Yuna’s mom says something in Korean. I don’t understand it, but it seems like she’s very excited.
“What’s the deal?” I say.
“It’s a taemong!” she half shrieks.
“A what mong?”
“A birth dream, which you have when you’re pregnant or about to be.” Yuna explains it because her parents are too busy laughing and crying and hugging each other to tell me. “Traditionally it features something auspicious. Dragons definitely count. And two probably means twins, although I’m not a hundred percent sure because I don’t interpret dreams like this.”
“When was your last…lady’s week?” Yuna’s mom asks.
Lady’s week?
“Um…” Yuna thinks for a moment. “Oh… It’s been two months!”
Now Yuna’s mom and dad are hugging and jumping up and down like they just won Olympic gold medals.
And my own heart is doing a massive cartwheel. “Oh my God. We’re pregnant.” I stare at the lemon she’s sucking on. “Of course!”
Yuna’s mouth parts, as though it’s finally dawning on her. “We’re going to be parents,” she whispers, excitement sparkling in her eyes.
“We are!” Letting out a loud whoop, I hug her tightly, with love. I have everything I could ever want in my arms.
Chapter Sixty-Five
Yuna
–twenty-some years ago
I’m so bored! Daddy is busy with some kind of meeting with American businesspeople, Mommy’s shopping with Ms. Lim and Ms. Go, and Eugene’s busy playing a video game.
TV is boring, too. It’s all English. I don’t understand most of it. And I’ve been taking English lessons for three whole years! Eugene says it’s because I’m just a baby, which made me want to kick him. He speaks better than me because he’s had lessons for six years. That’s twice as long as me!
So I sneak out of the suite and look for something to do at the hotel. I stare up at all the tall Americans. Their eyes and hair are so colorful.
I wander around until I find a baby grand piano in a really big room. Nobody’s there, so I go over and open the lid. Then I sit on the bench and warm up with some scales.
Then I play Schubert’s Impromptu Opus 90 Number 2, which I just mastered. The notes flow out, my hands moving fast. I have to be more creative with the pedal to compensate for my small hands and fingers.
When I’m done, I smile. I didn’t mess up even once. And I played it at tempo, too.
Somebody claps from behind me. I turn around and see a handsome American boy. He’s older, but I can’t tell if he’s older than my brother. Maybe not. He has dark hair, but not black like Eugene. And his eyes are…gray? Very different from anyone back home.
“That was good,” he says.
The compliment makes me feel buoyant enough to float in the air. “Thank you!”
“Can you play it again?” he asks with a hopeful smile.
Wow! He wants an encore! Hehehe. Happy with the request, I nod. “Yes.”
As I turn to the piano, the door to the room opens. Ms. Lim is standing on the other side. She steps inside and sags a little.
“Thank God you’re here, Ms. Hae,” she says in very polite Korean.
“Where else would I be?” I say.
“Your mother’s very worried about you. We need to go now.”