also, i forgot to tell you guys but
benny or sir benedict as illiad likes to
call him is actually based on my real life
cat named gizmo.
everyone say hi gizmo!