"It'll be fine," Jung-min said as he pulled on his jacket and took his keys from the bowl by the door. For the past couple of hours, as their departure had loomed closer, Maddie had been fidgeting and unable to leave her hair alone. It had been tied up and released more times than she could count, obsessively twisting her ponytail into a bun and letting it fall out.

"I know," she said, pressing her lips together in the mirror. She didn't like to visit her aunt without at least a little make-up, else Hye-eun would surely give her a judgmental once over. Dressed in her smartest dress – one she had worn to at least three weddings, none of which her aunt had attended – she smoothed down a few stray licks of her hair and ran her hands over the pleats that grew from the cinched waist.

Jung-min watched her, a small smile gracing his lips. "You look lovely, ttal. Red really is your colour."

Maddie smiled. The dress was a favourite, her go-to smart outfit. She didn't care if anyone noticed that it was virtually the only pretty dress she ever wore. A fortunate girl, she could even pull off red lipstick without it washing her out or being too much, but she preferred not to. Her lips were painted just a couple of shades darker than her skin. "Thanks, appa."

"Now, let's go. I'd hate to be late."

Maddie let out a long breath. She could do it. It would be fine. Ryan couldn't be that bad, not in front of his parents anyway.

*

They pulled into the crescent driveway at six fifty-eight, just in time for the seven o'clock invitation, and Maddie was already counting down the minutes in her head. Usually, this type of engagement lasted approximately three hours. One hundred and eighty minutes. Fifty songs, or there abouts.

Before she or her father had a chance to knock, the door swung open to reveal Hye-eun, a soft smile setting her eyes sparkling to match the diamonds that hung from her ears. Real diamonds, no doubt. In a change from her usual dresses, she wore a pair of long, wide-legged linen trousers and a floaty top that skimmed her figure. It suited her.

"Joka, darling," she said, opening her arms to embrace Maddie. Her perfume hadn't changed, nor had the amount of it, and Maddie had to stifle a sneeze when she was engulfed by her aunt.

"Hi, imo," she said, setting into her default mode when it came to family gatherings. "Thank you so much for inviting us."

"It's my pleasure," Hye-eun said, stepping back to look Maddie in the eye for a moment. "You look wonderful, Maddie."

"So do you," she said, and she stepped inside the house to see her uncle and cousin standing side by side. While her uncle, Seong-hoon, wore a warm smile, Ryan bore nothing of the sort. His jaw was tightly clenched, eyes cold, and his folded arms showed no sign of invitation. He looked down on Maddie as though she was a trespasser, someone to be dealt with. But then, he smiled.

"Hi, sachon," he said, the gentle words not matching his steel gaze. "It's so good to see you."

Maddie was thrown off for a moment, and it took everything she had not to frown in confusion. "Hi," she said at last, and failed to come up with anything to add. Ryan threw her a smug grin and turned his attention to Jung-min.

Once greetings were done with, an overly complicated affair when Maddie and her father were the only guests, they moved to the living room. Maddie had hoped they'd be heading straight for the dining room but Hye-eun had other plans – wine and nibbles first.

She sat beside her father on the ornate sofa, far less comfortable than a sofa should be. Her uncle sat on the opposite sofa, a space left for his wife, and Ryan bypassed everybody to take an armchair for himself. He sat with his legs crossed, fingers tapping the chair's arms, and a disengaged smile on his face. It was clear that he had no desire to be there, but along with Maddie, he had to put up a façade. And somehow, he was convincing everyone but Maddie.

Hye-eun carried in a tray from the kitchen, loaded up with a variety of hors d'oeuvres of all kinds. Some Korean; some English; some that seemed to be her own creation. She explained each one as she handed out side plates, and Maddie took one with a smile.

"Thanks, imo," she said, taking a few different samples. "This all looks delicious."

No word of a lie. Her father was right: Hye-eun really could cook. The appetisers were delectable, each one an orgasmic bite that Maddie relished.

