Kang Il
I had been kicked out of my own home and was currently relegated to Tae Men's family home where the men were gathered around the TV, playing cards and watching sports. Originally, my beautiful bride-to-be had figured that she'd be the one at her parent's house, but with the army of her female relatives insisting on helping her get ready this morning, it was quickly determined it would be better if we switched households for the day due to space constraints and the ample countertop space the master bath at my home had apparently.
I had always enjoyed my time with her family, but today felt different as I had been directed to no longer consider them as her family. It had been a surprise at first, my immediate thought that they were voicing their disproval of our impending marriage, but quickly the moment turned far more sentimental than I was used to.
"You can't keep calling us 'Tae Men's family.' It's not right," Tae Moon said.
His father nodded in agreement as all the uncles and siblings looked over at me with equally serious expressions on their faces.
"Well, I just—"
"You are a part of our family now; you always have been. Calling us her family and not your own is wrong."
Tae Men's father had always been softer spoken and less sentimental than her mother, but the genuine emotion behind his words made me feel such a strong feeling of love for my new family that I was now speechless as we sat in the living room of her childhood home. It was a space I had always felt comfortable in as Car Taeyang, but as an adult, as Kang Il, I had been struggling to frame the old memories in my current life. It was like putting old, fluffy socks on in new shoes. It worked, but it wasn't exactly comfortable.
I could tell they weren't waiting for a response, but I say softly, "Thank you, Abeoji," trying to express the sentiment in my heart.
He nods and looks away, probably feeling the same burning behind his eyes as I was. Tae Moon's phone chirps and he looks down with a grin.
"Sounds like the girls are heading to the hall."
I swallow nervously as I realize it was nearly time.
I'm not nervous about marrying Tae Men. More so, I'm worried that something is going to take away this amount of pure bliss and happiness I am experiencing...
"We'd better get our suits on; otherwise, the women will kill us," one uncle mutters as he shuffles off the couch and heads for his garment bag hanging next to the rest of them in the dining room.
I simply nod in agreement and grab my own tuxedo, smiling as I think about seeing Tae Men in her dress from our adventure at the bridal boutique. I quickly change into the silky black material and start fiddling with the cufflinks that came with the outfit.
A cough comes from behind me and I turn around and to my surprise, Father Kang has suddenly appeared, a sheepish Tae Moon pushing him in his wheelchair.
"Father Kang, what are you doing here?"
"Figured you might need something for the wedding," he coughs into his hand, hacking roughly as he pulls a box out from his lap under the wool blanket covering his legs.
"Isn't the something borrowed for the bride?" Ca Jin Ho asks.
I roll my eyes at his sad attempt at a joke and take the box from Father Kang. I open it and find cufflinks with a similar pattern to the rings he had already given us.
"Your parents again?"
I ask the question, the burning behind my eyes growing even stronger at the implications.
"Yup. Made them during a little adventure I had after taking a break from the cloth. Decided to try my hand at metalwork, was fairly happy with the results. Since they match the rings, I figured it was a crime to break up the set, just like it would be to have you and Tae Men apart for even one more day."
I nod and swallow, the ball of tears in my throat threatening even more.
"Technically, Tae Men offered the role of officiant to Ca Jin Ho for his assistance in helping us reconnect—"
"I never wanted that role!" Ca Jin Ho protests suddenly, interrupting me.
"In light of that fact," I continue, growling slightly at my former roommate. "I think we give in to Ca Jin Ho's inane request and have you be our officiant. It would mean the world to me and I am sure Tae Men wouldn't mind a little surprise."
Ca Jin Ho sniffles and I look over as he dramatically clutches Tae Moon and "sobs."
"I'm gonna be the best flower girl you've ever seen," he bawls.
I roll my eyes at his antics and turn back to Father Kang who is smiling, his eyes bright, as he nods in acceptance.
Tae Men
The male half of the family had finally all pulled into the banquet hall, meaning that I was one step closer to marrying the love of my life. I'm sitting in the waiting area, hair done, makeup fresh, and the beautiful dress I had ended up selecting felt comfortable and made me feel like a princess.
Why feel like a princess when Kang Il treats me like a queen?
I flush at my secondary thought and let out a sigh as I stand and walk to the window to watch Kang Il escort Father Kang into the building. He's wearing a fitted tux and a broad smile as he looks up at the windows and looks around.
I give a smile and a wave, certain he can't fully see me in the window, but the action follows through nonetheless.
"Your father just messaged that they pulled in."
"I know; I saw Kang Il bringing in Father Kang. I'm glad he was able to come," I sigh, smiling as I turn and address my mother who is decked out in a traditional Hanbok outfit. She had been alternating between tears and laughter all morning and it seemed a sense of muted calm had finally overcome her.
