[Eun presses against him as soon as she feels him close to her, and as his hand moves to her back, Eun turns in. Her arms wrap around his waist, face tucked against his shoulder for a moment. She feels his lips on her temple and closes her eyes. He is warm and solid, and a familiar source of comfort already.
And she is overwhelmed by that small, thoughtful gesture that her parents have done for her. A sign to give her confidence to come home to them. She is returning, and she isn't just welcome, her return is to be celebrated. They have missed her and are leaving her with no doubt that they want her to come back to them. Had they known that she would be anxious and uncertain by the time she got to the house? Had they anticipated that their confident girl might worry for the first time about how she would be received? Perhaps they knew her better than she thought.
Swallowing, she lifts her head and smiles at Asil. There is excitement that thrums through her, and her nerves are still in a heightened state, but she does not look so much like she's going to vibrate out of her skin for fear of the unknown.
Her mind is already halfway through that front door as she looks into his eyes and leans up to press a kiss to his cheek.]
Okay. [She leans around the car to wave at Anna and Charles, before she turns back to Asil and gives him one last squeeze of her arms. Her hands draw back to his waist, and she takes one last centering breath.] See you soon, mi alma.
[It's difficult, but she does pull away from him and walk down the sidewalk alone to her home. She takes the steps the way she's used to, with a little energy that propels her up them faster than she's ready. She steps onto the top landing, ready to approach the front door when it opens.
Eun's eyes widen as she sees her mother standing in the doorway first, and her own face lights up in response to the broad smile of her mother. Even from afar, the wolves will hear another woman exclaim Eun's name, and see arms pull her into an embrace. Her father stands close behind, and Eun looks up to his face to see his eyes tearing up ever so slightly. Keeping one arm wrapped around her mother, Eun lifts the other past her, reaching for her father. His larger hand envelops hers, and with them both close to her she lets herself sink into the familiar feel of home and family that she did not know she was missing so intensely until just that moment.
The wolf falls back, giving her space to have this moment, sensing safety as much as Eun does, even if for different reasons.
Eun hears her mother murmuring into her ear, code-switching between Cantonese and English as her father lets go of her hand. Dimly, she's aware that he's urging her mother back so he can give his daughter a hug as well. Cheeks pink, she returns the embrace, aware of the fact that they do have a small audience from afar.
The questions begin moments later, and Eun finds herself laughing, all tension melting away as they begin the bombardment. Still on the porch landing.]
Let me get in the door and I'll answer everything, okay? Come on, come on, this way...
[Gently she shoos them inside, with her mother turning back to shoo back Eun's hands, making them both laugh. She pauses before stepping in, realizing that she's out of view. Two steps bring her back into sight of the cars, and she finds Asil there with ease. She gives him a small wave and blows him a kiss before darting back to her mother, who had already made it halfway across the porch again to Eun's side.]
I'm coming, I'm coming!
[Leaving Asil and the rest to find their way to the hotel, Eun enters her family home once more to spend some much needed time catching up.
Her purse drops to the floor by the couch, and Eun soon follows suit, dropping into the corner of the couch with a sigh. It feels good to be back, and strange. For a moment she doesn't even realize what's off until her wolf seems to understand. She's never smelled her home as a wolf, only as a human. Her mind races to absorb the way it seems different and somehow even more familiar than it might have before. It's strange and somehow comforting, and something to give her balance as her parents soon descend.
Thirty minutes into the rush of talking with each other and over each other, Eun realizes that even now she is not to be treated as a guest, and pushes up from the couch to get herself a glass of water. Talking is thirsty business, and as she fills a glass with water it's easy to see that nothing has changed at all.
Her parents had questions the night they spoke, but in the intervening time they've thought of more. Her mother pulls out a list and after the first few Eun grabs it from her hands to skim them over. She deems half of them better answered by the others and passes over them for later.