"Thank you, Maddie." A smile, and a delicate sip of champagne. Maddie had declined the bubbles: she intended to drive home, giving her father the freedom to relax a little and drink without having to keep an eye on himself. Instead, she drank water from what she hoped was the least expensive of her aunt's tumblers.

Conversation flowed freely between the adults in the room, of which Maddie didn't yet consider herself one, while she and Ryan only occasionally interjected if they had something to add on the matter. For the most part, Maddie watched on with a smile and nodded, especially if any eyes fell on her.

Her glass was soon empty. Stress dehydrated her. It wasn't long before Hye-eun noticed and made as though she was going to stand up.

"Would you like more water?" she asked, eyes wide and bright. Maddie stood, taking her plate too.

"No, it's fine, I can get it," she said. It wasn't a direct answer but her aunt was satisfied, and Maddie was relieved for an excuse to leave the living room.

The kitchen was brighter and cooler, and she rested both hands palm-down on the counter. It wasn't hot in the house but she was warm, her dress itching her skin. She didn't want to be there.

Ryan appeared at her side, ignoring her as he refilled his own glass with orange squash. Maddie judged him for his taste.

"I have to say," she began, getting Ryan's attention, "I must commend your acting skills. Anyone would think you actually care."

He turned to her, though his feet still pointed away. "It's easier than you might think." No expression. He was unreadable. Maddie wanted him to elaborate but she didn't want to display any interest in what he had to say, whatever rubbish he was about to espouse.

He continued anyway, leaning against the sink to sip his drink. Ankles crossed, one arm folded over his chest, he looked the picture of casual. "My parents are brilliant tutors when it comes to convincing people you're a happy family."

He left without another word, leaving a drop of cordial on the counter. Maddie frowned at his retreating figure. What did that mean? For a moment, she replayed every moment of the evening in her head. As far as she could tell, her aunt and uncle were perfectly happy. But that proved nothing except that either Ryan was lying, or he wasn't.

*

When it came to two happy parents, Maddie wasn't really sure what she was looking for. She didn't have much experience in the area, with no clue of the signs of a marriage in trouble outside of TV shows. Peter's parents were the only gage she had, and they had always seemed to surpass the norm when it came to happy families.

At the table, Hye-eun and Seong-hoon sat beside each other and Maddie noticed that when her uncle told a story, her aunt watched him with enrapt fascination. She had probably heard every story a hundred times before but still she listened as though it was the first time she had heard her husband speak. Maddie saw a whole new side to her aunt: the devoted wife.

Either Ryan was a liar, or his parents had perfected the art of deceit.

"So, Maddie," her uncle said, washing the words down with a sip of his champagne and a lengthy pause. "What're your plans now?"

That was a rather open ended question, she thought. "What do you mean?" she asked in the hopes that her uncle's clarification would narrow it down a little.

"Well, you've finished your degree now, yes?"

"Mmhmm," she said, nodding and cutting off any more of an answer with a bite of yangnyeom tongdak. The sweet, spicy sauce coated her lips and she was conscious of everyone's eyes on her as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"What are you doing now?"

She swallowed the tender chicken and its crispy batter. "I'm taking a year off," she said before she added, "I'm doing a masters next year."

"A year off?"

Of course that was the part he would focus on. Not her pursuit of a more rounded education, no. To him, she was sure, a year off was nothing other than slacking.

"Yes," she said, careful about the words she chose. "I want a break before I continue my studies."

"I see," Seong-hoon said. "So, you have a job?"

"No."

Her uncle frowned, ignoring his food while he unravelled the mystery he was now faced with. "So what are you doing in this year?"

"I'd like to travel hopefully," Maddie said, serving herself a little more kimchi and taking a sip of her water. "I want to see as much of the world as I can before I don't have time anymore."

"Cool," Ryan said, holding her gaze for longer than she was comfortable with. His lip twitched and she had to look away, a shiver running through her.

"Hmm." Her uncle chewed his next mouthful slowly, thoughtfully. Hye-eun jumped in, suddenly seeming so much more laid back in comparison to her husband's questioning.

