“Is it too late to take back what I just said now?” he asked.
Kelly laughed and released him from her arms. A smile was attached to her face. “Too late! You must tell me everything.”
After saying that, she went to the bedroom to get some medicine. While she was applying the medicine carefully on his face, she listened to him recounting about “their” past. It turned out, for a brief period of time, Ken and Kelly had been neighbors.
At that time, Ken’s health was poor and he was often confined indoors.
“I used to look out the window while wishing I could play outside with the other kids in the alley. However, my mom wouldn’t let me and forced me to drink those horribly bitter herbal medicines,” he said.
“One day, I secretly opened the window just
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a crack and saw you standing below the window. You were picking up fallen magnolia blossoms and when you saw me, you handed me a flower.”
Kelly finally remembered this incident when she heard that. “Oh, I remember that! It seems that incident really happened.”
Then she realized something, she was surprised, “So, Ken, all it took was one magnolia flower, to make you like me? Wow, you’re really easy to please.”
Ken laughed sheepishly then continued his story, “Later, my dad was transferred and our family moved to the military housing complex. When your parents had their accident, I begged my parents to adopt
you.”
His smile faded slightly as he continued. “Too bad I was too late. If only it were my parents who adopted you in the first place. That way at least, it wouldn’t have made you suffer so much.”
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Kelly reached out and pinched his cheek. “As long as I get to be with you in the end, any suffering along the way is worth it.”
Ken grinned widely. “Wife, you sure know how to make me happy!”
Without warning, he bent down and scooped her up in his arms.
Kelly was embarrassed and annoyed, “Ken! It’s broad daylight! What are you doing?”
Meanwhile, George was escorted and unceremoniously shoved into a car by several officers and driven back to his original station. Shortly after, his superiors issued an official reprimand.
When General Palmer heard this news, he was so furious. He shook his head in exasperation and reprimanded him, “Haven’t you caused enough trouble, George? Yesterday was supposed to be your wedding day with Amanda, but you were nowhere to be found.”
He added, “She cried her eyes out. If I
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hadn’t pushed back the wedding date, her family would’ve cut ties with us already!”
George leaned weakly against the wall. “Dad, Kelly got married. She married Ken. You knew about it all along, didn’t you?”
General Palmer sighed and said, “I’ve told you a long time ago, don’t interfere with their lives.”
George’s anguish was palpable, “Am I even your real son, or is it Ken?”
General George rolled his eyes. “Wipe your nose before it drips down your chin. Do you even know how to blow your nose? When Kelly liked you, where were you? What were you doing back then? Now, when you’re about to get married and she has already married, don’t say anything detrimental in the future, it’ll make people laugh at you.”
Then he commanded sternly, “Stay home tomorrow. You‘ re not to go anywhere.”
George was confused. “Why?”
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General Palmer let out a weary sigh. “Tomorrow is your wedding day with Amanda. There will be many high–ranking officials attending. If anything goes wrong again, I won’t spare you.”
The weight of the word “wedding” was suffocating for George. He knew General Palmer would not listen, no matter what he said. So, he kept her mouth shut.
The next morning, he received word that his request to cancel the marriage application had been approved. A soldier delivered the confirmation letter to him early that day.
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