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“Jaehee..?”
Normally, your girlfriend was quick to greet you at the door, her hands often full of coffee beans or milk. You were accustomed to a rushed but excited greeting, like a nod of the head and a huge grin as she dropped the coffee on the counter and handed you a mug filled with today’s special blend. You would sip it slowly, the warmth rising to your face not only from the steam but also the expectant way she leaned in and looked at you, her hand often lightly trailing your thighs.
This morning, however, there was no Jaehee to be found. There was no coffee prepared for you to share, and certainly no cheerful banter. Instead of the rich, sometimes sour but always inviting, scent often found in the café, you smelled… something strange.
You smelled… burning.
“Jaehee!” Every horrible scenario you could imagine flooded your thoughts. Maybe a fire resulted from a turned on stovetop, maybe an arsonist came, maybe it was everything 707 was scared of before; your stress increased as you listened carefully and heard a muffled crying coming from the kitchen.
Swinging open the door with power you normally didn’t have- maybe it was adrenaline- you rush in expecting the worst.
Instead, you find Jaehee crumpled on the floor, sitting next to a few pans of charred cupcakes and sobbing into her hands.
You find yourself going to her, scooting the pans to the side so you can position yourself to her left and rub circles on her back gently. Seeing her cry brings back memories you’d like to forget: a scared Jaehee wringing her hands and hyperventilating, a panic attack rising in intensity, her hands moving from her lap to gripping yours and squeezing them with full force as her breathing hastened.
“Are you okay?” Your voice sounds shakier than you planned, almost matching Jaehee’s voice when she weakly replies, “I’m fine.” You know she’s not fine, but you decide to give her a moment to collect herself. Her breathing slowly becomes more rhythmic, and she hugs her knees to her chest.
“I was… trying to make you something.” Her hair falls in front of her face, your hand pushing some strands behind her ear before brushing through it with your fingers. Judging by the charcoal cupcakes and her meltdown, her attempt at cooking didn’t result in a success. Everything Jaehee did, she did it with all of her heart: from kissing you goodnight, to brewing an Americano, to quitting her assistant position. Every batch of these had to have taken her a great deal of thought and effort, and now they were reduced to crumbs.
“Me? What were you trying to make me?”
“This isn’t how I planned this…” Jaehee exhales, then slowly points to one of the cupcakes. It’s sitting alone, wrapped carefully though her icing was slightly sloppy. Her finger is quivering, but there is a resolve on her face you hadn’t seen earlier. “Would you please hand me that one, right there?”
You reach towards it, but before you can pass it on, it begins to fall apart, its contents spilling over the side. Your clutch tightens, your eyes widening as Jaehee begins to curse silently under her breath. When you hold onto what’s left of the food, you notice something… hard.
“What—“
Your palm opens, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. Jaehee swallows hard and then cups her hands under yours, a nervous laugh spilling out on accident. All you can focus on after staring at the ring is her teary eyes, the eyelashes framing them becoming wet and smudging her mascara. She’ll hate it when she notices her reflection afterward, but you think it might be the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen.
“Um… I had this big speech prepared about how you’ve changed my life… because you have, and I don’t know what I would have done had it not been for you. I realize now this all sounds silly, what with the ring just sitting in your hand, but I thought that maybe…” Jaehee inhales and closes her eyes, trying to compose herself.
“Maybe you’d like to be… a different kind of partner… you know… the married kind. Would you like to be my partner for life…?” She bites her lip and brings her hand up to hold your cheek, sniffling but trying her hardest not to let tears fall.
“Jaehee…” Suddenly, you’re overcome with tears too, and like Jaehee, are struggling to keep it together. “O-Of course! Yes!”
Before you know it, Jaehee is kissing you with passion you’ve never experienced before. Her lips are soft, slightly chapped, and as you deepen the kiss you notice with delight that she tastes like the icing she was using. She moves onto your lap, wrapping her legs around your hips and straddling you, her warm touch igniting a fire in your chest as she lightly touches the nape of your neck. Jaehee’s usual hesitancy is gone, now replaced with a sense of urgency that makes every kiss feel like the last. Your hand brushes past her inner thigh, making her shiver slightly, and then glides up to her lower back before you pull apart to catch your breath.
“I love you.” Jaehee’s voice is low and breathy, and after she’s finished speaking, you notice her ears are turning red, a true sign of her embarrassment. “You’re my joy and I really… love you.”
It’s been a year and half since you’ve met. So many things have changed; Jaehee’s hair now reaching the middle of her back, her glasses gone, her confidence returned… and yet, one thing is certain. You’re holding onto Jaehee, and you never want to let go.