"Where do you want to travel, Maddie?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ears. That, Maddie could answer with confidence. Ever since she had started her degree, she had been planning and saving for a year of travel once she was done. Unlike her friends, she had always planned ahead. When she had first started university, she had gone into it with the knowledge that after graduation she would take a year off followed by a masters and then a pHd.

"All over Europe," she said. "I have this whole list of cities I want to go to, mostly the less touristic places. It'd be awesome to go to Canada too, maybe do a ski season there. I also kind of want to go to South America or Australia if I can."

Hye-eun smiled. "Wow. That sounds wonderful," she said. "I used to travel a lot more than I do now and I do miss it. I'm sure you'll love it."

"What about Korea?" Seong-hoon asked, his head tilted an inch to one side. Maddie shrugged.

"I don't know. Probably not. Asia's not in my plan for now."

Her uncle said nothing more but she could feel quiet judgment radiating off him. For the most fleeting of moments, she felt a pang of pity for Ryan. It couldn't be easy living with him as a father, a man whose satisfactions were set inordinately high.

Conversation lilted in another direction as the three adults indulged in a conversation about the country they all called home. It was only a matter of minutes before their chatter morphed into an indecipherable Korean babble and Maddie sat resigned in her seat. If there was anything she could add to the discussion, she wouldn't be able to. For the millionth time, she chastised herself for letting her second language slip.

"I'm just going to the loo," she said, excusing herself from the table and hurrying to the upstairs bathroom. It was bigger than her bedroom, and miles cleaner. Towels were folded on a shelf above the sink, beside toiletries arranged by size. Maddie sat on the pristine floor, her legs crossed, and leant against the bathtub before she took out her phone and scrolled to Peter's name.

She didn't have to wait long for a response. At eight o'clock on a Friday night, Peter probably wasn't doing much and he was never far from his phone.

She closed her eyes and massaged her temples, as though doing so would remove the stain the night would leave. Phone gripped in her hand, she begged it to buzz again with Peter's response. He had seen it: he always left his read receipts on, but there were no grey dots to mark his typing of a reply. The second she closed her eyes again, however, a response tingled her palm.

A minute had passed. She reckoned she could get away with a few before someone came looking for her, and the last thing she wanted was for her aunt to barge in on her avoiding the party. Not that it had many of the makings of a party. It was hardly fun.

The next reply wasn't as instantaneous. She counted down the seconds before another message popped onto her screen.

A smile on her face at last, Maddie opened her camera and switched it to front view, holding out her phone and pulling an exaggerated pout as she took a selfie. As soon as she hit send, a butterfly beginning to flutter in her stomach. Ordinarily, sending each other selfies didn't mean much at all. But now, there was a risk it could lead to more.

Before Peter could even begin to reply, there was a knock on the bathroom door and she jumped to her feet, automatically fixing her hair in the mirror before she opened the door. Ryan stood on the other side, wearing no expression at all.

"My mother told me to check on you," he said. "For all I care, you're welcome to spend the rest of the evening in there."

"Fuck off, Ryan." She had lost all patience with his attitude, shoving past him to head downstairs again.

He coughed, then again, trying to get her attention without having to tarnish his tongue with her name.

"What?" She whipped around, five steps down.

"You left your phone," Ryan said. He took it from the counter and glanced at the screen, and his face soured even more than usual. Jaw set, he thrust it at Maddie and disappeared down the stairs. She looked down at her phone. A new message had popped up on the lock screen.

Her cheeks coloured. Ryan had seen that message, and he clearly hadn't been too impressed. Rearranging her dress, she tucked her phone into her bra and followed her cousin downstairs.

*

After an array of South Korean delicacies for the main course, Hye-eun had prepared a classically English pudding: an Eton mess that oozed cream and a thick raspberry coulis, topped with fresh strawberries. As full as she was, Maddie's stomach growled at the sight of the dessert.

"This looks amazing, cheoje," Jung-min said, picking up his fork as soon as a plate was passed to him.

"I second that," Maddie said, and her aunt gave them an appreciative smile.

