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leejenowrld · 17 days ago

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heart to heart — five

word count - 57k words

genre - smut, fluff, angst, age gap (10 years)

pairing — surgeon!na jaemin x intern! mc

synopsis — you drown, your heart stops in the water and you’re pulled out barely alive, left in a lifeless coma. your daughter and boyfriend grieve you, struggling to move forward as shadows from the past linger. a new child enters your life, broken and afraid, needing a mother’s love but still trapped in old pain and fear. as you slowly wake, you and jaemin have to navigate the mess, trying to heal, rebuild your family, and figure out how to parent again while everything around you threatens to fall apart.

chapter warnings — explicit language, explicit sexual content(18+), explicit themes, greys anatomy (and early 2000s medical shows) inspired, early 2000s vibe, power play, dom jaemin/sub mc dynamics, rough sex, intimate sex, explicit language, this chapter contains extremely traumatic material, including graphic medical emergencies, multiple deaths, infant and child pain, intense hospital scenes, and persistent crying. there are explicit mentions of child abuse, trauma, and references to hearts stopping and near-death experiences. haeun suffers greatly in this section—please read with care. the family also expands as haeun meets more of her extended relatives, including grandparents, but the overall tone remains very heavy and emotional throughout. proceed with caution: this chapter is one of the most difficult and painful in the story, i can’t say much else as from hereafter everything will become too big of a spoiler. this chapter includes graphic sexual content, including cock riding, cock bouncing, oral sex, explicit language, and detailed descriptions of physical intimacy. please be advised this section is intended for mature audiences only. proceed if you are comfortable with explicit, adult material.

authors note — this is not the final part. i’ve decided to make some big changes to the structure of this story—originally, heart to heart was going to be a three-part series (i know, wild). then it grew, and now instead of an epilogue, there will be two more full parts added. that means heart to heart will have seven parts in total, with chapter seven acting as the epilogue. i made this decision because the story needed more space for the characters, plot, and all the emotional fallout to really breathe. honestly, i can’t believe i thought i could fit all this into one chapter—parts five, six, and seven are all deeply interconnected, and every event ties together across these last arcs. these chapters are meant to be experienced together, and while i’ll still upload them separately (so each part gets its moment to shine), they’re crucial to read as one whole (which you can’t do yet, but soon!). slso since the plot i originally wanted to squeeze into one part will now unfold over three, just know that the emotional highs and lows will be stretched out so if you feel any happiness in this chapter, don’t get too comfortable. 💀 i’m telling you right now this is gonna be the least angsty chapter but i’m not here to give false hope or easy comfort, so brace yourselves: nothing is safe and no feeling is permanent!

listen to 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 whilst reading <3

𝐅𝐈𝐂 𝐌𝐋

Haeun won’t uncurl from Jaemin’s chest. She trembles in quick, hiccupping bursts, small fingers fisted in the collar of his T-shirt, eyes fixed on the front door as though it might cough you back into the room if she just stares hard enough. He paces the living-room rug in slow circuits, murmuring old lullabies under his breath, but her shivering only deepens. At 5:47 p.m. he glances at the clock for the fourth time in ten minutes and a thin blade of dread slides beneath his ribs. You left hours ago—angry, yes, but never silent this long. Your phone tumbles to voicemail before the first ring finishes. The sun is climbing now, light spilling honey-gold through the blinds, yet the house feels colder, emptier, shrinking around Haeun’s quaking breaths. “Dada, where’s Mama? She said she’d tuck me in again.” Her voice wobbles, high and paper-thin. The exhaustion should have pulled her under by now, but something in her resists, wide-eyed and alert, refusing the comfort of sleep. It’s the first sign, an animal knowing before the storm breaks, a warning too subtle for him to decipher. Jaemin doesn’t yet understand what this sleeplessness means, but the house knows, the air knows, the night crawling closer with every hour she stays awake, waiting for a mother who isn’t coming back.

He rubs slow circles between her shoulder blades, forcing calm he doesn’t feel. “She needed a little air, Sunshine. She’ll be back.”

“No.” A sob punches the word. She pulls back just enough to look at him, lashes clumped with tears. “Mama always comes quick. It’s getting dark now.”

“I know.” He tries a half-smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Maybe the car was sleepy like us. We’ll call her again.”

She sniffles, shaking her head hard. “Phone makes the beep sound but no Mama voice.” She presses Bunny’s damp ear to his lips. “Kiss Bunny so he’s brave, then call Mama again.”

He obeys, kissing the sodden plush, then taps his screen on speaker so she can hear the endless ring. It flips to voicemail. Haeun’s face crumbles. “Dada, did Mama leave ’cause I’m bad?”

His gut twists. “You could never make Mama leave, bubba. She loves you bigger than the sky.” He kisses her temple, but worry leaks through his voice, and she feels it.

She gulps another sob. “Then why’s my heart shaky?”

“Mine’s shaky too,” he admits, voice thinner than he intends. “Let’s steady them together.” He loosens his arms, shoots a look at the door that makes her glance too. “How about a sleepover at Uncle Jeno’s?”

She frowns, tears tracking anew. “No, wanna stay home for Mama.”

“Mama will find us faster if I go out and look for her, but that means you need to be a good girl and listen to Dada, okay? Will you stay at Uncle Jeno’s tonight? You can play with Junie and Serin, just like last time.” He stands, her bunny pressed tight between them. “I promise I’ll bring you home before breakfast. We’ll have pancakes together, just like always.”

“Pinkie promise?” She extends a shaky thumb instead of a finger, her new habit. He locks his thumb with hers.

He kisses her trembling lips, thumbs linked, and murmurs, “Of course, baby girl.”

He straps Bunny against her chest with a blanket knot, buckles her into the booster. In the car seat she sniffles, cheeks blotched sunset pink. “Dada, if Mama comes and I’m not here, she’ll cry. I wanna run to her and say, ‘Mama, no tears! Haeunie wuvs you big-big! I got magic kisses to make you strong!’”

Jaemin’s hands shake as he tucks her bag beside the booster, knuckles white around the zipper. He crouches, breath trembling, eyes burning as he smooths her hair and kisses her forehead. “Hey, bubba, you’re right, she’d love that. I know she will.” His voice catches, thin and splintering in his throat. “But right now, Mama needs me to go find her, so you’re gonna help me by being brave for her, okay? You’re her sunshine, Haeunie. I promise I’ll tell her every magic word you said.” He squeezes her small hand, lets go like it hurts. “Dada will bring Mama home. I swear.”

Jaemin drives to Jeno’s apartment on the far side of town. Jeno answers shirtless, takes one look at the child’s blotchy cheeks and Jaemin’s ravaged expression, and ushers them in without a word. Haeun resists his arms at first, but exhaustion wins; she slumps against Jeno’s shoulder, whispering that Mama promised pancakes by sunrise. Jaemin kisses her curls, leaves an inhaler, her bag and two doses of morning meds on the counter, and tells Jeno he’ll be back before dinner. Worry is a physical thing now, tightening his chest each time he swallows.

At Jeno’s doorway Haeun turns into a koala, arms and legs braided around Jaemin’s torso, face pressed beneath his chin. Her voice is no more than a breath against his collar. “Promise you’ll bring Mama back, Dada. Pinkie—no—thumb promise.”

“I will.” His reply is a hush of air, heart thudding so hard she can feel the echo in his ribs. He loosens one small arm at a time and eases her toward Jeno, who crouches low so she doesn’t have to let go all at once.

She hesitates, fingers still clutching the fabric of Jaemin’s shirt. “Mama likes the loud beach,” she whispers, tears catching in her lashes. “She told me we’d show Dada the giant water and dance in the splash. Maybe she’s there now.” The thought seems to wobble between hope and dread.

The words jolt him. He kisses her curls. “That’s a smart idea, Sunshine.”

Jeno shifts her gently to his hip, thumb sweeping the salt from her cheeks. “We’ll make a Pancake Plan while Dada looks,” he tells her, voice soft but steady. “You can pick the shapes, stars or bunnies or maybe little waves so Mama feels welcome when she walks through the door.”

Haeun’s grip loosens by degrees. She burrows her face into Jeno’s shoulder, drawing a shaky breath that smells faintly of cinnamon from his scrub top. “Can we keep the porch light on?” she asks, muffled.

“The brightest one,” Jeno promises. He gathers her bunny into the crook of her elbow, wraps the rocket blanket around them both. “And I’ll sit right by the window so the moment their car turns the corner, we’ll see.” Her nod is small, but the tremor in her body eases. Jaemin meets Jeno’s gaze over her head, gratitude, fear, apology all braided together, then turns for the stairs, keys clinking in his fist, the taste of sea-salt memory already sharpening on his tongue.

Jaemin angles the car into the beach lot first, tires crunching against blond gravel still cool from the night. Early joggers ribbon across the shoreline, neon wind-breakers flashing, leashes snapping in the wind. He paces the boardwalk with long strides, scanning every cluster of footprints: a couple sharing earbuds, teenagers wading ankle-deep, an old man metal-detecting at the tideline. No trace of your gray dress, no glimpse of that impatient knot you make in your hair. With every empty sweep of sand his pulse hammers louder. He circles the lifeguard tower twice, knees nearly buckling when a woman in a similar coat lifts her face, wrong smile, wrong eyes. The lifeguard radios crackle; gulls shriek overhead. After twenty frantic minutes he concedes that the beach, alive and ordinary, has swallowed any sign of you.

He speeds to the spare apartment next, keys jangling against the doorframe as he shoulders it open. Dust motes drift in an unbroken shaft of light. Your emergency cardigan sags from a hook, untouched. Mail fans across the hallway tiles, electric bill, pharmacy flyer, a parenting magazine that makes his stomach cramp. He calls your name, voice echoing through bare rooms, listens only to the hum of an unplugged refrigerator. Panic sharpens, metallic on his tongue; you should be here, angry-packing or rage-cleaning or something that leaves a noise trail. Instead, silence plants its flag in every corner.

The hospital is a blur of fluorescent corridors and curious stares. He sprints past triage, skids to the staff station. Two interns blink at him, startled, then shake their heads: no, Doctor Y/N never signed in, no one’s seen her since yesterday. He checks the on-call lounge, empty cot, rumpled blanket, the scent of peppermint hand lotion already fading. The vending machines hum; the clock ticks past 6:40. Fear climbs his spine like frost. Back in the car he tells himself to think, to triangulate, but his knuckles blanch around the wheel. He tells himself he has checked—really checked—everywhere you might stand. He forces himself back into the car but each vacant room and every blank hallway turns the knot in his stomach tighter until it feels like a stone dropping into deeper water. Logic insists he keep moving, cross-reference addresses, call every friend but dread keeps bending the route west again, magnetic as a compass that knows only one north: the shore you love.

Minutes later, he’s back on the coastal road, headlights off now in the washed-out light of morning. He parks farther down from the main lot, near a weather-beaten overlook, a place he remembers you describing with a laugh: There’s a cliff nobody uses because you have to climb a dozen crooked stairs, but the wind is fierce and perfect there. Fierce and perfect, that’s how this pull feels, a force in his chest that won’t let him abandon the sand no matter how reasonable the detour. The dashboard clock scolds him, time bleeding away but the empty passenger seat might as well be screaming. He slips the key from the ignition, palms slick with sweat despite the chill, and the sense of pity for himself, widower in waiting, father holding borrowed courage, hits so hard he nearly doubles over. He presses a fist to his sternum, wills his pulse to slow, and steps out into wind that tastes of salt and storm warning.

Down the narrow stairway, the beach opens in an unsteady heartbeat. It is busier now, surfers bobbing beyond the break, children scaling damp sand mounds, a vendor rolling a cart of coffee that smells burnt and sweet. It would be easy to convince himself that a woman in a gray dress could vanish in this bustle, swallowed by chatter and spray, but the hollow in his gut says otherwise. He starts south, scanning faces, scanning hands; twice he stops, convinced a scrap of fabric or a curve of hair belongs to you, only to find strangers who apologise, puzzled. Each disappointment ratchets his fear, drags him deeper into what-ifs. What if you never came back to the house because you never meant to? What if the ocean holds grief better than people do?

He reaches the cluster of black rocks that mark the end of the public section. The air here shifts, colder, sharper, carrying a sound he almost mistakes for gulls. But gulls cry with hungry impatience; this noise trembles, rises, cracks on a sob. Jaemin rounds the boulders, sand sucking at his shoes, and the sight stops him: a boy in a soaked, oversized shirt, knees buried in the wash, shoulders shaking so hard they look detachable. The child’s face is blotched and swollen, as if he has been crying long enough to exhaust daylight. No adult shadows nearby, no blanket or cooler or bag, just the boy, the surf, and a phone half-submerged where foamy water tugs at its cracked screen.

Jaemin slips out from behind the rocks, instinct already pocketing his own panic. Chief of Pediatrics or not, he’s always found the quickest path to a child is lower, softer, slower. He crouches until the cold water seeps through his jeans, hands resting palms-up on his knees so the boy can see every empty fingertip. “Hey, little man. The water’s fierce this morning. Mind if I sit with you a minute?” His voice carries the practiced calm of night rounds, gentle glide, no sudden ripples. The boy flinches but doesn’t bolt; huge seawater eyes track Jaemin’s every breath. Jaemin angles himself sideways, making space between child and surf. “Looks like you were watching something out there.” He nods toward the white-capped chop. “Can you tell me?”

The boy presses trembling fists into his eye sockets, shoulders jerking. A thin whimper slips free, almost apology more than answer. “Bunny… Daddy threw him.”

“Your stuffed bunny?” Jaemin keeps his tone even, lets the wind carry away his own quick swallow. “That’s rough. What’s Bunny’s name?”

The child’s lips quiver pale blue. “Just… Bunny.” He gestures with a soggy sleeve toward the waves, as if that single word should explain everything. Jaemin follows the motion, catches a glimpse of phantom ears rising, sinking between swells. He sidesteps to block the boy from going after it.

“You came here with your dad?” Jaemin asks, coaxing the story out one puzzle piece at a time.

The boy gives a shaky nod, staring past Jaemin, eyes unfocused. “He said… he said I’m too loud. Threw Bunny in so I’d hush.” His voice cracks like thin ice. “Told me stay till I learn.”

A gust lifts Jaemin’s hair; he draws his coat from his shoulders and drapes it over the boy’s back, careful not to jar the fragile shell of composure forming. “You must be freezing,” he murmurs, rubbing gentle circles between knobby shoulder blades. The boy’s breath hitches but steadies under the warmth.

Jaemin glances at the half-buried phone glittering with seawater. “Is your Mom here too?”

The boy shakes his head, chin tucked hard. “No Mama.” He scuffs a toe into wet sand, voice smaller. “Nobody.”

Jaemin’s pulse ticks louder, but his face stays in that calm orbit children recognize. “You’re not nobody,” he says, letting each word settle. “And you’re not alone anymore. I’ve got you.” He waits until the boy’s eyes finally meet his, then offers a gentle hand.

Slowly, hesitantly, the child places his salt-sticky fingers in Jaemin’s open palm, one fragile knot of trust on a shoreline that’s taken too much. Jaemin closes his coat tighter around the small frame, feeling the tremors ease by fractions. He keeps his gaze on the horizon, where foam devours the last glimpse of white plush, but for now he doesn’t raise the alarm in his own chest. There will be time to reckon with whatever truth the waves are hiding; first he has to anchor this boy to something solid enough to keep the tide from stealing him, too.

Jaemin keeps the child wrapped in his coat, guiding him a few cautious steps up the beach until the foam no longer licks their shoes. Sand grates in the boy’s soaked socks, but he doesn’t complain; he clings to Jaemin’s hand with an intensity that feels less like trust than sheer survival. When the shivers ease, Jaemin lowers himself cross-legged beside him, choosing words the way he would choose instruments in an emergency—careful, deliberate, essential. “Can you tell me what happened after your dad threw Bunny?” he asks, voice pitched to the hush between waves. “Did anyone else come to help?”

The boy’s eyes dart to the horizon. “A lady,” he whispers, shoulders curling inward. “She heard me cryin’. She said ‘Wait here, brave boy, I get Bunny.’” He swallows, the motion hitching in his throat. “She walked in the water. It was dark. I—I saw her hold Bunny, but… but then the waves got big.” He makes a spiraling motion with his free hand, as if drawing whirlpools in the air. “She didn’t come back. Bunny didn’t either.”

Something cold and sharp nicks Jaemin’s stomach, but he keeps his tone steady. “Did you know her name?”

The boy shakes his head hard enough that wet hair slaps his temples. Tears well again, fat and shaken loose. “Everybody leaves me,” he says, voice thready. “Mama left when I was baby. Dada says it’s ’cause I’m loud and selfish. Now the nice lady’s gone too. It’s my fault. If I was good, nobody would be dead.” He squeezes his eyes shut, a fresh sob cracking his chest. “I’m naughty. I’m so naughty.”

Jaemin feels his own heartbeat stutter, an echo of that word dead pulsing behind his ribs. He forces air into his lungs, squeezes the small hand enveloped in his. “You are not naughty,” he says, each syllable stern enough to anchor. “You were scared and you needed help, there’s nothing wrong with that.” He rubs circles between the boy’s shoulder blades, grounding him the way he’s steadied countless postoperative children. “Sometimes grown-ups make terrible choices, but that isn’t because of you.”

The boy trembles, eyes drifting back to the water as if still expecting shapes to break the surface. “She said I was brave,” he murmurs. “But she’s the brave one. She went in when it was cold. She wanted me to be happy.” His lower lip wobbles. “Now the ocean took her. Took Bunny too.”

Jaemin swallows, salt sting in his throat that has nothing to do with spray. The tide courses in and out, indifferent, and somewhere under that indifferent churn a possibility snaps open, too familiar, too sharp. He stows it for now, and keeps the focus on the child. “We’re going to get you warm, okay? Then we’ll call some friends of mine who know how to look for people in the water. They’ll try to find the nice lady. They’ll try to find Bunny.”

The boy’s gaze flicks to Jaemin’s, a fragile thread of hope glinting through the tears. “You promise?”

Jaemin nods once, crisp and sure, even as something inside him—some buried recognition of a gray dress and a certain stubborn kindness—beats like a warning drum. “I promise,” he says, lifting the child gently into his arms. The boy’s head falls against his shoulder, and Jaemin feels the thrum of a tiny heartbeat against his own. For a moment he lets that pulse steady him before turning toward the parking lot, the wind, and the tidal grief he can no longer keep at bay.

Something shifts behind Jaemin’s eyes, an almost audible snap, as the boy settles with an urgency that’s shattering. The roar of the surf seems to drop away, replaced by a hollow, rushing emptiness. A grey dress, a promise of wild waves, a phone half-buried in wet sand: the pieces lock together with merciless clarity. His breath catches; a chill ripples from nape to spine, leaving his hands trembling around the small frame he holds. He stares at the water and sees—really sees—the violence in each whitecap, the way the tide drags and gnaws as if guarding a secret. Air leaves him in a ragged rasp.

The boy feels the tremor and recoils, tears springing fresh. “Now you’re mad at me too.” The accusation is tiny, broken.

Jaemin’s heart jolts; he softens his grip at once, lowering to one knee so their faces meet. “I’m not angry,” he says, voice steadier than his pulse. “I’m scared for the lady, that’s all. You did nothing wrong.” He draws a breath that tastes of rust and brine. “Listen— I need to try and find her. You stay right here, by the rocks, away from the water, and call for help if we don’t come back. Can you do that for me?”

The boy’s gaze flickers, uncertain. Jaemin reaches into his jeans pocket and pulls out a tiny plush charm, Haeun’s spare Bunny, the one she clipped to his key ring “so Dada never forgets home.” He presses the soft bundle into the child’s palm. “This belongs to my daughter. She’s small but strong, just like you. Keep it with you, okay? Stay strong for both of them.”

The boy nods, clutching the charm to his chest. “Good boy,” Jaemin whispers, brushing damp hair off the child’s forehead before standing.

He peels off his jacket and T-shirt in one swift motion, muscles quivering with adrenaline. A final glance to be sure the boy has backed against the rock wall, then Jaemin strides into the shallows, water slicing cold up his calves, thighs, waist. A quick intake of breath, one silent prayer, “hold on, I’m coming,” and he dives. The sea swallows him in a surge of foam, and the boy is left on the sand clutching a frayed white bunny charm, eyes fixed on the place where waves close over Jaemin’s disappearing silhouette.

The first plunge steals his breath, salt raking the back of his throat as the cold clamps around his ribs. Jaemin knifes through the breakers, arms driving in wide, desperate arcs. The ocean is a black engine, gears grinding against him, every stroke a negotiation with panic. He counts heartbeats to keep rhythm, one, two, three, then gulps air between crests, tasting grief in each inhalation. Memory strobe-lights beneath closed lids: Haeun’s hopeful thumb-promise, the boy’s shattered whisper, She’s the brave one, your face pinned between anger and exhaustion when you walked out the door. He kicks harder, splitting through froth, lungs already needling for oxygen.

A rogue swell blindsides him, spinning his body sideways. Water jams up his nose, fire in his sinuses. He surfaces coughing, chest heaving, then forces himself onward. Wind whips the tops off waves so they slap his eyes, salt-stung tears indistinguishable from seawater. He dives again, this time gliding under a rolling peak where murkier green light flickers. Visibility shrinks to arm’s length, but he swears he sees the blur of grey fabric ghosting the periphery. When he breaks the surface, the shoreline looks insultingly distant, dune grass reduced to an eyelash curve, and the boy on the rocks is only a small, trembling silhouette.

He treads water, scanning. Farther out he spots a flash of silver: your camera, screen spider-cracked, tumbling in the sway. Its lit edge blinks once in the weak morning sun before disappearing. The sight ratchets his fear into fury, fueling another dive. Beneath, everything is suspension, green darkness, threads of sunlit silt, the roar of his own blood. He swims blind, sweeping arms wide, fingertips grazing nothing but water thick as oil. When he surfaces again, he curses aloud, the wind tearing sound from his lips. The fourth dive claws at his reserves. His lungs feel barbed, the cold sinking past skin into marrow. In this wash of numbness he catches something small brushing his knuckles: a ring, glinting dully, spinning like a lost planet in the swell. Your promise ring. Panic fractures into a sharper dread, a certainty sharpening to a point. He curls trembling fingers around the band, tucks it into his clenched fist, then pushes downward once more, propelled now by terror and terrible resolve.

Underneath, time dislocates. Seconds elongate in the dim haze. His strokes grow erratic, legs cramping, but a pale shape blooms to his left, cloth rippling like slow-motion smoke. He veers, heart battering ribs, and the shape resolves: your gray dress billowing, hair splayed in dark ribbons, arms adrift as though in dreaming surrender. Your body hovers in the current, head tilted back, face turned away. He closes the distance in a frenzy, hooking an arm beneath yours, fingers slipping on chilled skin. Breaking the surface with you draped across his chest taxes the last scrap of strength he owns. He gasps, throat raw, and hauls you into a crude back float, kicking for shore while icy water slaps your slack limbs. Your head lolls against his shoulder; your lips are blue glass, eyelids translucid where veins ladder purple beneath. Every hundred strokes he sinks, gulping seawater, then lurches up again, sputtering your name into half-air, half-brine. The boy onshore morphs from blotch to figure, arms windmilling in frantic welcome.

Foam crashes around his knees as Jaemin staggers into the shallows, dragging you over the wrack line. He collapses beside you on wet sand, chest heaving. The boy scuttles closer but stops at a respectful distance, Bunny charm clutched white-knuckled. Jaemin rolls you onto your back; your head lolls heavy, water streaming from tangled hair. “No, no, no,” he rasps, brushing salt from your lashes. He tilts your chin, pinches your nose, seals his mouth over yours, forces two breaths laden with desperation. He counts—one, two, three—presses the heel of his hand between your ribs, compressions rocking your torso. Tears track down his cheeks unchecked. “Come back, please, just breathe for me,” he bargains, voice cracking like brittle driftwood. Another breath, more compressions. Your chest rises under his palms, but no answering cough, no flutter of lids. The horizon reels, he tastes blood and salt, yet he drives rhythm into your sternum, sobs punctuating each push. Around them, dawn brightens ignorantly, painting the surf honey-gold while Jaemin pours every remaining heartbeat he owns into the body that once anchored his world.

Sand clogs between Jaemin’s fingers, grit cutting his palms as he drives another sequence of compressions into your sternum, thirty down-strokes that jar your shoulders, then two breaths that steal what little air he has left. His voice shreds into the wind, looping the same plea: “Breathe, baby, breathe.” Tears blur his sight; every time he lifts his head, your face swims, lips cobalt, lashes clumped like frost. He can’t tell if the pink foam at the corner of your mouth is water or blood, only that it’s wrong, wrong, wrong. His arms shake, but he forces them straight, locking elbows the way he taught interns a thousand times. Five to six centimetres, full recoil. The mantra keeps panic from detonating.

A jogger skids to a halt, phone already out. “I’m calling the ambulance!” Jaemin jerks his chin toward the rocks where the boy stands trembling, Bunny charm clutched to his throat. “Tell them there’s two victims, adult drowning, child abandonment. We need an ambulance and social services. Now!” The jogger stammers agreement, voice carried off by wind. A couple in windbreakers join, wide-eyed; Jaemin snaps for them to pull the space blanket from the first-aid post, to flag down paramedics at the lot. They scatter like startled gulls, purpose shock-bright in their faces.

He returns to the rhythm, compress, compress, compress. His shoulders burn, breathing the taste of iron. Somewhere behind him the boy keens, a thin animal sound that knives straight through the rush of surf. Jaemin breaks count long enough to twist back, throat raw. “It’s all okay, you’re never going to be left alone. Stay there, help’s coming!” The boy’s sobs hiccup, but he nods, tears streaking salt-white channels down his cheeks. A woman in a lifeguard hoodie kneels and gathers him up; the child thrashes once, then collapses against her, clutching the Bunny charm like a relic. His cries taper into hiccups, then into the limp quiet of exhaustion.

