I thought about it slowly. After a while, I shook my head. "I can't. What will happen to my dad? My mom? I can't just leave them here. Plus, I don't even have the money to go to Korea. Even if I do, how can I come back and visit my parents?" Just then, I got a phone call from my dad. "Hello?" "Baekhee ah, it's your dad. I..." he sighed, "I lost my job." My eyes widened. "What?! How?" I asked, shocked. "The company found someone who could do the job better." I sighed dejectedly. "Dad, there's pasta on the counter for you. Lydia and I are going to come home and talk about it, ok? See you in half an hour." I then hung up. "Unnie, we have to go talk to my dad. He lost his job." I mumbled, looking away. Her jaw went slack. "What the hell?" She exclaimed. I sighed once again and stood up, picking up my things. She followed me out to the parking lot and we agreed to meet each other at my house. 

I opened the door with my keys, stepped inside, and took off my shoes. "Dad?" I called out. "I'm in the living room with Lydia," he said. I put my stuff down on the counter and sat on the couch. "Dad, Lydia offered me a job at YG Entertainment." I slowly said, waiting for his reaction. To my surprise, his face lit up. "That's great! Did you accept it?" he asked. I shook my head. "How can I just leave you and Mom here? Besides, we don't have the money to fly to Korea." Dad sighed. "Jung Baekhee. Accept it. Maybe YG will pay for you, and we can pay him back later. We need money, and if you accept the job, we'll get money. Your mom's hospital fees are increasing in hundreds. As for me, don't worry about me. I'm a grown man. I can take care of myself. Besides, we can Skype each other, and I'll update you on your mom's condition. Accept the job." he said firmly. I sighed. "Alright." I turned to Lydia. "Could you talk to YG and tell him about my financial issues? Ask him about where I'll stay and all, yeah? I'm going to go pack up right now." "Yeah, of course. Do you want me to ask him to give you a week? I'm sure he'll let," she offered. I nodded, "Thanks unnie." I stood up and walked towards my room.

I took out my old suitcase, that used to be a glossy black, but now the color had dulled and there were lots of scratches on it, revealing the silver underneath. I looked around my room and sighed. Was I really leaving for Korea? My thoughts were interrupted when someone knocked on my door. I opened the door, and it was Lydia and my dad. My dad and I sat on my bed and Lydia sat on the floor. She cleared . "I just spoke to YG, he said he wants you to be there as a judge for Mix and Match, and the filming is tomorrow night. You're going to have to leave tonight. I'm sorry," she said softly, bowing her head. "I- I.. what?" I stammered, shaking my head in disbelief. My dad put his arm around my shoulders, and said, "It's alright. Just start packing now, hm?" He turned towards Lydia and asked what time the flight would be. She told him it would be at 1 AM. "See Baekhee? You don't have to be sad. We can spend the rest of the day together, along with your mom. We can do whatever you want, ok?" my dad said warmly. I nodded weakly. "Can I get an hour to myself right now?" I whispered. "Of course," my dad said, before getting up and walking out with Lydia right behind him. She shut the door. I lay there, collecting my thoughts. Suddenly, a thought struck my head. I got up and began to make something.

Three hours later, I walked into my room from the bathroom. I decided to wear something comfortable to the airport. I put on a white tank top, and my black Chachi pants. I slipped on my Julliard hoodie, and applied some eyeliner and mascara. I grabbed my AOMG snapback, which was another gift from Lydia. I shook my head. She spoiled me too much. Just then, someone knocked, and they walked in. It was Lydia. "Hey, you ready? We're going out to eat," she said, grabbing my suitcase. "Yeah, give me a second. I just need to make sure all my stuff is inside my backpack. Could you take my suitcase out to the car please?" I asked, heading towards my closet. "Yeah sure. We'll wait out in the car," she replied. I thanked her, as I began looking through my gray Jansport. "Let's see.. phone, check. Passport, check. Plane ticket, Lydia has it. Earphones, check. Wallet, got it. All my money in there, check. Water, check." I mumbled to myself. I put on my sneakers and walked towards the car, shutting the front door on my way out. 

After we ate, my dad decided to stop by the hospital before I left. For some reason, he looked like he was trying to fight a smile. Same with Lydia..

Lydia had decided to wait outside my mom's room while my dad and I walked in. I expected to see my mom sleeping again, but my mom was sitting up, resting against a stack of pillows. "MOM!" I shouted, running towards her and hugging her. "Oof. Yah, Jung Baekhee. Can't you see I'm injured?" my mom joked, hugging me back anyways.

My dad filled her in on the news of me going to work for YG, and that I was leaving tonight with Lydia. "Oh, sweetie. I'm so proud of you! I'll miss you so much!" my mom cried, wrapping her arms around me again. I squeezed her, and soon, I started crying as well. "Mom, I'm so sorry that I'm leaving you and Dad," I apologized, tears dripping down. My dad joined in on the hug fest. "Guys, don't cry, I'm going to cry too." I chuckled weakly. "Baekhee ah, you're going to miss your flight. You should go now. Make us proud! Fighting!" she said, smiling. I nodded. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my Polaroid camera. I took a picture of the three of us, and took out a scrapbook that I had made earlier in the day. I flipped to the last page and stuck the photo in. I presented it to my parents. "This is for you," I said quietly. They thanked me profusely and then my dad pulled out a little jewelry box. "Your mom decided to get this made for you. I bought it today," he said, handing me the box. I opened it, and inside, there was a bracelet. It looked like the bracelets Park Seyoung and Jang Wooyoung made on We Got Married. Instead of a phone number though, the word "United" was engraved in all caps. On the back, there were 3 names. Hwanhee. Baekhee. Junhee. My dad. Me. My mom. I thanked my mom. My dad handed me another box, this one smaller than the last. "A gift from me," he said. I opened the box, and inside, there was a ring: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jrewR8JEhog/S_-YQtJ8TEI/AAAAAAAAAP0/Yyb_yB3MyUk/s1600/emanueladuca-terra-ring.jpg

It was lovely. I looked up at my parents and thanked them again and again. My mom helped me put the bracelet on my left wrist, and my dad slipped the ring onto my middle finger on my right hand. "Each time you feel homesick, look at the bracelet and think of me. I'll be missing you as much as you'll miss me, sweetie. Look at the ring and think of your dad. Think of the fact that you'll be making both of us proud. I love you, honey," she said firmly, kissing my forehead. "Now go. You'll miss your flight." "I love you mom. Thank you so much, for every thing. I'll Skype you guys as much as I can, and I'll come visit after I make enough money for the plane tickets. I love you," I repeated, hugging her one last time. My dad and I stood up and walked out of the hospital room.

My dad dropped us off at the JFK airport, and paid for our luggage fees. I hugged him tightly as I told him that I loved him and that I would miss both him and Mom. He kissed my forehead, told me he loved me too, and waved to us and we walked to the escalators, towards customs. 

Lydia handed me my ticket and I stuck it into my passport. We went through customs and after we waited for a while, we boarded the plane. I sat next to the window, looking out at the pitch black night. I grabbed my moose pillow pet and hugged it, tears threatening to spill over. Lydia hugged me and said some comforting words, handed me my moose wrap around neck pillow, and then she left to find her own seat. As the flight took off into the night sky, I looked at my new bracelet and ring. Pain struck my heart. I missed my parents already. It was so fortunate for my mom to wake up so I could see her for the last time. I put in my earphones, and I started listening to I Miss You by Girls' Day. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep, my arms wrapped around the stuffed animal, clinging onto it as if it were my lifeline.