Chapter 1
PROLOGUE:
It has come to this.
Mina packing her clothes into some bags slowly and carefully while Momo was watching from the door of their bedroom. She just got home from a long and tiring day from work and this is what she comes home to. But, she didn't say anything. She just eyed what her wife was doing and just waited.
Mina told her she was leaving. She was going away for "a while" to Jeongyeon and Nayeon's place to take a break.
Momo wanted to ask why. Why was Mina leaving her? When will she come back? But, she'd be lying if she asked and pretended that she didn't see this coming. During the past few years together, if they weren't fighting they were not talking at all.
It wasn't an angry silence because of the fights and it also wasn't awkward silences.
It was just silence and not a comforting one either.
Momo knows they're marriage is at the brink of a divorce. Every time she wakes up, she half expects to have divorce papers thrown at her face. She knows she isn't doing a good job as a wife. She fucking knows it. But, she can't help it.
Why? Because she was busy.
That's it.
Mina wasn't teaching ballet at the university anymore since that time she had an accident and required a knee operation just 6 years into their marriage. So naturally, Momo worked harder for her wife. Momo isn't blaming Mina though. She just wanted the best life for her wife. Next thing she knew, she was promoted as Senior Manager and accepted the offer right away. Not thinking about the consequences of working over time every day. Eventually, after years of not being able to communicate with each other properly, of course, they grew apart. All their plans together, all gone.
Plans to travel the world together? Gone.
Plans to build their dream house? Gone.
Plans to have their own child and family? Gone.
Momo swears she could feel Mina slowly drifting away from her all these years. But, she didn't do anything. She didn't try to reach out. Mina would sometimes try over dinner, but 99.99% of the time it would end in an argument and Momo would sleep on their living room couch. She didn't like fighting with her wife, so she just settles for their silence. The never-ending silence.
But, three months ago was the last straw for Mina.
Momo forgot their 14th anniversary. Mina didn't tell her. She just packed her bags, informed her where she would go, looked into Momo's eyes for about 30 seconds and left.
She just remembered when Nayeon called her the day after her wife left. She was furious and shouting at Momo, of course.
Then, nothing follows. She didn't call Mina, and Mina didn't call her.
Maybe it was guilt. She didn't know how to apologize. She didn't know what she would say to her.
She didn't know what to do. So, she did what she did best.
She buried herself in her work. She'd work from 8am to 12 midnight. She didn't care. There was no one waiting for her anymore. She was so sure Mina had moved on now and that she's already leading a good life. She would work even on weekends.
This went on for 4 months.
Wake up. Work. Eat. Work. Work. Work. Go home. Sleep. Wake up. Work. Eat. Work. Work. Work. Go home. Sleep. Wake up. Work. Eat. Work. Work. Work. Go home. Sle-
Mina was sleeping on their bed, in her pyjamas facing away from the door. It was already 1am.
Is this real?
Is she hallucinating?
Is she really here?!
Is this just because she was hungry?
She's here?!
Or is it because she hadn't had a proper sleep for weeks, maybe even months?
She's back?!
Then it hit her. The smell of jasmine in the room.
Mina was here. Her wife was home.
Then she broke down. Softly, in order not to wake her sleeping wife.
She missed her, she just realized.
From that moment on, she promised herself and to Mina that she'd do EVERYTHING to get her wife back again.