7. （MEET）ing
JAE
7
Meeting Verena’s mom shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. I mean, she’s just my best friend’s mom. So why was I wearing a suit and clutching flowers like some nervous kid on prom night?
Auntie stood beside me, waiting at the front door, a serene smile on her face. “You look good, Jae. Stop looking so terrified. She’ll love you.”
I forced a smile back at her. Auntie was leaving for Korea next week, and this dinner had been planned for months. Jennifer, Verena’s mom, had insisted on meeting Auntie, planning an elaborate dinner that would probably put most Michelin-starred restaurants to shame. Of course, Auntie had to bring a dish of her own, as if challenging Jennifer’s hospitality to a friendly duel.
The door swung open, and Jennifer appeared, a whirlwind of energy. “Jae! Binna! Welcome!” She immediately hugged Auntie, pulling her inside. “You must be Binna. I’ve heard so much about you!”
Auntie smiled warmly. “All good things, I hope.”
Jennifer laughed. “Oh, absolutely. And thank you for bringing a dish. I can’t wait to see how it stacks up against my cooking.”
As they bantered like old friends, Jennifer turned to me. “And you must be Jae! My goodness, look at you, all dressed up like you’re meeting the Queen. You’re overdressed for a simple family dinner, dear.” She took the flowers from my hand, her touch light but assertive. “And these! How lovely! You shouldn’t have, really. But they’ll look perfect on the table. Come in, come in.”
I felt my face heat up, embarrassment creeping up my neck. “Thank you, Mrs. Williams.”
“Oh, please, call me Jennifer,” she said. “Mrs. Williams was two husbands ago.”
I glanced at Auntie, who gave me an encouraging nod. “Yes, Jennifer,” I corrected myself, feeling slightly more at ease.
Jennifer ushered us inside, her presence filling the space with warmth and chatter. “The table’s all set, but I could use a hand with the final touches. Jae, would you mind helping out in the kitchen? Everything’s ready, just needs to be put on the table.”
“Of course,” I said, eager to make a good impression.
The interior of Jennifer’s home was cozy and inviting, filled with the rich aroma of home-cooked food. Family photos lined the walls, and a large, friendly-looking chihuahua barked from the living room, its tiny body shaking with effort.
“Oh, don’t mind Muffin,” Jennifer said, waving off the dog’s noise. “He’s just excited to meet new people.”
As I set the table, I couldn’t help but glance around, taking in the details. There were quirky and mismatched elements everywhere. Nothing flowed or made sense, but it looked authentically real.
The front door opened again, and I turned to see Verena walk in, looking radiant as always. My heart did its usual flip at the sight of her, but then my gaze shifted to the guy beside her. Dark curly hair, a confident smirk that I instantly disliked.
“Jae, this is Luke,” Verena said, introducing him. “Luke’s my neighbor and best friend.”
I forced a smile, sizing him up. He was taller than me, with a build that suggested he spent a lot of time in the gym. His clothes were casual but stylish, like he was trying just hard enough without making it obvious. I remembered Verena mentioning he was studying engineering in Jersey but also that he never really stuck to anything, always changing his mind.
Luke extended a hand, his grin widening. “Nice to meet you, Jae. Verena’s told me a lot about you.”
“Likewise,” I said, shaking his hand. His grip was firm, almost a challenge in itself. I matched it, refusing to let him get the upper hand.
“So, the famous best friend, huh?” I said, forcing a laugh. “What about me, Vee? I thought I was the best friend.”
“You’re both my best friends. There’s enough of me to go around.”
Luke chuckled, but I could see the competitive glint in his eyes. “Yeah, Jae, I guess you’ll have to share.”
“Share, huh?” I replied, arching an eyebrow. “I guess that’s fine, as long as you know I’m the one who gets the late-night calls and emergency donut runs.”
Verena laughed, nudging me with her elbow. “Stop it, both of you. Let’s just enjoy dinner, okay?”
Jennifer walked in, her hands on her hips, surveying the room. “Luke, be a dear and make the salad, would you?”
Luke immediately sprang into action, striding to the kitchen with a confidence that grated on my nerves. “Sure thing,” he called back, already grabbing ingredients from the fridge. He moved around the kitchen with an ease that spoke of familiarity, tossing a wink at Jennifer as he started chopping vegetables. “You still keep the salad spinner in the same place, right?” he asked with a grin.
