For twelve years, Theresa received exactly the same message from her daughter. Every year, $80,000 arrived in her bank account. But Mary Lou never came home. This Christmas, Theresa finally stopped waiting. She bought a plane ticket to South Korea without telling her daughter. When she opened the door to Mary Lou’s house, she froze.
Twelve years.
That was how long it had been since Theresa had last seen her daughter, Mary Lou, walk away from her at an airport and board a plane bound for South Korea.
Twelve Christmases.
Twelve birthdays.
Twelve years of unanswered questions.
And yet, every year without fail, $80,000 appeared in Theresa’s bank account.
Then Mary Lou turned 21.
That was when she met Kang Jun.
He was a Korean man nearly twenty years older than her, and from the moment Theresa learned about their relationship, she was worried.
The age difference frightened her.
The distance frightened her even more.
And when she learned that Kang Jun planned to return to South Korea, Theresa became convinced that her daughter was making a decision she might one day regret.
She told Mary Lou exactly how she felt.
She warned her.
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She pleaded with her to think carefully.
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But Mary Lou had made up her mind.
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She loved Kang Jun.
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She wanted to marry him.
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And eventually, Theresa realized there was nothing she could say that would change her daughter’s decision.
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