Time went by and it was already [6PM]. Annie clocked out and said goodbye to Liz as she walks out of the diner. As Annie was making way to her car, she saw Richard standing beside her car with his suitcases. She came over to him to talk to him.

Annie (*asks) : dad ?
Richard : Annie.
Annie (*asks) : what are you doing here ?
Richard : i'm sorry i didn't call you. i wanted to take up on that offer of staying with you.
Annie (*smiles & says) : im glad. i'll drive you back to my house.

Richard sat in the passenger side while Annie was putting his suitcase in the trunk. Then she drove home. As she passes by the Tuan's house which was a block from her house, she told him about the Tuan's she had talked about earlier to him.

After a few minutes, they were home to Annie's house. She helped him bring in the suitcases. She put them in the living room and Richard looked around.

Annie : i'm sorry its a bit small.
Richard : no, its fine.
Annie : this was my first house ive bought with my own money after leaving.
Richard (*asks as looking around) : how many rooms are there ?
Annie : there's two bedrooms. one of them is mine and the other is a guest bedroom.
Richard (*asks) : a guest bedroom ?
Annie : yeah. i have friends over sometimes, thats why.
Richard : Oh. i guess i'll be staying in there then.
Annie : yeah.
Annie : i'll show you to the guest bedroom.

Annie walked Richard to the guest bedroom with his suitcases. She set them down near the bed and stood by the door.

Annie : i'll be in the living room if you need me. make yourself a home.
Richard : thanks Annie.
Annie (*smiles & says) : no problem.

Annie went to the living room to clean up a little. She then went to her room to get ready to shower and clean up. After that, she went out to the kitchen to wash some dishes from the sink. While she was doing that, she got a phone call from Mrs. Tuan on her cellphone. Annie turned off the faucet and dried her hands quickly to answer the phone.

Annie (*pulls out her cellphone & answers it) : hello ?
Mrs. Tuan : Annie.
Annie (*asks) : yes, Mrs. Tuan ?
Mrs. Tuan (*asks) : are you off work yet ?
Annie : i came home about 20 minutes ago.
Mrs. Tuan : we are having dinner with Tammy and Kaylie right now.
Mrs. Tuan (*asks) : would you like to come over and eat with us ?
Annie : sure. (*asks) is it okay if i bring a guest with me over ?
Mrs. Tuan : sure, the more the merrier.
Annie : alright, i'll be right over.
Mrs. Tuan : i'll see you then.

Annie hang up the phone and continued on washing the dishes. Right when she was done, Richard came out to the kitchen where Annie was.

Annie (*asks) : dad ?
Richard : yeah.
Annie (*asks) : do you remember the people i told you about when i grew up ?
Richard (*asks) : the Tuan's, was it ?
Annie : thats right. they invited us to have dinner together right now.
Richard (*asks) : did you tell them about me ?
Annie : not yet. im going to tell them over dinner.
Richard : Okay. we should head over there.
Annie : i'll go get my things.

Then Annie and Richard left the house into the car to drive off to the Tuan's house for dinner. [7PM]. Annie knocked on the front door as she and her dad stood there waiting. Mrs. Tuan opened the door and welcomed Annie and Richard into the house. They took off their shoes and walked inside of the house getting comfty before dinner starts. Richard was in the kitchen greeting Mr. Tuan and Mrs. Tuan. Annie was in the living room saying 'hello' to Tammy and playing with Kaylie for a little while.

After a while, everyone gathered around the dinner table to eat dinner. While eating together, Mr. and Mrs. Tuan got to know Richard more.

Mr. Tuan (*asks) : so how do you know Annie ?
Richard : im actually Annie's father.
Richard : i've known her mother before she was pregnant with Annie.
Mrs. Tuan (*asks) : i hear from Annie that you left before Annie was born.
Richard : yes. i had to leave for a business trip and Annie's mother told me to leave.
Richard : she wanted me to live my dream overseas.
Mr. Tuan (*asks) : what do you work as ?
Richard : im a Doctor. i have clinics in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and now Korea.
Richard : i also have a hospital in Korea.
Mrs. Tuan : we see where Annie gets her intelligence from.
Richard : yes.
Richard : i'd ask Annie to come back to Asia with me to work.
Mr. Tuan : thats wonderful.
Richard : yes, it is.
Richard : im really thankful that you two put the time in your lives to take care of Annie.
Richard : she was all alone when she was growing up.
Richard : it was good to have you two by her side. so thank you for being there for her.
Mrs. Tuan : its not a problem. we see Annie as one of our daughters.
Richard : i cant thank you enough.
Mr. Tuan : we were glad to be her guardian.

Everyone was done with eating and Annie finally spoke up to talk...

Annie : i'm going to clean up. you guys continue on talking.
Tammy : i have to help Kaylie go to the bathroom.

