The Next Day...
The rain was still pouring down heavily, as if the sky had been assigned the task of washing the earth clean.
Once again, customers had arrived. Once again, the shop was bustling with life. Inside the main hall, Grandma sat surrounded by many familiar faces...people who knew her and Talotkan. Or perhaps it was better to say that even the strangers here felt like family.
Anyone who walked in ended up sitting among them, sharing bits of their lives.....some stories funny, others chilling, and a few mischievous ones that made everyone laugh. After all, it was Sunday...a day when people came to spend their time in this serene and beautiful place, talking to Grandma.
Every Sunday, the whole house lit up with warmth and chatter. Talotkan would always prepare something special for everyone, and all would sit together, talking, laughing.....the sound of joy echoing through every corner of the house. Hearts, minds, and souls felt at peace and content.
Everyone....except one.
Talotkan.
She was in the kitchen, just like always, cooking something for them all. But her mind? It wasn't there. It was far away, tangled in a web of thoughts. Thoughts about him. About Yim.
She kept wondering....How do I fix what I've broken?
Countless ideas swirled in her mind, but they all revolved around Yim.
That was when someone walked into the kitchen.....a woman, offering to help. Talotkan welcomed her warmly, and soon, they were working side by side.
The woman introduced herself as Koye.
They spoke for a while, casual conversations flowing easily. But Lady Koye had already read the truth on Talotkan's face.....she was troubled, deeply troubled.
And so, in the middle of their talk, Lady Koye finally asked,
"Why do you look so sad?"
Talotkan hesitated. She had wanted to share this burden with someone...anyone who would listen.
After a moment of silence and a deep sigh, she finally told Lady Koye everything...what had happened yesterday, what she had done, and the weight of the guilt she carried.
Lady Koye listened patiently. Then, in a calm, gentle voice, she said:
"You know... my daughter is the same way. Whenever she feels like she's made a mistake, I always tell her to do one thing...bring lots of white flowers. Offer them, and make peace. Talk to the person, try to understand them. Spend time with them. That's how we truly understand each other, and that's when solutions appear."
Those words lifted the storm from Talotkan's heart. Relief swept through her like a fresh breeze, and before she knew it, a bright smile broke across her face...a smile like someone who had just found the very thing they had been searching for.
---
A little later...
Talotkan came out, carrying a tray of drinks with a radiant smile on her face. There were fifteen glasses on that tray.
But when Grandma counted, there were only fourteen people in the house.....including Talotkan.
Curious, Grandma asked, "Who's the last glass for?"
And Talotkan, without a hint of doubt, replied with innocent certainty,
"For Lady Koye, of course."
Every face in the room froze in shock.
Lady... who?
They had never heard that name before. None of them had seen anyone named Lady Koye walk in.
Talotkan laughed softly, shaking her head. "She's the one who helped me prepare everything today!"
But that only deepened the silence. The expressions around her shifted from confusion to alarm.
Because they all knew.....such a thing was impossible.
The main door had been in plain sight the entire time. Everyone had been sitting right there. For someone to walk in, unnoticed, was unthinkable. Impossible.
And yet, Talotkan stood there, smiling, holding that extra glass...for someone who, according to everyone else, did not exist.