Azalea

"Kibum!" I groaned, rolling over. It was my mother. I'd been living in New York for a little over five years - I came here for college and stayed because I liked it. After I graduated school and moved into a dorm, my parents decided to move to South Korea, because that's where most of our family was and we only moved here so I "could get a good education". She still didn't understand that there was a big time difference and called me at all hours, day or night.

"Hi, Mom."

"Hi?! You know how long it's been since you called me? A month. You haven't called your own mother in a month!" she said, and I could hear the petulant frown in her voice.

"I missed you too."

"How have you been? Is everything okay? You sound tired. Are you sleeping? Is it that job? I keep telling you to quit and find yourself a normal job. Like Minho! Minho works at a bank and calls his mom every day. Unlike some people."

Minho was like the model cousin on my father's side who never did anything wrong and was perfect. My mother talked about him like the sun shined out of his butt. We all thought that he was a spoiled, lazy momma's boy. I didn't like him. He was weird and he smelled like something died in the back of his closet.

"I like my job and the only reason I sound tired is because you woke me up because it's four in the morning."

"Minho gets up at four in the morning." Minho gets up at four to get ready to go to work because he lives in Jersey and is too cheap to get a decent apartment in the city, where his job is. My job is only ten minutes away and I usually just walk. I hum sleepily, rolling over. "When are you coming to visit?"

"I can't. I'm really busy at work and I don't have any vacation days." I was an intern. I didn't get vacation days. My mother didn't understand the concept of interning either. I'd probably just use my sick days and spend a week with my family before coming back. "I'm sorry. I'll try to see what I can do. Maybe in a month or two."

I hadn't visited my parents in almost three years. Mostly because the last time I went they (okay my mother) kept trying to set me up with a bunch of girls I didn't know or like and it kind of made me mad because I was in my bachelor phase and I liked having my freedom. And then I met Azalea and now all I can do is think about cute couple things we can do - what is she doing to me? My parents did come to see me every few months, mostly because my mother was convinced that I'd starve or be on the streets if she didn't come soon.

I liked her visits, even if she was slightly meddlesome. She cooked and cleaned and it was like living at home again, sort of. There's nothing like my mother's kimchi. Mm. I smiled.

"Hm." She huffed. "Well, do you have any days off soon? Your father and I are coming to visit."

"When?"

"Next Saturday." I nodded and yawned, wanting to go back to sleep. It was my first day off in almost three weeks and I planned to spend it lounging in bed and catching up on my Netflix queue. "Do you have work?"

"I can trade with someone." I thought of Phillip, since he usually had Saturday's off anyway. Or maybe Pedro would just let me go without causing too much of a fuss. I'd have to suck up to him this week. I made a small face. "Do you know what time your flight gets in?" She'd be getting in at 9 at LaGuardia and, knowing her, would expect me to be there two hours in advance just in case. I sighed. The kimchi would be worth it.

"So is there anyone new?" I groaned. Here we go.

"No, Mom."

"But what about - what was her name?"

"We broke up."

"Why!? How are you going to get married and give me grandchildren and make me happy if you keep breaking up with your girlfriends!? What happened?" I was 22. I didn't need children. I still had my whole life ahead of me. Not that I minded the prospect, but I wasn't going to go out of my way to have them just so my mother could brag to all her friends about her son and her beautiful grandbabies. I liked my life the way it was.

"I don't know. We weren't happy and wanted different things."

"So you're not seeing anyone?"

"No."

"Do you like anyone, at least?" she asked hopefully.

"It's complicated." I sighed, rolling over again. "I don't know how to explain it. She's seeing someone now, sort of, and he's... we're friends." She was quiet. "And I don't know. I just feel like maybe she should do better than him."

"We'll talk about it more when we get there, okay? I love you. Bye."

"Love you too, mom. Bye."