Chapter Twenty-Four
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Auntie Soo claimed she wasn’t much of a cook, but she made the best lasagna. When they were teenagers, Emma and Jeremy would clean out a whole pan between the two of them, so her godmother had to make two pans if the grown-ups wanted to eat, too.
“This is way too much food, Imo,” Emma protested, setting out a teetering pile of thick garlic toast on the table. She paused to inhale the delicious aroma of toasted bread, garlic, and butter before she continued, “Oppa and I are well past our growth spurts.”
“Hey, speak for yourself.” Jeremy placed a giant bowl of Caesar salad next to the bread. “I have at least another inch left to grow.”
When Auntie Soo rolled her eyes at her son, Emma taunted him with a bratty smirk. She switched to an innocent smile as her godmother turned to her. “Old habits die hard, my dear. I’ll freeze the second pan for Jeremy to take with him when he leaves.”
“Yesss.” Jeremy pumped his fist.
“Ugh.” Emma grimaced. “Again, I can’t believe parents actually pay you to care for their children.”
“I’m sure the children love his playful nature,” her dad said as he took his seat.
“Samchon sees me.” Her godbrother placed his hand over his heart. “Unlike you, brat.”
“Silly boy.” Auntie Soo slapped her son none too gently on his back. “Quit insulting our guest.”
“Guest? Who, Emma?” He backed away from his mother when she raised her hand again. “Miss Yoon, please have a seat whilst I serve you some lasagna.”
Emma stuck her tongue out at him but sat down and held out her plate to him. “I want a corner piece.”
Jeremy scoffed but only said, “Anything for our guest.”
“I still can’t believe you won’t share your salad dressing recipe with me,” Emma said around a mouth full of tart and creamy salad.
“I told you it’s nothing special,” her godmother mumbled and quickly stuffed half a slice of toast into her mouth.
“She’s just embarrassed to tell you because it’s actually store-bought.” Jeremy winked, then almost dropped his fork at his mother’s outraged shriek.
“How did you know?” Auntie Soo buried her face in her hands.
“I didn’t know, Umma.” He wrapped his arm around his distraught mother’s shoulders. “I was just kidding.”
“Well, now you all know.” She sat up and said with calm dignity, “I just add some fresh lemon rind and Kewpie mayonnaise to a store-bought brand. You know, the one in the fancy glass bottle?”
Emma couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. She clapped her hand over her mouth, but a snort escaped her nose.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry, Imo. I promise I’m not laughing at you. It’s just—” She dissolved into another bout of laughter. “Oppa accidentally revealed your deep, dark secret by being a jackass.”
One by one, everyone at the table joined in—even Auntie Soo—and they laughed until they had stitches in their sides. Emma sighed, dabbing at her eyes. “It’s still my favorite Caesar salad dressing. And I’ve tried that brand, so I know your secret ingredients make the dressing.”
After a hurricane of eating, catching up, and reminiscing, their conversation dwindled as they sat in a carb, cheese, and Chianti–induced stupor. Stifling a yawn, Emma decided it was long past time to switch to water. When Jeremy clinked his fork against his wineglass, she turned to him with sluggish curiosity, which sharpened into concern when she saw the terrified expression on her godbrother’s face. What in the world?
“I… have an announcement to make,” Jeremy said in an uncharacteristically small voice, fidgeting in his chair.
Emma wanted to ask him what was wrong, but she was afraid if she interrupted him, he might bolt from the table. She glanced at Auntie Soo and her dad, who both sat still and silent with their eyes glued to Jeremy. Clasping her hands tightly on her lap, Emma waited for her godbrother to continue.
“You guys are my family and I love you, and I know that you all love me, but there’s something you should know about me.” He drew in a long, tremulous breath, then words tumbled out of his mouth like water rushing past a broken dam. “I’m gay. I know it must come as a shock, but I hope you can accept me for who I am.”
There was a long, awkward silence at the table until the blood drained out of her godbrother’s face. Before he panicked in earnest, Emma rushed to explain. “We all know, oppa. Of course we accept you and love you. We always have. We just thought you knew that we knew. That’s why we’re so surprised by your announcement.”
Auntie Soo and her dad nodded in confirmation, soft, warm smiles lighting their faces.
Jeremy’s eyes rounded. “You guys really knew?”
“Of course I knew. I’m your umma.” Her godmother sniffled and squeezed her son’s hand. “I love you and I’m here for you. You know that, right?”
“I do,” her godbrother said, voice hoarse with emotion. “On that note, I also want to share that I met the most wonderful man in the world, and we… we’re engaged.”
“Oh my gosh. Congratulations, oppa.” Emma clasped her hands together in front of her chest. It put new light on his lecture that marriage should be about love and happiness. Even though her perspective on marriage remained unchanged, she sincerely hoped that was what he’d found.
“What fantastic news,” her dad said, beaming. “Congratulations, son.”
“How could you?” Auntie Soo whispered through pale, trembling lips.
“Umma?” Jeremy blinked.
“How could you keep such an important relationship a secret from me until you got engaged ?” Her godmother blinked back tears.
“I… I…” Jeremy shot a panicked glance at Emma’s dad, who always had his back.
“Now, Soo.” He laid a calming hand on Auntie Soo’s arm, but she shook it off.
“Does his family know? Did… did you meet them?” At the guilty expression on Jeremy’s face, her hurt morphed into anger, and her fists clenched on the table. “You hid the man you loved from me—my future son-in-law—because… what?”