"She's been hard at work," Seong-hoon added, his hand meeting his wife's. They seemed happy, as far as Maddie could tell. Her cousin was just stirring trouble into calm waters.

As tortuous as the evening was, Maddie justified it by the consistently amazing food her aunt served up. For the first minute after everyone had food, nothing needed to be said as they each revelled in the taste.

"How's life, Maddie?" Hye-eun broke the silence with the question, a look of genuine interest on her face. Maddie was slowly softening towards her aunt, the more time she spent with the woman. She was a bit of a busybody and she thrived on gossip, but she wasn't so bad.

"It's good, thanks," Maddie said. Of course, parts of it were. Parts of it were phenomenal. Some parts needed a little tweaking, but the last thing she planned to do was tell her aunt how much of a nightmare she had raised.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Hye-eun wiggled her eyebrows and Maddie blushed so hard that she was sure her cheeks matched her dress.

"Um, no," she said, shaking her head. The words felt like a betrayal as they left her mouth but the only alternative would be to say that she was sort of seeing someone, and that begged more questions than she had answers to.

"You know, your uncle and I were married by your age," Hye-eun said. "Twenty-one..." She trailed off in a slightly wistful daze. "We're still waiting on the day Ryan brings a girl home," she added with a laugh, and the affectionate glance at her son was met with a stony stare. He clenched his hand into fist on the table, digging his nails into his palm, and Maddie shifted in her seat.

They both knew that would never happen.

*

The evening went on far too long. Stifling a yawn at eleven o'clock, Maddie followed her father outside once farewells had been bid and she slipped into the driver's seat. Her father got in beside her and buckled his seatbelt.

"Thank you, ttal," he said as they pulled out of the driveway with one last rearview wave at Hye-eun and Seong-hoon. Ryan was nowhere to be seen.

"What for?"

"For coming. For engaging." He smiled and squeezed her knee. "I must say, your dinner party etiquette puts Ryan's to shame." He shook his head. "The boy doesn't say much, does he?"

"Nope," Maddie said, the word coming out shorter than she had intended. "Dad?"

"Mmhmm?"

"Thanks for being great."

"Hmm?"

"You don't put pressure on me," she added. "Five minutes with imobu and he stresses me out about my future. Thanks for not doing that."

Jung-min chuckled. "It's not up to me how you live your life, Mads," he said. "I love you very much, but I think a lot of my job is done now. It's up to you. I'm just ... a glorified sounding board, I guess." He grinned. "I'm not about to alienate my only child."

Maddie smiled. She couldn't imagine how her life would be if her father hadn't been her father, if she had instead been raised by someone like Seong-hoon. "Did you ever want more kids?" she asked after a moment's contemplation.

Jung-min lifted a shoulder and let it drop. "I always imagined having three children," he said. As Maddie grew older she noticed how much more honest her father was, how she was now an equal to him. No longer was she the precious, impressionable child, but someone who needn't be protected from the truth anymore.

"Life had other plans, I guess," Jung-min added. "But I lucked out with you, Maddie. The universe intervened." He let out a long sigh. "Whether I understand it or not, I really do think everything happens for a reason."

"Even the bad things?"

"Even the bad things." He nodded, lips pressed together. "I don't have to know the why to know that there is one."

"Doesn't that bother you?" she asked, intrigued by her father's candid speech, as though he was thinking aloud, and she wondered how he could be content with his philosophy.

"Not anymore," he said. "Once, yes, but not anymore." He looked over at Maddie. "Everything will work out in the end. I know that much, and that's enough."

A chill snaked down her spine. He really believed that, she realised. He was at peace already, and she envied him that. Maybe it took tragedy to reach that point. Suffering through the storm to reach the tranquil eye. 

+ - + - +

Feels good to be writing again! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As a thank you to those of you who have stuck with this story through thick and thin - whether that's eight chapters a week or one every eight weeks - I've included below a sneak peek of my next book, which will be posted once I have finished Twenty-One Night Stand. You can check out the cover and some of the cast, which some of you may have already seen, but I hope you like it!