Chapter 61

“You were six, and I was nine. It was after a wedding that our parents took us to. You had your mom print it off for you; on the back, it’s a letter. Telling me that you love me and want to marry me one day. I’m your best friend in the world. That year, it was inside my birthday card, and I never threw it away.” Jyeon walks over to me, carefully takes it, eyes on the paper and not on me, and turns it over to display a very worn and patchy child’s scrawl. The odd word stands out, but mostly I have to squint to see them. I can identify the words love and marriage.

“After we were told we were to be married, and I started pulling away, you found it in my room and gave it to me again. I think it was your way of telling me we would be okay and that I should trust in you. To trust our bond. I kept it as a reminder of our happier times, when no one wanted anything from us, but I failed to understand its message.” Jyeon examines it and carefully straightens out the bent corners. I’m si