"Are you ready?"
"To see my oldest married off so I can finally start pressuring Tae Moon to propose to Yun Goo?" She scoffs.
Yun Goo lets out a gasp and blanches as she enters the room, hearing my mother's joke.
"You know? You told her?!" Yun Goo hisses at me.
Eomeoni rolls her eyes, "Yun Goo, I have known since you first came home with Tae Men that you'd end up with Tae Moon. I'm their mother, I have eyes everywhere. It was no surprise when you two started dating."
"You've known the entire time?!" Yun Goo hisses.
"Give an old woman some credit, Sweetie..."
I roll my eyes as Tun goo comes to terms with the new reality.
"Besides, after this long, you should just start calling me Eomeoni as well. Don't make me beat it into you like I had to for Kang Il."
"But—"
The mention of my husband to be seems to que a change in the room and I smile as a knock comes at the door.
"Come in!"
My mother's loud voice quickly invites my father and other male relatives into the room along with Ca Jin-Ho. I'm passed around the room like a doll as everyone gives me their congratulations and I finish the circuit in front of Ca Jin-Ho who proudly smiles at me, wiping a couple of tears from the corner of his eyes.
"You make a radiant bride."
"You make a very handsome emcee," I joke, wiping tears from my own eyes.
"About that—"
"None of this would have happened without you. Or at least, it would have taken me a lot longer and a lot more painful blind dates before Kang Il and I found our way back to each other. I am so grateful for your friendship and heart. I will never be able to repay you."
He wipes at his eyes again, the trickle of tears slowly turning into a faucet.
"I promised myself I wouldn't cry," he sobs. "At least not until the vows are read!"
"That's the thing I've been looking forward to the most," someone else agrees.
I laugh as the jokes start flowing when a knock comes at the door.
"That must be the groom since it seems like the rest of Korea is already in the room," Eomeoni grins broadly. "Why don't we all make it to the entrance and start welcoming the guests into the reception hall? Give the two love birds a moment alone."
I smile gratefully as I dab at the corner of my eyes as everyone begins to file out and I wait for the love of my life to come into the room.
Kang Il
"Come in!"
Entering the room after the rest of the Taes left felt almost symbolic. I waited for the last of them to leave, Eomeoni giving me a hug and Abeoji patting me on the back before knocking again. Tae Men's clear voice calls out and welcomes me in and I let myself into the room through the thick white doors.
As I entered the room and saw her in her white dress, glowing as she meets my gaze, it's like my life is flashing before my eyes. From second grade to eighth grade to our reconnection in the coffee shop, I was startled at how much had changed and how much had stayed the same since the days we met in our youth.
The woman before me was no longer the bright piece of sunshine I had known in my youth. Gone were the braces and pigtails, having been replaced by a perfect smile and her hair in a fancy bun at the nape of her neck. The thick glasses she had sported as a child were absent, allowing me to see her light brown eyes framed with dark black lashes. Unlike the moment our eyes had connected as the elevator doors had closed originally, she does react to seeing me. Her grin is wide and her eyes full of warmth and love.
Love. For me.
"Wow... you just—wow." Is all I can manage to choke out as the first wave of tears hits me as I take in my beautiful bride.
She spins around and shows me her dress, which is far less puffy than the one we had originally seen. She grins and spreads her arms wide. I walk over to her and pull her into a tight hug, nestling my face into her neck and breathing in her sweet perfume.
"You look perfect," I whisper.
"And so do you."
I swallow another round of tears, not wanting to look completely lame, but then again, I really didn't care if she saw me cry. This was Tae Men. She was my sunshine and she was the clouds. She was my everything.
"Are you ready to get married?"
"I've never been more ready for anything in my life."
We spend the next few minutes enjoying the calmness of the privacy of the dressing room before an attendant comes and tells us it's time.
Finally, it's time.
"There's one thing I need to tell you before we enter the reception hall," I say suddenly, the nagging feeling of forgetfulness washing over me.
"And that is?" Tae Men asks as she takes my arm.
"Kang Il will be the one officiating us today."
She nods with a small smile, her face lighting up at the mention of the curmudgeon of an old man.
"That sounds only right honestly."
"Which leaves—"
"MEEE as the best flower girl of all time. Most memorable at least," Ca Jin-Ho interjects as he pops out of nowhere with a basket in hand, tossing white petals in the air as he skips around us.
Tae Men rolls her eyes and shakes her head, looking up at me, "It's only fair, I guess. Ready to do this?"
"More than any other thing in my entire life."
The music picks up and Ca Jin-Ho leads the procession in, skipping and humming merrily as he goes. I place my free hand over Tae Men's located on my arm and squeeze it firmly three times, a silent "I love you" before we start walking down the elevated center aisle to meet Father Kang at the end who is smiling brightly at us.
