As you drove over the hill, you were greeted by the combine pulling out of the field and onto the road. Waving to your Uncle Bob, you followed the main drive until you got to the gravel up by the second barn. Parking the car, you reminded Jimin and Tae that your family didn't speak a lot of Korean.
Jimin leaned forward over the car seat.
"Do not worry about us at all (Y/N), focus on your family. Tae and I can watch over ourselves, and hyung will watch over you in our place," and with that Jimin got out of the car.
You followed suit and dragged the guys over to the side door of the house to shout at your Aunt Pat.
She was waiting at the screen door, and she came out into the March wind and gave you a fierce hug.
"I told Bob I thought we'd see you today love. How's my girl doing? And who are these handsome young men with you," asked your Aunt Pat and you hurried to introduce Jimin and Taehyung who adorably went into meet and greet mode with your 70-year-old auntie.
"Aunt Pat, this is Yoongi Min, my boyfriend who convinced me to come out here today," and you turned back to Yoongi.
"Yoongi this is my Aunt Pat. My Uncle Bob was up on the combine, the farm equipment we saw in the driveway. Uncle Bob is my Dad's brother," you explained and Yoongi bowed to Aunt Pat who seemed a little nonplussed at the idea of anybody bowing to her.
She giggled a little and held out her hand to shake.
"Nice to meetcha, Yoongi Min," said Aunt Pat and you silently applauded her listening skills.
"Now why don't I take young Jim and Tae into the kitchen to keep warm and you and your young man can head up to the hill and talk to your Daddy and Mama (Y/N)," said Aunt Pat.
You turned to Jimin and Tae who both held up their phones with the translator app already open.
"Go ahead Noona, and we will stay and entertain your Imo," said Tae.
"Madam," he said in accented English, bowing slightly and extending his arm for an escort.
"How do you boys feel about sugar cookies," you heard Aunt Pat ask as they headed back into the house.
You turned to Yoongi and laughed.
"Sorry you have to miss sugar cookies Suga," you teased, and Yoongi grinned.
"You can make them when we get home Babygirl," he teased back, and you sighed as you turned to look at the hill and the task ahead.
Yoongi held out his hand and you laced your fingers through his and tugged him in the direction of the path behind the barn. Behind you, you could hear the combine coming around the barn, so you thought you'd better head up the hill now before Uncle Bob took it upon himself to join you.
You walked past the pens and showed Yoongi where the milk barns were as you head up the hill.
When you got to the top of the hill you sighed deeply and walked to the tree. Letting go of Yoongi's hand, you paced off 23 paces east of the tree and bent down to touch the ground at your feet.
"Love you Mama. Love you Daddy," you said, and then stood and turned to find Yoongi watching you.
"I was 23 when they had the accident, so I asked that their ashes be interred 23 feet off the tree so I could always find them," you explained, and Yoongi walked over to wrap you in his arms.
"I never saw them after the accident, the jackass hit them so hard there was no identification that could be done but dental, so they were both cremated. The funeral home I had hired to do the cremation told me they couldn't actually separate them into separate cremations, and would it be ok if they were together," you paused to take a breath and heard Yoongi curse under his breath before his arms tightened around you again.
You turned in his arms and looked at your Yoongi before burying your head in his shoulder and continuing.
"I thought it was important they were together even in the end. They were always together in life, so in death it seemed fitting. They gave me the urn after the cremation, and I never thought of going anyplace but here to bury them. It was where Mom and Dad met." You moved out of Yoongi's arms and walked back to the tree looking for your dad's terrible attempt at a heart. It took you a few minutes, but you finally found it again and pointed it out to Yoongi.
"So now their heart looks over them while they sit on the hill, I think they'd like that best," you say, and Yoongi used the edge of his hoodie to wipe tears away. You hadn't even realized you'd started crying until he did that, and you smiled at him through your tears.
"Uncle Bob sold me the acre of land the tree sits on, so no matter what happens later to the farm, this piece is mine. I haven't come back here as often as I should," you start to say but Yoongi cuts you off.
"Babygirl, it must be incredibly hard to stand here now even with me next to you, I don't think you are not honoring your parents by not coming, I think they are still a very important part of your life," and Yoongi just enfolded you in his embrace while you watched the last of the winter wheat wave in the brisk winter wind.
When the weak sunlight finally snuck past some of the clouds and gave a brighter glimpse to the day you heard Yoongi make a noise. Tilting your head to look at him, he noticed and smiled.
"I get the lyric finally, from that one song," he trailed off and you waited. You glanced off to your right as you heard the combine shut down and watched your Uncle Bob climb slowly out of the combine. Idly you wondered where your cousins were and why they'd let Uncle Bob in the new combine when Yoongi spoke again.
"Watch the sunlight play over the fields when the wind blows," said Yoongi. You stood in his embrace and watched as he requested but couldn't see anything abnormal. Looked like wheat fields to you, just as they had since your childhood. You shrugged and Yoongi chuckled.
"Watch when the sun hits the plants...These are the fields of gold Babygirl, and you were and are blessed to have such a spot in your life. You couldn't have chosen a better place for your parents to share their eternal rest," said Yoongi and you turned in his arms.
Occasionally he reminded you, hard, that beyond the music and the stage persona, he really was just a poet with a deeply romantic soul. And it always seemed to sneak into moments like this, as his words hit you hard, and you turned from watching him to look back out over the fields. You watched the colors change as the clouds kept moving and the sun darted in between and thought you knew what Yoongi was referring to.
You turned as you heard your uncle climb the hill behind you and went to go help him. Uncle Bob waved you off and instead went in for his huge hugs, lifting you clear off your feet. You squealed as you had since you were four and he had done this and hugged him back just as hard.
"There's my girl come to visit everyone," he boomed and nodded at Yoongi. "Snagged one did you little one," Uncle Bob pretended to whisper, and you thought fondly of being able to melt like a slime just straight into the ground. Only family can embarrass you like that.
Rolling your eyes, you started introductions.
"Uncle Bob this is my boyfriend, Yoongi Min," and turning to Yoongi you said, "Yoongi this is Bob (L/N), my father's brother."
You watched Uncle Bob and Yoongi stare at each other for a second before your Uncle Bob decided he would embarrass you further apparently.
"Hello Min Yoongi-nim, It is nice to meet the boyfriend of my brother's daughter," Uncle Bob was using his most formal rustic Korean and you turned to watch Yoongi's face to make sure he understood the intent behind your Uncles words.
Yoongi in turn however astonished you when he simply bowed, even deeper than Uncle Bob had and responded.
"Thank you for taking care of my girlfriend until I could meet her (L/N) Robert-nim."
You were proud and embarrassed all at once and when Yoongi stood up, Uncle Bob reached out a hand and Yoongi shook it and bowed again.
"Ehh, this one's much better than that last one, (Y/N). Glad you leveled up," said Uncle Bob, who apparently was determined to make you spontaneously combust in embarrassment.
Uncle Bob excused himself and went to stand over the spot where your parents were and give his own greetings and love to your folks. A few minutes later, he stood and offered his arm to you.
"C'mongirlie, it's bloody cold out here, let's head back into the house. You tooyoung man, we can have a talk," said Uncle Bob and your eyes got huge. Youspent the walk down the hill trying to convince your Uncle Bob he didn't needto "talk" to Yoongi at all, to no avail.