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Nia swung the door open to her house. “Hobi!  I’m home!”

She’d been living with her fiancé for a year and a half now.  Her parents had urged her to move in with him as soon as they’d gotten engaged.  She wasn’t sure why they were so eager.

“Nia!  You’re home!  How’d your first day go?”

“Well, I think it went pretty well.  I’ve heard Mr. Kim is a hard man to please.  And he didn’t throw me out of his office the moment he walked in.”

“Well, that’s great!” Hobi exclaimed. “My parents want us to come for dinner tonight.  What do you think?”

“Sure.  It’s not like we have something extravagant planned this evening.” Nia set her purse on the counter.

“I’ll tell them we’re coming, then.  I think my sister is back in town.  And she brought Minseo with her.”

Minseo was Hobi’s niece.  Nia remembered when she was born.  It had been right after Nia had been released from the hospital after two years of physical therapy.  It had been a great thing to come home to.

“Sounds fun. I can’t wait.”

Hobi could detect the sorrow in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

Nia sighed. “I…it’s just…I wish I could remember everything before the surgery.  How we met.  Everything in between.”

Hobi frowned.  He knew her parents were hiding something.  But he wasn’t sure what.  And he wasn’t about to ask them.

“You know we grew up together!  I don’t even remember how we met.”

Nia smiled faintly. “I know.  But…still.  I wish I could have just one memory back.  Do you know how much it hurts to remember nothing from my childhood?”

It had been eight years.  Eight years.  And she still couldn’t recall a single memory.  No matter how hard she tried.  She blinked back tears.

“Hey.” Hobi’s gentle voice filled her ears.  It was the first voice she’d heard when she’d woken up. “It’s ok.”

She burst into tears.  That was her first memory.  She’d woken up in a haze and had freaked out.  He’d been there instantly to calm her down.  But…she didn’t want it to be her first memory.  It was a horrible first memory.

Hobi circled the counter and pulled her into his arms. “Hey, hey.  It’s ok.  What’s wrong?”

“Hobi-” her voice caught on a sob. “My first- my first memory is you consoling me.  Why?  Why can’t I remember anything?  I’ve been trying for eight years!”

Hobi buried his face in her hair. “I don’t know….”

——————–

Taehyung sat on his balcony petting his small puppy.  He had a lot to consider.  Nia suddenly showing up today, and the fact that she was engaged, had been very shocking.  He was sure she didn’t remember him.  She’d never been a good actor.

Yeontan yipped at him suddenly.  He looked down at her.

“What?  Do you know how to solve my problem with Nia?”

Yeontan tilted her head to the side.  Taehyung chuckled and patted her head.  He scooped her up and buried his face in her fur.  She was still so small.  He could fit her in his hands perfectly.

Yeontan yapped again and Taehyung took it as a sign that she wanted to be put back down.  He placed her in his lap and began to pet her again.

“What should I do, Tan?  She’s engaged.”

He’d tried to get over Nia.  He really had.  He’d thought that eight years knowing she was gone would be enough.  But then she’d shown up in his office today.  And the shock of her being alive had brought all those feelings back again.  His mask had slipped today.  Even he knew it.  Today, he hadn’t been the cold CEO who cared about nothing.  In fact, he’d been quite distracted most of the day.  His assistant had constantly asked if he was ok.  Had he appeared dazed?  She had probably assumed he’d been feeling ill.

Yeontan barked again, breaking him from his reverie.

“All right.  It’s bedtime for you.”

Taehyung glanced down at the pool.  The moonlight was bouncing off of it.  It looked inviting tonight.  He took Yeontan inside and stuck her in her bed.  Then he went to change into his swimsuit.

He dove into the pool a few minutes later.  He resurfaced and shook the water from his hair before swimming to the shallow side of the pool.  He looked up at the clear, starry sky.  He remembered one other night he had been outside, the sky clear.  One of the last nights Nia had spent outside before her supposed death.  At least now he didn’t have to wonder if she’d seen the sky again since.

Taehyung laughed.  Life was ironic.  They’d promised to meet in their next lives.  But they hadn’t had to wait a lifetime.  Instead, they were just two completely different people.  Would they ever live the life they had dreamed together, though?