Later comes a full hour and a half later when Eun finally picks up her phone to text Asil.]
dinner prep starts in fifteen you're all welcome to come back now dad is firing up the grill how is the hotel? everything going okay for all of you?
no subject
And she is overwhelmed by that small, thoughtful gesture that her parents have done for her. A sign to give her confidence to come home to them. She is returning, and she isn't just welcome, her return is to be celebrated. They have missed her and are leaving her with no doubt that they want her to come back to them. Had they known that she would be anxious and uncertain by the time she got to the house? Had they anticipated that their confident girl might worry for the first time about how she would be received? Perhaps they knew her better than she thought.
Swallowing, she lifts her head and smiles at Asil. There is excitement that thrums through her, and her nerves are still in a heightened state, but she does not look so much like she's going to vibrate out of her skin for fear of the unknown.
Her mind is already halfway through that front door as she looks into his eyes and leans up to press a kiss to his cheek.]
Okay. [She leans around the car to wave at Anna and Charles, before she turns back to Asil and gives him one last squeeze of her arms. Her hands draw back to his waist, and she takes one last centering breath.] See you soon, mi alma.
[It's difficult, but she does pull away from him and walk down the sidewalk alone to her home. She takes the steps the way she's used to, with a little energy that propels her up them faster than she's ready. She steps onto the top landing, ready to approach the front door when it opens.
Eun's eyes widen as she sees her mother standing in the doorway first, and her own face lights up in response to the broad smile of her mother. Even from afar, the wolves will hear another woman exclaim Eun's name, and see arms pull her into an embrace. Her father stands close behind, and Eun looks up to his face to see his eyes tearing up ever so slightly. Keeping one arm wrapped around her mother, Eun lifts the other past her, reaching for her father. His larger hand envelops hers, and with them both close to her she lets herself sink into the familiar feel of home and family that she did not know she was missing so intensely until just that moment.
The wolf falls back, giving her space to have this moment, sensing safety as much as Eun does, even if for different reasons.
Eun hears her mother murmuring into her ear, code-switching between Cantonese and English as her father lets go of her hand. Dimly, she's aware that he's urging her mother back so he can give his daughter a hug as well. Cheeks pink, she returns the embrace, aware of the fact that they do have a small audience from afar.
The questions begin moments later, and Eun finds herself laughing, all tension melting away as they begin the bombardment. Still on the porch landing.]
Let me get in the door and I'll answer everything, okay? Come on, come on, this way...
[Gently she shoos them inside, with her mother turning back to shoo back Eun's hands, making them both laugh. She pauses before stepping in, realizing that she's out of view. Two steps bring her back into sight of the cars, and she finds Asil there with ease. She gives him a small wave and blows him a kiss before darting back to her mother, who had already made it halfway across the porch again to Eun's side.]
I'm coming, I'm coming!
[Leaving Asil and the rest to find their way to the hotel, Eun enters her family home once more to spend some much needed time catching up.
Her purse drops to the floor by the couch, and Eun soon follows suit, dropping into the corner of the couch with a sigh. It feels good to be back, and strange. For a moment she doesn't even realize what's off until her wolf seems to understand. She's never smelled her home as a wolf, only as a human. Her mind races to absorb the way it seems different and somehow even more familiar than it might have before. It's strange and somehow comforting, and something to give her balance as her parents soon descend.
Thirty minutes into the rush of talking with each other and over each other, Eun realizes that even now she is not to be treated as a guest, and pushes up from the couch to get herself a glass of water. Talking is thirsty business, and as she fills a glass with water it's easy to see that nothing has changed at all.
Her parents had questions the night they spoke, but in the intervening time they've thought of more. Her mother pulls out a list and after the first few Eun grabs it from her hands to skim them over. She deems half of them better answered by the others and passes over them for later.
Later comes a full hour and a half later when Eun finally picks up her phone to text Asil.]
dinner prep starts in fifteen
you're all welcome to come back now
dad is firing up the grill
how is the hotel? everything going okay for all of you?