Jennifer laughed. “Of course. Haven’t changed a thing since you were in high school.”
Luke laughed, glancing over at Verena. “Remember those cooking disasters in home ec? You always managed to burn the cookies, no matter what.”
Verena chuckled. “Those ovens were cursed, I swear.”
“Or maybe you just can’t bake,” Luke teased, and they both laughed, a shared memory flickering between them. I clenched my jaw, forcing a smile. I didn’t like how comfortable he was here, how well he knew Jennifer and Verena’s history.
Auntie and Jennifer sat down at the kitchen table, settling into a comfortable banter. I hovered nearby, setting the table, but their conversation drew me in.
“My ex-husband was so dull,” Jennifer said. “You could tell him the sky was falling, and he’d probably just shrug and ask what’s for dinner.”
Auntie Binna chuckled, shaking her head. “Men can be like that sometimes. My ex-fiancé was no better. He’d rather spend hours tinkering with his car than have a meaningful conversation.”
Jennifer leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Oh, I’ve got a story for you.”
Auntie laughed. “I’m ready.”
Jennifer grinned, launching into her tale. “We went to the movies to see Pearl Harbor. But it was the hottest summer on record, and the theater was packed. The body heat was real, and I’m no skinny Minnie. Some serious forced proximity happened. Poor Walter was up against a human furnace.”
Auntie’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Go on.”
Jennifer’s hands animated the story as she spoke. “During one of the really gut-wrenching scenes, I hear Walter sniffling. He wipes his face, and I’m thinking, Aww, he’s so sensitive and kind, and we’re having this vulnerable moment. We’re finally bonding.”
She paused, drawing out the suspense. “So, I lean over and whisper, ‘Walter, dear, are you crying?’ Ready to give him a tissue and have an insightful discussion about the moment on the way home.”
Auntie leaned in closer, already giggling.
“Without missing a beat, he goes, ‘No, I’m sweating my ass off, can you scoot over?’”
The room filled with laughter, and I couldn’t help but join in, the sound of their amusement warming the atmosphere.
Auntie wiped a tear of laughter from her eye. “Jennifer, that is priceless. I can just see it.”
Jennifer nodded, her laughter subsiding. “Yeah, well, I thought we were having this deep moment. Turns out he was just trying not to melt.”
Auntie leaned back, a thoughtful smile on her face. “You know, Jennifer, that reminds me of the time I broke off my engagement in a furniture store.”
I perked up at this, pulling up a chair to listen. Auntie rarely talked about this part of her past, and hearing her laugh about it now was both surprising and comforting.
“Oh, you have to tell us this one,” Jennifer said.
Auntie chuckled. “Well, I was already conflicted about whether I should bring Jae to Korea or come here to the States. My fiancé at the time was no help, always criticizing my decisions. One day, we were at this furniture store, and he kept saying he didn’t like the couches I was picking.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, imagining Auntie in a showdown over sofas. She continued, her voice animated with the memory.
“He kept saying, ‘This one’s too modern,’ or ‘That one’s too colorful.’ Finally, I just snapped. I turned to him in the middle of the store and said, ‘If you can’t love the couches I love, then you can’t love me! We’re done!’”
Jennifer giggled. “Oh my God, Binna, you didn’t!”
“I did!” Auntie said, her laughter mingling with Jennifer’s. “Right there in the store. The poor sales clerk didn’t know what to do. My fiancé was stunned, just standing there with his mouth open.”
Verena and I exchanged amused glances, and I could see the admiration in her eyes for Auntie’s boldness.
Jennifer wiped a tear from her eye. “That’s hilarious. You broke off an engagement over a couch.”
Auntie grinned. “Well, it wasn’t really about the couch. It was about realizing that if he couldn’t support my choices, big or small, then he wasn’t the right partner for me. And honestly, it made the decision to come here and take care of Jae so much clearer.”
A wave of gratitude washed over me. Auntie had sacrificed so much to raise me after my parents passed away. This story, as funny as it was, highlighted just how much she had given up.
Verena reached over and squeezed my hand. “Your Auntie is amazing.”
“I know,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “She really is.”
Jennifer leaned forward, looking between Auntie and me. “You two are lucky to have each other. Family is everything.”
I smiled at my aunt, and my gaze drifted—overlooking fucking Luke, of course—and when my gaze landed on Vee, I thought yeah, it really is.