Sirens finally slice the air, Doppler-bent by wind. Jaemin keeps compressing, sweat chilling on his spine. Sand turns to slurry under your shoulder blades; with every push, water seeps from your lips. He tilts your head, sweeps your mouth clear, forces more air in. Your chest rises, falls, but no pulse kicks against the side of your neck. “Come on, my love, you’re stubborn, prove it.” His voice cracks into a sob; he slams another set of compressions, refusing to look at your face now because it feels like goodbye.

Booted feet hammer across the sand and paramedic kits drop with solid thumps, but the world narrows for Jaemin to the length of your body and the rhythm under his palms. Someone leans in, “we’ve got it, doctor,” yet he stays anchored, refusing to surrender his place. Without looking up he issues instructions, voice low but immovable, “bag-valve mask, warmed IV line, cold submersion, unknown downtime.” When hands slide over yours to take the compressions, he slips to your head, sealing the mask over your mouth, counting every squeeze as though each puff of oxygen is another promise he won’t break. Silver-foil sheeting rustles while a medic wraps your legs, and chilled spray lashes his cheeks, but Jaemin hears only the hiss of oxygen and the soft click of the metronome guiding CPR.

Beyond that tight circle, a jogger waves first-responders toward the shivering boy; a social-services worker gathers the child, rocking him against a pea-green parka while he sobs himself toward sleep. Jaemin scarcely registers the scene. His gaze never leaves your face, the lips greyed by brine, the lashes pasted by salt, the pulse point in your neck that still refuses to flutter. Tears slide unchecked down his jaw and drip into your hair as he bends to whisper against your temple, “Stay with me baby. Haeun needs you, and I’m not letting you go.” He repeats the plea between ventilations, pushing breath, pushing hope, pushing life back into you with each measured cycle.

Even when the team prepares to intubate he remains at your shoulder, guiding the tube, refusing to break contact. Only when the monitor stutters to its first weak blip does he ease his grip, and even then his hand hovers protectively, ready to resume compressions if that single line dares flatten again. The stretcher arrives; sand grinds under its wheels. Jaemin rises with it, one hand still woven through your damp hair, walking beside the medics toward the waiting ambulance, guarding you with every stride as though the sea itself might reach inland to claim you back.

Inside the ambulance Jaemin kneels on the bench seat, braced over the cot so the motion of the vehicle won’t jolt him away from you. Overhead LEDs strobe sterile white across your face, exaggerating the pallor that still chills his blood. He rests his forehead against yours, tears slipping sideways into your damp hair. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs between each rise of the bag-valve mask the medic squeezes. “I’m sorry we fought. I’m sorry I let you walk out. I love you more than anything, do you hear me? More than anything.” His thumb drifts over your temple in a trembling arc. The cardiac monitor snaps out a fragile rhythm, irregular and shallow, every beep a fragile foothold he refuses to surrender.

The medic tapes an IV line to your forearm, glances at Jaemin’s hunched posture. “We’re almost there, doctor.” Jaemin answers without lifting his gaze. “Keep the warmed fluids running. She’s bradycardic, watch for arrhythmias.” His voice stays clinical, but his lips still brush your forehead between directives, leaving whispered vows in the hollow above your brow. “Haeun needs you. I forgive you, none of it matters. Just breathe.”

The ambulance doors burst open into the emergency bay of the hospital. Cold fluorescent light meets dawn haze, and a receiving team surges forward: Dr. Seo-hyun Park, the trauma chief in navy scrubs; Jihoon with a gurney prepped, Hyejin and Hayoung sprinting with the hypothermia cart. They freeze for half a breath when they recognize the patient: surgical gown sodden, promise ring still clutched in one blue-tinged hand, Jaemin shielding her body like a barricade. Disbelief flickers across each face, this is the current intern whose photographic memory can map coronary branches blindfolded, stitching grafts steadier than most consultants and carrying every promise of brilliance like a second pulse, this is a mother who never left her daughter’s bedside—how can she be the one arriving pulseless?

Jaemin’s voice breaks the hush. “Cold-water drowning, estimated downtime fifteen to twenty minutes, asystole on scene, brief ROSC after CPR. Core temp thirty degrees. Warmed saline infusing. She needs the rewarming protocol, active airway management, and instruments for bronchoscopy in case of aspiration.” He strides beside the rolling stretcher, one hand still knotted in your hair. His eyes do not leave your face even when Jihoon asks quietly, “Doc, what happened?”

“I found her in the surf,” Jaemin answers, voice stripped to chalk. “We don’t know how long she was alone.” He swallows hard, forces the next words out. “There was a child on the beach. She went in to rescue his toy. The current took her.”

Dr. Park nods, recovering her composure. “We’ve alerted CT, blood gas standing by. Hyejin, page perfusion, if her rhythm tanks again we may need ECMO.” Hyejin bolts. Hayoung swings the heat lamp over the trauma bay as Jihoon connects the EKG leads. Jaemin finally steps back just enough for the team to strip the soaked dress from your body and slide warming blankets under your shoulders, but he stays within arm’s reach, fingertips brushing your wrist as if willing arterial flow back beneath the skin. The monitor alarms with a pvc; Jaemin flinches, tears streaking new tracks down his cheeks. He leans close, breath feathering your ear despite the bustle around him. “Stay. I’m right here. We fix this together—like we always do.” In the glare of the resusc bay, surrounded by colleagues now working in practiced silence, he presses one last kiss to your cold forehead and begins reciting the steps of the protocol aloud—half for them, half to keep himself from shattering—each instruction delivered with the tenderness of a vow.

Dr. Byun Baekhyun barrels in, breath hitching, latex gloves half-pulled, spectacles fogged by the sprint from the lab. Behind him Dr. Huang materializes with a rapid-response printout, her voice a scalpel of disbelief. “Creatinine doubled in thirty minutes, troponin unreadable, lactate off the chart. Hepatic panel crashing, AST, ALT, bilirubin all spiking. Kidneys, heart, liver, myocardium, she’s spiraling into multi-organ failure.” Her words ricochet through the tiled space, colliding with the hiss of warm saline and the whine of the warmer alarm.

Jaemin sags against the wall, knuckles whitening on the rail as a nurse threads a second central line. His vision tunnels: monitors scrolling red numbers he knows too well, the rise and fall of the ventilator, the faint mottling at your clavicle where perfusion ebbs. A sound breaks from his chest, half sob, half prayer and he presses both palms over his mouth as if he could dam the grief there. “No,” he rasps, shaking his head, shoulders quaking. “Keep the fluids running. Push calcium. We can stabilize her.”

Dr. Huang rounds the bed, places a firm hand on his forearm. “You need to be out of this room.”

Jaemin jerks free, eyes glassy. “I am not leaving her.”

“Then tell me where Haeun is,” Huang counters, voice steady but urgent. “Your daughter is waking up to a world with no parent at her side. Right now she needs you more than the team does.”

The words strike like paddles on a silent chest and, for one disorienting instant, Jaemin can’t remember the road from beach to bay, only the frozen tableau of his daughter at Jeno’s window, pajama cuffs damp with syrup, clutching her Bunny as though it contains every prayer she cannot yet spell. He sees her small face turned toward the horizon, lips forming Mama, hurry, and the picture guts him so cleanly he feels the back of his knees buckle. Tears spill without warning, blurring monitors into a smear of red and green. Reality splits wide: Haeun’s single wish, Mama come back, is reduced to ventilator sighs and a cardiac line that trembles instead of sings.

He drags his gaze to the bed. Your lashes lie damp against mottled cheeks; the steam of his grief fogs the cooling skin he kisses. “I love you,” he chokes, pressing his forehead to yours, tasting iodine and salt and all the summers they never reached. A nurse eases your hand from his grip, tucking it beneath a foil blanket already slick with condensation. The loss of that contact feels obscene, but he forces himself upright, sand still crusting the hem of his scrubs, throat raw from seawater and pleading.

Outside the curtain, fluorescent light seems cruelly bright, catching each grain of salt in his hair. His steps lurch down the hall, shoes leaving damp half-moons on polished tile. Words claw his mind, Bunny pancakes porch-light ready but none will line up into a sentence he can give a two-year-old who still thinks a kiss can fix anything. How does a father explain that the sunrise she painted for Mama’s welcome-home card is now pinned against a night that may never break? He imagines her in Jeno’s living room, swinging socked feet from the couch, glancing at the door each time a car passes, whispering to Bunny that Dada always keeps promises. The ache is so physical it bends him sideways, palm braced to the wall, chest hitching like a man who’s run miles on shattered ribs. Somewhere behind him a monitor alarms; somewhere ahead, an elevator dings. Between those sounds hangs the thinnest thread of hope: tubing, circuits, drugs, machines, miracles he can supervise but not command. He straightens, wipes his eyes with a shake that fails to steady him, and forces one foot forward. There is a child waiting in syrup-stained pajamas who will ask why the dawn is late, and he must find a way—any way—to stand upright long enough to answer.

The first night, you’re kept alive by tubing and tubes, ventilator humming, IVs trailing like lifelines across your bruised wrists, a forest of lines feeding poison and hope into failing veins. The swelling in your brain is massive; cold saline and anti-edema drips run all night, every beep of the monitor a warning. You seize twice on day two, eyes fluttering behind your lids, body arching off the sheets as a crowd of code-blue pagers flood the room. By morning, you need dialysis, your kidneys have failed, your urine the color of old pennies. You code once at sunrise, crash to asystole, and are shocked back by Jaemin’s own hands, his voice cracking as he calls your name, your pulse flickering under his trembling fingers. He doesn’t leave your side, not even when the neurosurgeon, Dr. Kang, face wan, hands steady, slices a window into your skull to relieve pressure, the craniotomy a calculated violence, a saw biting through bone while Jaemin holds your palm and your aunt paces in the hallway, voice lost to the beeping of machines.

The hours collapse into one another, a relentless assault of interventions and alarms. You hover in that liminal zone between coma and cardiac arrest, ventilator ticking, monitors shrieking at every dip. Your lungs fill with fluid, suffocating you from the inside; you are proned on the ICU bed, your skin sheeting off in fragile blisters from the pressure, lungs stiffer each day. Pneumonia creeps in, and antibiotics drip uselessly. The trauma chief—stern, exhausted—explains to Jaemin that a massive ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) has set in, and the ECMO team consults at dawn, threading cannulas into your neck and groin, the blood outside your body now your only lifeline.

Jaemin calls your family; your father answers, voice crumbling as he listens to a doctor describe brain swelling, blood gases, and a heart that will not beat on its own. He sobs into the receiver, asking—over and over—if you’ll wake up, if he can speak to you, if you’ll know he’s there. When he arrives at your bedside, his hand trembles in yours, a lifetime of apologies and bedtime stories condensed into the hush of a plastic chair. Your aunt brings a crocheted blanket and spends hours smoothing your hair, singing lullabies from your childhood, whispering, “You promised me you’d always come back.” Your world narrows to the click of the ventilator, the sharp reek of antiseptic, the soft prayers threaded through night after endless night.

Days stack up, each one heavier than the last. Your abdomen swells grotesquely, the edges of your body blurring with fluid and infection. By now your intestines are dying from lack of oxygen, your liver failing, ammonia seeping into your blood. You spike fevers nightly, sweat beading on your brow, hair matted and dark. The surgical team rolls you to the OR for a laparotomy; they emerge grim-faced, Jaemin trembling in the family waiting area, hands wringing the edge of his scrub shirt. “Her bowel is necrosing,” the fellow explains, voice leaden. “We’ve had to remove half her colon, most of her small intestine. There is a high chance of more infection, sepsis, and shock.” You are left with an ostomy bag and wounds that don’t close. Each time the nurses turn you, your skin splits along the suture lines. You don’t wake, don’t respond to pain, your body drifting further from the world that waits for you.

Jaemin’s hands are raw from holding yours, his eyes never leaving the EKG’s rhythm, watching the ghost of your heartbeat with desperate hope. Every hour, the ICU nurse updates your numbers; every number is worse. Your dad—white-knuckled, ashen—presses your foot through the blanket and sobs, “Don’t go. Please, please don’t go.” Your aunt leaves wildflowers at your bedside, her lips moving in silent prayer. Jaemin argues with the palliative team, refuses comfort, refuses morphine, refuses to believe the words “prognosis is poor.” He sits at your bedside every night, murmuring old stories and apologies, tracing the lines of your knuckles as if trying to memorize the map of your body before it’s lost to him forever.

The second week, you barely register as human, lines and wires snake into your flesh, bruises bloom on every inch of skin, mouth permanently parted by the tube. The dialysis machine runs constantly now, blood pooling in the tubing, your platelets plummeting, your body unable to clot. Every transfusion is a risk, your blood thinning further, every wound slow to close. On day nineteen, your heart stops for two full minutes before the team shocks you back, the silence between pulses feeling eternal. Your pupils are sluggish. MRI scans show global hypoxic brain injury, the white matter of your brain dissolving, your memories erased as the weeks pass. You never open your eyes. Nurses begin to wonder, quietly, if you can feel anything at all. The palliative team comes more often, gentle and quiet, their hands folded, voices soft, eyes never quite meeting Jaemin’s.

Your father starts to sleep at the foot of your bed, waking to every alarm, begging Jaemin, “Please, just tell me she’ll come back. Lie to me, if you have to.” Your aunt sits with your chart, flipping through the notes, weeping every time she reads the word “unresponsive.” The room is filled with the hush of heartbreak, the clatter of trays, the soft shush of nurses trying to make this easier for everyone who cannot leave your side. By the third week, the dialysis machine runs constantly. You bleed from every IV site, your blood no longer able to clot, bruises blossoming up your arms and legs, purple-black and impossible to ignore. Every transfusion is more dangerous. The team stops reporting the odds. On day twenty-six, your heart stutters again, stops, restarts. MRI scans are grim: brain tissue dying, white matter dissolving, your future shrinking down to numbers and probabilities no one wants to say out loud. You never open your eyes. The neurologists run tests and leave, unable to offer hope. Nurses begin to whisper, quietly, if you can feel anything at all, if there’s anything left inside you but muscle memory and electrical ghosts.

Jaemin, worn raw, curls around your body in the narrow hospital bed, whispering broken apologies, promises, telling you stories of Haeun’s bravery, of every moment you ever shared that was worth living for. He counts every heartbeat as if it’s the last, kissing your cold knuckles, refusing to sleep, refusing to eat, refusing to leave. Your father stares out the window for hours, tracing shapes on the glass, asking only for one more day, one more chance. Your aunt tucks flowers and notes into the railings, praying aloud now, voice hoarse from hope.

In the fourth week, organ failure is total. The ventilator is maxed out; your lungs are white on X-ray, your heartbeat a thread. The trauma chief calls Jaemin out into the hallway. His words are final, thick with regret: “There is nothing left to do but prepare to say goodbye. It’s time to let her go.” Jaemin can’t stand. Your father howls. Your aunt clutches at the rails, wailing in disbelief. The nurses cry with them, heads bowed, hands trembling. In the quiet that follows, Jaemin crawls into the bed beside you, curling his body around yours, telling you—again and again—how sorry he is, how he forgives you, how he loves you. And the room, full of so many years and so much hope, sits in silence, holding on to a life that will not return, time stilled by grief and love, every clock and calendar irrelevant in the face of all you have lost.

Jaemin keeps the truth locked behind his teeth because every cardiology text and every night-shift intuition screams the same warning: a child’s heart, especially a transplanted graft still learning its new rhythm, cannot endure the shock of hopeless grief. One shattering sentence, Mama might never wake up, could flood Haeun’s body with catecholamines, spike her pressures, tip her fragile immune balance into rejection, undo months of surgery and prayers in a single cortisol storm. The weight of that risk sits on his chest like lead; each time she asks if you’re coming home, guilt presses harder, crushing breath and sleep, yet the alternative feels crueler still. So he bargains with silence, promising himself he will tell her when there is something, anythin, he can offer alongside the loss, even if that promise costs him the mercy of honest mourning and forces him to watch his daughter cling to a hope that may already be beyond saving.

Every evening begins the same. She drags your cardigan, butter-yellow and scattered with tiny white hearts, her favourite because a pint-size twin hangs in her own closet, along the corridor’s hardwood, flops it onto her yellow-star quilt, then arranges the sleeves around herself in a crescent embrace. The pillow you slept on the night before you vanished sits beside her, strawberry-sweet scent almost gone, but she presses her face into the fading fabric as if lungs can sip comfort. “Mama’s smell is leaving, Dada,” she whispers, voice rasping from too many tears. “If it goes, how she gonna find me?”

Jaemin kneels, smoothing curls off her damp forehead, throat burning with words he refuses to speak. He tells her Mama is resting, his lie has frayed, but she clings to it like a life preserver and she nods as if agreement can summon you through the door. The nod dissolves into trembling; within minutes she’s sobbing, fists pounding the mattress in small, angry thuds. “I been so good, I took medicine, no spit so why Mama not come?” Bunny is squashed flat beneath her ribs, cotton limbs overstretched from nightly wringing. She switches to bargaining with the toy, nose-to-button nose. “Tell Mama I share gummy bears every day, pink ones too,” then to Jaemin, voice rising into a wail that strips the room: “Tell her I don’t need magic juice if she hate it, just come kiss me.”

Jaemin gathers her, feeling the jut of shoulder blades that were once padded with toddler softness. She clings hard, thumb stuffed in her mouth, free hand locked around his collar, hiccuping stories between breaths: that Mama promised pancakes shaped like hearts, that Mama said we’d all wear matching sun hats at the loud beach, that Mama’s voice sings better than birds. Each memory is delivered as question and accusation, proof Jaemin can’t refute, evidence of a future he cannot promise. When exhaustion finally drags her toward sleep, she stirs groggily, insists on stethoscope rounds: she presses the bell to wardrobe doors, chair backs, her own chest, then Jaemin’s, announcing which ones are empty and which ones thump. “Mama heartbeat hiding somewhere,” she murmurs, eyelids half-closed, “gotta keep listening.” Only then does she allow Jaemin to tuck her beneath the cardigan sleeve, but she refuses to release the earpieces; she falls asleep with cold metal on her sternum, murmuring, “Hear it soon, hear it soon,” until the words crumble into faint snores.

He stays until her breaths even, then slips into the corridor, collapsing against patterned wallpaper that swims under stalled tears. It’s here, in the hush broken only by the refrigerator’s hum, that guilt strikes hardest: not just for the lie but for its necessity. He rehearses the truth he can’t speak, Mama floats between life and the leaving, tethered by plastic and prayer—and sees the knowledge drop like an anchor onto Haeun’s fragile graft, imagines monitors screaming as her heart rejects hope entirely. The scene is so vivid it steals his air: the transplant failing, the small body he promised to protect flattening beneath despair. He slides to the floor, fists bleeding half-moons into his palms, and bargains with the hallway shadows, grant me one more sunrise to find a word gentler than goodbye. Behind the guest-room door, Haeun stirs, sighs “Mama” in her sleep, and Jaemin realizes dawn will break whether or not he is ready, carrying with it the same impossible question he’s postponed for six nights: how long can love shield a child from the sound of machines failing in another wing of the hospital, from the hush that settles when even miracles run out of time?

Your father crosses the room in careful steps, dropping into a squat that brings his sea-weathered gaze level with hers. “You know,” he begins, voice rough but warm, “your Mama once hid under her bed for a whole afternoon because she thought the moon would fall if she didn’t hold it up with a broom handle.” The story snags Haeun’s attention; she peeks over the cardigan cuff. He chuckles, a sound like gravel washed smooth by rain. “She’s always been brave enough to try the impossible, just like you.” He taps his chest. “I’m Papa—your Mama’s papa—and every good thing in her? That came from her big heart. Same place your bravery comes from.” The words unfurl slowly, paired with gentle pats to Bunny’s threadbare ear. Haeun’s fingers uncurl, touching the frayed cuff of his flannel sleeve.

Songhee kneels beside them, offering a woven bracelet she once made for you at a church retreatsky-blue yarn now faded to robin’s-egg. “Your Mama wore this until the knot broke. I kept it safe. Would you like it?” Haeun nods, tears tracking new courses down her cheeks, and allows Auntie to slip the loop around her wrist.

Jaemin sits back on his heels, throat thick, watching warmth kindle behind Haeun’s eyes. Your father tells story after story, how you’d patch stray kittens’ paws with gauze, how you fixed a bird’s broken wing with a Popsicle stick and hope; how every misstep you ever made curved from love too large to stay inside your ribs. He glances once at Jaemin, a look that says: She is a good girl, her mistakes belong to no one but the size of her heart, remember that when the world tries to measure her by failures. Haeun studies each tale like scripture, sniffles subsiding to small hiccups. By the end she leans into your father’s chest, and he wraps her in arms that once hoisted you over carnival crowds.

Morning spills pale light across the quilt, and Haeun wakes curled against her new grandad, tiny hand fisted in his flannel pocket. Before Jaemin can lift her for meds, she scrambles onto Papa’s shoulders, shrieking delightedly as he “trots” her down the hall. She tugs his ear, giggling, “Faster, Papa! Like a horsie!” He pretends to neigh, age-sore knees forgotten. Over breakfast she feeds him soggy cereal stars, insisting he taste each colour; when Jaemin tries to wipe syrup from her chin, she turns first to Papa for confirmation. Songhee tapes Haeun’s newest drawing, three stick figures beneath a huge yellow heart labeled Mama, Dada, Papa, on the fridge. The house, once echoing, fills with mismatched laughter: your father’s deep rumble lining up with Haeun’s bright squeals, Song-hee’s gentle hum as she braids the cardigan sleeves into a pretend swing. And though grief still gnaws at every heartbeat, for one trembling day love builds a scaffold strong enough for Jaemin to stall the truth a little longer, letting your sunshine breathe inside a family she had always belonged to, even if she never knew its names until now.

The next morning, Papa settles onto the couch with a leather-bound album that smells faintly of cedar and old summers. Haeun crawls into the crook of his arm, Bunny clasped in her elbow, cardigan sleeve dragging behind her like a comet tail. The first page reveals a black-and-white shot of your father cradling a newborn, your newborn self, fists curled like rosebuds against his chest. “That’s your Mama the very first day I met her,” he whispers, tapping the photo with a callused finger.

Haeun gasps, eyes wide. “She so tiny!” She presses her thumb to the glass as though she can feel your baby warmth. “Did she cry lots like me?”

Papa chuckles, deep and soft. “Oh, she wailed the whole ward awake. Strong lungs, just like someone I know.” Haeun giggles, burying her face in his shirt for a shy moment before begging for the next page.

There, a snapshot shows you at five, hair in pigtails, mud streaked across your knees, a scraped elbow proudly bandaged. Papa narrates: “She’d found a turtle on the roadside, decided he needed a new pond. We spent all afternoon building one from Grandma’s mixing bowl.”

Haeun’s mouth forms a perfect O. “Mama make turtle house? She so brave.” She strokes Bunny’s ear thoughtfully, then declares, “When Mama wakes up, we build turtle castle together!”

Papa nods, eyes shining. “We will, Sunshine. A big one.”

He turns another page: you in bright yellow overalls, grinning tooth-gap wide beside a cardboard science-fair volcano. Haeun squeals at the lava of orange tissue paper. Papa leans close, whispering conspiratorially, “Your Mama’s volcano won first prize. She said the secret wasn’t the baking soda, it was believing it could erupt.”

Haeun repeats the phrase, “Bee-leebing!”—then plants a serious kiss on the photo, leaving a faint syrup print.

Mid-album, Papa pauses on a faded Polaroid of you wrapped in a towel, ocean spray haloing your hair. “That’s the same beach she took you to,” he murmurs.

Haeun traces the shoreline in the picture, expression softening. “Mama said the waves sing songs.”

Papa rests his chin on her crown. “She heard them first with me. Said they sounded like forever.”

Haeun presses Bunny to her heart, whispers, “Forever songs bring Mama back.”

Between pages Papa slips a butterscotch from his pocket, unwraps it, and tucks it into Haeun’s palm. “Your Mama used to steal these from my desk,” he confides. “Sweet tooth, that one.”

Haeun’s face lights, caramel sticking to her smile. “We share wif Mama when she comes home,” she promises seriously, dividing the candy crumb by crumb, placing tiny halves on the coffee table like offerings.

Later, Papa shows a picture of you at graduation, cap crooked, smile luminous, arms flung around classmates. Haeun smooths the crease, awed. “Mama so smart.”

Papa’s voice trembles with pride. “Smart, and stubborn enough to stitch the world back together.” He closes the album gently, palms resting on its worn cover. “And she’s stitching her way back to you now.”

Haeun leans into his chest, eyelids fluttering, syrup-stick fingers patting his beard. “Papa, tell Mama I waiting.”

“I will,” he answers, pulling the cardigan’s sleeve over her shoulders. “And until she walks through that door, we’ll fill this house with stories and forever songs.” She sighs contentedly, thumb slipping into her mouth, Bunny tucked beneath her chin. Papa rocks her until breath evens, the album open on his knee, sunlight gilding the pages where past and present fold tenderly together.

Evening settles uneasily over the house, bruising the sky to violet when Jaemin lifts Haeun from Papa’s lap and carries her to the couch. She props Bunny on her knees, eyes bright from the day’s new stories yet shadowed by the same silent question she repeats every hour. Jaemin kneels level with her, palms cupping her slippered feet, throat tight enough to splinter. “Sunshine, we need to talk about Mama.” The nickname quivers in the air. Haeun’s lashes flutter; she nods because “talk” still sounds like something that ends with pancakes. Papa settles behind them, one steady hand on her shoulder, bracing them all.

Jaemin draws a breath that tastes of salt and antiseptic memories. “Mama didn’t just go rest. A month ago she went into the ocean to help a little boy, and the big waves hurt her very badly.”

Haeun’s brows pinch. “Hurts like my heart owie?” she whispers.

“Worse, baby,” he answers, voice wrecked. “The water filled her lungs, and her heart got tired. Doctors are keeping her alive with big machines, tubes help her breathe, and a machine cleans her blood but they think her body is too tired to wake up.”

The word machines land with a thud; Haeun hugs Bunny so tight the seams whine. Tears surface, slow, puzzled beads that roll without falling, as though even gravity hesitates. She shakes her head, curls bouncing. “No, Mama strong. She fix hearts.”

Jaemin’s eyes glass over. “She is strong, the strongest person I know. But sometimes bodies get hurt faster than strength can heal.”

