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Should I Choose Family?
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🔸Goodbyes are often harder when you think you don't care 🔸
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Crystal Valerie Beck
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"I seriously think you're too obsessed with him," I said as I popped a peanut into my mouth.
"Look who's talking," she shot back.
"You got me, Ris, you got me," I conceded, and she snorted in response. "But seriously, at least you got something out of all those internet bills and fangirling."
I rolled my eyes. One could never out talk her. "And you can't seem to get anything from your obsession with my brother," I teased.
She grinned mischievously. "You think so? I could seduce him, you know."
Ugh, not this failed plan again. "You already tried that once," I reminded her, though I wasn't about to mention that my brother actually found her attractive.
Though he never made crude comments about her like she does about him, he had always been respectful toward women or maybe it was because I was his sister and Paris was my friend.
"Seriously, you're not a good friend," she complained, launching into her usual rant. "All you need to do is make him like me, put in a good word, but all you ever do is discourage me."
Honestly, I wanted my brother to be with her, but I always worried about what would happen if they broke up. What if I had to choose between them? I loved them both, and the thought of choosing was unbearable.
"On a serious note, though, I'm going to miss you," she said, her tone suddenly somber. We both grew quiet, and before I knew it, we were crying.
"I'm not dying, Ris," I said, wiping away my tears.
"But it feels like you are. When will I see you again?" she whined.
"I could become rich over there, you know, and I'd make you leave all those jobs, and we'd go to Harvard," I said, trying to sound convincing.
"I'll be your manager when you become rich," she giggled.
"No, darling, you're going to be rich too. You won't be anyone's manager,"
She dropped a bra she had bought for me into the bag. "You haven't worn this; the label is still on it."
She had given me that on my last birthday. It was a set of five, but I had never worn them. I loved my sports bras so much that I only wore a regular bra when absolutely necessary.
"You might have to wear dresses," she noted.
I shrugged. There was no harm in being prepared. I knew I'd have people to assist me, but I wanted to be ready for anything. I didn't want to be a burden.
"And maybe you could find a handsome hunk to finally break that barrier between your legs," she teased.
Oh my God, what kind of friend do I have? "You still have that barrier too, you know," I retorted.
She waved me off. "I have someone in mind for myself," she said, clearly talking about my brother.
"Ew, ew, Ris, don't go on," I groaned.
But of course, she did. "Have you seen him work out?. And have you seen his fingers? The length"
Oh my God, no. "Don't put images in my head, Ris, especially not of my brother!"
She persisted with her taunting. "But he's so hot," she said.
I bolted out of the room, and she chased after me, only to continue detailing the different positions she planned to try with my brother after getting him drunk.
"Thanks, Ris, for the nightmare," I grumbled.
She giggled like a kid. "Here, take this," she said, handing me the other half of our friendship necklace.
"You fixed it?" I asked, surprised. I had given it to her to fix, but she'd been too busy.
She nodded. "You added our initials," I noted.
I hugged her again, knowing I'd miss her so much. We'd been inseparable for so long; this was going to take a toll on me. I was going to miss her more than I could express.
🔸🔸🔸🔸
I glanced over at my brother, who was still acting strangely. "It's literally five months, Timmy. I'm not going to die."
He hated it when I called him Timmy, but to my surprise, he didn't say anything this time. He just ignored it.
"That's how months turn into years," he muttered.
I didn't understand what he meant. "Timmy, we were never meant to live together forever. We would eventually go our separate ways."
He looked like he was about to cry any minute.
"Don't cry," I said, moving closer to him. "Do you want me to give you a gift before I go?" He nodded.
"Ris has a crush on you," I finally revealed.
I should have said that earlier. My mom knew Ris liked my brother; hell, everybody knew except him. He was as blind as a bat.
At first, I didn't want them to get together because I thought my brother would break her heart, and that could ruin our six-year friendship. But then one night, my brother got home very drunk, and yes, his mouth was super loose when he was drunk.
He told me how he had asked his crush out, and the girl turned him down because she always saw him with different girls. I told him the girl was right, and he went, "Funny thing? I've only ever slept with one person." Too much information, but that was the day I knew he wasn't a successful Casanova.
"What?" To say he was puzzled was an understatement. He looked like I did every time I was in organic chemistry class.
"She likes you," I repeated. He looked back at her, he waved at her
Was he trying to play it cool? How funny. "But she has seen me at my worst," he said.
I chuckled. "That girl is quite strange. How could she even like someone like you?"
I wasn't able to say much more before he started choking me.
"You guys are outside, behave yourselves for once," I heard my mom whisper-yell while Paris was busy laughing her heart out. She has witnessed this episode so many times that she doesn't even look surprised anymore.
"I'm gonna tell her you peed in your bed when you were twelve," I threatened.
I knew this was the only thing that could make him let go of me. "That was once, and don't you dare say it. She has a crush on me!"
Now that he knew, was it still a crush or just a ticking time bomb?
"All the more reason to tell her," I teased, turning toward Ris and my mom, pretending to start talking. "You know a funny story, my brother.."
He quickly covered my mouth with his hand. "I will pay you ten."
I smiled. The best part about having a brother was the bargaining.
"Why are you trying so hard? I thought you saw her as a sister."
Thinking back, with all the comments my dearest friend had made about my brother, it was just gross to think of them like siblings.
"Make it twenty," I demanded, removing his hand from my mouth.