Mr. Tuan, Mrs. Tuan, and Richard sat there talking at the table.

Richard (*asks) : while Annie lived here, did she ever have a boyfriend ?
Mrs. Tuan : absolutely not.
Richard (*asks) : why is that ?
Mrs. Tuan : she's always busy with school and work. she doesnt have time for that.
Richard : ive seen pictures of some guy around her house.
Richard (*asks) : do you happen to know who that is ?
Mr. Tuan (*smiles & says) : thats my son, Mark.
Mr. Tuan : Annie and Mark have been best friends since they were younger.
Mrs. Tuan : they did everything together. they were the best of friends.
Richard (*asks) : is Mark here ?
Mrs. Tuan : he went to Korea to pursue music with his group members.
Richard : Ahh..... i see.
Richard : i think she loves him a lot.
Mr. Tuan : she does and everyone knows this.
Richard (*asks) : have you two ever consider them dating each other ?
Mrs. Tuan : we're not so sure on that.
Mrs. Tuan : the music agency that Mark works for doesnt allow dating.
Mr. Tuan : and besides, the two are far apart from each other.
Richard : i want Annie to be happy whether thats her job or her personal life.
Mr. Tuan : if you want her to be happy, then you would leave her personal life alone.
Mr. Tuan : i'm sorry i have to say that.
Richard : no. i think i agree too.

After a while, Annie was done washing the dishes and Tammy came out of the bathroom with Kaylie. All of them sat in the living room talking for a while and it was time for Annie and Richard to go home. They said their goodbyes to Mrs. and Mr. Tuan before leaving the house.

Richard : it was nice meeting you tonight. thank you for dinner.
Mrs. Tuan : we are just glad to have you over for dinner. it was our pleasure.
Annie (*says with a smile) : thank you Mrs. and Mr. Tuan for everything.
Mr. Tuan : no problem.
Mr. Tuan (*says to Richard) : it was nice meeting you again.
Mrs. Tuan : we hope you take good care of Annie now.
Richard (*says with a smile) : of course. thanks for the dinner. bye.
Annie : bye Mr. and Mrs. Tuan.
Kaylie (*asks to Annie with her little voice) : do you have to leave so soon Auntie Annie ?
Annie (*kneels down to Kaylie & says) : im sorry. i have to leave.
Annie : i promise to come back to play with you.
Kaylie : you promise Auntie Annie.
Annie (*says with a smile) : i promise Kaylie.

Annie and Richard walked out of the Tuan house to drive back home. While Richard was in his room getting ready for bed, Annie was in the kitchen drinking a glass of water and sitting in the dining room thinking about what Mrs. and Mr. Tuan said about Mark coming home to LA. She smiled as remembering him and staring into space. Then Richard came out to get a glass of water before heading to bed. It was a good time to ask Annie something about Mark.

Richard (*asks) : so Mark's your childhood best friend ?
Annie (*asks) : how did you know ?
Richard : the pictures around the house explains it all Annie.
Annie : he was my other half. he was always there when i needed him.
Annie : he was like my Oppa. well, thats what i always think. im not so sure anymore.
Richard (*asks) : why did you let him leave then ?
Annie : it was the right thing to do. as a friend, i had to tell him the right things to do.
Annie : i had to support him no matter how much it hurt to see him leave like that.
Richard : you felt sad that he had to leave but you let him leave anyways.
Richard (*asks) : why ?
Annie : because we're best friends and we needed to support each other.
Annie : he was the reason why i chose to become a Doctor.
Annie : if it wasnt for him, i wouldnt be where i am right now.
Richard (*asks) : is that why you couldnt tell him how you felt ? after all those years ?
Annie : i tried but everytime i do, nothing seems to come out of my mouth.
Annie : and so i stopped with confessions. it was no use.
Annie (*asks) : is this what you talked about at the Tuan house while i was cleaning up ?
Richard : yeah.
Annie (*asks) : what did you say ?
Richard : i just said that i wanted you to be happy whether thats your job or personal life.
Annie : i know you want to be a father right now but i dont need you to help me this way.
Annie : me and Mark are close friends, that's all.
Annie : that's all we're ever going to be, nothing else.
Richard : you cant spend the rest of your life thinking that way.
Richard : or else your going to be alone.
Richard : dont be like me and your mom like in the past.
Annie : i'm not going to be alone dad. i have you, my friends, and the Tuan's.
Annie : that's all i need.
Annie : and im not going to be like you and mom.
Richard : i just don't want you to make the same mistake i made.
Annie : dont worry, im not.
Richard : alright. i wont stand in the way of your happiness.
Richard : im going to bed now.

Richard stood up to leave to his room to bed. Annie still sat there wondering what her dad had said to her just now. Everytime she thought about Mark, she felt like she needed him there to comfort her. After a while, she went to bed.

Couple days went by.

Notes