The tears break free; Haeun’s cheeks flood. “Why she go in da water? Mama says no close to da waves.”

“She wanted to save the boy’s Bunny,” Jaemin manages, voice grainy. “She chose to help because that’s what Mama does, she loves so big she forgets to be careful.”

Haeun chokes on a sob, little fists pounding Jaemin’s chest. “I mad at da ocean! I mad at da boy!” Then guilt pounds in: “I mad at Mama? Is that bad?”

Papa moves closer, wrapping both of them in his arms. “It’s okay to be mad. Mad means you love her so much it hurts,” he murmurs, voice splintering on the last word.

Haeun’s breathing hitches, shoulders shaking. “She not wake up ever? Not even for kissy attack?”

Jaemin’s lips tremble. “The doctors say maybe not, Sunshine. They think Mama’s heart and brain are very, very tired, and she might not stay with us much longer.”

Haeun wails, ahigh, keening sound that seems to pull the light from the room. “No! We wait! We wait ‘til she ready!” She slides off the couch, tiny knees hitting hardwood, banging Bunny against the floor as if noise can reverse the tide.

Jaemin gathers her again, rocking through her flailing limbs. “I know, I know, Dada feels the same.” Tears seep into her curls. “But we can still see her tonight. She can’t talk, and there are tubes everywhere, but she can hear your voice. We can kiss her forehead, tell her we love her, and hold her hand.”

Haeun’s sobbing stutters. “An’ say bye-bye?”

“Maybe,” he admits, voice barely sound. “We’ll be brave together.”

Papa lifts Haeun’s chin, his own eyes awash. “Your Mama is my baby girl, just like you’re hers. I’ll hold your hand the whole time.”

Haeun’s lip quivers; she nods, then collapses against his chest. “I give Mama Bunny. She be warm then.” She tries to dry her tears on the cardigan sleeve but only smears salt and heartbreak.

Jaemin kisses her damp forehead, voice cracking. “We’ll bring Bunny and your green drawing and everything you want her to have.”

Haeun peeks up, breath hiccupping. “Mama not scared if we there.”

Jaemin’s composure splinters; he presses his forehead to hers, whispering, “No, she won’t be scared. We’ll fill the room with all our love, so she knows she can rest.”

They remain on the hardwood until sobs turn to hiccup-spasms and the cardigan is soaked through, but the clock’s digits march forward and the hospital will not pause for grief. Jaemin rises first, unsteady, and Haeun clings so tightly to his top that it seems to creak. He carries her to her room, where tears still sluice down her cheeks in fresh waves—wet gasps that rattle tiny ribs but she lets Papa wipe her face with a warm cloth and dab strawberry-scented balm beneath her red nose. “Brave together,” she whispers through the tremor, as though testing the phrase on her tongue.

The bravery becomes ritual. She picks her butter-yellow dress with white hearts, the twin to Mama’s cardigan because “Mama likes matchy.” She smooths the skirt three times, then slips on sparkly socks so “the machines see me sparkle.” Into a canvas tote she packs offerings: Bunny, newly stitched at the torn ear; the sunflower pillow because “Mama’s head likes flowers”; your stethoscope so “Mama hears my boom-boom heart”; two butterscotch candies (“one for sharing later”); and the photo album, pages already smudged where her thumb traced baby pictures. At the last minute she adds a crayon drawing, three stick figures under a yellow sun, ‘YOU WAKE UP’ written in wobbling capitals, folds it and kisses the paper twice.

Jaemin buttons a fresh shirt with hands that shake so badly Papa steadies the cuffs. Haeun watches him in the mirror, then stands on tiptoe to press a kiss to his knuckles, small, deliberate, before slipping the cardigan sleeve over her arm like a knight’s gauntlet. The sobs still tremble behind her diaphragm, but she squares her shoulders, lifts her chin, and repeats the mantra. “Brave together, brave together,” until the words pulse with something like resolve.

On the porch night air folds around them, cool, salt-tinged, as if the ocean has followed to bear silent witness. Papa locks the door, fingers lingering on the key while Haeun slips her hand into his. Jaemin swings the tote over one shoulder, Bunny’s paw peeking out like a white flag. Headlights cut across the driveway; in that wash of light the trio looks fragile—hope dragged thin—but Haeun’s dress flares like a pocket sunrise each time she walks. She hums one bar of the forever-song Papa taught her that afternoon, voice wavering but unbroken, and as they climb into the car she presses the folded picture to her chest and tells the night sky, “Mama will like my colours. Mama always likes my colours.” They pull away, taillights receding down the quiet street, an exhausted man, a grieving father, and a little girl whose courage is stitched from yellow hearts and the belief that one more kiss might still call her mother home.

Jaemin parks beneath the sodium glow of the ambulance bay and feels Haeun tense against his collarbone the instant she spots the sliding doors. She knows hospitals, knows their smell of bleach and plastic courage, knows the way ceilings echo footsteps that end in pain and her body curls instinctively, as if the very hiss of the automatic entrance could summon needles and beeping monitors. He presses a soothing kiss to her hair and lifts her higher, letting her small heartbeat drum against his own, but the corridors still swallow her in memories: the weeks with IV poles taller than she was, the nights she begged for magic juice from a mother who wasn’t allowed to touch her. Tears bloom in her eyes before they reach the elevators; she hiccups, “Dada, I hear the beds rolling,” voice shrinking to a tremor. Jaemin smooths the cardigan sleeve, reminding her they’re wrapped in matching yellow, wrapped in brave, and promises that the only person they’re visiting tonight is Mama.

Inside the lift, fluorescent panels buzz overhead, and Haeun buries her face in his shoulder, clutching Bunny so tight the stuffing shifts. Each ding of a passing floor makes her flinch, but the moment the doors open onto the ICU she lifts her head, scanning the intersection of hallways with a trembling fervor, whispering, “Mama?” as if you might be standing, healthy, just beyond the nurses’ station. Instead, she meets rows of closed doors and muted alarms, and her hope fractures into open sobs that echo off linoleum. Jaemin cups her cheek, guiding her—first step, second step—over the threshold she fears yet needs, whispering that sometimes hospitals are where hearts learn to beat again, and tonight they’re here to lend Mama all the beats their own hearts can spare.

Jaemin carries Haeun through the doors, her butter-yellow dress a small flare of color in the corridor’s antiseptic hush, and the moment the room’s sliding glass seals behind them she stiffens in his arms. The bed seems impossibly large around your motionless frame, skin wax-pale beneath the ventilator arc, eyelids bruised lavender, hair spread like dark seaweed over hospital linen and the forest of tubing hisses and clicks with a rhythm that feels nothing like life. Haeun inhales once, sharp and wounded, then folds against Jaemin’s shoulder, fists bunching the collar of his shirt as a raw “No, no, no, I not see Mama, no!” tears out of her throat. She trembles so hard the cardigan sleeve slips from her elbow; Bunny dangles by one ear, forgotten.

Jaemin rocks her, murmuring steady streams of breath against her temple, “Brave together, Sunshine, brave together”—and after long minutes the sobs collapse into hitching breaths. Papa stands at the doorway, hands over his mouth, eyes flooding as Haeun wipes her cheeks with both palms, smooths her dress skirt, and whispers the mantra like a spell: “Brave, brave, brave.” Jaemin lowers her slowly, letting her toes touch the cold tile first, then guides her to the bedside where the monitors stutter their thin song.

She climbs the mattress with cautious hands, settling on her knees beside your shoulder. “Hi, Mama,” she begins, voice thin as paper, and the word snaps something in every adult present. She lays Bunny on your chest, tucks the sunflower pillow beneath your limp hand, then presses her own palm over yours as if anchoring the gifts in place. Tears renew but her words push through them, a waterfall of everything weeks have stored: “I been good, Mama, I take all my medicine, even the yucky one, I eat pancakes with Papa, I draw green hearts for Dada, I share my gummies. I look at your pictures every nap, see? That one where you kiss my nose, I kiss it back every time.” She strokes your cheek with thumbtip softness, kisses your eyelids, your forehead, the nasogastric tape at your lip, whispering apologies.

“Sorry I mad at you. Sorry I say bad things. You best Mama, my Mama, forever Mama. Please wake up, please come home, we still match, I still got my yellow dress, see?” She pulls the crayon drawing from her tote, three stick figures, huge sun, unfolds it, and slides it beneath the blanket over your heart. “That’s us. We waiting. Bunny waiting. I brave but I need you, Mama. I love you biggest.” Her breath shakes; she leans forward and kisses the ventilator tubing where it meets your mouth, then presses her ear to your chest as if the whir of the ventilator might translate to lullaby. Jaemin’s hand hovers at her back, tears streaking unseen; Papa’s shoulders quake near the foot of the bed. In the hush that follows, punctured only by the slow drip of an IV pump, Haeun breathes her secret into the hollow of your throat, “Please, Mama, hear me,” and for one suspended moment the room feels gathered around that single, quivering hope, every monitor light holding its pulse just a fraction longer than before.

Each dawn she insists on the same ritual: “Dada, we have to visit Mama, every single day so she remembers I’m waiting.” Every dawn in the little house begins the same way now. Haeun pads from her room clutching Bunny, pauses at the hall table to press a kiss to the framed photo of you, “Morning, Mama, I’m coming,” then wriggles into the butter-yellow dress that matches your cardigan. Papa kneels to fasten Bunny’s red heart charm to her collar (“so Mama spots us quick”), and together they meet Jaemin in the kitchen where he’s already laced his shoes for the drive. Haeun’s wicker “treasure basket,” newly bedazzled with sparkly stickers, is never empty: that morning it holds a seashell painted purple, a lopsided bead bracelet, a grape-scented marker, a folded crayon note, and one butterscotch “for sharing when Mama wakes.” Jaemin lifts her onto his hip, and she hooks an arm around his neck, face turned toward the sunrise slanting through the garage door while Papa locks up behind them.

At the hospital she whispers her secret password, “Brave together,” to the night-shift receptionist, receives the usual conspiratorial wink, then marches the long corridor toward ICU, little shoes squeaking on polished tile. The smell of antiseptic makes her shoulders curl for a heartbeat, hospitals are where goodbyes lurk but Jaemin squeezes her calf, and she squares up again, dignity in every step. Nurse Hana meets them outside Bed Twelve, silencing monitors so the room feels hushed and holy, and swings the glass door wide. Inside, the ventilator breathes its slow metronome around your still frame. Haeun sets the purple shell on your bedside table (“beach music”), tucks Bunny beneath your chin (“heart guard”), spritzes the air with grape marker scent so “dreams smell sweet,” and unrolls the crayon note: three giant yellow hearts stitched together because, as she tells the room, “strings can’t break if you draw them strong.” Only when each treasure is in its proper place does she press her palm to yours, whispering, “Morning, Mama, delivery complete,” the promise of tomorrow already bright in her voice.

The ritual unfolds in a careful choreography she never forgets. First she sets Bunny on your chest, patting the plush paw and murmuring, “Guard Mama’s heart.” Then she unrolls a square of soft muslin so she can polish the smudges from your promise band, explaining in earnest that shiny rings catch sunlight and “tell Mama morning’s here.” Jaemin pulls a chair close, but Haeun prefers to stand on her tiptoes against the mattress rail, stroking your forearm with three fingers while she recounts everything that happened during breakfast, how Papa tried to flip a pancake and it landed like a hat on his head, how she practiced writing MAMA five times without turning the first M into mountains. She presses each letter against your forearm so you might feel them through the bandage tape.

Around noon she hums the forever-song she learned from Papa. The melody stumbles, her voice still lisping on the higher notes but she insists the tune helps your lungs remember breezes, and Jaemin swears the ventilator pressure curve softens each time. After singing she fetches a small bottle from her wicker basket: a rosewater atomiser that once sat on your vanity. One spritz over the pillow, a whispered “Smell the garden, Mama,” then she leans down to inhale alongside you, eyes closing in practiced reverence. When afternoon light slants through the blinds she unwraps the day’s drawing and tapes it to the side rail. Some days it’s you and her in twin dresses under a sun; other days it’s three hearts labelled Mama, Dada, Haeunie; and once it was a clumsy but earnest stethoscope winding from her chest to yours so “our boom-booms talk.” She narrates every scribble while your Father and Aunt hover in the doorway, tears shining but silent, letting her words fill the room with color.

Just before leaving she recites her promise, cheeks nearly touching the respirator tubing. “I love you all the way to the loud beach and back,” she whispers, brushing kisses across your eyelids, nose, chin, twelve in total, one for each letter she’s memorised of your name. She lays her head on your shoulder for a full minute, breathing with you, and when Jaemin finally lifts her away, she turns to the monitors and tells every green line to “keep Mama breathing till tomorrow.” Outside the glass she waves, palm pressed to the pane until the hallway swallows her; then she tucks the empty basket under her arm and skips once, determined, already planning which treasure Mama needs next, because love, she’s decided, is a daily delivery, and no distance of tubes or time will make her miss a round.

The house is dark but not quiet, rain ticks against the gutters and somewhere a clock refuses to be gentle but only Haeun’s sobs reach Jaemin like physical blows. They sit on the living-room rug because the couch feels too high above grief; her butter-yellow dress has wilted into rumpled petals, and your cardigan covers them both like a frail quilt of memory. She buries her face against Jaemin’s throat, voice muffled and raw. “Dada, what if Mama opens her eyes an’ I’m not there? What if she thinks I didn’t wait good enough?”

“You waited perfectly, Sunshine,” he murmurs, thumb stroking the curve of her ear.

She shakes her head so hard Bunny’s charm clicks against his collarbone. “No, I messed up. I got mad at her before. I said I was mad at the ocean. What if Mama heard my mad and thinks I don’t love her big?”

Jaemin’s breath hitches. “Your Mama knows every beat of your heart. She knows love even inside sleep.”

“But what if the machines are too loud?” She pulls back, eyes glistening like broken marbles. “I counted them tonight—beep, beep, beep—an’ I tried to shout louder than the beeps so Mama could hear. But my voice cracked.” Her lip trembles. “What if it cracked so bad Mama can’t sew it back?”

He presses his forehead to hers. “She’ll stitch anything that tears. That’s what she does.”

Haeun’s fingers twist the cardigan cuff until threads snap. “I dreamed the tubes were vines, and they wrapped Mama up like a tree. I tried to cut them with scissors, but they grew back, Dada, they grew back!” Her voice rises to a keening note. “Then Bunny fell off the bed, an’ Mama didn’t pick him up. She always picks him up.”

Jaemin’s chest caves. “Dreams are stories our heads tell when they’re scared,” he whispers. “Real love is louder even than dreams.” He kisses her damp forehead.

She hiccups hard, eyes huge. “Dada… if I shout ‘wuv you’ real, real big, will Mama wake up? Can she hear me while she’s sleepin’?”

“Maybe love isn’t a scream,” he answers, voice fraying. “Maybe it’s every quiet brave thing you did today. the seashell, the drawing, the grape smell. Maybe it’s the way you keep showing up.”

A fresh wave of despair crashes; she clutches his shirt so tightly the buttons dig into her palms. “I’m tired of brave, Dada. My brave feels empty.” She lifts tear-swollen eyes. “What if brave runs out before Mama comes back?”

His own tears finally spill, hot against her temple. “Then I’ll pour mine into yours, and Papa will pour his, and Auntie Songhee will pour hers, until it’s full again. That’s what families do.”

She exhales a ragged breath, but the tremor won’t stop. “Promise me Mama not go where I can’t follow. Promise me she won’t be gone when morning comes.”

Jaemin’s voice cracks in the quiet. “I promise to hold her hand as long as she’s here, and I promise to hold you even longer.”

Silence settles, thick with rain and the ache of things too big for either to carry alone. Then Haeun lifts Bunny between them like a fragile treaty. “Bunny says I can borrow his brave tonight.” She places the plush against Jaemin’s heart as though reinforcing a vow. “But Bunny scared too.”

Jaemin gathers both child and rabbit, curling around them as if to shield them from the relentless ticking of the clock. “Then you, Bunny and I will be scared together.” His tears fall into her hair; her little hand creeps up to pat his cheek in clumsy comfort.

Minutes stretch, punctured only by hitching breaths. At last her eyelids droop, lashes clumping with salt. She mumbles, almost inaudible, “Tell Mama I love her louder than thunder. Tell her my brave is waiting.” Jaemin nods, voice gone, rocking until her body finally surrenders to exhausted sleep. He stays there long after, eyes fixed on the photograph across the room, your grin frozen in a better season, whispering the promise he doesn’t know how to keep: that dawn will bring her back to you both, that love, somehow, will be enough.

The ripple begins with Jeno, pushing the door open with a baby balanced on one hip and a preschooler clinging to the other hand. His fiancée follows, arms full of lilies you once said smelled like summers at the coast. Junseo stretches on tiptoe to place a blue Hot Wheels car beside your pillow, “so Doctor Auntie can zoom back fast,” while little Serin presses a crayon crown onto Bunny’s head because “every princess needs a guard.” Jeno squeezes Jaemin’s forearm, eyes shimmering with all the thank-yous he was never able to voice. Word spreads down corridors faster than gossip ever did: the fearless intern who once rewrote protocols with a single daring dose now lies silent beneath ventilator hiss, and the wards respond in quiet, determined pilgrimage. Jihoon drifts in next, pockets stuffed with instant-coffee sachets because “you hated the cafeteria brew”; he lines them beneath your monitor like a tiny honor guard, head bowed in apology for every rumor he once repeated. Nurse Hana spends her lunch break painting your nails the faintest seashell pink, whispering that pink matched the sunrise on the day you talked her through her first crash code. Even Dr. Huang, stern champion of rules, stands at the glass longer than rounds demand, reading your chart through fogged glasses, muttering that statistics can be wrong, that people can be more than their worst decision.

Your father never leaves more than an hour at a stretch, pacing the hallway in deliberate circuits, nodding to each colleague who offers a clasped shoulder or murmured prayer. Songhee bakes honey pastries for the ICU staff, a peace offering sweet enough to soften the sharp edges of policy. Outside, whispers change timbre. The story that once framed you as reckless now folds into something human. What was once whispered as “she tried to save a stranger’s child” is now retold as “she dove in because she couldn’t bear to watch a boy lose his only friend.” Even the chief of surgery, arms forever crossed, lingers at night to watch the steady lines of your vitals, jaw working with words he never spoke in defense yet now mouths beneath his breath: Come back, we need the fire you bring. Orderlies straighten their posture when wheeling supplies past Bed Twelve; respiratory therapists pause an extra beat after suctioning, thumb brushing your cheek in silent encouragement. The building seems to breathe with you, every ventilator sighs a communal exhale, every beep an unspoken vow that mistakes don’t eclipse the years you spent mending other people’s broken rooms.

By the time the second month turns, even families of patients you never treated drift by, pressing handmade rosaries or paper lilies into Jaemin’s shaking hands. They confess quietly in the corridor: they once judged, they once feared, but now they pray. Your absence has become its own anatomy lesson, how a single silent heart can draw an entire hospital into uneasy, hopeful communion. In the hush that follows each visit, Jaemin gathers the tokens, coffee sachets, post-it hearts, origami prayers, arranging them on the window ledge so dawn light washes over them first. He leans close to your ear, voice hoarse but sure. “You’re still loved,” he says, and the hum of machines seems to steady, as if the room itself agrees.

Night settles slow and low around Bed Twelve, the ward reduced to green pulse-lights and the faint, wheezy hush of ventilation. Jaemin pulls the curtain half-closed, not to hide you but to carve a thinner, quieter world for the two of you to breathe in. He drags the visitor’s chair so close his knees brush the mattress rail, then folds forward until his forehead rests against your bandaged hand. For a long stretch he simply listens, to the whirr of the vent, to the soft tick of the IV pump, to the impossible silence where your laugh ought to be, before he unknots the apology caught in his throat.

“I keep circling back to the first time we scrubbed in together for Haeun’s emergency graft,” he begins, voice scarcely higher than the ventilator’s sigh. “You were still in scrubs, streaked with blood and tears, holding her so tight it looked like the roof could cave in and you’d still never let go. I watched you fall in love with her in real time—saw her latch onto your thumb, heard you promise she’d never be alone and in that heartbeat I knew I’d never belong to anyone but the woman who became a mother in one impossible, rooftop sunrise.” He lifts his head enough to look at you, gaze tracing the gentle fog in your oxygen mask. “You loved harder than protocol, laughed louder than the morgue hallway would allow, refused coffee unless it tasted like burnt optimism. I’ve never fallen in love like this.” He clears his throat, fingers brushing your pulse point. “I’m sorry I doubted you, sorry I let fear speak louder than trust, sorry the last thing I gave you was anger instead of faith.”

“I love you,” he murmurs, voice thick, honest, hungry. “Every inch. The way you steal all the covers and sleep with your foot hooked over my thigh so I can’t escape even if I wanted to. I love the shape of your mouth when you’re about to argue, and how you say my name when you’re annoyed—‘Na Jaemin,’ like it’s both a curse and a prayer. I love how you look at Haeun, like you’re watching the sun come up, every damn morning. I love the scar on your wrist, the mole on your shoulder, the way you can’t sleep unless you hear the ocean or my heart. I love how you taste, how you make a mess of me just by biting my jaw or sliding your fingers under my shirt in the laundry room or the car or wherever you decide you want me. I love the way you’re never gentle with the things you love, you fight for them, you bleed for them, you hold so tight I think you’ll break both of us. I love your bad jokes, your lectures, your stubborn, childish, reckless, beautiful hope. I love that you still cry when you watch sad commercials and that you dance with Haeun in the kitchen and that you let her eat ice cream before dinner just to see her smile. I love that you’re mine, even when you’re impossible. Even when you break me. I want you, all of you—your sharp tongue, your soft belly, your wild hair, your laugh, your rage, your forgiveness. I want every future with you, burnt pancakes, ugly fights, morning sex, all of it. I’m not whole if you’re not here.”

His shoulders shake, but words pour anyway, a steady transfusion of grief and devotion. “I love you because you carry too many pens in your coat, because you hum off-key when you tie surgical knots, because you cried over a goldfish surgery that no one paid us for but you did it anyway. I love that you still buy second-hand paperbacks just to underline sentences about hope.” He squeezes your hand, gentle despite desperation. “Most of all I love the way you love Haeun, how you’d rewrite the laws of medicine if it meant one easier breath for her.” A tear lands on the blanket, darkening the fabric. Jaemin shifts closer, presses his lips to your temple, speaking against cooling skin. “You told me once that hearts don’t break, they recombine in new shapes. Mine’s a mess of edges without you—please, come back and teach it how to beat right.” His voice thins, tender and trembling. “Come home so Haeun can paint your nails star-glitter pink, so I can sleep on the side that smells like your shampoo, so we can dance in the kitchen at 2 a.m. while pancakes burn. I swear I’ll never let a single day shrink us into anger again. I’ll spend the rest of our forever proving that love is louder than fear.”

He draws a trembling breath, knuckles white where he clasps your hand, the words raw and ragged against the hush. “I’m sorry for shutting you out,” he says, voice thick. “When you messed with Haeun’s meds, God, it tore something open in me I didn’t even know was there. I kept telling myself I couldn’t forgive you, that I had to protect her no matter what, even if it meant locking you out of our lives. I wanted to hold onto my anger. I wanted to punish you, to make you feel how scared I was. I thought if I stayed mad, maybe I could keep Haeun safe. Maybe I could keep myself safe, too.”

He lets the silence settle, throat working, thumb still stroking the inside of your wrist. “But it isn’t that simple. I made promises to you, I said in sickness and in health, in every impossible night, I’d stand by you. I didn’t. I failed you when you needed me most. That’s on me.” His eyes are wet, unblinking, fixed on your face as if hoping for a sign. “It’s still something I can’t always wrap my head around. Some nights I lie awake just turning it over and over—how we got here, why you did it, if I could have stopped it or helped you before it broke like this. It’s a wound, and I’m not sure it’ll ever heal clean. But I’m trying to come to terms with it. I’m trying to accept that love is ugly sometimes, that forgiveness doesn’t erase the pain but makes room for us to keep going anyway.” He kisses your fingers, soft and helpless, like prayer. “I don’t know if I’m getting it right. I don’t know if I deserve another chance. But I want to try. I want you here. I need you. We both do. Please, just come back to us.”

He lays Bunny’s heart charm between your palms, folds your fingers over it, and breathes in the faintest warmth. “You brought sunlight to every hallway you touched, don’t you dare take it with you. Let me carry some of it, and come back for the rest.” His lips brush your knuckles once more, then hover there, heartbeat syncing to the ventilator hiss. “Stay,” he whispers, half-command, half-plea. “Stay because I love you in every tense—past, present, future—and there isn’t a timeline worth living that doesn’t have you awake in it.” He closes his eyes, forehead resting against your intertwined hands, and lets the machines keep tempo while hope and sorrow wrestle quietly in his chest until morning edges the curtain in pale gold.

It’s almost midnight when Jaemin’s phone vibrates on the bedside table, cutting through the hush of the ICU waiting room. He blinks at the unknown number, thumb hesitating before he answers. On the other end, Attorney Kang Minsoo, his family’s private counsel since the first whisper of trouble, greets him in a measured, steady tone. They haven’t spoken in weeks; Jaemin’s attention has been consumed by you, by Haeun’s unraveling, by the daily rituals of survival, but he’s never let the case go cold. Security at the apartment and hospital has doubled, a new CCTV system covers every blind spot, and he’s kept meticulous files on both Nahyun and Aseul, even as he tried to push the dread to the back of his mind.

Now, Minsoo’s voice is heavier than usual. “Dr. Na, we’ve finished combing the footage from the night of Haeun’s event. The park, the pharmacy, the hospital, we have every angle. We have evidence that Nahyun tampered with your daughter’s medication. She slipped something into Y/N’s bag when she wasn’t paying attention. Our forensic team isolated traces of a sedative not prescribed to Haeun, one that could’ve caused fatal organ shutdown and failure, it matches the timeline of her crisis. There’s no doubt she intended harm.”

Jaemin’s hand curls around the armrest, knuckles whitening. “You’re certain? She—she did this deliberately?”

