Chapter 13 Annette

                                    

                                          


Se-ri left and Lisa looked at David.
"David, Se-ri looks like your aunt Annette. There was a photo of her that I saw when she was about Se-ri's age and they could pass for sisters."
"That was why she looked familiar. Aunt Annette and the photo, I now remember. Why would she look so much like my aunt?"
"Whatever you find out, you cannot share. She wants to keep her life private."
"I agree. I will tell mom I met a Korean woman who looks like Aunt Annette."
"Be careful what you say."
"I will and I will be discrete."
David called his mother as soon as he got home.
"David, how are you? What have you been up to?
"I just came back from Lisa's. I had brunch with her and a lovely Korean woman, who looks like Aunt Annette."
"How is Lisa?"
"You know Lisa, cooking like crazy. Brunch was good. She met the woman at the grocery store and thought it would be good to invite her and me to brunch."
"What is the woman's name?"
"Yoon Se-ri. She is here for a year and is leasing a house on the coast."
There was no response from his mother. 
"Mom, are you there?"
"Yes. David I have to go, I will talk to you later."
His mother ended the call with David and felt a chill come over her. Is it possible? She thought. No. It's not possible. But of all places for her to come to, here? She could have gone to any other city or any other country. Why here? Why Lisa? Why David? 
She knew she had to call her sister. How would she take the news? She picked up her phone and called.
"Kate, I was just thinking about you. Is it too early to start planning Thanksgiving?"
"We have a little time. David just called me. He met a Korean woman called Yoon Se-ri and she looks a lot like you in the photo when you were younger. Do you think it's her?"
There was silence. Kate could hear her sister having trouble breathing. She could not breathe, she felt alone and it was as if no time had passed and she was back there.
"Annette, are you ok?"
"No."
"I am coming over."
Kate arrived at her sister's house to find her with her phone in hand staring ahead.
"Annette, I am here."
She looked at her sister, a look of disbelief on her face and her breathing erratic. Kate could see that she was close to tears and did the only thing she could. She took her sister in her arms and held her tight till her breathing calmed down.
She guided her sister to her comfy chair and sat with her holding her hand. They sat in silence, each immersed in their own thoughts.
"How, Kate?"
"Lisa met her at the grocery store and helped her with a panic attack. She had a brunch and invited Se-ri. She wanted her to meet David as his parents were from Korea and that was how she met David. We don't know if it is her."
"Annette, our husbands know about what happened, but not our children. We have kept this secret for so long. I think it's time they know."
"Will you be there when I tell them? I got through those days because of you, Eomma and Abeoji. They are not here anymore but you are here."
"I will always be here with you Annette. Always."
"Ok, let's get the family together. Can you arrange that, Annette?
Annette never thought this day would come. If it was Her, what then? Would She want to know her? Her biological mother? How would it affect Her life? She had always wanted to know how She was doing, was She safe, was She happy, how was She living her life? If She wanted to meet her, how would the meeting go?
"Kate, I never thought this day would come. I always wondered how She was doing. If we come forward now, how will it affect Her life? Did She ever think about why Her father took Her? Did She think I gave her up voluntarily?"
"I think if we tell Her, the best one to broach the subject would be David and Lisa."
The sisters sat holding hands, each in their own thoughts.