“I know you support the LGBTQ community, but I thought… it might be different when it’s your own kid.” Her godbrother shot a beseeching look in Emma’s direction.
“Imo, it must be terrifying to come out as gay, especially to the people you love most…” She understood and sympathized with both sides, but she mostly wanted to hide under the table until the conflict was resolved.
“And you always said that you wanted to match me up with the perfect partner. I guess I didn’t want to disappoint you,” Jeremy continued. “I’m sorry. If… if it helps, we only got engaged last week. I wanted to tell you in person. I’m so sorry.”
Auntie Soo took a breath and opened her mouth, her expression turning stony. Oh no. Oh no. She was about to say something hurtful that she would regret later. No, no, no.
“Speaking of relationships,” Emma blurted in a brittle, chipper voice, “I’m seeing someone.”
All eyes at the table slowly turned to her. Jeremy mouthed, No, Emma . But it was already too late.
“Since we’re all being honest here,” she squeaked, terrified of her godmother’s reaction. Did Auntie Soo feel betrayed that Emma had kept it a secret from her? That she put her reputation at risk?
Her dad’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “But you’re not gay.”
“No, Appa. I’m not.”
“Okay.” He absently patted her hand. “I just wanted to make sure I’m following everything.”
“Jeremy, what is your fiancé’s name, age, and occupation?” Auntie Soo was back to her formidable self, her hurt and anger under control. Emma breathed a sigh of relief.
“Steven Kim. Thirty-six. Pediatric neurologist,” Jeremy answered with military precision minus a salute. “He’s actually one of my partners.”
“And you.” Auntie Soo turned to Emma. “Did you also think I would oppose you dating someone you chose? Do you kids not understand that all I want is your happiness?”
“But the Crones…” Emma said, chastised for doubting the depth of Auntie Soo’s love for her.
“I will handle the Crones.” The icy determination in her godmother’s tone made her believe her. Emma had no idea how, but the Crones had better watch out. Auntie Soo was coming to handle them. When her godmother snapped her finger at her, Emma remembered she wasn’t off the hook yet. “What is your suitor’s name, age, and occupation?”
Emma straightened in her chair. “Michel Chevalier. Thirty-four. Professor of international relations at USC.”
“Is he the reason you’re taking a break from the matseons?” Auntie Soo demanded.
“Yes?” Emma croaked, casting a furtive glance at her dad. She didn’t want him to know she’d been worried about how he was taking the news of her matseons. “But also, because of what I told you that day.”
“Humph.” Her godmother studied her with shrewd eyes but didn’t continue with the interrogation.
“Is Michel good to you, sweetheart?” her dad asked with a gentle squeeze of her hand.
“Yes, Appa.” She blinked away sudden tears. “He is very good to me.”
“Well, that settles it.” Auntie Soo stood abruptly from the table and began gathering the empty dishes. “Invite Steven and Michel to dinner this Saturday.”
“But Steven is in San Jose—” Jeremy made a valiant attempt to take back some control of the situation.
“He will take an hour flight to LA on Saturday and drive back up with you on Sunday.” Auntie Soo didn’t pause in clearing the table, and her son knew better than to contradict her a second time.
“Imo.” Emma went to Auntie Soo’s side and placed a hand on her arm. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Michel sooner, but… I didn’t plan for any of this to happen. And I’m so sorry if my actions are hurting your chances of signing the YogurtBerry—”
“I already signed the YogurtBerry family,” her godmother blurted. She placed the empty plates back on the table and sandwiched Emma’s hand between hers. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It only happened last week. And… I thought it would help motivate you to resume your matseons if you had that added pressure hanging over your head. I… I’m a no-good meddling ajumma. But I thought I was helping you find happiness.”
“That’s okay. We’ll call it even.” Emma patted Auntie Soo’s hand with her free one, her relief trumping her indignation. “Besides, meddling is what aunties do best.”
“You’re a sweetheart.” Her godmother side-eyed her. “But I’m not sure about the even part…”
“Congratulations on signing with the YogurtBerry family. I’m so happy for you,” Emma gushed, stepping on her godmother’s words. “How did you do it?”
Auntie Soo gave her a conspiratorial wink. “Their daughter is also on the brink of turning twenty-nine. We commiserated over our failings as parents.”
“Imo!” Emma tugged her hands back and stomped her foot. Her dad gave her a startled glance, then shrugged, resuming his trek to the kitchen with an armful of dishes. “I told you that’s an antiquated way of thinking…”
“Oh, pishposh.” Auntie Soo stacked some empty dishes on the table, glancing at her son, who was stealing bites of lasagna directly from the pan. She cleared her throat raucously until she got his attention. “Jeremy, you and I will have a long talk tonight. I… I’m sorry I didn’t make you feel safe enough to tell me about Steven sooner.”
“It’s okay, Umma.” He walked around the table and pulled his mom into a tight hug. “You’ve always made me feel safe. I just needed to do it in my own time.”
Emma sighed in relief, wiping away a tear. Harsh words and hurt feelings were successfully avoided. Everything was going to be okay. But now she had to introduce Michel to her family and somehow deal with the fallout when he left in a month and a half. Her chest tightened at the reminder that Michel would leave soon, and she couldn’t draw a proper breath.
With a mumbled excuse, she escaped to Auntie Soo’s living room and covered her mouth to muffle her sob. She couldn’t fall apart. She’d made her decision to be with Michel until he left. It wasn’t fair that a month and a half was all she got, but she would make every day count.