“Yes, and there’s more,” Minsoo continues, papers shuffling in the background. “We’ve recovered deleted messages between Nahyun and Aseul, including emails plotting to harm you, Y/N, and Haeun. Nahyun made threats to expose private patient records, sabotage your research grants, even discussed staging a car accident. Our team intercepted a letter—never delivered—that described, in detail, their plan to isolate Y/N and take custody of Haeun through false allegations. There are notes about medical dosages, routine schedules, everything. It’s premeditated. And Dr. Na, there’s a draft will that they’ve forged, trying to list Aseul as next of kin for your daughter.”

Jaemin is silent for a moment, the words sinking in. The world seems to shrink to the size of the. His voice catches, hoarse with the weight of relief and fear. “What happens now?”

Minsoo’s voice is calm but fierce. “We have grounds for criminal prosecution, attempted homicide, conspiracy, fraud. I’ve already filed emergency protection orders for Haeun and for Y/N, as soon as she’s able. The hospital board has been notified. Law enforcement wants to interview you, but you don’t need to leave your daughter’s side. If there are any further threats, security will intervene immediately.”

Jaemin presses his palm to his forehead, exhaustion and fear knotting behind his eyes. “What about Y/N?” he asks, voice barely above a whisper. “What does all this mean for her, for her career? If this gets out, with the allegations, the hospital rumors, the fact she’s not awake to defend herself… Will she even be allowed to come back as a surgeon? And what about adopting Haeun? She’s all Haeun has. Will they hold any of this against her?”

On the other end, Attorney Kang Minsoo answers carefully, weighing every word. “I understand, Dr. Na. The evidence we have proves Y/N was a victim in this, not complicit. Once the criminal investigation concludes, the hospital’s legal team will be obligated to clear her name, especially with the tampering documented and the threats identified. The whispers, the complaints… all of it is being re-examined in light of what Nahyun and Aseul did. She’ll have a hard fight, but she isn’t alone in it. And you have strong allies on the board now, her supporters are rallying, especially as more details come to light about her actions that night. Her reputation will recover in time, though it won’t be easy.”

He pauses, letting the weight of it settle. “As for Haeun—no family court will blame her for what happened now that we have proof of outside sabotage. If anything, it strengthens her case to adopt, as long as she can recover. But the timeline may shift, and she’ll need to show stability when she wakes up. I’ll handle the filings, and you just focus on keeping her safe and supported for now. I’ll update you if the legal board or family services wants to talk to you directly.”

Jaemin exhales shakily, head bowed, gaze flicking to the sleeping figure of Haeun curled on the sofa with Bunny under her chin. “Thank you, Minsoo. I want full restraining orders. Press every charge you can. I don’t care if it ruins them—I want them nowhere near my family ever again.”

“We’ll handle it. I’ll update you as soon as there’s more,” Minsoo assures, voice a steady anchor. “Try to rest, Dr. Na. You’ve done all you can. I’m sorry it took this long to get you answers.” When the call ends, Jaemin sits in the dark, trembling, gratitude and rage flooding through him in equal measure. He glances to the ICU doors, to the dim light where you lie fighting, to the quiet rise and fall of Haeun’s breath, and swears—aloud, for the first time—that nobody will ever come close to hurting his family again.

He comes back to your bedside when the room is shadowed and quiet, every monitor blinking steady and indifferent, the hum of the ventilator the only heartbeat he can hear. He leans in, pressing his lips to your forehead, holding them there so long the warmth leaves his skin. When he finally pulls back, his tears spill free, quiet, aching, like he’s been holding them for years.

“Baby,” he whispers, voice shaking. “You didn’t mess up Haeun’s meds after the park incident. You never would. I always believed it, I always trusted you. I let everyone else get in my head, I let fear twist everything, but I know you—I know you’d never be careless with her, not with anyone, not for a second. I’m so fucking sorry. I should’ve fought for you harder. I should’ve believed and protected you more. I should’ve listened more. I’m so sorry I left you alone to take the blame, that I made you feel like a stranger in your own home. That’s on me. That’s my failure, not yours.”

He cradles your hand against his cheek, breath hitching, eyes red and wild. “I need you. We need you. Haeun needs her Mama. I need my wife. I need you to wake up. Please, baby, come back to me. Come back to us. I promise, I’ll never doubt you again, I’ll never let anyone hurt you, I’ll never let you go through anything like this alone. I love you so much. I’m so sorry. Please—please just come back.” His thumb traces your knuckles, mouth pressed to your skin in frantic, desperate kisses, and in the quiet, he whispers it again, over and over, you’re safe now, you’re safe, you’re safe, you’re safe, as if wishing it hard enough might make it true, might bring you home.

The morning starts slow and heavy, with rain needling at the glass and a chill crawling across the floorboards. Haeun wakes tangled in your butter-yellow cardigan, her cheek pressed to a patch of soft white hearts, the scent of you faded but clung to like a dream. Her face is swollen from crying, her hair sticking up in tufts, eyes red-rimmed and raw. She doesn’t speak when Jaemin comes to her room; she just lifts her arms wordlessly, clutching Bunny and your sleeve in one small fist. “Dada, Mama will be proud if I be brave?” she whispers, the question trembling in her throat.

Jaemin nods, kneeling, voice hoarse as he says, “She already is, sunshine. Every day.”

The drive is silent except for the quiet tap of rain and Haeun’s whispered monologue to Bunny. “Today we see Dr. Huang, Bunny. She’s nice, but I don’t wanna. Mama would say I’m her strong girl, but my heart feels owie. Dada, does Mama hear me if I say I love you really, really loud?”

Jaemin’s fingers tighten on the wheel. “I think she does, Haeun. I think she hears you every time.” When they park, Haeun hesitates, peering up at the looming hospital. Her whole body trembles; she presses your cardigan to her face, breathing deep, like if she inhales hard enough, you’ll be waiting just past the next set of doors. Inside, she walks on tiptoe, her tiny hand gripping Jaemin’s as if she might drift away. At the elevator, she glances at her reflection, tearstained cheeks, lips quivering, eyes too big for her face. “Dada, will Dr. Huang make me all better so Mama isn’t sad? I wanna be good for Mama.”

Jaemin scoops her up, pressing a kiss into her wild curls. “You’re perfect, bubba. Even when you’re sad, even when you’re scared.”

She nestles her face into his neck, whispering, “I wanna tell Mama I brave. I wanna tell her I tried real hard. Maybe she’ll wake up if I’m good.”

When Dr. Huang opens the exam room, Haeun freezes, half-hiding behind Jaemin’s leg. “Hey there, Miss Sunshine,” Dr. Huang says gently, kneeling so she’s eye level. “I heard you’ve had a hard week. It’s okay, you’re safe.”

Haeun shakes her head, voice muffled in your cardigan. “I don’t feel safe. I want Mama. My heart’s beating too loud.”

Dr. Huang holds out her stethoscope, inviting. “Wanna hear your heart together? Sometimes brave sounds like a drum.” Haeun nods, climbing onto the exam table, clutching Bunny and Jaemin’s pinky in one hand, your sleeve in the other.

Through the exam, she’s quiet but watchful, flinching every time Dr. Huang lifts her shirt or checks her scar. “It tickles,” she whispers, then frowns, “but only a little. Sometimes it burns when I miss Mama lots.”

Jaemin wipes her cheeks, murmuring, “You can tell Mama everything later, promise. We’ll go straight after.”

Dr. Huang listens, smiling. “Your heart sounds strong, Haeun. Really strong. You’re growing, and your numbers are good. I think you can try the new medicine soon, the one Mama, Dada and I talked about when you were little.”

Haeun perks up, brow wrinkling. “Will it make me run faster? Will I be able to do ballet again? Can I bring it to Mama so she runs too?”

Dr. Huang grins, “Maybe. I bet she’ll want to hear all about it when she wakes up.”

After the tests, Haeun clings to Jaemin, refusing to let go. “Dada, why Mama not come home yet? Why she sleep so long?” The question is a knife, twisting deeper.

Jaemin hugs her close, voice breaking. “She’s fighting real hard, sunshine. Sometimes it takes a while for people to come back from big hurts. But she’s trying. She hears you every time you visit. She knows you love her more than anyone in the world.”

Haeun presses her lips together, determined. “Then I tell her again. I yell really loud and kiss her and bring her magic marker. I make a ‘get well’ sign, so Mama knows Haeunie loves her super much.” She digs in her basket for the purple marker and waves it triumphantly. “Mama likes grape dreams.”

As they leave, Dr. Huang kneels to eye level again, laying a gentle hand on Haeun’s shoulder. “You’re the bravest girl I’ve ever met, Haeun. And you’ve got a heart full of magic. You can do this.”

Haeun nods fiercely, a tear rolling down her cheek. “I do it for Mama. I do it for Dada. I do it for Bunny. We all be brave together.” She tucks Bunny close, presses her palm to her scar, and looks up at Jaemin, eyes shining with hope and something older, wearier, but unbroken. “Let’s go see Mama now, Dada. I need her to see I’m strong.” And as they walk out into the thin, waiting daylight, Haeun’s courage glimmers, a tiny, trembling sun breaking through stormclouds, carrying her love like a shield, a spell, a prayer whispered into the hospital air for you to hear and come home to her, heart to heart.

Outside the ICU, cold afternoon light seeps through glass, washing the corridor in pale silver. Machines hiss behind the walls. The air is taut with the hush of alarms, the ghost of nurses’ shoes on linoleum. Dr. Huang stands beside Jaemin, his jaw tight, eyes ringed with exhaustion, he looks more like a man keeping watch over his own child than a cardiologist. They stand just out of sight, voices barely above a whisper, as Jaemin leans against the glass, eyes red and fixed on the two figures inside.

In your hospital room, Haeun has wriggled onto the bed, careful of wires and lines. Her arms are flung around your waist, cheek pressed to your unmoving ribs. She traces the faint outline of your hand with her thumb, whispering soft confidences into the crook of your elbow. “Mama, I saw the picture Papa showed me, you look like a sunshine in your yellow dress. I wore mine today, see? Bunny wanted to look just like you, so we both put on our heart charms.” She looks up, eyes shining and earnest, voice trembling with childish hope. “My new heart is working super strong, Mama. Dr. Huang said it beats so loud, like a drum in a parade. I wanna dance ballet when you wake up. You gotta see me dance, okay? You always say I’m your little star.” She presses kisses to your hand, chattering, “Today Dr. Huang let me listen to my own heart. It’s a good heart. It misses you, Mama. I miss you so much. Please wake up soon. I’ll be the bravest girl, I promise.”

From the corridor, Dr. Huang glances through the glass, the weight of all those tiny heartbreaks heavy in his posture. He turns to Jaemin, dropping his voice low. “Her echo’s better than we ever dared hope,” he murmurs. “Left ventricular function’s nearly normal. You see her running the halls, she’s stronger than I’ve ever seen her. If she keeps this up, we can get her into the trial.” He glances at Jaemin, searching for something in the younger doctor’s face. “It’s a miracle, Jaemin. Not just the surgery, the match, the recovery. Kids with her history? Almost never stabilize like this. But…” he hesitates, voice tightening, “we can’t ignore what Y/N did. She’ll answer for it, legally and ethically, that’s inevitable. But without her, I don’t think Haeun would’ve survived long enough to get this heart. Sometimes desperation makes parents reckless. Sometimes it saves lives.”

Jaemin stands rigid, arms folded, forehead pressed to the glass. His heart aches at the sight of Haeun, her legs curled around your waist, her tiny lips pressed to your knuckles, her voice rising and falling in the language only mothers and daughters know. Dr. Huang’s voice softens again, gentler. “I’m enrolling her in the trial. With this kind of improvement, she has a real shot at never needing another transplant. I’ll make the call tonight.” Jaemin only nods, fighting a thousand prayers back down his throat. “She’s earned every chance,” Dr. Huang says quietly, almost reverently.

The world spins, gentle and fierce, on the other side of the glass. Haeun draws patterns over your blanket, showing you her drawings, flowers and stars and little stick-figure families, all three of you holding hands in a field of yellow. “I made you a card, Mama. It’s got sunflowers, ‘cause you love them. When you wake up, I wanna go to the beach and wear matching hats again. Promise?” Her voice wobbles but she keeps going, hope stitched into heartbreak. And Jaemin, watching, his hand braced to the glass as if he can steady the ground, lets desperation pool in his chest, a prayer that you’ll come back, that the world will keep spinning, that this fierce, fragile family won’t be lost to another wave of darkness. He can’t look away, can’t imagine another dawn without your laugh, your hands, the light in Haeun’s eyes when she whispers, “I love you, Mama. Forever, ever, ever.”

A few hours later, with bedtime settling heavily in her lashes, Jaemin and Haeun are still in your hospital room, having spent the afternoon talking softly to you, her head tucked against your shoulder, his hand never leaving yours. Haeun sleeps curled in Jaemin’s arms, her breath finally even after hours of tears, clutching your soft yellow cardigan and her battered Bunny with their matching heart charms. The fluorescent lights of the ICU glint off her curls and your pallid skin, both stilled in the lull of exhaustion. It’s time to take her home. The day’s weight settles heavy in Jaemin’s shoulders as he stands at your bedside, pausing before he leaves, unwilling to let go. He leans down and presses his lips to your forehead, a kiss that lingers in the sterile chill, his hand trembling against your hair. For a moment, he almost forgets to breathe, swallowing hard against the burn in his eyes as he whispers goodbye. He keeps his voice low so as not to wake Haeun, though she would only stir if she sensed your absence. “I’ll be back tonight,” he murmurs against your skin, almost believing you can hear him through the miles of sleep and shadow that hold you captive. One last touch, one more plea: please wake up, we need you. The world cannot balance without you here.

The machines surrounding your bed keep their relentless vigil, numbers ticking steady and fragile in the gloom. Medically, you remain deep in a coma, the aftershock of a catastrophic anoxic brain injury suffered during your drowning. The resuscitation on the beach bought time, but every organ system has waged its own desperate fight in the weeks since. You underwent emergency hypothermia therapy, an attempt to save as many neurons as possible from the crush of oxygen deprivation. After that, your body endured one crisis after another: a prolonged cardiac arrest requiring defibrillation, acute kidney injury, multi-system organ support, sepsis from saltwater aspiration. Surgeons placed a tracheostomy, a feeding tube, all to keep your body alive while your brain rests in uneasy stasis. The coma is not drug-induced; it’s the brain’s natural response to trauma, swelling, and metabolic storm. Despite every intervention, your EEG remains flat with only rare flickers, signs that you’re trapped somewhere between this world and the next, your mind locked away from the daughter and the man who love you most. The doctors have advised Jaemin that if you don’t wake up in the next forty-eight hours then it may be time to consider withdrawing life support—your organs can’t keep waiting, the machines are the only thing keeping you here right now. The news rolls through Jaemin’s chest in waves of numb disbelief, something his mind refuses to accept. He sits beside your bed, knuckles pressed white to your sheets, clinging to hope with every bone, unable—unwilling—to imagine a world where he lets you go.

Jaemin swallows the grief and straightens, tucking Haeun’s Bunny beside your arm so it won’t fall. He smooths your hair back one last time and starts to gather Haeun into his hold again, ready to take her home to the quiet, lonely apartment that’s grown unfamiliar without your laughter in its walls. But just as he turns, a small, plaintive sound threads through the hush, a thin cry, sharp as glass and almost too faint to notice. Jaemin stops, pulse kicking up. It’s a sound he knows intimately: the frightened whimper of a child, so soft it might be mistaken for the wheeze of a ventilator or the murmur of a distant alarm. The instinct that’s shaped his life—chief of Paediatrics surgery, attending, healer—takes hold. He bends down, kisses Haeun’s hair and settles her gently beside you, trusting that if there’s any place in the world she’ll sleep soundly, it’s pressed between her parents, even if one is only there in body. Quiet as a shadow, Jaemin moves through the corridor, following the faint cry, heart beating harder with every step. The sound shivers through the ICU’s hush, growing clearer, a child’s voice, a heartbreak he can’t ignore. He follows it through the maze of monitors and draped beds, letting instinct guide him, ready to kneel beside whatever lost little soul the night has brought to his care.

Jaemin slips into the quiet pulse of the pediatric floor, footsteps echoing down the half-lit corridor where night nurses murmur and monitors cast pools of blue light on the waxed linoleum. He’s done this a hundred times before, found the hiding places, soothed the shivering kids: that girl with the feeding tube who barricaded herself in the playroom closet, the tiny heart patient who spent an hour beneath the folding cot, sobbing because her mother missed a visit. There’s always some corner, under the mural bench, behind the blanket cart, wedged into the shadow behind the vending machine, where frightened children think adults won’t find them. As he follows the faint, uneven whimper, Jaemin slows, instinct sharp. He pauses beside the laundry alcove, listens, and the sound grows, a muffled gasp, a ragged hiccup. He peers behind a basket and freezes, heart jolting.

Curled behind the cart, knees drawn up, is the boy from the shore, his hair wild, shirt stained and too big, skinny legs poking from beneath a scratchy hospital blanket. For a moment Jaemin stands motionless, mind scrambling to believe. The boy’s fingers clench something tight against his chest, Haeun’s bunny charm, worn and streaked with brine, the one Jaemin tucked into the boy’s palm on that hellish evening. Jaemin’s jaw works silently as he crouches, voice gentle, not wanting to startle him. “Hey, bud,” he says softly, lowering himself to the floor. “How did you get here, huh? What happened, why are you crying? Where’s your Mummy and Daddy?”

The boy wipes his nose on the back of his hand, eyes red and swollen. “They’re not here. Not my real Mummy and Daddy. I have new ones, they got me after the water. But… but they yell at me. They said I cry too much, and I’m s’posed to be good, but I… I can’t stop missing my bunny, and you, and her.” His voice fractures, quavering on the edge of something old and hungry. “I sneaked out. I took the bus. A nice lady helped me find the hospital. I just wanted to see her again. I don’t want new parents. I want someone who likes when I cry. The nice lady went in the water for me… She died, didn’t she? It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault she’s gone.” The bunny charm shudders in his grip, his body shaking with each confession. The boy bites his lip, chin wobbling, eyes huge and glassy. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I wish I was good enough. She went in the water ‘cause of me. I just wanted my bunny. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Jaemin settles onto the cold tile beside the laundry cart, lowering himself until he’s eye level with the boy—no rush, no sudden movements, just the steady patience of someone who’s spent his whole life earning trust from children who flinch at every sound. He lets the boy see his hands, lets the silence stretch, then gently speaks. “Hey, little man, come here. Look at me.” He waits until the boy’s damp eyes flick up, wary and wide, before he continues. “I know you’re scared. I know it feels like the world’s gone all wrong, but what you just said? About it being your fault? It’s not true, sweetheart. She’s not gone. She’s still here, right in this hospital, and everyone who loves her is fighting for her—me, her family, you too. She isn’t dead. She’s fighting really hard, and we’re not giving up.”

He shuffles a bit closer, hands braced on his knees, voice warm and solid. “You didn’t do anything bad. You were scared and you needed help and someone to love you. That doesn’t make you naughty. It just means you’re a little boy who lost too much.” He nods at the bunny charm, watches the boy clutch it tighter. “You know, she’s my girlfriend. The bravest, kindest person I’ve ever met. She jumped in that water because you deserved help. She did it because she wanted you to know the world can be gentle, too, even when it’s loud and scary. That’s not your fault. Adults make choices. I promise you, she wanted to help you, just like I’d want someone to help my own little girl if she ever needed it.”

The boy sobs, trembling so hard his whole frame shakes, the bunny charm clutched to his fist like a lifeline. Jaemin bends close, his voice gentle but firm, wanting every word to settle in the boy’s heart without confusion. “Listen to me. She’s an adult, okay? She made her own decision to go into the water. That was her choice, not something you made her do. It’s never a child’s fault when grownups choose to help. She saw you needed someone and she decided to help because she’s brave and kind. None of this happened because of anything you did. It’s not your fault—do you hear me? Adults are responsible for their choices. You didn’t do anything wrong, and I promise you, you are not to blame for what happened at the beach.”

Jaemin’s tone drops, thick with emotion but steady as a rock. He touches the boy’s wrist, reassuring, strong. “You gotta understand this, okay? You can cry, you can be sad, you can even miss your bunny and want someone to come for you—none of that makes you a bad kid. It makes you brave. The world’s been unfair, but you’re never too much to love, and you’re ot the reason something bad happened. She was trying to show you how much you matter. That’s all.” He lets the words settle, watching the boy’s breathing slow, his lashes fluttering against flushed cheeks. Jaemin squeezes his hand, grounding him. “You got the charm? That means you’re both still fighting. So am I. You’re safe now, and I’m here for you, all right? Even if things have been scary and grownups weren’t kind, it stops here. With me.”

The boy’s sobs slow, breaths coming ragged and soft. Jaemin feels a sharp, painful longing—he wants to take this child away from all the shouting and cold, wants to fill his life with sunlight and quiet, but knows the world isn’t so simple. He strokes the boy’s back, murmuring. “You know, you can visit her if you want. Would you like that? I can take you right now, if you’re feeling brave.” The boy nods, small and shaky, gripping Jaemin’s hand as if it’s a lifeline. Together, they rise from the shadows of the laundry alcove, stepping into the light, into the uncertain hope that maybe, just maybe, not every good thing has to be lost to the dark.

Jaemin scoops the boy up gently, feeling the frailness of him. he’s light, barely heavier than Haeun was at two, bones thin beneath the oversized shirt. As they step into your hospital room, the hush of machines deepens; Haeun is curled beside you on the bed, lost in a tangled nap, thumb caught in her mouth and face pressed to your arm. Jaemin leans down, brushing your hair back, voice a low hush for the boy. “That’s Haeun, my daughter. You’re only a few months older than her. She’s big and strong because she’s had people to help her grow.” His eyes sweep over Haeun’s small, sturdy body, her round cheeks, the warmth of her skin, the healthy pink flush that only comes from a life wrapped in love. He sets the boy beside you, steadying him when he wobbles.

The boy stands on the cusp of the bed, fragile as spun glass, skin too pale beneath the sickroom lights, limbs folded inwards like a frightened fledgling. Something about him calls to mind a half-starved dove, a child too light for this world, wrists blue-shadowed, eyes soft and unsure, eyelashes fluttering down with every tremor in his chest. When he kneels beside you, it’s with the tentative grace of a little dancer, feet turned in, knees pressing close, as if even now he is trying not to take up more space than he deserves. There’s a balletic beauty in the awkwardness, he tucks his ankles neatly, sits so straight, but the charm in his fist quivers, the only anchor he trusts.

He looks at you, still as marble in your hospital bed, and for a moment, the fluorescent light catches in his hair like morning on a stage, shimmering as if he might take flight. “Miss…” His voice shivers, as fragile as the feathers that used to line his old crib. He squeezes the bunny charm so tightly the cord leaves marks on his palm, but he won’t let go, not even for his tears. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, voice breaking, so gentle, so painfully careful—an apology spun from longing and guilt. “Please wake up. You’re a good woman. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry I made you go in the water. I shouldn’t have cried about Bunny, I didn’t know you’d go in, I’m sorry I didn’t swim fast enough, I’m sorry I didn’t help. Please wake up.”

His words fall like confetti at a lonely parade, one after another, a litany of self-blame and tiny hopes. He wipes at his eyes with the knuckle of his hand, leaving little smears of salt and dirt along his cheekbones, and when he inhales, it’s so sharp, so birdlike, you fear his ribs might snap from the effort. He leans closer, pressing the bunny charm to your shoulder as though it might work a miracle if he believes hard enough. The dove-child, all bruised knees and ballet hands, bows his head against the sheets and weeps. silent, wracking sobs that sound like the flutter of wings trapped behind glass, begging for a kindness he’s never known, apologizing to a woman who might never hear him, pouring everything he has into the hope that she’ll return and teach him how to dance in the light again.

At the sound of quiet snuffling, Haeun stirs. Her eyes open wide and slow, sleepy confusion turning bright as she sees Jaemin, then flickers with surprise at the boy sitting so close. “Who dis, Dada?” she whispers, blinking.

Jaemin settles beside her, softening his voice so it settles in her chest like a comfort. “He’s a very good boy, baby. Someone Mama helped. He’s kind and he’s strong, just like you. Be gentle, okay? He’s our friend.”

Haeun sits up, blinking curiosity and kindness, her headband slipping sideways. “Hi, I’m Haeun. You wanna play? I got stickers, and Bunny, and… um, lots of snacks!” Her smile is a burst of sunlight in the sickroom, and the boy’s shy gaze lifts, drawn in by her easy warmth.

“My name’s Minjoon,” he says, barely above a whisper.

She giggles, offering her hand, tiny and sure, the way a child trusts. “Nice to meet you, Minjoon. I show you all my best things. You wanna see my ballet shoes?” Minjoon nods, unable to speak, gaze flitting between her sparkly headband and the dandelion fluff of her dress, yellow against the blue of his hospital gown, sun meeting sky, bright and bruised.

In moments, they’re a tangle of small legs and soft laughter on the floor, swapping stickers and stringing beads, Haeun’s easy chatter drawing Minjoon out until he forgets the world’s weight, at least for a little while. A quiet falls, but Haeun can’t bear the silence. She wriggles off the bed and tugs Minjoon gently by the wrist, showing him her sticker collection, he picks a dove, she picks a sunflower and in minutes they’ve started an imaginary game of “hospital parade,” parading around the bed on tiptoe, arms out like wings, laughing so softly you almost miss it. Minjoon’s slippers drag, his bones bird-light, but when Haeun flaps her arms, he copies, and soon they are two little dancers in the sickroom, the world shrinking to the square of sunlight and the hum of machines.

They drop to the floor, cross-legged, as Haeun empties her basket, bracelets, shiny buttons, a tiny bottle of glitter she calls “magic dust.” Minjoon’s trembling fingers hover, reverent, as Haeun presses treasures into his palm one by one. “This bracelet? Mama helped me make it when I got scared. It says ‘brave.’ And this one is for you, ‘cause you’re my friend.” Her words are a balm, her confidence a shield. Minjoon lets out a shaky giggle, surprised by how good it feels just to be noticed, to be given something without having to ask.

