Epilogue

I had been lounging outside in the backyard, just enjoying the Los Angeles sunshine. It was hot outside, but not uncomfortably so, just the perfect weather to sit out in my sunhat, drink lemonade and really delve into a light-hearted romance novel, all while watching my son swim in the pool.

Yunho took a seat next to me on our patio under the protection of the outdoor umbrella. We always loved our peaceful Sunday mornings. Yunho usually had the day off from teaching dance at the local art school, and I would leave my flower shop in the hands of the store manager. I had bought the space just months after moving to LA, after realizing how much I loved working with my hands and being around nature. Plus, it gave me the well needed flexibility to take care of my son.

As I watched the four-year-old playing happily in the water, I tried not to let my mind wander too much. Over the years, I had observed his features carefully, guessing at the identity of his father. He did seem to have Yunho's eyes and cheeks, so much so that people would always say they looked alike. Even so, occasionally I convinced myself that I could see a glimpse of Mingi in the way the boy moved or spoke. Nevertheless, Yunho was his father, and had cared for both of them with kindness and humor over the years.

The man was just settling into his seat in the shade as the doorbell rung. Yunho started to rise to go see who was there, but I silently motioned him to settle in as I headed back into the house to greet the doorbell ringer. It was rare for us to get unexpected guests, but in a relaxed Sunday daze, I didn't bother with wondering who was there, but maybe if I had, I would have been more prepared for the shock I would soon experience. When I opened the front door, I was greeted with a face that I would have never expected to see in a million years.

"Hi Y/N," the familiar voice spoke calmly. I took a long moment to react. Memories of my past life suddenly all flooded back to me at breakneck speed.

"Mingi?" I squeaked, unsure if I had somehow found myself in a dreamlike state. It had been years since I had seen him last, since I had left Korea, since he had saved my life. And there he stood before me. Looking almost the same, only a bit wearied and thinner, but with the same wide grin that I had once loved so well. The words I was searching for eluded me, so I could only grasp my arms around him and bury my head in his chest.

"Y/N, it's okay," He tried to calmly console me out of my shock, as he returned the embrace, holding his arms around my back. "It's just me."

"I thought that I would n-never see you again," I whimpered on the verge of breaking down completely. "I thought... I thought..." He pulled his fingers through my hair soothingly, the motion so familiar even after many years.

"How are you here?" I managed to ask, still holding onto him tightly.

"I got out of prison early on good behaviour." He explained. He continued on to tell me how he managed to find Seonghwa first in Japan, who told him where Yunho and I had settled down.

I had so much that I wanted to ask him. There was so much that he had missed in those four years. "Come inside, let's talk more. You can come see Yunho and..."

"No, Y/N." He interrupted firmly, suddenly pulling away. "I didn't come here to invade your life. I don't plan on staying. I just had to see you and... the kid. I wanted to make sure the kid was okay."

"He's great. He just started school." I hesitated slightly, "Do you want to meet him?"

"No, no I can't. I don't want to confuse him..." Mingi sighed. "Just... what did you name him?"

I smiled. "We named him Mingi, after the man who saved both of his parents."

I squeezed the tall man's hand as his eyes welled up almost immediately. "I – I don't know what to say."

"Are you sure that you can't stay and meet him? We could just say that you're an old friend." I urged him, knowing full well that Mingi wanted to see the boy, whether or not the kid was his biological son.

"No, I have to go to the airport. It's really better that I don't complicate your lives." He explained. "You look happy Y/N. That's all I needed to see."

I considered trying to convince him to stay, but he seemed intent on leaving. I knew that he was right. Him staying would complicate things, and bring up questions that had been buried for years. It took all of my willpower not to cry as we said our goodbyes. "Hey Mingi?"

"Yeah?"

"I always loved you and I always will."

"I'll always love you as well." He responded with a small smile.

I softly kissed his cheek before watching him get into a car and drive away. I wondered if I would ever see him again, even by accident, at a café or walking down the street somewhere. Even if I didn't, that was okay. After four years, I was finally able to tell him what I hadn't been able to at the airport. So even if we never saw each other again, I knew that I had his love, and he would have mine, wherever we might be.

I returned to the backyard and sat back down next to Yunho on the patio chairs. He turned his head slightly towards me. "Who was at the door?"

"Just a friend." I smiled. "A very old friend."

-

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for my next book. If you were wondering why it took me so long to update this book, it's because I was already writing another one. :)

(Also please appreciate these unwhitewashed and unedited photos of Mingi and Yunho.)