As we reach the end of the aisle, I'm surprised to watch as he lifts himself out of his chair and stands to his full height with the assistance of a cane.
"Father!"
"I'm alright boy, I've been resting plenty to make this happen," he growls. A microphone is handed to him and the ceremony begins.
After a brief introduction and the general delays that a wedding has apparently, Tae Men and I were finally instructed to read our vows.
"Can I go first? I've waited a long time for this and I don't know if I can wait another minute," I chuckle.
Or get through her vows without bawling knowing her way with words. I need to keep it together for my vows at least.
Tae Men rolls her eyes and nods, smirking at my statement. Father Kang holds the mic to my mouth and I begin to speak, looking down at the worn paper in my hands as I nervously fold it over.
"Every moment since you walked back into my life, I've pictured this day and the steps it would take to get us here. I thought of how I can make you smile, how I can make you laugh, how I can stand by your side in each and every moment life throws at us. Each day, each moment I have spent with you has been entirely selfish. The only thing I can focus on, the thing that has consumed me pretty much since I met you, was how to make you as much mine as I am yours.
"I'm not someone who opens up well, I'm not someone who connects well with others, I think everyone in the room and on my team would agree," my statement is met with laughter from the audience and Tae Men sends me a small smirk as she silently agrees. "In the past, I've been someone I don't recognize today. Full of anger and bitterness, regrets, and anxiety that I wasn't worthy of you or your love. But I know now, more so than ever, that the years full of bitterness and regrets were what it took to bring me back to your side. It made me realize what's important, what to appreciate, and more than that, who to appreciate and who to love for the rest of my days on this earth.
"I am not good at a lot of things as I have already admitted, and amongst those things is public speaking. In fact, I hate it, but as I prepared these next words, I want to openly say in front of everyone who loves us and who we love, that I'll spend the rest of my life showing you how much I appreciate you. How much I love you. How much I don't want to live this life without you by my side. Tae Men, you are the sunshine to my clouds and the peace to my storm. I love you and I will do whatever I can to make you smile and laugh every day for as long as we are together."
I wipe at my eyes as the last couple of words come from my mouth in a choke and Tae Men grabs my hands, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief Father Kang pulls from out of nowhere.
"Tae Men, your turn."
She nods and I take a deep breath, holding it in as she begins to speak, tears welling in her eyes as she starts to speak, stumbling at first, but quickly gaining speed.
"I believe in soulmates. My mom and dad have exemplified to me the perfect marriage that everyone aspires to have, but unlike everyone else, I have not spent my entire life searching for it. I have not spent my entire life searching for that perfection for myself because when I met you the first day of second grade, I already knew that I had found you. And over the last few years we were apart, I knew I didn't need to search for you because, somehow, someway, you would come and find me. You once promised me you would never leave me alone and that was a promise I knew you would always keep which meant I knew you'd find me once again."
Her words are causing tears for everyone in the room, myself included, "You recently told me that I was your home. And that is so incredibly true for me as well. I have always had an abundance of examples of love to live by, a home of people who loved, and cared for me, but my home, my true home, always resided in you and your love. With you by my side, I can fully live out my love with you by my side for the rest of my days."
"I am certainly not a perfect person, but as I say these next words and make my vows to you, Kang Il and Car Taeyang, I will do my very best to love and honor you in all that I do in this life. These are my promises to you: I promise to love and support you, but to also voice my opinion when it's needed. I promise to bring comfort to you in times of pain and grief and to provide you sunshine in times of darkness. I promise to wipe your tears of joy, of laughter, of pain, and of sadness to remind you that I am always on your side in the end. And I promise to not try to change you as a person but to push us both to be the best versions of ourselves. As we work together to build a life together, I want to continuously make you smile, make you laugh, and work with you to ensure that we live a life that is fruitful and full of love. I will give you love and a home forevermore. Those are my promises to you."
I am now openly sobbing now as I take her hands into my own and kiss the rings on her fingers gently.
Father Kang sniffles from his place at the altar, "Now that these two lovebirds have shared their vows in front of all of us, by the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
I grab Tae Men by the waist and in a move that wasn't rehearsed, I dip her down and kiss her full on the lips to the hooting and hollering of everyone watching. Standing up right, I set her on her feet and stare at my beautiful wife in shock and awe as I realize that this was all real.
A few months ago, had you told me that a duck butt becoming friendly with my face would be the cause of the greatest joy, I probably would have laughed you off and rolled my eyes at the preposterous notion. The idea that fowl would be the start of a life that was certainly not fowl, but full of love, laughter, and life... seemed preposterous. Thank goodness I was wrong.
The End