For a long time, they talk in secret languages, swapping stories, Haeun whispers how she’s learning ballet and Minjoon says he once watched dancers on a playground behind the fence at his old foster home, his eyes glassy with memory. “I tried to twirl but my shoes went flying,” he says, ducking his head.

Haeun gasps, “I fall all the time too!” They dissolve into laughter, kindred spirits in clumsy courage, each one making space for the other’s little hurts.

In the fading afternoon light, Haeun and Minjoon spin tiny, clumsy pirouettes for you, chins tipped high, arms outstretched, two little doves in yellow and blue, wobbly and beaming, their laughter sharp with hope. Haeun tugs Minjoon close and declares, “When Mama wakes up, we’ll show her our best twirls. She’ll clap and say we’re the best in the world. You’re my best friend, Minjoonie. You can stay with us forever if you want.” She means it, in the fierce, uncompromising way children do.

Minjoon’s eyes shine with tears, but he smiles, shy and crooked, and squeezes Bunny tight, the two of them curling up side by side beneath your hand as if you could anchor them to the earth by warmth alone. Haeun pets his hair, whispers a lullaby you used to sing, and Jaemin feels the room pulse with love so thick it aches. He settles in a chair, one hand stroking your hair, the other wiping his eyes, watching these two lost kids find a pocket of safety in the storm. His voice is a breath against your temple, a promise, a prayer. “Look at them, love. Our girl and this boy, they found each other because of you. I hope you can see this. I hope you know what you’ve done for both of them. You made a place where they’re safe.” The air thickens, tenderness and ache mingling, hope sparking off the barest touch of your hand.

As the afternoon grows softer, Minjoon’s gaze wanders to Haeun’s Bunny. He swallows, reaching out, fingers trembling as he traces the soft ear. “I lost my bunny,” he murmurs, voice small. “My dada threw it away. I only ever had one.”

Haeun’s eyes go wide, round, brimming with immediate understanding. “Oh, you can have mine!” she blurts, shoving Bunny into his hands before he can protest. “I got millions and millions of bunnies at home. Mama always gives me more. It’s okay, really! Bunny likes to have new friends.” Minjoon hesitates, but Haeun insists, patting his hand with all the certainty of a child who knows her heart is boundless. “Keep Bunny. Now you’re my best friend. Mama would say that’s the bravest thing, sharing what you love most.”

Jaemin’s chest aches with pride and something older, something almost like hope. He threads his fingers through your hair and whispers, “This—this is the world you made. Please, come back to it.” The world narrows to this fragile, perfect circle: your little girl, the lonely boy you saved, hope tucked between their small bodies, a family of your making, waiting for the miracle of you.

Night wraps the hospital in its blue-black hush, empty corridors carrying only the echo of distant alarms and the slow, glacial tick of a clock that’s been counting down since the day you vanished beneath the waves. Your room feels colder now, days stretched into weeks, sunlight and hope thinning in tandem. Jaemin sits by your bedside, hands splayed over yours, his thumb tracing the faded crescent where your promise ring used to rest, tears wetting the bandage at your wrist. The air is thick with the aftertaste of things unsaid, a heavy, briny silence. The world outside carries on, Haeun visits, your father’s voice shakes as he tells stories about your stubborn childhood, Minjoon leaves scribbled notes and wilted clovers on the windowsill but here, inside the thin, sanitized walls of this room, time has coiled and curdled. The abyss yawns wide and Jaemin feels himself standing at its edge, clutching your hand, begging for something, anything, to pull you back.

He’s in denial, haunted by your absence, shoving back the certainty every time a doctor says the same thing, gentle and implacable: If she doesn’t wake up in the next forty-eight hours, we have to talk about withdrawal of care. The phrase tolls in his ears, an executioner’s bell, the final countdown to an ending he cannot, will not, accept. For hours he sits hunched, his stubble rough, eyes red, watching the flutter of your eyelids for the thousandth time, speaking as if every word might tether your soul to his. “I’m not angry at you, love,” he whispers, breath hitching. “I’m not disappointed. You haven’t failed us. There’s only love, you hear me? Even if you… even if you let go. There’s only love. There always was.” He kisses the back of your limp hand, breathes in the memory of your shampoo on the pillow. “I’d choose you again. I’d choose you a thousand times, even knowing it would hurt like this. Please. Please come back. I need you. Haeun needs you. You promised, remember? I’m still here. I’m still yours. I’ll never stop.”

He lowers his head, shoulders trembling, and for a moment he cries soundlessly, tears soaking the cotton cuff at your wrist. Outside, a storm rattles the window, thunder pressed against the glass like the heavy footfalls of all his doubt, all the darkness he tried to outrun. In the quiet, he mutters apologies, “I’m sorry for every time I shut you out. I’m sorry I doubted. I’m sorry I made you think you were alone. You never were. Never.” His thumb draws endless circles over your pulse, refusing to let you drift away.

Then, a shudder beneath his palm. Your hand twitches, a moth in the dark, then again, slow and uncertain. Jaemin jerks upright, frozen between hope and terror. Your eyelids flutter, lashes trembling, and the world tilts off its axis. He holds his breath. Please, please, let it be real. Your mouth opens, a broken gasp. You choke on the first inhale, air raw as glass. A shudder runs through your whole body, distant, underwater, everything blurred at the edges. Shadows twist behind your eyes, the black swan that stalked your sleep finally shredded, wings tattered and sinking beneath the parasite’s tide. The world is color, noise and pain, white lights, voices, a body that aches all over, the taste of metal on your tongue. Your fingers clutch at the sheet, at his hand.

“Jaemin?” Your voice cracks, hoarse, lost. “Where am I? Why does it hurt?” Your gaze drags over tubes, beeping lines, the impossible bloat of weeks spent asleep. You start to panic, muscles spasming, breath shivering wild and uneven.

Jaemin nearly sobs, relief knocking the wind from his chest, but he swallows it down, hands already moving to check your pupils, fingers gentle but trembling as he says your name again and again. “Hey, hey, look at me, baby. You’re awake. Oh my god, you’re awake.” He checks your pulse, your oxygen, the IV, heart thundering as he rattles off numbers and cues like a mantra, neuro checks, airway, circulation, respond to voice because even now, he’s a doctor first and your husband second and the two roles twist together in his terror.

The room fills with voices, nurses flooding in, the crash of code blue fading away, someone shouting for Dr. Huang. Jaemin leans in, hands framing your face, tears streaking his cheeks, and when you look up at him, dazed and blinking, he says, “You’re safe. You were in an accident. You saved a little boy. You… you drowned, sweetheart. You’ve been asleep a long time. We missed you. I missed you so much. I love you, I love you, I love you.” He kisses your forehead, cheeks, lips, desperate and frantic and worshipful, every touch a prayer.

You start to cry, apologies tumbling, hands shaking. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I wanted to come back. I didn’t mean to—”

He cuts you off with another kiss, thumb smearing tears from your eyes. “Don’t. No more apologies. None of this is your fault. You’re here, that’s enough. That’s all I ever wanted.” Your breaths are ragged, your chest aches, but the sound of his voice steadies you, holding you on the knife edge between agony and grace.

He tells you everything—about Haeun, about the boy, about the hospital vigils and the fights and the days he spent counting your breaths, about the world that stopped turning and is just now spinning again. You listen, shattered and remade, as he confesses all the ways he loves you, all the things he forgave before you even left, all the faith he placed in you to survive. His lips roam over your knuckles, your jaw, your throat, his voice a rasped litany of need. “You’re my whole world, love. My best girl. My forever. Don’t leave me again, please. I can’t do it. I need you. Haeun needs you. We need you to stay.”

You tangle your fingers in his, your tears hot, and manage a laugh, a sob, a promise. “I’m here, baby. I’m yours. I’m not going anywhere.” He pulls you up, wraps you in the only arms that have ever truly felt like home, and the world sharpens, color bleeding back into the black-and-white edges of your fear. He kisses you over and over, frantic, as if he can breathe you all the way back to life, and when you whisper I love you, I love you, I love you, it’s the first true dawn you’ve tasted since the sea swallowed you whole.

Your first breaths hurt as much as waking, a knife edge of air sawing at your lungs, every muscle shaking, salt and sorrow caught under your tongue. The world’s too bright, his face blurred by tears. Your voice cracks and stumbles, thick with all the weight of what you remember. “It’s my fault,” you rasp, hot tears slipping free. “All of it. Haeun got sick because I messed up her medicine, I know I did. I was so fucking stupid. I should’ve checked again and again. And the beach, I knew it wasn’t safe, but I did it anyway, and look what happened. I ruined everything, Jaemin. Everything.” Your voice breaks down into sobs, your body curled small on the sheets, each ragged apology scraping up the last of your strength. “Haeun… the boy… you—everyone would be better off if I’d just stayed away. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I ruined everything, I lost everything, I—”

Jaemin’s hands seize your shoulders, his grip fierce, jaw tight with a heartbreak that’s sharp enough to cut through any lie you’ve told yourself. “No. No, baby, you listen to me. Look at me.” He tilts your face up, his own eyes storming with love and rage and desperate conviction. “None of this is your fault. Not a single thing. I know you, I know you would never be careless with Haeun, with anyone. You didn’t make a mistake with the medicine. My lawyer, his name’s Mr. Kang, he found the proof. There’s CCTV from the park, baby, the afternoon you thought you got it wrong. Nahyun slipped something into the bottle. She poisoned Haeun, not you. You never did anything wrong. Not one damn thing. And as for the water? You did it out of the good of your heart, there was never any ill intention. You did what you always do, what I fell in love with, jumping in, giving everything, never thinking of yourself. That’s who you are. You don’t get to blame yourself for being brave. If you hadn’t gone in, he’d think that no one cared or would fight for him. And if you think for a second I’d let you carry this alone—” He chokes on it, voice raw. “You’re not alone. I won’t let you be. I’ve already made sure Nahyun and Aseul will never get near you or Haeun again. Legal, security, police, everything. I don’t want to get into the details right now, I want you safe, I want you breathing, but you’re never going to have to look over your shoulder again. You and our daughter are safe. I promise.”

His thumb strokes tears from your cheek, tracing every crack in the dam that’s broken inside you. “While you were gone, everyone came. Jeno and his whole family, Karina, Donghyuck, Mark, Areum, even little Chaeun. The whole hospital, your friends, my parents, your dad and your aunt, they never left your side. Minjoon comes to visit every day. The nurses brought you flowers and the kids left you drawings and wishes. I… I couldn’t sleep. I held your hand for hours. Haeun cried herself sick for you every night, but she kept telling everyone, ‘My mama’s gonna wake up. My mama’s magic, she always comes home.’ I never let go of that, not once, even when they told me to say goodbye. I’m sorry the last thing we did was fight. I’m sorry I let you leave angry. I should’ve run after you, I should’ve held you tighter. That’s my regret, not yours. I’m never letting you walk out like that again, you hear me?” He kisses your forehead, your mouth, your eyelids, trembling, nearly frantic with relief and longing.

“I love you, I love you, I love you. You’re everything good in my life. I forgive you, for everything and nothing, because you don’t need forgiveness. You need to know you’re loved, you’re home, you’re safe. I want you here with me, with Haeun, with all of us who need you so fucking much it hurts. Please, don’t ever leave like that again. Please, don’t ever think you ruined anything. You saved all of us. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” He buries his face in your hair, tears hot against your skin, and for the first time since you drowned, the world feels like it might spin on, soft and blinding and brand new.

You lift your trembling hand to Jaemin’s cheek, needing the anchor of his warmth against your palm, and your voice breaks open in a whisper that sounds like prayer. “How’s my baby?”

At once his eyes soften, every hard edge gentling as though the question itself is a lullaby. “She’s thriving,” he says, and his words pour over you like sunrise. “Her last echo looked flawless, the truncus repair is holding, the gradients are perfect. She runs laps around the unit with her toy stethoscope, sings to every nurse, and scolds the monitors when they beep too loud. She wakes up asking for you and goes to sleep whispering ‘Mama loves me all the way to Jupiter.’ She giggles herself breathless, eats Pops’ rice cakes, and then dances the calories right back out, her oxygen sats stay in the high nineties, her cheeks stay pink, her scar fades a little more every week. Every heartbeat, every skip, every silly ballet twirl—is because you never stopped fighting for her. You gave her a world that doesn’t hurt to breathe in, and she knows it.” He presses a reverent kiss to your knuckles. “Your sunshine is shining brighter than ever, and she can’t wait to crawl up here and show you how strong she’s become.”

You exhale a ragged breath that feels like releasing the sea, and another question tumbles out before you can stop it. “What happened to the boy?”

Jaemin’s mouth curves into a smile so tender it makes your chest ache all over again. “He came to see you, you know,” he murmurs, eyes shining with the quiet weight of marvel. “He snuck past three reception desks, convinced two interns to lend him bus fare, and bribed a security guard with half-melted candy just to peek into your room. He sat in the hallway for hours, hugging his bunny, whispering that he needed to be sure that the ‘nice lady’ wasn’t just a dream. He drew you pictures, whole oceans and bright yellow suns, taping them to the door so you would see them the moment your eyes opened. He asked every passing nurse if you’d woken, calling them ‘captain’ and ‘mister stethoscope’ and thanking them for keeping you safe.” Jaemin’s fingers tighten around yours, and tears glitter on his lashes as he finishes the story the only way it can end. “His name,” he says, voice thick but sure, “is Minjoon.”

Your head tips back into the soft dip of Jaemin’s shoulder, his arm a shield around your ribs, every word between you stitched close and quiet as if afraid to wake the world outside your little hospital nest. You trace the veins on the back of his hand, voice low, raw with yearning, “He really did all that, baby? Snuck in here, made the nurses his crew, brought me the whole sea?”

Jaemin lets out a gentle laugh, the sound trembling at the edges, and squeezes your hand like he’s anchoring you both. “He did, angel. He told one of the interns he was on a treasure hunt, said the only thing that mattered was finding you, and he’d walk forever if that’s what it took. He called the security guard ‘Admiral’ and said he’d trade all his candy for just one look at you. He kept his picture of you safe in his sock, and said he wouldn’t let it out of his sight.”

You close your eyes, picturing it, Minjoon’s skinny legs dangling from some plastic waiting room chair, bunny tucked to his heart, all that hope wound tight as a sailor’s knot. “Was he scared, Jaemin? Did he look lost?”

Jaemin’s voice softens to a hush. “He was scared, but he was braver. Sat right outside the room and drew picture after picture—oceans, boats, suns, you with a big, shining halo. Every time a nurse checked in, he’d ask if you smiled yet, if you remembered him, if you’d be lonely if he left.” He pauses, throat tight, then adds, “He told me—dead serious—that you saved him first, so now it was his turn to bring you home.”

You swallow hard, throat tight, vision swimming as you clutch Jaemin’s hand. Your voice trembles, barely more than a whisper, raw and hungry. “Where is he now, baby? Did he—did he come today? Is he close? I wanna see him.” You blink against the tears that won’t stop, pressing your palm to your mouth like you could hold all the longing in.

Jaemin lets out a long, quiet sigh, his thumb rubbing slow circles over your wrist, the truth weighing heavy in the hush between heartbeats. “I haven’t seen him in a few days,” he admits, voice low, sadness rippling underneath. “Not since the last time he left that picture at the door. He drew a sun, a boat and your name in shaky letters. He always said he’d be back, but…” He trails off, gaze distant, his hand gripping yours tighter as if he can anchor you both through the ache. “He’s out there, love. I know he’s looking for his way home.”

You draw a slow breath, steadying the tremor in your ribs as you lift one hand to swipe the tears from your lashes, fingertips lingering at your cheek to remind yourself that you can still feel the warmth, then you trail those same fingers to Jaemin’s hair, weaving through the dark strands while you lean your forehead to his and pour every ounce of aching hope into a whisper meant only for him, the words spilling soft and molten between your mouths as you promise to keep breathing even while your heart thunders for the boy who has vanished into the city’s sprawl, and in the quiet after that vow you turn the compass of your mind toward the light of your baby girl because thinking of her is a sunrise that never fails, a sugar-sweet tide that washes the salt of sorrow clean, and you picture the way her curls smell of strawberry shampoo and sun-warm cotton, the way her pudgy arms wrap around your neck with fierce determination, her sleepy murmur of “Mama loves me whole sky” puffing against your collarbone, the way her breath catches on a giggle whenever you kiss the soft hollow beneath her chin where dreams seem to hide, and the memory ignites something steady and luminous inside your chest that refuses to crack no matter how wide the grief yawns.

You let the image grow, tasting the cotton-candy lilt of her voice as she calls for you at dawn, feeling the flutter of her tiny hand patting your cheek as she insists that pancakes must wear blueberry hats, remembering the rhythmic rise of her belly against yours during afternoon naps when she fits into the curve of your body like she was carved from your own shadow, and the thought becomes a tether stronger than IV lines or stitched wounds, drawing you through the sterile hush of the ward toward a tomorrow where she will be tucked beneath your chin again, whispering secrets about brave circles and night-light hearts, and you speak into the space between Jaemin’s breaths, a vow woven of silk and iron, telling him you will heal fast and true so you can gather her into your arms, press your ear to her chest to hear the miracle thrum of her repaired heart, cover her eyelids with kisses until she laughs that tinkling laugh that fills rooms brighter than lamplight, because that future, that chorus of cuddles and feather-soft words, is the map that guides you out of every storm and back into the endless, tender gravity of motherhood.

You turn your head, dizzy and battered by the brightness, reaching for him through blurred tears. Your fingers tangle in Jaemin’s hair, thumb brushing his cheek as you draw him close, your lips meeting him in a kiss that’s soft and trembling, full of desperate gratitude and all the apologies you can’t yet find words for. His hands cup your jaw, returning the kiss with every promise he made at your bedside, his breath hitching with a laugh that breaks into another wave of tears. You can barely breathe because of the ache in your chest, but you manage to whisper, “Where’s my baby?” The words are thick and slurred, your mind still fogged by fever, coma and the nearness of death, but the need is fierce, urgent, a mother’s anchor, pulling you back into the world.

Your fingertips skim the stubble along his jaw, as though touch alone could steady the spin of the world, yet hunger for your daughter throbs louder than the monitor at your bedside. “Jaemin, please, I need her. I need our baby girl. I just—” your voice cracks, raw and small, “—I just want to hold her, I want to feel her curls on my neck, hear her say ‘Mama’ again. I miss her so much. I can’t do this without her, I really can’t. Please bring her, I don’t care if I’m a mess or if the nurses get mad, just bring her to me. I need her in my arms, I need to see her face, right now. Please, baby, I just want my girl. I want her with me. I miss her so much it hurts.”

Jaemin lifts his head, eyes still shining, and nods toward the glass wall. “Look.” Your gaze shifts, unsteady, to the hallway beyond. There’s Haeun, your little sunshine, hair wild and bunny charm jangling on her collar, nestled into the crook of your father’s arm. He crouches beside her, the two of them kneeling over a coloring book spread open on the tile, your dad pointing at a picture with gentle pride. Haeun is chattering, cheeks pink, showing him every sticker and every scribbled line. Your heart twists at the sight—her papa, her new world, the bond that bloomed in your absence. Jaemin smiles softly. “They’ve gotten close, those two. She loves her pops. Won’t do anything without him now. She even got him to braid Bunny’s ears this morning. She’s okay, love. She really is.”

He draws a slow breath, thumb rubbing a gentle circle over your wrist as he continues, letting the memory fill the silence between your heartbeats. “I was so nervous, you know? I thought maybe she’d be scared, or shy, or maybe she’d think he was a stranger. The first day, she hid behind my leg, clutching Bunny so hard her knuckles turned white, but he sat right down on the floor, opened up his wallet and showed her a photo of you when you were little. He told her, ‘See? That’s your Mama, Haeun. When she was just your age. She loved yellow even then. She was always making things, always smiling. Just like you.’ And I watched her melt, just like that, our sunshine soaking up a new kind of warmth she’d never had before.”

Every day since, you can picture it: your father waiting for her in the mornings with a mug of tea and an old photo album, Haeun crawling onto his knee before she’s even said hello. He let her brush his hair, tried to braid hers (badly, but she laughed), and told her stories about your first dance recital, your first fever, the way you used to stomp your feet when you were upset. She hung on every word. She started calling him ‘Papa’ on her own, no one told her, she just did it, like she was claiming a lost part of herself and tucking it into the space you left behind. At bedtime, she’d curl up in his arms, dragging your cardigan with her, and he’d hum lullabies so quietly only the two of them could hear. Sometimes he’d trace her palm, mapping out the family lines, telling her, “You have your Mama’s hands, see? That’s how I know you’re strong.”

When the night terrors came and she woke sobbing for you, it was your father who carried her through the dark, sitting on the porch steps with her bundled tight against his chest, promising her the sun would rise and Mama would come home, and that it was okay to be scared, he’d been scared too, so many times, and it didn’t make her any less brave. Some afternoons she’d follow him through the house, chattering, drawing pictures to show you, holding his finger with sticky hands as they made soup or watered the plants together. He kept every one of her crayon notes, tucked them in his shirt pocket, showed them off to the nurses, beaming with a pride so fierce it made Jaemin’s eyes sting.

Jaemin’s voice goes softer, lower, tracing the last few weeks in a way that calms the storm in your veins. “She trusts him, love. He’s the only one who could make her eat when she was too sad, the only one who could get her to nap, the only one she let braid her hair without a fuss. She tells him all her secrets, all her aches, just like she does with you. It’s been… good, in a way I didn’t know we needed. She’s found pieces of you in him, and he’s found pieces of you in her. They’re both healing, together, even when I couldn’t do it myself. I think you’d be proud of them.”

You breathe in, feeling the hush settle over the room, eyes fixed on the shape of your daughter leaning into her grandfather, her face pressed close to his heart as he traces a picture with her. It’s all there, the love, the gentleness, the hard-won trust, as steady as the light washing through the window. It soothes you, stitches something broken back together. You know now, whatever happens, she was safe in your absence, wrapped in arms that learned to love from the same place you did, anchored by a history that will always, always belong to her.

You soak it in, overwhelmed by the ordinary miracle of them, by the way sunlight sets fire to every strand of Haeun’s hair, painting it gold, the curve of her nose scrunched in focus, her lips pursed in a perfect pout as she peels up a stubborn sticker. Her cheeks are flushed with that apple-bright, wild color, dusted pink at the tip and slick with the sheen of tears that never really left. Her nose twitches when she laughs, a soft snuffling sound, and every so often she presses the tip of her finger to her mouth, brow furrowed, humming quietly as she considers her art. The fullness of her mouth, always a little sticky from breakfast, is parted in concentration, tongue peeking at the corner, the picture of fierce innocence. Your father’s hand is a shield against her back, his palm spanning almost her whole torso, thumb tracing absentminded circles whenever her shoulders hitch or she gets too wiggly. Haeun leans into him. trust so instinctive she barely notices it, chin tucked, mouth parted, breath coming in hiccupy little bursts as she babbles stories only he can hear. She lifts her face every few seconds to nuzzle his sleeve, her nose smushing into the soft cotton, eyes fluttering closed for a second before she’s distracted again by a sticker, a doodle, a story she needs to tell.

When Jaemin’s voice trails off, Haeun’s lashes flick up—dark and wet, curling over cheeks that are still plump with babyhood and her gaze scans the glass, wide and blinking, confused for a heartbeat. Her mouth opens, a tiny o of disbelief, and then the shock bursts into life: her eyes swell impossibly round, her lips quiver, and a squeal so piercing and pure it rattles the air peals through the corridor. “Mama! Mama’s awake! Mama! Mama!” The sound is bright and bubbling, tumbling over itself, a giggle and a sob knotted together. She flings the coloring book sideways, stickers raining in a blizzard across the tile. Her slippers squeak-slap as she careens down the hall, one ear of Bunny dragging from her collar, mouth open in an ecstatic, unstoppable wail.

She crashes against you, face buried in your neck, tears soaking your gown. She’s shaking, laughing, sobbing all at once, her arms locked around your ribs as if she could glue you back together by sheer will. “Mama, Mama, Mama!” Her voice is hiccuping, her whole body trembling with joy. “I knew it! I knew you’d come back! I told Bunny every night, Mama always comes home, Mama is magic, Mama just sleeping, Bunny said so—” She’s babbling, hands everywhere—cupping your cheeks, tracing your eyebrows, pressing frantic kisses to your face, your collarbone, every inch of skin she can reach. “You’re real, you’re here, I missed you, I missed you, you’re the prettiest, best Mama ever, I be good, I be brave, I ate all my medicine and I took care of Bunny and I cuddled with Pops and I love you, Mama, I love you, don’t go, never go again—” Her words dissolve into giggles, then into tears again, her little chest heaving, curls sticking to her forehead. She strokes your face with sticky fingers, her eyes shining with a wonder so fierce it’s nearly painful. “You woke up just for me, right? You love me the most, right? Say it, Mama. Say it loud so my heart can hear!”

“Forever and always, my sunshine,” you manage, voice cracking open under the weight of love. “I love you most,” you repeat, louder this time so the promise drifts straight into her listening chest. You clutch her close, hands fisted in the back of her yellow dress, your own tears hot and new as you rock her, as if you could undo all the nights she spent waiting, as if you could pour every drop of love she lost right back into her chest. Jaemin kneels beside you, arms wrapped around both your trembling bodies, pressing his lips to the crown of Haeun’s head and then to yours, and for a heartbeat, in the middle of machines and monitors and every ache you ever thought would swallow you whole, you are anchored again by the weight and warmth of your girl, by her voice in your ear, by the impossible hope that brought you back from the dark.

Haeun is a sunburst in motion, tiny legs pinwheeling as she scoots higher on your lap, knees knocking against your ribs, bunny charm jingling like a bell. Her butter-yellow dress rides up to reveal pudgy calves the color of warm milk. Every part of her is busy: tiny toes curling, bunny charm chiming at her collarbones, curls flying like spun sugar. She jumps up and down in your lap with a soft pomf, then launches into a flurry of butterfly-kisses, the tip of your nose, your apple-round cheek, the soft sweep beneath your eye, breathless “mwah-mwah-mwah” sounds tumbling between giggles. Her mouth is a glossy strawberry heart, tongue poking between baby teeth as she breathlessly reports, “Mama, Nurse Hana gave me two sparkly stickers ’cause Dr. Huang said my heart goes boom-boom-BAM super strong!” Tiny fingers, warm, still faintly sticky with syrup, press to your sternum, then pat her own chest, marveling at the echo of life thumping beneath both sets of ribs. Her eyelashes, black and velvety, sweep her brows each time she blinks, and her button nose scrunches with theatrical awe.

