Eileen was studying her feet. Then her eyes traveled over to Pierre’s little shoes. He needed a new pair desperately. Her heart turned over in compassion for the small boy. She pulled up her purse and began to go through it for cash. She had enough money to buy him a pair of shoes but not from the Disney store.
Namjoon watched the young woman intently. He followed her line of sight as she looked at Pierre’s feet and then as she dug through her purse, clearly looking for cash. She pulled some bills out. Then she looked a little bewildered as her eyes scanned the store.
“Pierre, is that your only pair of shoes?” she asked him quietly.
The little lad nodded.
She looked frustrated for a moment.
“PIERRE!” Suddenly, the small boy was engulfed in a huge hug by a rather small woman who was the spitting image of Elaine, or rather, the other way around. Pierre clung to his maman, a wide grin splitting his face as he began to talk a mile a minute.
“Maman, I lost you! Then I found a nice lady. Her!” He pointed at Elaine. “And her boyfriend.”
All three Bangtan Boys looked at each other. Her boyfriend? They now looked curiously at Eileen who was steadily watching the mother and her son.
“Then Elaine found me, but you were still missing! We walked this way looking for you. Then I fought with Elaine and broke a headband.” He buried his face in her shoulder.
The four adults watching this touching tableau didn’t miss the sinking expression that crossed his mother’s face. “You broke what?”
Namjoon was familiar with that look and that feeling. His heart went out to both the mother and her son. Apparently, the little boy often broke things. More compassion for the child filled Namjoon’s soul. Had he been too hard on the little boy? It had been an accident, after all. Namjoon was only too familiar with those. And he had long ago grown weary of others poking fun at him for them. He despised being called the god of destruction. He spent his whole life trying to create peace. Why did people name him something so awful and so against everything he desired to be?
“This headband.” Pierre pulled away from his maman’s comforting embrace and held up his Disney bag. He drew the mouse ear out so that she could see it.
“Wait. It’s in a bag. Pierre, did you already pay for it?”
He nodded, his hazel eyes wide and repentant in his sweet face.
“But, how?”
He turned towards Namjoon and pointed at him, explaining, “He gave me the money.”
She stood up and walked towards Namjoon. “Thank you so much, sir, but we really must pay you back.” She stood staring up at Namjoon. Then suddenly a look of utter shock crossed her features as he began to speak in clear English.
“It’s all right, madame. Pierre and I have worked out a payment plan.”
“You’re Namjoon!” she whispered in such surprise that her mouth fell open.
He nodded, his dark eyes intent on her face.
But then his words penetrated her consciousness. “Wait. A payment plan? What do you mean?”
Jin had stepped over to join them. “Do you know BTS?”
She nodded, her eyes growing wider as she stared up at her bias. She’d lost her tongue. And was it just her, or had someone suddenly let all the air out of the store?
Namjoon smiled at her dumbfounded expression before he explained, “Then you likely know today is Jimin’s birthday. We are shopping for his presents. Pierre here,” Namjoon looked down at the boy and reached out to ruffle his dark brown hair as he continued, “is helping us pick out gifts. He is our personal shopper today.” Then in an aside to the young mother, he made an appeal, “The problem is we’re in the Disney store. We’ve really exhausted our gift options here. Would you be willing to follow us to some more stores so that we can find some appropriate gifts for Jimin and your son can pay his debt?”
She was already in love with BTS. But as she stared up at Namjoon’s kind eyes, she realized her bias might be shifting. What an incredibly sweet young man! Her heart melted down to her toes.
“Merci. Merci beaucoup. Thank you so much for taking care of my son in such a wonderful way. I’m so sorry he caused you any trouble.”
Namjoon shook his head as though to say that Pierre was no trouble at all. “Accidents happen. I know. It’s ok. I’m just glad we were here to help.”
“Me too! Thank you,” she was staring up at him with stars in her eyes. She was thirty-one years old, but as she looked at these smiling men, she felt sixteen again. “We will go with you wherever you need to shop for Jimin. It’s important that Pierre pays his debts.” She glanced sternly down at her son.
And so it was that the entire party, Namjoon, Jin, Hobi, Elaine, Pierre, and their mother turned to leave the store. As they headed out, Hobi remembered Jimin’s girl.
“Where are you guys headed? I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”
“We’re going to start at Starbucks. I need something to drink,” Namjoon asserted. And he wanted to buy the kids and their mom a treat. They all looked like they could use one. “We have a long afternoon of shopping ahead of us. We all need some sustenance.” He turned toward the mother and her kids. “So, think about what you’d like. My treat.”
Tears filled the mama’s eyes.
“By the way, you know who we are, by we don’t know your name. What is it?”
“Jacqueline.”
Namjoon and Jin bowed their heads to her. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Jacqueline.” Namjoon held his hand out to her, wrapping his long, slender fingers around hers.
Oh yeah, her bias had just changed. Jin would have to be her bias wrecker now. But then he smiled at her and stole her heart all over again as he too shook her hand. And her heart!
Hobi had turned around and walked back to the girl who had protected his friend.
“Please, come with us.”
“What?” Tears were filling her eyes. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to find Jimin, but she had no idea where to look. And she needed her phone.
“I’m Hobi.” He held his hand out to her. “Thank you for taking…care of Jimin. He’s very…important to me…to all of us. I didn’t sleep last night. I was…worried about him.” Hobi took his time speaking. English was not easy for him.
Eileen looked up into his sweet, dark brown eyes. He had the kindest face. Why did she feel like she’d just made a second friend? She smiled at him and took his hand in her own.
“I’m Eileen.”
“Eireen?”
She grinned as she realized that probably all these men would say her name in that adorable manner. She nodded her head.
“We will help you find Jimin.”
It was all Hobi said, but it made her feel so much better. She turned to follow him to Starbucks. She could use some tea. And maybe a piece of chocolate cheesecake. Who knew? Perhaps they’d find Jimin there nursing a white mocha.