Page 91 of Follow My Voice
I stare at her. I want to hug her, kiss her, but I hold back because I don’t want to be too intense. I don’t want to do anything that could ruin what we’ve started to build. I guess I like her a lot more than I thought. I sigh before continuing. “Anyway, before Jung… died, I took him to a psychologist who referred him to a psychiatrist…”
“To my sister…” she guesses correctly.
I nod. “Yes, but we never made it to the appointment because my father wouldn’t let us, and then it was too late. I…” I remember my anger as I marched down the hospital hallway prepared to confront that doctor. “I was so angry the day of Jung’s funeral that I went to the hospital to tell Dr. Rodríguez off for not seeing Jung. But she told me she wasn’t at the hospital that day because”—Klara waits patiently—“because your mother had died that week.”
She tenses up and pulls her hand away from mine, then looks away. It’s a sensitive subject and she didn’t expect me to know.
“I became your sister’s patient that day,” I continue. I don’t want to bring up her mother; she’s had a hard enough night already. “I’m so grateful to Dr. Rodríguez. Your sister is an excellent psychiatrist. She helped me so much.”
“Is that why you were hiding from her, so I wouldn’t see that she knew you?”
“I wanted to tell you myself.”
“I understand.” She reaches across the table, intertwining her hands with mine. “Thank you for telling me, Kang… I know all too well how difficult it is to talk about the death of a loved one.”
Again, I stare at her. She seems unreal to me: the understanding expression, the sweet smile on her lips, the sparkle in her eyes, the tousled curls around her face… Everything about her is so genuine, so beautiful. Klara transmits such a sense of peace… I can’t help but be in awe of her.
“I like you a lot, Klara,” I let out.
Her eyes widen in surprise and her cheeks immediately blush. I imagine I must be just as red.
“I…” She pauses, and I give her time, although I can’t help but feel nervous. “I like you too, Kang.”
We sit in the bright, colorful ice cream shop, smiling at each other and chatting comfortably. I don’t want the date to end. I never thought I could feel this way about a girl so quickly. I was able to talk to her about my brother without crying and I even got up the courage to tell her how much I like her. There’s something special about Klara that makes me want to open up to her, because she listens without judging, accepting me as I am. I’ve never known anyone else like her.
Klara with a K is one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. I will do my best to stay a part of her life for a long time.
39Catch Me
ALL IN GOODtime, I remind myself. Kang told me about his brother and my heart breaks as I imagine what he must have felt when he found Jung dead. The helplessness, the guilt. I don’t want to get into the sad story of how my mother died, not tonight. It’s his turn to open his heart to me. There will be time for me to share my story with him on future dates. There’s a special connection created with someone who has gone through similar pain: the feeling that we’re no longer so alone, so misunderstood.
“You got very quiet all of a sudden,” Kang says.
“I’m just thinking crazy things.”
“Crazy? Like what, try me.”
“No, another time.” I smile nervously; even though I feel comfortable with him, his presence still makes my heart flutter. I have to look away from him when I gaze into the depth of his eyes. “When are you going to invite me to see you sing at the bar on Fourteenth Street?”
Kang raises an eyebrow. “Klara, it’s our first date and you already want to commit a crime together?” he jokes.
“Oh, come on, singing in a bar is not a crime.”
“It is if you’re underage, which you are.”
“Can’t you persuade the owner to let me in? Just turn on your charm.”
“I think you’re overestimating my charm.” He rests his elbows on the table and leans toward me. “Am I charming?”
Without meaning to, my eyes drop to his lips and I instantly remember the feeling of his kiss. I scrape the bottom of the ice cream cup to buy myself time, though there hasn’t been any left for a while now, then place my hands in my lap. “As if you didn’t know…”
He leans back and I’m grateful for the distance between us. “Maybe I don’t know, Klara.”
“I’m not going to tell you how charming you are, Kang.”
“Ouch, why so hostile?” He runs his hand through his hair, tousling it, which makes him look even hotter.
“I’ll tell you how charming you are when you take me to see you play at that bar.”