Jaemin kneels beside the bed, arms curling around both of you, his lips finding the crown of Haeun’s head before pressing, reverent and shaking, to your temple. The three of you form a trembling constellation—his steady heartbeat against your shoulder blade, her tiny pulse thrumming under your palm, your own heart finally slotting back into its rhythm because their bodies are here, warm and solid, anchoring you to the earth. She tilts her head, curls brushing your collarbone, and in that hush between two heartbeats you feel the universe rearrange: every missed bedtime, every prayer whispered into stale hospital air, every throb of fear that you would never wake is gathered up and traded for this single, searing truth—your baby girl is real, alive, and loving you with all the reckless ferocity her tiny body can hold. Tears slip down your face, and she catches them on sticky fingertips, smearing salt across your lips as she giggles, “Mama’s tears taste like rainbows.” You laugh through the ache, tasting springtime and hope, thinking yes, maybe they do, because for the first time since the dark water closed over your head the world is blooming again, bright and impossible, carried inside the heartbeat of the child who never stopped believing that you would come home.

Before you can answer she’s off again, words tripping over each other like marbles on tile. “And—and Papa braided Bunny ears, but Papa’s fingers silly, and Pops maked pancakes shaped like stars. Oh and Mama! Dr. Huang said next week I can twirl in ballet class again, really-truly, so I practiced pliés with Pops and Bunny but my tutu went whoosh—” She demonstrates, bouncing twice on you; her curls bounce too, casting cinnamon shadows across her round, satin-soft cheeks.

She launches into a full-body plié, knees bending, bottom tucked, arms flung wide, until you gasp, a sharp breath you can’t hide, pain flaring where IV lines tug and healing ribs protest. Instantly she freezes, eyes rounding like spilled marbles, curls settling in soft ringlets against her flushed cheeks. You gather her nearer, one arm cradling the warm curve of her back, the other hand smoothing the skirt of her dress.

Jaemin’s steady palm lands between her shoulder blades. “Easy, baby. Mama’s still hurting,” he murmurs, caution wrapped in devotion.

Haeun’s whole body pauses; she straightens like a toy soldier, lower lip wobbling. “Sorry, Dada… ’scuse me, Mama,” she breathes, lids drooping, bunny ears drooping, the word sorry puffing out like the tiniest white cloud. “Mama, did I squish your owie?” Her fingertips trace invisible circles over your gown, feather-light.

You press a kiss to the crown of her head, whispering, “Just a little sting, my love. Mama’s body’s still waking up.” You feel her soften against you, heartbeat drumming quick apologies, but the sparkle in her eyes refuses to dim; even in your arms she gives a tiny, whisper-quiet twirl, content now to dance in place where she can feel the rise and fall of your breath beneath her palms.

Haeun nestles closer, eyes flicking to the heart-rate monitor that still flickers beside you. She traces one tiny finger along the glowing numbers, then ducks her head, cheeks blooming rose-petal pink. “Mama, I’m sorry for my big hallway yell when I saw you was awake,” she whispers, voice hushed as if the machine might scold her. “I know hospitals like teeny-tiny voices.” She presses her finger to her lips—shh!—then confesses in a syrupy rush. “I just got too happy—my mouth ran faster than my brain.” The confession is punctuated by a sheepish sniffle and a shy peek through her lashes; she presses a solemn kiss to your forearm as penance before finishing, half-giggled, half-contrite: “Next time I’ll keep my happy in a whisper jar but it’s super hard ’cause my whisper jar is leaky.”

You cup her moon-bright face, brushing a kiss to her plush lower lip, tasting strawberry toothpaste and all the hope you almost lost. “Don’t be sorry, my angel girl,” you murmur, pressing another kiss to the tiny pulse fluttering at her temple. “Your excitement is my favorite medicine.”

Encouraged, she surges forward again, arms flung around your neck, her heartbeat a hummingbird against your throat. “I just so ’cited, Mama, ’cause my heart’s strong and I’m gonna dance and you waked up and everything’s shiny again!” Her words spill like confetti while her hands roam, patting your shoulders, smoothing your hair, counting your freckles as if taking inventory of a miracle returned. You breathe her in—soap, syrup, sun—and let her chatter swirl around you, every syllable stitching you tighter to the life you almost surrendered.

You press your lips to the silky whorl at her crown, inhaling sunshine, syrup, and the faint powdery scent of crayon wax. Then you guide her small feet into your lap, cupping each pink-socked “ballet toe” as though it were porcelain. “These brave feet will pirouette across galaxies,” you murmur, massaging the arches the way her teacher taught you, easing the phantom ache of months in bed. She watches, rapt, cheeks blooming peach-rose, lashes trembling while you flex her ankle, demi-pointe, full pointe, whispering the French names so softly they feel like spells. When you brush the pad of your thumb beneath her toes she giggles, bright as chimes, and you tilt your forehead to hers, nose to button nose, both of you breathing the same warm breath. “I promise,” you vow, eyes stinging, “the very first day you dance again, Mama will be in the front row, cheering so loud the stars hear us.”

Her dimple deepens; tears gleam on her lower lashes. “Then I’ll dance extra twirly so the music keeps your heart awake.” She lays one palm over your sternum, as though tuning the rhythm herself. Haeun’s dimple pops, but instead of another giggle her bottom lip juts forward, eyes going glassy as she traces a sleepy circle over your sternum. “Mama,” she sighs, lashes sweeping her cheeks, “I wanna dance with Minjoonie.” The name tumbles out like a secret marble, and you draw a soft breath, surprise flaring in your chest. She catches the sound, eyes widening, curls bouncing. “Oh! Mama! You know who Minjoonie is, right?”

Her voice climbs, bright with amazement. “He’s such a sweet baby boy—so cute, listens real good, holds Bunny the right way so his ears don’t drag.” She scoots closer, knees bumping your ribs, eager to spill every detail. “One night when you were still sleepy-snow, I was walkin’ the hallway with Pops, my heart felt all droopy, then Minjoonie peeked from behind the water fountain. He asked if I wanted a jelly bean, ‘cause he said jelly beans chase the scary dreams away. We traded colors, yellow for blue, then he showed me how to do a spin-spin slide on the shiny floor tiles. We twirled right by the big clock, three whole circles! He bowed, I curtsied, we clapped for our own show, and he said, ‘Your tutu is invisible, but I see it sparkle.’” She pauses, sniffing, curls drooping. “But then he waved goodbye. He said he had to go back on an adventure bus. He never came back, Mama, and I keep savin’ my extra jelly bean for him.”

Your heart folds in on itself, tender and aching, and you brush her damp curls back, kissing the soft spot just above her brow. “Maybe he’s still on that adventure bus, Sunshine. Maybe he’s following the map of our hearts to find his way back to us.” She considers this, tiny teeth worrying her bottom lip, then nods with solemn hope. Together you lift your linked hands, her sticky fingers tucked inside yours and press them over your joined hearts, a secret mother-daughter ritual born in the lonely hours of hospital nights.

She leans forward until your noses touch, whispering, “Wish time, Mama.” You both close your eyes, breath mingling, and trade hushed wishes against each other’s cheeks: hers a soft, earnest plea for Minjoonie to come twirl again; yours a vow that the next time his brave feet reach this ward, he’ll never leave without knowing he’s home. When you open your eyes, her pout has gentled into a hopeful curve, and she plants a kiss right over your pulse. “That’s our wish glue,” she murmurs, voice drowsy with belief. “Now the wind can’t blow it away.” You hug her close, letting the magic settle, two hearts, one wish, waiting for the boy who made the hallway a ballroom and left a jelly-bean spot open in both your hands.

You gather her close, palms spanning the sturdier stretch of her back, and lift just enough to feel the new heft of her body. “Look at you, baby,” you breathe, awe brushing every word. “You feel so strong now.” Your fingers map the subtle weight along her legs, no more bird-thin wobble, only soft muscle beneath fleece leggings and the warmth of her skin pulses steady and sure against your own. Her cheeks glow a healthy peach, dimples flashing like pocket-suns when she smiles; not a hint of that old dusky tint lingers. You rest a hand over her ribs, rising and falling in gentle, even tides and marvel how she’s not huffing for breath, just giggling, curls tickling your nose as she bumps her forehead to yours. Her heartbeat drums confident and clear beneath your palm, a tiny, jubilant metronome that steadies yours in turn. She tugs your hair with syrup-sticky fingers, eyes crescent-bright, and you press a kiss to her temple—skin warm, alive—and whisper a silent thank-you to every miracle that stitched her whole.

Jaemin’s voice thickens behind you. “Her EF is up to sixty-five percent,” he says, barely above a heartbeat, pride and disbelief braided in every syllable. “No regurgitation on the latest Doppler, BNP normal and steady. Huang called it a textbook recovery, and said he hasn’t seen numbers like this in a kid her age since fellowship.” His hand slips around your shoulders; you feel the tremor he hides, the breath he steals, watching his two miracles folded together. You anchor Haeun’s feet against your ribs, kiss each tiny toe, and she squeals and bounces, flinging her arms around your neck. “Careful,” Jaemin warns, voice breaking on a laugh-sob

She only nestles closer, whispering against your ear, “My heart’s dancing, Mama, now your heart has to dance, too.” And with Jaemin’s tears dripping warm onto your hair and your own tears glistening on her curls, you realize it already is.

But joy always drags its shadow behind it. Mid-giggle Haeun freezes, like a music-box ballerina whose spring has jammed, dimples flattening as recognition punches through delight. A ragged little ahh slips out; then her shoulders quake, tears ballooning on lashes so long they kiss her brows. They fall in fat, glassy beads, splashing the hospital gown where her cherry-glossed lips earlier left kissy prints. “I thought you leaved f-forever, Mama,” she hiccups, voice burr-soft, chest fluttering under your hand like a trapped sparrow. “I dreamed you was angel in sky—” she points a quivering finger upward, nose crinkling—“and I tried to jump but the clouds was too tall and I cried and cried and Bunny cried too.” She burrows under your chin, hot breaths fogging your skin, her cinnamon-curl halo tickling your jaw; her fists clutch the gown, knuckles pearly, one sticky thumb still half-tucked between petal-pink teeth.

You rock her, heart scraping your ribs, something dark and delicate stretching wings behind the cage of bone. Forehead pressed to her raspberry-warm brow, you whisper, “Shh, my angel, Mama’s here. No more sky between us. I will never walk out like that again, never leave my baby girl.” Your tears slip onto her fluttering lashes; she blinks, surprised, then licks at the salt with the tip of her tongue, the way she does with pancake syrup.

“Forever?” she asks on a tremulous breath, voice drifting feather-soft, like a secret shared between swans in their final glide.

“Forever-ever,” you vow, unaware that the shadows gather softly at the edges of your promise, a silent ripple stirring the black water beneath the sweetness of your daughter’s laughter. She giggles into your neck, kissing whispers against your pulse, innocence hiding the faint, distant rustle of feathers, your pledge stretching between mother and child, binding you tighter than any oath, until the day the stars align, and the only way you leave this world is with her small hand nestled safely in yours.

She sniffs, wiping snot with the back of a marshmallow-plump hand, lower lip jutting. “But… you said you not my Mama.” The words wobble, half accusation, half plea, little chin quivering.

You hush her with traveling kisses—one to each tear-wet cheek, soft as mochi; one to her freckle-dusted nose; one to the sugar-bow curve of her mouth—letting each press stitch truth into her skin. “I’m sorry, my sweet angel,” you breathe between kisses, voice shaking with the weight of it. “I was scared and hurting and I thought the only way to keep you safe was to stand back, but that was wrong. Saying I wasn’t your Mama was the worst lie I ever told, and I’ll spend forever un-telling it. I live to be your Mama—before doctor, before anything. My heart beats just to love you, Haeun. Nothing comes before that, ever again.” She soaks up every word, hiccupping a sob that melts into a shy smile, and tucks her damp cheek under your chin as if sealing the promise there.

“I’m your Mama because I carried you in my heart long before the world ever carried you in my arms,” you murmur, each word a feathered kiss across her damp cheeks. “I’m your Mama because your belly-laugh echoes in my bones and your sniffly tears water my soul. I’m your Mama when you twirl like a dizzy ballerina and whisper, ‘Mama, look-a me!’—when you steal the last pancake and leave me only crumbs—when you wake at three a.m. with bad-dream hiccups and I rock you ‘til dawn. I’m your Mama every time you paint the bathtub purple, every time you hide stickers in my hair, every time you say ‘pwease one more story’ and I read five.”

Haeun’s eyes glimmer, half-moon shy; she wiggles deeper into your hug, cheeks flaming strawberry. “Mama,” she whispers, covering her grin with both pudgy hands, “you ‘member the purple bath?”

You nod, brushing curls from her forehead. “I remember everything, Sunshine. Because I’m your Mama forever-ever-ever, even when the sky turns upside-down, even when my own heart gets scared. Nothing, not storms or hospitals or oceans, can change that.”

Color floods her cheeks, strawberry milk whipped to foam and she ducks, pudgy fingers mashed to dimples. “Stop, Mama, I shy!” Then softer, like a secret blooming, “Wuv you big as all da moons.” She slings both arms round your neck so hard the monitor wires rustle, sighing out a breath that seems to drain months of night terrors from her tiny lungs. Her legs, dimpled knees, scraped from ward scooter races fold frog-tight about your waist, dawn-soft soles drumming your hips. She presses her ear to your heart, listening, lips moving in a private baby mantra: boom-boom, boom-boom, stay-stay.

Haeun’s giggle bubbles up like soda fizz. She pats your cheeks with both palms, eyes round with adoration. “Mama, you wake up even prettier!” she declares, nose crinkling. “Auntie Rina say I look like big girl now, see my hair?” She scoops the glossy curls forward; they spill over her shoulders in caramel ropes, ends tied with tiny sunflower bows. “It’s long-long, almost touch my tummy! An’ look, pretty twirly dress, all sparkles, just ‘cause I wanna be bootiful for Mama kisses.” She twirls once, skirt fanning like a lemon-yellow flower, then clutches your hands to her heart. “You notice, Mama? You notice I match you? We both gots long hair and sparkly eyes and our smiles go up-up on the same side!” She taps her own dimple, then yours, sighing, “Serin look like her mama, an’ I look like mine. I pretty ‘cause you pretty, ‘cause you my Mama, see?”

The purity of her certainty fractures something tender in your chest. Blood may not bind you, yet her belief stitches tighter than any gene. Tears slip free, starlight on your lashes, as you stroke her ribboned curls. “Yes, baby, I see,” you whisper, voice trembling with love. “You’re the most beautiful girl in the world, and every bit of that beauty reminds me I’m the luckiest Mama alive.” You kiss her bows, her dimple, the tip of her freckled nose, sealing her truth to your bones.

Jaemin’s arms wrap around you both, sealing the circle. His hand, warm and sure, cups the back of Haeun’s head, thumb stroking the silky swirl of curls at her crown. She leans into the touch, lashes half-mast, but her mouth keeps puddling out baby love in breathy puffs: how she’s saving grape stickers just for you, how Pops promised to build a backyard barre, how ballet shoes are “pink like sunrise jelly” and she’ll do the Bunny Hop recital “only if Mama claps the loudest.” Tiny fingers trace the outline of your jaw, the pulse at your neck, the curve of your lip, each touch a vow that she will tether you here. Beneath her cheek your hearts sync, thudding a duet older than lullabies, steadier than tides. You breathe her in, strawberry soap, warm milk, faint whiff of crayon and Jaemin’s tears land in your hair like holy water. For the first time since the sea tried to keep you, every breath, every beat, every bunny-soft giggle feels like the world clicking back into its rightful orbit, bright and whole and impossibly alive.

The door swings wide with a soft hydraulic hiss, and the world beyond your tight little bubble rushes in on the scent of after-shave and autumn air. You lift your head, mid-kiss, tears still jeweled on your lashes and there he stands. Your father fills the threshold like a memory given shape: silver at the temples, cardigan buttons misaligned in his haste, eyes the exact warm hazel that lives in every sunbeam of your childhood. For a heartbeat you forget how to breathe. Haeun’s head pops up, curls bouncing, and she squeals so high it warbles the monitor. “Pops!” She wriggles to her knees on the mattress, flinging stubby arms wide. Your father’s face crumples with wonder; he crosses the room in three strides, careful of lines and rails, and folds her into a hug that looks as natural as if he’d been doing it since her first breath.

Tears spill faster, blurring the scene to soft watercolors. “Daddy…” Your voice breaks on the word, too small, too raw.

Jaemin’s palm finds the back of your head, thumb stroking where hair thins around the IV port; he whispers, “Breathe, love,” but his own breath stutters, warm against your ear.

You reach out, tangling fingers in your father’s sleeve. “I’m sorry,” you start, the confession tumbling out in a rush. “I was scared to tell you. Everything happened so fast, becoming Hauen’s Mama, falling in love with Jaemin, the adoption plans, her surgeries, my internship, I wanted it to be perfect before I showed you.”

Your father hushes you with a gentle squeeze, one hand ruffling Haeun’s curls, the other wrapping around your wrist, calluses familiar as lullabies. “No apologies,” he murmurs, voice rough with feeling. “The only thing that matters is that you’re here, and she’s here, and I finally—” He breaks off, clearing his throat, then smiles at Haeun, soft crow’s-feet, eyes shining. “And I finally get to meet the little spark who made my girl a mother.”

Haeun leans back so she can see you both, cheeks glossy with happy tears. “Pops, this my Mama,” she announces, as if revealing royalty. “And I’m her sunshine. See? We match dimples!” She presses a finger to her own and then to yours, giggling.

You tuck her closer, one arm bracketing her like a shield, and ease her tiny hand into your father’s larger grip. “Daddy, this is my baby girl, my sunshine, my heart with feet—Nana Haeun,” you murmur, possessive pride thrumming in every syllable. “Our fearless heart-warrior, tutu-twirling ballerina, bunny-cuddling cuddle-thief, sticker queen, and notorious pancake bandit.”

She beams, dimples like commas in her cheeks. “Hiya, Pops,” she chirps, pronouncing the p like a soft bubble. “I got long hair now an’ Dr. Huang says my heart goes boom-boom super strong!”

Haeun’s words tumble out like bright marbles, each one shining with pride. “Pops, I’m Nana Haeun, Mama’s sunshine and Daddy’s pancake-stealer,” she declares, tapping each title on her fingers. “I help Papa water the sunflowers, and Dada lets me stir the pancake batter ‘til my arm goes wibble-wobble. Mama, when I cried for you at night, Pops tells me stories ’bout when Mama was little, he say you wore yellow bows just like me!” She tips her head back so the new bows on her curls flicker in the light, then leans in, voice softening. “Pops showed me pictures of Halmeoni too. She looked so happy, but Pops said her head is owie now, so when I see her she maybe won’t know my name.” A tremor pinches her dimples flat; her hand tightens around yours.

You stroke her knuckles with your thumb and press a kiss to the warm crown of her head. “Halmeoni’s memory gets tangled sometimes, baby, but her heart still knows love. When she sees you, she will feel that love even if the words hide. And I’ll be right there to tell her your name, over and over, until it sticks again.” Haeun breathes out, the shiver easing beneath your palm, and snuggles deeper against you, content, for now, to believe that love is strong enough to keep every name safe.

Your father’s smile trembles; he bends, planting a kiss on your brow first, salted with your tears then puckers at Haeun. She purses her lips, eyes squeezed shut in exaggerated ceremony, and receives her welcome kiss with a delighted squeak. “Most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” he tells her, then taps her nose. “Tied with your Mama, of course.”

He turns to you again, voice low. “You did good, baby. She’s brave, bright and she’s got your stubborn light.” Jaemin slips an arm around your waist; your father notices, extends his hand. The two men share a long clasp, a silent exchange of gratitude and guardianship. Jaemin’s shoulders ease, and a breath he didn’t know he held escapes between trembling lips.

Haeun tugs your father’s sleeve. “Pops, Mama needs a Pops kiss too ‘cause she missed them all this time.” Laughter ripples through the room, soft, healing. Your dad presses another kiss, warm and certain, to the center of your forehead; you breathe in cedar and mint and all the Saturdays he spent teaching you kite strings and constellations. “I’m proud of you,” he whispers. “Of the surgeon you are, the Mother and partner you’ve become, the family you’ve built.” Your throat closes; you mouth a thank-you against his shoulder as Jaemin rubs slow circles between your shoulder blades.

The three of them, your partner, your father, your daughter, form a constellation around you, and for the first time since the sea tried to claim you, you feel gravity settle someplace safe. Jaemin kisses the crown of your head; Haeun pats your cheeks with sticky devotion; your father’s steady hand anchors the blanket at your hip. Outside, the monitor keeps time, but inside, the room swells with a sound older and truer than any machine: the layered heartbeats of a family that, despite every fracture, has mended into something stronger than blood.

Tears stream down your face, thick and relentless, the kind that blur everything into watercolor light, and you clutch Haeun so close her curls tangle with your fingers. Your voice shakes as you whisper, “Daddy, you met Haeun, you really met her.” The reality is staggering, you’d dreamed of this, dreaded it, spent so many nights turning it over in your head, never believing your two worlds would ever touch, never letting yourself hope that your father’s gentle hands would steady your daughter, that he’d see her bright eyes and laugh and call her his sunshine too.

Haeun squirms deeper into your arms, her curls fluffing under your chin as she wriggles until she finds the exact hollow she likes, then she lets out a string of giggles that burst and flutter, impossible to catch. “Mama, we do big circle now, me, you, Dada, Pops,” she announces, patting each of you with hands as soft as marshmallows. “Circle holdy-hands so the windy dark can’t blow us ‘way. Pops stand here, Dada tall like giraffe, Mama soft like blankie, an’ me the teeny sunshine in da middle—peek!” She ducks beneath your chin, then pops up again, dimples flashing so bright you think the sun must be tucked behind her teeth. “If circle stays squishy-tight, nobody go boom-boom, nobody get lost, an’ we all glow like night-light hearts, okay?” She leans close, pressing her forehead to yours, laughter tumbling out of her like silver bells. “See, easy-peasy! Just keep holdin’—never let go.”

You cup her round cheeks, feeling the tremor of her heartbeat under your thumbs, and nod with absolute seriousness, as if her circle-plan is the wisest map in existence. “Easy-peasy,” you whisper back, letting your forehead rest against hers until your breaths braid together. “Nothing can break us while we’re holding on.” Her joy ripples through you both, tiny, ringing, untouchable. You kiss the tip of her nose, sealing the promise as she beams up at you, the room hazy with warmth and laughter.

The four of you tumble together, giggles tangling into hugs, Pops’ hands squeezing your shoulders, Jaemin’s cheek pressed to the crown of your head, Haeun’s limbs winding through yours, all of you pressed in tight, a mess of kisses, tears, hair in eyes, and the breathless sound of family stitched back together after too long apart. Haeun sings nonsense under her breath, clapping her hands, until Jaemin lifts her high, spinning her in the sunlight, her laughter trailing as Pops grins and tickles her feet, your hand never letting go of hers. You feel tears on your cheeks and don’t bother wiping them away, not when they fall into Haeun’s hair, not when every drop feels like sunlight instead of rain.

Then, as though the quiet itself were a loom and fate had just pulled a luminous thread through every breath, a voice drifts across the room, soft as sea-foam at dawn, bright as the first note of birdsong, yet carrying the ancient gravity of a star’s orbit and you realize, with a trembling wonder, that you have been listening for this sound all your life without knowing it: the small, earnest call that fits perfectly into the hollow of your name, the echo of a promise whispered long before either of you could speak, a hush-born miracle that turns the air to gold and tells your heart, in a language older than words, that it has finally come home. “Mama?” It’s fragile, threadbare, so vulnerable you almost think you imagined it. But every body in the room goes still, laughter swallowed, the world funnelling down to the boy standing at the threshold, his sneakers soaked and sandy, his eyes wide and blue as a midwinter sky, cheeks sunken, hair mussed, mouth trembling at the corners. For a second you can’t breathe. Haeun and Pops and Jaemin melt into the periphery, the light shifting, the world pivoting on the axis of your son.

You gasp, your voice gone thin and shaking, “Minjoon,” and the word tastes like gold in your mouth, bright and aching. There’s yellow everywhere—the sunlight through the window, the lemon on his t-shirt, the band of his bunny pressed flat in his fist, his hair caught gold-bright where it meets the blue of his eyes. He looks at you as if he’s afraid you’ll vanish, as if he’s walked through storms to get here, and in a way, he has. Everyone makes space for him, the room bending so it’s just the two of you, and Minjoon’s voice trembles as he says, “I came to find you, Mama. I tried to visit, I went on the bus, I asked the driver and the lady in the shop and the man with the hat—” his words tumble out, small and shaking, “I saw you once when you were asleep, that’s when I met Dr. Nana and Haeunie, that’s when you didn’t wake up yet and I thought maybe you forgot me but then I needed to come back and see if you were here. I’m so happy to see that you’re awake now.” He rubs his nose with the back of his hand, blinking fast. “I just wanted to see you. I was thinking about you so much.”

You reach for him and he launches forward, climbing straight into your lap as if no time has passed at all, his bunny squashed between you, his face hidden in your neck. He’s crying and talking all at once. “I’m sorry, Mama, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault you had to dive into the water, I didn’t mean to lose bunny, I didn’t mean for you to get hurt—”

You hold him, rocking him gently, whispering, “Oh, Minjoonie, sweetheart, none of it was your fault. I would have done it a hundred times just to get to you. I don’t regret a single thing.” You nuzzle his nose with yours, kissing his damp hair, your tears falling onto his cheeks as you cradle him. Jaemin kneels beside you, hand on Minjoon’s back, and Pops wipes his own eyes with the back of his sleeve, no one daring to break the spell of reunion. You murmur every reassurance you can, smoothing his hair, telling him over and over how proud you are, how loved, how wanted he always is.