He tried to place it back, but I warned him, "Put it back there, and I'll bite your finger off. You ruined my lip gloss, and your palm is so salty."
I used my finger to trace the outline of my lips, cleaning up the smudge using my phone screen as a mirror.
"But twenty is too much," he complained.
I didn't want to take anything from him because, aside from covering school costs and a few personal expenses, he genuinely cared about the family and always tried his best to support us.
"You want the girl or not? Pay me the agent fee."
He earned only a modest amount from the webtoon he created, yet he did his utmost to contribute as much as possible.
"I'll tell her about the..." I started, but he quickly jumped in front of me. "I'll pay," he agreed.
Well, I don't think he has any clue that we can hear him farting from my room, and Ris had heard that countless times. Wait until he hears about it.
I kept taunting him, trying to win more of the money I wasn't even going to take from him.
We had been playing only moments ago; why were we suddenly hugging and crying? "I'm not dying, Mum," I said, attempting to reassure her. That was my own definition of consolation
"Timmy, stop being a baby. Stop making Mummy cry. You can't let Paris see you crying, you know," I whispered in his ear, only for him to roll his eyes.
"You're leaving," was his simple response.
I knew he cared, but not this much.
After several minutes of hugging and crying, it was finally time to say goodbye. "I'll call every day," I promised, hugging them one after the other.
"You let your brother see me crying, you know. That's not nice, but he looks so sexy crying because of his sister," Paris teased, and we started giggling.
Tim and Mum looked at us as if we were strange. They should have been accustomed to this by now. "You were both crying just a few minutes ago," Tim remarked.
I hugged him one last time.
He held my cheek and used his thumb to wipe away the residual tears. He kissed my forehead gently. "I love you," he whispered.
I pulled him closer, feeling the weight of the moment. "I love you too."
As I stepped back, my mom's eyes were filled with tears again. She reached out, pulling me into a tight embrace. "Be safe, my darling," she murmured. "And don't forget to call every day."
"I won't, Mom. I promise," I reassured her, knowing I literally can't do without her.
Tim stood by, trying to keep his emotions in check. "And don't do anything stupid," he added with a small smile.
I laughed, brushing off his concern. "I'll be fine, Timmy. You know me."
Paris, standing off to the side, watched us with a sad smile. She stepped forward, pulling me into one more hug. "Don't you dare forget about me, okay?" she whispered.
"As if I could," I said, trying to keep the mood light. But deep down, I knew this wasn't going to be easy.
"Take care of my mum" I said, looking between Paris and Tim "now stop being a big baby and give me a hug."
🔸🔸🔸🔸
The person sitting next to me on the plane is a Korean girl, with her friend seated across the aisle. She has a lovely voice, and her stories are so interesting that they make the flight pass more quickly.
Minutes after takeoff, I noticed she began to look unwell. She clutched her stomach, her face growing pale. "I'm so sorry," she said, covering her mouth with her hand before hurriedly unbuckling her seatbelt and rushing to the restroom.
Her friend was fast asleep, unaware of her discomfort, so I decided to follow her, worried she might need help. When she emerged from the restroom, she barely made it a step before dashing back inside. This time, I followed her in, concern overriding any awkwardness.
Inside the cramped airplane bathroom, I gently patted her back as she struggled with her nausea. "Sorry," I murmured, handing her some tissues. She accepted them with a weak smile and a quiet "thank you."
"I'm pregnant," she confessed between deep breaths, a mix of embarrassment and pride in her voice. "That's why I'm like this."
I smiled, offering my congratulations. After a few moments, she seemed to recover, and we returned to our seats. Back at her row, she nudged her friend awake. "This is my fiancee," she introduced him with a playful grin.
He gave me a sleepy wave, which I returned before sitting back down. I offered her my seat so she could sit next to him, but she laughed and declined, saying, "No, he's too annoying."
The flight was long, and eventually, I drifted off to sleep, lulled by the steady hum of the engines and the dimmed cabin lights. When I woke up, Ae Chae unni—the grumpiest yet kindest pregnant woman I’ve ever met—was smiling at me. "You're awake," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She then tossed a crumpled piece of paper at her boyfriend. "Check it," she whispered sharply.
He unfolded the paper, read it, and then quickly stood up. He walked down the aisle toward a flight attendant, returning a few minutes later with something in his hand. He handed her a small piece of paper and an envelope. "This is my wedding invitation, and that’s my number," she said, handing them to me with a grin.
I smiled back, accepting the invitation, even though I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to attend. "I think I’m going to name the girl Valerie," she mused aloud.
I couldn’t help but smile again. She had fallen in love with my name the moment I told her, so it wasn’t surprising that she wanted to name one of her twins Valerie.
As the flight continued, we chatted more, though she carried most of the conversation. Ae Chae was outgoing and lively, making friends effortlessly—a trait I admired but had never quite mastered. Her pregnancy seemed to make her a bit grumpy, especially toward her fiancee, but her cheerful nature still shone through.
Finally, after several long hours in the air, we landed. The announcement over the intercom was nearly drowned out by the bustle of passengers gathering their belongings. I said my goodbyes to Ae Chae unni and her boyfriend, exchanging one last smile as I stepped into the aisle.
As I made my way through the crowded cabin and into the terminal, my heart pounded with anticipation. I scanned the crowd in the arrivals area, looking for someone holding a sign with my name on it. My excitement was palpable, every step bringing me closer to the beginning of something new.
Today was a big day.
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