The moment settles under a hush so light it feels spun from candle smoke, every monitor pulse receding until only breath and soft fabric rustles remain. Haeun curls deeper into Pops’ arms, the crook of his elbow cradling her as though she were a tiny bloom folded for the night; her fingers roam the map of his face, tracing the smile lines beside his mouth, pinching the shell of his ear, tapping the silver glint of his wedding band, each touch small and sure, claiming beloved territory. She presses her cheek to his collar, eyelashes brushing his shirt in slow blinks, yet her gaze never drifts from the gentle tableau across the room: you and the rain-laughter boy stitched back together in a circle of quiet awe. In the hush she drifts backward through memory, little reels of night-bright hallway sliding behind her eyes, where fluorescent ceiling bulbs had looked like jellyfish, pulsing and pale, and the linoleum’s moonlit gloss turned her sneaker squeaks into boat-oars tapping quiet water.

She remembers how she used to wander those passages while Mama slept, tilting her head for any echo that sounded the way her own footsteps felt: half-lonely, half-hopeful, as if a twin rhythm might appear and braid with hers. She recalls how she built a brother out of whispers: first a laugh that plinked like rain in a tin bucket, then a pair of hands that knew the rules of hide-and-seek without needing to be told, then a promise—soft and secret—that someone else would understand why hospital shadows sometimes looked like dragons guarding treasure. Now, pressed to Pops’ heartbeat, she feels that wish glide feather-light into her chest: no spike of jealousy, no crack of thunder—only the velvet certainty that love, like ripe fruit, splits its skin not to lose sweetness but to share it. In her small wisdom she decides Mama’s heart is dough that rises bigger every time someone knocks gently on the door; deciding this makes her lips curve, and she whispers into Pops’ collar that she’s glad the hallways echoed, glad she kept her ears open, because the boy from her jellyfish dreams has finally stepped into the lamp-warm circle of their family table and there is still plenty of room for another chair.

Pops threads careful fingers through her curls, humming a tune that sounds of low tide and porch lights; the steady drum of his heart beats against her ear, larger than any lullaby, and she fits her palm to his heartbeat the way a seal fits to wax. The room tastes of antiseptic and apple slices, yet under all of it she senses the slow bloom of something brave and golden—love stretching its limbs, yawning into new corners. She lifts her head, curls tickling Pops’ chin, and with a solemnity that feels older than her two springs she nudges the stubbled curve of his jaw, whispering, “He’s the other melody, Pops. Mama sings for two hearts now, moon and sun together. It feels warm here.” Her words float between them like dandelion seeds glimmering against dark velvet, gently settling over every shoulder in the room. Pops smiles into her hair, seals her thought with a kiss to her crown, and she sighs—a tiny puff of gratitude—before returning to her quiet study of you and Minjoon, thumb rubbing lazy circles over the pulse in Pops’ wrist, anchoring the new constellation she senses hanging in the air: four points, one sky, bright enough to guide any dreamer home.

Haeun presses her cheek to Pops’ chest, voice small and sleepy-sweet. “Pops, he’s our extra song,” she murmurs, lips brushing the fabric of his shirt. “Mama got two heart songs now—one moon, one sunny.” She pats her own chest, then his, as if showing where the tunes live. “Feels all toasty here.”

Pops’ chuckle rumbles under her ear. “Sure does, little peach, warm like fresh bread,” he answers, smoothing a curl away from her eyes. “Two songs make a bigger dance, huh?”

She nods so hard her bunny charm jingles. “Big big dance,” she whispers, as if it’s a secret the hallway lights might steal. Her words drift up like dandelion fluff, soft and bright, settling over them in a hush of shared wonder. Pops kisses the top of her head, sealing the thought, and she sighs—just a tiny puff—before resuming her quiet watch, thumb drawing lazy circles over the beat in his wrist, certain their sky has room for every new star.

Haeun wriggles out of Pops’ hug with a determined little grunt, bunny charm jingling like a pocket-sized tambourine, and plants her sock-clad feet in the middle of the floor, one heel on the tile, the other toe pointed someplace that only makes sense to her. She throws her arms overhead in what might be a ballerina’s fifth position if ballerinas wobbled like jelly, then giggles so hard the pose collapses into a wiggle that starts at her shoulders, rolls through her tummy, and ends in a proud bum-shake that makes her skirt flutter like a baby bird. “Watch, Pops! Boom-boom dance!” she declares, scooting sideways with quick little penguin steps, hips swishing, curls bouncing, bunny ear flopping. She tries a twirl but over-spins, landing in a squat that pops back up with a squeak and a triumphant, gap-toothed grin. She wiggles her fingers like sprinkling fairy dust, then shuffles forward on bent knees—clomp, clomp, clomp—before tipping onto her toes for three tip-tap hops that leave her giggling breathless. “My heart goes boom-boom, boom-boom—see? It makes me do this!” She demonstrates with another exuberant shimmy, then blows an exaggerated kiss toward your bed, nose scrunched, eyes shining, before scoot-scooting back to Pops, bumping his leg with her hip, and darting out again for one more wobbly spin. Each giggle puddles onto the linoleum like syrupy sunshine, every wiggle stitching soft stardust through the hush of the ward, proof that her bright little heart will keep drumming joy into the room for as long as your eyes stay open to see it.

Mid–wiggle, Haeun twirls halfway around and bats her lashes at you, cheeks glowing pink. “I’m dancin’ for you and Minjoonie,” she chirps, voice all bubbles and hush, “’cause I’m happy he’s gettin’ Mama cuddles.” The confession is so earnest it lands like confetti in the quiet room. You reach out, smoothing a stray curl behind her ear, thumb tracing the silk of her baby hair. She beams, twirling one last bum–shake before scooting back to Pops with a satisfied sigh.

Pressed against your chest, Minjoon stirs at the sound of her laughter. Half-asleep, he murmurs into the fabric of your gown, voice small, dream-heavy, but sure. “Mama’s warm… smells like the shore so don’t let go.” The words feather against your skin, and you smile into Haeun’s bright eyes, your palm still cupping her curls, knowing her boom-boom dance and his drowsy promise have stitched this moment tight around all three of you.

You swipe a trembling tear from your cheek just as Minjoon murmurs “Mama” against your collarbone, no jolt of surprise, only the clean click of something ancient sliding home because he has always been yours, the tide-chosen shard that matches the broken edge in your own heart; together you are sea-glass blue, made smooth by the same storm, glimmering where the waves once shattered you both, and in the hush of this room his small fists knot in your gown as if he’s afraid the current might steal you back, while your arms cinch tighter, sealing the vow that fate and salt water wrote long before you breathed his name, an irresistible gravity stitching mother and son into one unbreakable line of horizon. You press a kiss into the warm crown of his hair, voice steady and low. “I’m not going anywhere, Minjoonie, Mama’s right here.”

He stirs, blinking up at you, surprise widening his sea-blue eyes. “But… how do you know my name?” he whispers, fingers absently twisting the edge of your gown.

You smooth one palm down his back in little circles and let a smile curl across your lips. “My boyfriend told me,” you say, tipping your chin toward the tall figure beside the bed. “See that nice doctor right there? That’s Na Jaemin. He’s the one who let you peek in on me while I was asleep.”

Jaemin’s eyes soften; he gives Minjoon a gentle two-finger salute and a shy grin. Minjoon’s cheek blooms pink as he burrows closer, voice turning awed. “He helped me find you.”

You nod, brushing a stray curl from his temple. “He did and he’s yours, too, whenever you need him. He fixes brave hearts for a living.”

Minjoon’s tiny gasp feathers against your collarbone; he turns his head, peeking past your arm. “He’s really nice,” he murmurs, half to himself.

You shift your weight, cradling him so he can see Haeun still perched in Pops’ lap, her bunny charm jingling, curls bobbing as she wiggles a wave. “And that beautiful girl?” you whisper. “That’s my baby that I told you about at the beach, my Haeun, your new partner in mischief.” Haeun grins so wide her dimples show, blowing an exaggerated kiss. Minjoon’s shy fingers flutter a return wave, the two of them locking eyes like conspirators.

“That’s Pops,” you add, nodding to the silver-haired man cradling Haeun. “He’s our steady rock. Loves jelly-bean bribes and late-night stories.” Pops winks, ruffling Haeun’s curls as if to prove the point.

Minjoon lifts his head from your shoulder just enough to peek at Haeun across the bed, voice hushed and earnest, the words tumbling out like little marbles of wonder. “She’s really nice, Mama, her heart goes boom-boom like a drum, but gentle, like it’s humming a song for me. She smells like oatmeal cookies and sunshine, like warm, happy soap.” He rubs his nose, shy grin stretching wide. “Her dress is soft, like clouds, and she shared her bunny and every single crayon, even the shiny gold one. I never had so many toys before.” He presses closer to you, eyes bright. “She let me hold the sparkle sticker, too. Said there’s always enough shiny stuff if we stick together.”

Minjoon tucks his face into the crook of your neck, breathing you in, then whispers, almost reverent, “They’re both so nice.” You hug him tighter, your forearm snug beneath his legs, his heartbeat settling under your palm, while Jaemin’s hand slides along the small of your back, a silent promise anchoring all three of you. In that tangle of limbs and soft breaths, you feel the new constellation click into place: daughter gleaming like sunrise, boy shimmering like tide-lit moon, and the doctor you love orbiting close, every star within reach.

“I know,” you say softly, letting your fingers brush through Minjoon’s hair. “They really are the softest people, my baby girl, she’s all sunshine and sticky hugs and makes even the worst days feel sweet. And Jaemin is everything gentle, he holds us together when I feel like falling apart. I love them so much, sometimes it actually hurts. And you, Minjoonie… you fit right in with us. It’s like you belong, even though we haven’t had much time. I can’t explain it, but I feel it in my chest, same as with them. After everything we’ve gone through, all the times I thought I might lose Haeun, I just don’t want to wait or risk losing anything else. I want you with us, for good. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, because when I love someone this much, I don’t let go.” You draw Minjoon closer, eyes misting as you marvel at how gently he nestles into the same tender place reserved for Jaemin and Haeun, proof that his presence carries the very softness that steadies your world. Loving them has taught you that certain bonds announce themselves without history, and his quiet trust slides into your heart as naturally as breath. After staring down loss, your own brush with darkness, Haeun’s five narrow escapes, you no longer barter with time: every signature will be inked, every door rattled, every rule bent until the paperwork echoes what your chest already knows. Minjoon belongs in this constellation, and you will spend every heartbeat making sure no one, not even fate, tries to pull him away again.

You nuzzle Minjoon’s hair while your gaze drifts to Jaemin, protective frame curved possessively toward you, eyes always searching your face like he’s afraid to miss a single flutter and your heart swells at the memory of his hands smoothing every knot in the night, his voice humming lullabies until dawn finally exhaled. Beside him, Haeun is pure honeyed light, the sweetest gravity: her giggles stick to the walls like confetti, her sticky fingers never hesitate to share the last crayon, and her sleepy kisses land on your cheek as gentle as falling petals. Together they’re the warm lamp you reach for in every storm, Jaemin’s steady tide pulling your heartbeat into calm, Haeun’s sunrise laughter spilling over the edges of any darkness—and in their love, you feel the world soften to velvet, wide enough, at last, for every one of your breaths.

At the mention of her name, Haeun perks up in Pops’ lap, dimples flashing. She cups her hands around her mouth like a megaphone. “Mama, tell him I’m extra nice!” she chirps, then wriggles free, scampering over with bunny charm jingling. She flings one arm around your neck, the other around Minjoon’s shoulders, squeezing until you’re all nose-to-nose. “Hi, brother!” she giggles, cheeks glowing. “Mama says my heart does boom-booms and glitter, wanna feel?” She drags Minjoon’s palm to her chest—he gasps at the steady drum and you feel his shoulders loosen as he grins into her curls. Haeun plants a quick kiss on your jaw, then on Minjoon’s temple, before declaring, “See? Family makes hearts louder!” Jaemin slides closer, hand gliding up your spine in a quiet echo of promise, while Pops watches from his chair, a soft laugh rumbling in his chest. You breathe them all in, apple shampoo, baby powder, the faint cologne Jaemin wears like a lighthouse in stormy seas and think the universe must have bent every star just right, because here you are, wrapped in four small arms and one steady one, the night outside forgotten, every constellational dot exactly where it belongs.

Minjoon’s voice wobbles like a violin string pulled too tight as he burrows into your collar, salty tears spotting your gown. “Mama,” he sniffles, little shoulders quaking, “I don’t wanna go back—please.” He takes a shaky breath, words spilling in a rush. “My dad gets mad and hits me hard, and I’m scared ’cause my bones feel like twigs and I can’t hide fast enough. I wanna stay here where it’s warm and smells like cookies and you hold me gently.” He hiccups, wiping his eyes with a knuckle. “Sorry for begging and sorry if I’m annoying. I just… I never felt this safe before.” His plea hangs fragile in the quiet, like a paper star you’re terrified will crumple.

You press your palm to the nape of his neck, steady, grounding and kiss the crown of his hair. “Sweetheart, you’re never annoying. Your voice is precious to me.” Your own tears blur the room, but your tone stays sure, weaving promise into every syllable. “I hear you, Minjoonie, and I’ll fight with everything I have. I’m going to talk to the people who can help, and we’ll work so you can stay right here—where your heart can rest and your bones can grow strong.” He sniffles again, a tiny sound of hope, and nuzzles closer.

“Okay, Mama,” he whispers at last, voice feather-light. “Good night. I hope I wake up and you’re still here.”

You tuck the blanket higher around his shoulders, smoothing a curl away from his damp cheek. “I’ll be here,” you promise, letting the words settle over him like a lullaby. His lashes flutter closed, and in the hush that follows, you feel the weight of his trust, fragile as spun sugar yet anchoring you both to the bright shore you’re determined to reach together.

Minjoon presses a soft, sleepy kiss to your cheek, tiny fingers still bunched in your gown as if afraid to loosen his grip, and whispers, “Night-night, Mama, love you big-big.” The words land warm and weighty against your skin, and as his lashes flutter closed he breathes “Mama” one more time, half-sigh, half-promise, before sinking into sleep against your heart, leaving it aching and full in the sweetest way.

He calls you Mama because when you knelt on that windy beach, soaked to the knees and still smiling, you became proof that grown-ups could run toward a crying kid instead of away. In his world of slammed doors and weak apologies, you were the first person who didn’t flinch at his tears, the first set of arms that stayed open even after he’d wiped his nose on your sleeve. That moment rewrote the word for him: Mama stopped meaning biology and started meaning safe landing, no questions asked. He tries it out like a fragile shell, “Ma-ma?”—and every time you answer, another crack in him seals over. He calls you Mama because your heartbeat under his ear is the only lullaby he’s ever trusted. Nightmares taught him that love could vanish quicker than lights at bedtime, but your hand always finds the back of his neck, your thumbs always trace slow circles on his spine, and suddenly the dark feels smaller. When he whispers the word, he’s really asking: Is it okay that I’m still here? Your quiet “Yes, sweetheart,” tucks him in tighter than any blanket, and the question starts turning into a declaration—I’m yours.

He calls you Mama because with you, belonging isn’t something he has to barter. No chores to earn hugs, no silence to keep peace, just pancakes shaped like dinosaurs, shared stickers, and a space on the couch that’s always, always his. The word becomes a soft key he keeps in his pocket, one that will open a door to the smell of blueberry shampoo in his sister’s curls and the steady warmth of his Daddy’s laugh in the kitchen. Mama says the family photo now has room for four, and the ink is already dry. Saying it is the bravest thing he does each day and hearing you answer is the bravest thing you’ll protect for the rest of his life.

Haeun uncurls from Pops’ lap with slow, determined grace, the sort children save for secret missions, and tiptoes over until she is nose to nose with the sleeping boy. Her bunny charm gives a tinkling jingle with every step. She cups it in her hand and whispers, “Shh, Bunny, no jingles, baby brother’s resting,” then taps the plush ear as if it can understand. “We’re on quiet patrol,” she adds, eyes wide with importance. The charm stays still, and Haeun nods once, satisfied, before leaning close to smooth the blanket at Minjoon’s chin.

She pulls the blanket to Minjoon’s chin, then fluffs it with both hands until a little cloud of warmth forms around him. She presses Bunny to her chest like a tiny choir partner, when she’s satisfied, she places two fingers on her own throat, finds the quiet hum of her favorite nursery tune, and begins to sing. “Boom-boom heart, sleep so sweet, jelly bean dreams for little feet,” rocking side to side with miniature ballerina sways; each word floats out on a giggle-sigh, punctuated by soft “shh-shh” pats to his blanket, and when she reaches the end she plants a kiss on Bunny’s nose, nods solemnly, and finishes with a hushed promise: “night-night, baby brother, sunshine’s here to keep the shadows small.” The melody is soft enough to blend with the monitor’s hush, words blending into gentle nonsense syllables of jelly beans, sunshine, and brave hearts. Though she’s barely older than Minjoon by the span of a single season, she sways like a practiced guardian, eyes half-closed, curls dusting his cheek each time she leans in to check that his breathing stays even.

When the lullaby finishes, she presses a shy kiss to his forehead, then lifts her head to you with an earnest sparkle. “Night night, baby brother,” she whispers, though the whisper barely contains her excitement. “Mama, I helped him get all snug, so the shadows can’t find him.” She adjusts his blanket one last time, then scampers back to the side of the bed, climbing up beside you with a little grunt of effort. Her hands land on your arm, warm and sticky from apple slices. “Mama, am I helping? Are you proud of me? I didn’t cry, I didn’t get jealous. Your heart is big enough for two babies and I ready to be a big sissy like Chaeunie, Mama!” She pats her chest as proof, cheeks flushed from exertion, eyes shimmering with pride and a hint of worry that you might not agree.

Haeun tucks her toes under her bum, thumb slipping to her mouth for a quick comfort suck before she remembers to be “big,” wiping the shine on Bunny’s ear with a conspirator’s grin. She pats Minjoon’s blanket one more time, then turns to you, lips scrunched, cheeks apple-round and glowing. “Mama,” she begins, voice soft and serious in the way children believe can move mountains, “Pops always says sharing is caring, like when I give Dada the last blueberry and he smiles all squinchy.” Her eyes sparkle, lashes fluttering. “So I wanna share you and Dada now, ’cause Mama love goes whoosh, all big and warm, and Dada hugs are like squishy clouds, and it’s mean to keep all the clouds just to me.” She wiggles her fingers to show the whoosh, giggles bubbling up from her chest. “And Chaeunie is such a good big sissy, so I need to practice too. I can hold bottles and sing boom-boom songs and even give Bunny turns, promise.” She leans over to kiss Minjoon’s forehead, little nose wrinkling as she sniffs the soap scent in his hair. “See? He smells like pancakes. Pancakes need syrup, and syrup is hugs, and I got lots.” She pops her thumb back into her mouth for a second, eyes bright and hopeful, then pulls it free with a soft smack. “It’s okay to share Mama now, ’cause my heart got stretchy. It’s like jelly and jelly can fit two spoon scoops easy.”

“Come here, little jelly-heart,” you murmur, scooping her close and nuzzling the tip of her nose. “Your kindness makes room for everyone, and it fills Mama’s chest with light. I’m so proud of how you wrap love around us, how you sing, how you share, how you make the world softer without even trying. You’re going to be the best big sister, my bright helper, my cuddle captain. Thank you for knowing that Mama’s love only grows. I love you more than all the blueberries and bunny kisses in the world.” Your arms fold around her, pulling her across Minjoon so both children nestle against you, the warm sandwich of their small bodies making your ribs ache with contentment. Haeun’s giggle tickles your throat as she nuzzles your nose, declaring in a puff of breath that she will help feed bottles, read stories, and keep Bunny’s ears clean. Her seriousness makes you laugh until tears gather again, though this time they taste of relief rather than fear.

Jaemin watches from the opposite side of the bed, his smile quiet and wide enough to hold every shimmering ripple of the moment. He bends forward, brushes Minjoon’s hair away from his brow, then kisses your lips, lingering only a heartbeat before pulling back to look into your eyes. Without a word he mouths the intention that has been beating in both your chests since the boy arrived, “let’s adopt him.” The strength in his gaze sends a tremor through you, a joy so sudden that air seems to fizz inside your lungs. You nod once, then again, feeling the promise settle like warm weight across your shoulders. Together you have faced too many thin lines between life and loss, too many nights counting Haeun’s breaths, too many hours wondering whether tomorrow would stretch far enough to hold your love. There is no reason to wait for permission from a clock that has already taken enough.

You lean into Jaemin’s palm, anchor yourself in the gentle sweep of his thumb along your cheek, and return his kiss with a silent yes. Above the hush of the monitors, Haeun sighs a sleepy mmm, cuddling closer, whispering that her new brother smells like rain and pancakes. Minjoon shifts, ever so slightly, and murmurs your name before sinking deeper against your heartbeat. Jaemin covers the three of you with one broad hand, and in that circle of skin and breath, the future feels wide enough to hold every wish: Haeun’s dream of endless sparkle stickers, Minjoon’s hope for mornings without fear, and your own decision that from this night forward nothing and no one will come between the four points of this newly drawn family. For the first time in so long you let yourself believe—truly, deeply—that you are all home, held fast together, nothing missing, nothing lost. The circle closes, unbreakable, and Minjoon falls asleep in your arms to the sound of your heartbeat, your lips at his temple, the promise of family soft as breath and fierce as dawn.

The weeks before your discharge, the ward transforms into something feral: fluorescent bulbs flicker like witch-fires, and the corridors lengthen into tunnels where voices echo as if spoken from a cave’s throat. A stone-faced caseworker arrives in a storm-gray coat, signing papers with ink that bleeds the color of old bruises, and Minjoon is lifted from your arms before you can finish whispering his name. He reaches for you, fingers spreading like fractured wings, but the distance swallows sound; the monitor’s flatline hiss becomes a hungry wind, and every promise you made, safe bed, warm pancakes, a forever home, shatters against the tiles like glass spun too thin. As he disappears around the corner, the ceiling yawns open in your mind’s eye, a black maw gnawed by crows, and you’re left clutching air that smells of iodine and grief, tasting the iron tang of your own failure while the ward’s lights hum with something that feels almost demonic, as though the building itself is feeding on your broken vow.

The days after the goodbye are a tangle of restless, shattering nights. You and Jaemin pacing, cell phones glued to your palms, voices hushed and frantic through midnight hours as you dial every lawyer, caseworker, and social worker whose number you can find. Every room is always lit by the blue flicker of the laptop screen, files and policies open side by side, government websites and forum threads, lists of documents you’ve submitted twice already. You leave voicemails in cracked, desperate voices, promising you’ll do anything, pay anything, just to keep Minjoon home. Every conversation hits the same dead end: your record, your flagged file, the dark marks of what you did for Haeun, a mother’s crime born of love, not malice, are still red-inked and fresh in every database. The caseworker’s voice is gentle, apologetic: “You can’t foster or adopt at this time. The flags are too recent. I’m sorry.” That last word lands like a bruise.

The nights break you. Sometimes you sleep upright on the hospital bed, body aching, phone still in your fist. Other nights you sob into Jaemin’s shoulder, mouth pressed to the soft space under his jaw so your cries won’t wake the ward. You taste your heartbreak in every silence, feel the weight of your own promise shattering—Mama will keep you safe, always—and now you are faced with a promise you can’t keep. Jaemin tries to anchor you, arms strong and steady, but his own eyes are rimmed red; he isn’t used to failing, and it marks him. The bed becomes a place of quiet misery, the two of you holding each other and whispering the names of every judge, every loophole, every impossible hope until exhaustion finally wins.

The morning you have to explain, you sit cross-legged on the rug, Haeun in your lap and Minjoon curled small against your side. You keep your voice as gentle as you can, smoothing Haeun’s hair, tracing slow circles on Minjoon’s back as you try to find words. “Sometimes,” you begin, “even when we love someone with our whole hearts, grown-ups have rules they have to follow. Minjoonie, some very kind people are going to take care of you for a while. They have a soft bed, and brothers and sisters, and they’re going to keep you safe. You’re always, always in our hearts, even if you’re not in our house.” You promise him the new family will love him, that there will be pancakes and bedtime stories, and you swear to call, to write, to never forget.

The goodbye is every nightmare you’ve ever had about letting go. Minjoon tries to be brave, he pulls his backpack on himself, holds Bunny tight to his chest, and waves with a shaky hand but his face crumples, tears running down in streaks as he wails, “Mama, don’t let me go, please, please.” You kneel, holding him so tightly you think you’ll never breathe again.

Haeun sobs into your side, clutching your shirt, babbling, “Don’t leave, don’t leave, Minjoonie my baby brother.” The foster parent waits by the car, gentle but distant, already thinking of the next meal, the next errand.

You kiss Minjoon’s cheeks, his forehead, his knuckles, and try to smile as you whisper, “It’s going to be okay, you’ll find family there too, I promise. I love you, always.”

You spend days raw and emptied. Haeun cries herself to sleep at night, clinging to you with a grip that bruises, demanding extra lullabies and extra Bunny cuddles. She draws pictures of her brother, stick figures holding hands, houses with too many windows, a family of four even though there are only three at the table now. Jaemin tries to keep the house quiet, tucks notes in your coat pocket. ‘We’re still here, I love you,’ but nothing fills the space Minjoon left. The apartment is too clean, the toys stacked wrong, the laughter thinner than it used to be.

For a while, selfishly, you try to move forward. Recovery is a heavy fog: your body is still battered, ribs aching, lungs tender, the scars of your near-death lingering in every breath. Haeun is still a storm of need and tenderness—her medical checkups, her demands for attention, her questions about what families mean. The world keeps spinning, dishes still need washing, work calls resume. You fill out the forms you can, return the calls you must, and remind yourself that healing means learning to live with absence. There are days when the memory of Minjoon is just a dull ache in your chest and other days when you see a little boy on the street and have to duck into a doorway just to breathe. Yet the grief never leaves for long. Some nights you wake up reaching for him, sure he’s just out of sight. Some afternoons Haeun asks for her brother with a clear, serious voice, and you pull her into your lap and hold her until her questions turn to dreams. Jaemin never stops checking his email, hoping for a call, a letter, a sign that something has changed. And through all of it, the three of you keep a space at the table, a place in your hearts, hoping that someday the rules will bend and you can bring Minjoon home for good.

You’re forced, in the bleakest sense, to bury thoughts of Minjoon beneath the layers of grief and anesthesia, told by nurses and Jaemin and every voice that loves you that sadness like this will rot your body from the inside out—slow your healing, drop your sats, risk the new line between life and the cold. Still, the ache gnaws at your chest in the demon hours: you’re stuck in a hospital bed, lungs never quite filling, ribs sore where monitors cling, days blurring under too-white lights and too-thin sheets, and every time you close your eyes the grief for a boy who isn’t dead (who you know is somewhere out there, breathing, crying, calling for you) slithers in, silent and sharp. No one comforts you for mourning the living, no one brings flowers for a wound that can’t be stitched, and you’re left clutching the hollow ache—reciting his name in the silence, whispering prayers for him into the pillow, hoping your heartbeat alone can reach across the city. You swallow your sobs, try to smile for Haeun, because if you slip too far, if the sorrow gets its claws in, your own second chance might vanish, and the doctors will whisper that you never really wanted to survive.

Guilt sits inside your lungs like wet cement: you had only just shaped the words, “I will keep you safe, I swear it,” and already the promise was stripped away, as if someone pressed rewind on your breath and shattered it back into syllables. You see Minjoon’s face every time you blink, his trust bright as a match in a storm, and feel the moment the social worker pried him loose, like ripping a seam you hadn’t finished sewing. The memory gnaws at you in hospital twilight: heart monitors ticking time you no longer deserve, IV fluid dripping penance that can’t wash clean the echo of his small hand slipping from yours. You told an innocent boy that your home was a forever thing, then watched the word forever splinter like thin ice, leaving him to sink while you lay stuck in a bed that smells of antiseptic and failure. Every night you mouth his name to the ceiling tiles, hoping the apology can drift up through vents and corridors and find him, because the shame of breaking that vow is heavier than the machines breathing for you, heavier than the oxygen you can’t seem to pull deep enough, heavier than any mortal sickness.

For weeks after waking, your body feels foreign, each breath shallow, every joint heavy, the throb in your chest a stubborn echo of all that’s been lost and won. There are still IV lines tracking across your arms, blood draws at dawn, cardiac monitors blinking green and yellow at your bedside. Your lungs tire quickly, voice frays after a few words, and even simple things, sitting upright, brushing your hair, feeding yourself soup, can leave your muscles trembling. The medical team is cautious: your brain was without oxygen for minutes too long, your heart stopped twice before they could bring you back, and no one can predict what your strength will look like a week from now, or a year. You’re on a raft of medications, antiarrhythmics, diuretics, something for the pain, blood thinners for the risk of clots. Physical therapy is daily; the team hovers at the edge of your room, guiding you through slow, frustrating exercises, careful to shield you from every avoidable strain. Jaemin is your anchor, never impatient, never distracted. He helps you to the window for sunlight, brings food you’ll actually eat, massages your calves when they cramp, braids your hair, reads your charts, tucks you in at night, murmuring that you’re safe, you’re home, you’re loved. When nightmares find you, he’s there with a hand at your back and soft words, smoothing your panic before it can take root. Every day you grow a little stronger, a little braver; every day he finds new ways to make you laugh and feel like more than a patient.

Word travels, of course, whispers, at first, then conversation. Your name isn’t a curse anymore. The story is everywhere, rewritten by the mouths of those who watched you nearly die for a stranger’s child and come back. Most still say it was reckless, and the ban for trying to save Haeun, five years, no research, no independent OR, strictly supervised on clinical floors, remains on your record. You’ll have to petition for full reinstatement, attend counseling, and work under observation with every new case. Your privileges are slashed, your future uncertain, but the air feels different now, curious, even gentle. Families who once avoided your gaze now offer shy thanks; nurses drop off sunflowers and hand-written cards. Jaemin, always by your side, never lets you wonder if you’re wanted, his pride in you loud and unwavering. The other doctors are slower to thaw, but even that’s changing: Dr. Huang brings you updates, Jihoon lingers after rounds, a few colleagues stop to ask how you’re doing instead of just moving past you in the hall. The punishment itself is stark and immovable: you’re barred from independent surgery for five years, no exceptions, and cannot apply for grants or publish new research until the end of your prohibition. There’s a mandatory ethics seminar, three months of peer review, and a permanent note in your file about the events that brought you here. Every shift you’ll work will be supervised; every note you sign must be co-signed by your attending. The restriction will ache—burning in your bones on days when your mind feels clear and your hands itch to heal. There’s still shame, sometimes a flare of anger, but more often now, it’s hope—a new respect for limits, for the trust that must be rebuilt, for the chance to show your worth again.

A month crawls by before the social worker finally returns Jaemin’s calls, her voice tinny on speaker as you lie propped against hospital pillows; she offers only a handful of words. “He’s safe, he’s content, he laughs at breakfast, he sleeps through the night,” those simple sentences slide into the hollow in your chest like warm stones, heavy enough to calm the worst of the ache. She won’t share the address or a photo, only a quiet promise that Minjoon’s new room has sea-blue walls and shelves full of picture books, that he keeps Bunny close and tells everyone his Mama taught him to be brave. You close your eyes, let the image settle: a little boy humming while someone tucks him in, not flinching at shadows, not waiting for footsteps that never come. It’s not the forever you swore, yet the reassurance threads through your exhaustion, loosening the guilt just enough for you to breathe without the weight of cement on your lungs. That night, while monitors glow soft green, you grip Jaemin’s hand, feeling, for the first time since the goodbye, that you can pour what strength you have left into mending your own ribs, into Haeun’s restless curls and sticky giggles, into the fragile ordinary days still waiting for the three of you. Selfishly, the relief is a balm: knowing that he’s okay lets you focus on healing the family still wrapped in your arms.

Haeun needs both of your hands right now, one to steady her during cardiology check-ups, the other to guide her through nightmares that still echo with monitor beeps; she needs both of your eyes to catch every skipped heartbeat and every dance step she insists on perfecting before breakfast; she needs your lap for midday naps, your voice for story time, and your patience for the questions that bloom whenever an ambulance siren wails outside. Recovery is fragile: her repaired heart murmurs on windy days, her lungs tire before the playground empties, and she clings tighter each time a nurse walks past, proof that healing a body is easier than quieting a memory. So you pour everything into making her world feel ordinary, picnics that end in sticky fingers, sunsets counted from the porch, lullabies free of ICU rhythm and tell yourself it’s enough, even as her absent brother drifts through your thoughts like sea-salt on every breeze.

Your hands have never ached for a signature like they do now—craving, in every exhausted bone, the permanence of mother stamped beside Haeun’s name. But even that is stripped away, at least for now. Your reckless act, the medicine, the sea, the boy, the coma, the headline you became, has sent a ripple through every legal and bureaucratic safeguard you spent years building. You’re still her guardian, still the one she calls Mama, but the courts have pressed pause. The review board’s ruling, shadowed by your suspension and the official censure, means you cannot finalize her adoption until your medical record is clear and your license is fully reinstated. There will be months, likely years, of oversight, extra home studies, and court-ordered psychological evaluations. The social worker is gentle but unmoving, “We need stability, Doctor. The best thing you can do is heal, show the board you’re fit, and give her a home that’s safe and whole.” It’s a punishment you feel every time Haeun curls into you at night, asking with wide, sun-bright eyes if she’s “really, truly yours forever.” You can’t say yes, not with the certainty she deserves. Jaemin tries to soften it, he reminds you that love isn’t made of paperwork, that Haeun’s heart has never doubted whose arms she belongs in. But at night, when you lie awake, you tally every day, every hearing, every form still unsigned. The weight of those lost months bruises you in places no scan could find.

For now, it will be at least a year—maybe two—before you’ll be able to call yourself her mother not just in love but in law. The process is glacial: regular visits from the agency, caseworkers with clipboards, supervised meetings, endless lines of questioning meant to prove what you’ve always known in your marrow. Each delay sharpens the ache, a reminder that the world moves slowest for those who need time to hurry. Until the day the court calls your name and lets you sign the final line, you exist in limbo, holding your daughter with everything but the force of law, praying your heart is enough, and that someday, she’ll never have to ask again.

Yet even with the case-worker’s reassurance echoing in your ear, the thought of Minjoon drifts back every night like a tide you can’t hold back. Knowing he’s safe should be enough, yet your chest still pulls tight with the need to sign his papers too because in your bones he is already your son, distance and policy be damned. You catch yourself wondering if two car seats will fit in Jaemin’s hatchback, if your tiny hallway can handle double the sneakers and art projects, and then you second-guess everything: you’re only twenty-four, still limping through your own recovery, you’re about to be a resident, bureaucrats already question your fitness with one child, how could you possibly manage two? But the answer sits steady beneath the fear: you’ve already survived drowning lungs, sleepless wards, and a heart that learned to stretch for Haeun; you know it can stretch again. Love, you remind yourself, isn’t measured in free hours or tidy records, it’s counted in night-light vigils, in the way your pulse calms when a child’s cheek rests on your shoulder. And that certainty—quiet, stubborn, immovable—tells you that if fate cracks the door, you’ll find the strength and the paperwork to bring Minjoon home, no matter how messy the path.

When you and Jaemin sign the discharge papers, Haeun, now three years old, heart beating strong and wise beyond her years, cries happyily, bubbling tears in your arms, whispering over and over, “Mama, we did it, we go home together now, we all together forever.” It feels like the world ought to pause for you, just this once, as you roll through the sliding doors of the hospital, Haeun’s small, warm hand gripped tight in yours. The air outside tastes fresher than memory, sun blinking bright on the pavement as Jaemin hovers behind you, one arm draped over your shoulder, his fingers tracing love letters into the cotton of your shirt. You’re still weak, wrapped in blankets and propped in the wheelchair, each movement aches, but you breathe in the sharp, startling freedom of homecoming. Haeun is a vision beside you in her favorite yellow corduroy skirt and bunny tights, hair clipped back with mismatched barrettes, face scrubbed and luminous, cheeks full and rosy. She keeps glancing up, wide-eyed, making sure you’re real, that this isn’t another dream where she loses you to a too-bright room and the hiss of machines. “Mama, you coming home with me forever?” she chirps, skipping so close she nearly tangles her feet in your wheels. You nod, tears burning your lashes, and she beams as if you’ve hung the moon.

Jaemin leans down and presses a soft kiss to the top of your head, then one to Haeun’s, murmuring, “Let’s get my girls home.” There’s no rush; there’s only the careful, trembling gratitude of three people who almost lost each other, learning how to stay close again.

The doors slide open to a corridor blooming with faces, nurses in powder-blue scrubs, surgeons leaning in doorways, night staff blinking sleep from their eyes as the news travels down the hall like a soft shockwave: you’re going home. They line the passage with flowers, phone cameras raised, shy smiles peeking out between masks, everyone waiting for that sacred ritual, the hospital walkout, your wheelchair in the center, Haeun clinging to your left side with a grip that threatens to fuse bone to bone. She’s dressed herself in her favorite dandelion-yellow dress, the one with a frill at the collar. Her braids are neat and glossy, each ribbon tied with the softest hand, and there’s a delicate pink shimmer dusted on her lips where she borrowed your gloss, mouth pursed in careful pride as she beams at every person lining the hallway. She moves with all the gravity of a pageant queen and the chaos of a garden sprite, waving at every single person she recognizes, blowing kisses to the cleaning ladies and the food service aunties, twirling so the skirt catches and flares, exposing chubby knees and socks slouching around her ankles. When she leans in to whisper to you, her voice tickles your ear, “don’t worry, Mama, I’ll say the thank yous ‘cause I know you get shy, okay? Just squeeze my hand three times if you need to hide in my hair, I'll cover you up, promise.” Her words are sticky and earnest, cheeks dimpled from grinning too hard, nose pressed to your cheek as she tries to nuzzle away the anxious lines that’ve settled there during all those endless nights.

You pull her close, stealing her gaze away from the parade of clapping hands and hospital faces, pressing a kiss to the tip of her soft nose and another to the center of her forehead, your voice barely more than a tremble, “my sunshine, my brave little heart, Mama’s always safe with her tiny bear.”

She giggles, tiny bear, that’s her favorite, and wraps her arms tight around your neck, whispering, “Mama’s safe ‘cause I’m strong like you, okay? I'll be your shadow, always.” Her breath is warm and sweet against your cheek, and when you squeeze her hand three times, she grins and hides you behind a curtain of her hair, standing fierce and proud, shielding you from every worry in the world. Haeun catches the tiny droop at the corner of your mouth, frowns so hard her brows almost touch, then plants a loud smooch right on your pout. “Mama, I know why you look squishy-sad, you miss Minjoonie. Me too! It’s sooo not fair.” She huffs, cheeks puffing like a little pufferfish, then softens and taps your chest. “But your heart’s still mine, right? ’Cause I’m your jelly-bean girl.”

You pull her close, nuzzle her curls, and whisper that every beat in your chest spells H-A-E-U-N, and nothing in the world could make you happier than her giggle in your ear. She brightens, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Okay! When I grow taller, like, this much!” (she stretches on tiptoes, fingers wiggling at the ceiling) “I’ll borrow Pops’ bike, ride super-duper fast, and scoop Minjoonie into the basket. Zoom! Then we can all eat waffles and never say bye again.” She seals the plan with another kiss to your nose, hugs you so tight her bunny charm digs into your shoulder, and declares, “Shadow girl reporting for cuddle duty!”—leaving you laughing, breathless, and certain that even missing pieces can’t dim a heart this bright.

Haeun scoots into your lap, arms circling your neck, cheeks rosy and full of purpose. “Mama,” she whispers, nodding solemnly, “it’s time for us to leave the hospital now, ’kay? I keep you strong and safe, don’t worry, I hold your hand.” Her fingers weave through yours, warm and sticky, and then she leans in, wide eyes darting around to see if anyone is close enough to catch her secrets. She covers your ear with her chubby hand and breathes, “It was meant to be a surprise, but I can’t keep it in, everyone, all the doctors and nurses and the sleepy patients, they’re waiting outside! It’s called a… a go-home party! That’s what it’s called when people get better and don’t have to stay in the hospital forever and ever. They line up, and everyone claps and gives you balloons and they said you can walk if you want, Mama, but I told them, ‘No, my mama’s still a little bit weak and she wants to ride in the silly wheelchair so I can hold her hand the whole time.’” Haeun lifts her chin, proud and earnest, as if making important medical decisions is just part of being a daughter. “It’s better that way, ‘cause then you get to rest and I get to push you and everyone can see how strong I am! And your hand stays in mine so you don’t feel lonely or dizzy. That’s what big girls do for their Mama’s.” She squeezes your fingers tighter, beaming up at you, the picture of loyalty and gentle bravery, ready to parade you through the crowd with every ounce of hope and pride bundled into her tiny palm.

She grins, all bashful and proud, her eyes shining with a quiet understanding that feels far older than her tiny years. “That’s what happens when people leave hospitals, Mama, they go back home, snuggle in their own beds, eat snacks, and have the biggest bubble baths ever. You get to say goodbye and be so, so brave.” She squeezes your hand, gentle and certain. “It’s your turn to be the strong one, Mama, but you don’t have to do it alone. I’ll hold your hand and we’ll go home together.” Watching her, you feel a rush of awe, how much she’s grown, how gentle and wise she’s become, especially since Minjoon came into your lives. She’s a big sister in every sense, always finding the softest words, always knowing just when to press her cheek to yours, her courage shining even when the world feels too heavy.

You feel the lump rise in your throat, eyes blurring as you press a kiss to her brow. “I’m never shy when you’re with me, bubba. You’re my courage, every step out that door is with you by my side. And hopefully we never have to sleep in these hospital beds again, baby. I hope your heart is strong and carries you through a thousand mornings. No more beep-beeps and pokey needles, just sunshine and pancakes.”

She nods, solemn, then her face lights up. “Yeah! Mine too!” She jumps up and down, dragging you with her, shouts, “Goodbye, hospital!” and blows a loud kiss to the window, her little voice echoing down the hall. She cups your cheeks, kisses your lips, and snuggles into your side. “Mama, let’s pray, never come back to this hospital, okay? You, me, pinky swear.” She squeezes her eyes tight, whispers, “God, please keep my Mama and my heart so strong, we never sleep here again. Sorry, hospital, but you made my chest hurt and made Mama cry and I don’t wanna see the yucky medicine or the big, scary machines ever again.” She lists the shadows, dark nights, cold floors, needles, the way Mama would cry when she thought nobody could hear, and all the hugs she gave to keep you both from falling apart.

Haeun wriggles in your lap, then pops up and waves both hands at the walls. “Thank you, hospital!” she chirps, her voice sweet and ringing down the hall, “but ba bye! Me and Mama never coming back here!” She sticks out her tongue, cheeks puffed in a silly pout, then grabs your hand with both of hers and pulls you close, giggling into your shoulder as if sharing the best secret in the world.

She cracks one eye open, sees you giggling, and pouts, “What?”

You wrap her in your arms, smoothing her hair, and chuckle, “Well, baby, I still have to come back here—remember, Mama works here!”

Haeun goes absolutely still, lips forming a wide, perfect O, eyes as round as pancakes. She stares at you, deadpan, the seriousness of the revelation weighing on her tiny face, then shakes her head. “Oh.” She blinks, processing, then bursts into laughter that bubbles up and fills the room.

Haeun wiggles off your lap and stands on tiptoes, fussing with the hem of your blanket to make sure you’re comfy in the wheelchair, patting your knees with her tiny hands until she’s satisfied. She plants a big, sticky kiss on your cheek, then another on your forehead for extra luck. Jaemin, who’s been leaning against the wall watching the whole show with a lazy grin, finally bends down and presses a long, slow kiss to your lips, soft at first, then deeper, making you melt right into him. Haeun wrinkles her nose, eyes popping wide, and squeals, “Ew! Yucky love germs! Mama, don’t let Dada eat your face! Save the kisses for me!” She stomps her foot and covers her eyes, then peeks through her fingers, giggling so hard she almost topples over. “Mama, next time you and Dada do smoochy-smooch, I’m calling Bunny to come put soap on your lips!” The laughter spills around the room, wrapping you in joy as she takes your hand and leads you to the door, her silly bravado and bright heart making every step out into the world feel exactly right.

You let her lead you through the parade, clinging to her warmth, to the silkiness of her small palm in yours, the way her fingers twist your bracelet until it nearly cuts off circulation. Your other hand stays wrapped around her battered bunny, the same one she clutched all through your worst fevers, now swaddled in a hospital blanket and adorned with a sticker that says ‘super patient.’ Every time she sees someone she loves, a favorite nurse, the respiratory therapist who made her balloon animals, Dr. Kim with her rainbow shoelaces, Haeun tugs you closer, leans in, and bellows, “thank you, thank you! we go home now! Mama’s magic again, see! me and Dada will take care of Mama, she’s in good hands, I promise!” Her lips leave tiny wet hearts across your cheek, and she trails her free fingers down your neck, humming lullabies into your collar, as if her voice alone could knit you whole. She skips and hops, shoes slapping against linoleum, and as you pass by the reception desk, she demands an extra sticker “for bravery,” insisting that you’re the bravest girl in the building today. The staff laughs, a soft, reverent sound, and you blink back a wave of dizziness at the realization that you’ve survived something colossal, together.

Jaemin hovers behind you, tall and drawn, suit jacket slung over his arm, stethoscope around his neck, but his attention is wholly focused on the fragile axis between your body and Haeun’s. He keeps one hand anchored on your shoulder, thumb circling slow, silent benedictions against the curve of your collarbone. When you squeeze his fingers, hard, desperate, grounding yourself, he bends down, lips pressed to the crown of your head, whispering so low it sinks straight into your bones, “can’t wait to get my girls home.” You turn your face into his hand, breathing him in, catching the sharp, clean scent of hospital soap, clinging to the feel of his pulse steady and sure beneath your mouth. Haeun tugs your wrist, urging you to wave with her, so you lift your entwined hands, letting her drag you into her world, letting her joy eclipse the leftover fear that still sticks to your ribs. When she throws herself at one of the nurses, hugging her tight, she beckons you forward with a command, “Mama, come on! you too, you say bye-bye now!”—and you comply, leaning out of the chair to touch cheeks and receive soft, well-wishes whispered like prayers.

As the crowd parts and the doors to the lobby open wide, sunlight spills over you all, catching in Haeun’s hair, turning her into a haloed blur as she skips and twirls, her shadow chasing ahead. She turns back, planting both feet, tugging you and Jaemin forward as if she could pull you into tomorrow by sheer force of will. “my Mama’s magic, see! bye-bye! thank you! all better now! me and Dada—” Her words are swallowed by the sound of her own laughter, the hush of the doors, and the sudden bloom of summer air. You reach up, hand trembling, and press your lips to the back of Jaemin’s hand where it rests on your shoulder, holding tight, refusing to let go. Haeun clambers into your lap, legs tangling with yours, cheek pressed to your heart as she whispers, “don’t be scared, Mama. me and dada got you now. We all home together.” The sun sharpens everything, her chipped pink nail polish, the sugar-slick curve of her nose, the way her lips purse as she blows one final kiss to the nurses by the window, promising she’ll come back soon, just to show them how much taller she’ll be.

As the wheelchair glides past the line of nurses and techs and volunteers gathered by the exit, Haeun’s grip on your fingers tightens, her feet padding in time with each wheel’s soft shudder across the polished floor. The lights feel too bright, but she’s your shield, bouncing in her little patent shoes, cheeks round and pink with excitement, dress swirling around her legs like a spun sugar cloud. She turns back, mouth forming an O as the applause grows, and suddenly she throws both arms wide, announcing in a clear, bell-bright voice, “Thank you, everybody! Mama and me and Dada are going home forever! We’re so, so happy—don’t be sad, I’ll come visit with Mama and bring you flower pictures and magic hugs for your breaks!” Her dimples deepen as she punctuates the promise with two air-kisses, and when she feels your fingers tremble, she slips her tiny thumb over your knuckles, humming a soft “mm-mm-mm” that sounds like sunlight made into a lullaby, coaxing your shoulders to unclench.

She’s giggling as she dances along beside you, hopping from foot to foot in a goofy circle, then twirling once, curls floating around her head. At one point she breaks from your side to plant a clumsy, heartfelt kiss on the wrist of the old night nurse who brought her the pink blankets, then rushes back to you, breathless, whispering, “Did you see, Mama? I gave her a goodbye power-up, now she’ll be strong for other bubbas.” Every time a staff member kneels to meet her, she offers her tiny hand for a shake or a squeeze, spreading out little bits of her heart in gratitude, telling the physio she’ll miss their silly stretching games and promising Dr. Seo that she’ll grow up big and strong now, “just like you, promise.”

You reel her in with a gentle tug, parking the wheelchair in a quiet alcove between two potted ficus trees so the praise and camera flashes dim to a hush. Haeun squeaks in surprise, then melts into you, knees tucked on the footrest, forehead resting against yours. Nose to nose, you breathe the same pocket of air that smells of vanilla hand-sanitizer and bubble-gum toothpaste. “My glowing comet,” you murmur, tracing the apple-curve of her cheek with your thumb, “My brave girl, you always know how to make Mama feel safe, I get all shy with so many people, but when I hold your hand, it’s like I can do anything.”

She giggles, a sound like soft bells shaken inside a quilt and presses her button nose to yours three quick times. “Boop-boop-boop,” she counts, a private code for ‘I love you,’ bigger than the sky. Then she cups your face in both hands, thumbs brushing the tear-gloss from beneath your lashes. “I love you, Mama, I’ll never let the world be too big. Just stay with me, okay? If you get scared, squeeze my hand three times and I’ll cover you with my hair like a superhero cape!”

A laugh escapes you, shaky and bright. “Deal, Captain Sunshine.” You kiss the soft valley between her brows, feel her giggle ripple down the bones of your chest, and the two of you stay like that, foreheads touching, secrets trading in the hush until Jaemin clears his throat gently and the parade resumes. You watch her, your chest aches with how whole she looks, radiant and brave, glittering with all the innocence and pride you want the world to hold for her. She keeps glancing back at you, checking your face, squeezing your hand as if to remind herself you’re really here, safe, real, going home together at last. She leans in and whispers, “Mama, can I do my happy dance?” and when you nod, she breaks out in a soft-shoe shuffle, making everyone laugh, a little parade in miniature, Haeun at its shining center.

This isn’t just your hospital walkout, it’s hers, the closing of a chapter she’s too young to name, but her whole body knows it. You feel it in the hush that settles as Haeun bounces at your side, her hand welded to yours, little fingers squeezing so tight you could believe they hold the power to ward off anything. Jaemin stands behind you, hand cupped protectively over your shoulder, thumb stroking slow circles into your collarbone, his breath shaky with the relief and awe of seeing you both here, whole, after all those nights he counted the seconds by the beep of her monitors. Haeun walks with her head held high, cheeks glowing, eyes shining huge and starlit, and she stops to press a kiss to every nurse’s knuckles, gifting each a piece of her sweetness as she says, “Thank you for making me all better! I’ll come back to visit, promise! Me and Mama and Dada, super team, strong hearts, all together!” The staff blink away tears, some kneeling to hug her close, others just smiling through the ache of goodbye, and you feel it, this is a day that splits the world in two: before and after, illness and hope, loneliness and family.

You pull Haeun into your lap, the chair slowing as you cradle her against your chest, her legs swinging, soft dress pooling over your knees like a puddle of sunlight. Her laughter bubbles up, fizzy and pure, as she hides her face in your neck and whispers, “Mama, you’re the bravest in the world. I knew you’d get better for me. Did you know I wished on every star? I told them, ‘let Mama come home, and I’ll be so good forever, cross my heart!’”

You can’t answer for a second, your throat knotted with love and fear and the wild, dizzy gratitude of surviving, but you kiss her hair, breathing in the scent of shampoo and her special sun-warm skin. “You saved me, baby,” you whisper, “you and Dada. You’re my reason for everything.”

She lifts her head, beaming, and cups your cheeks in her tiny palms, nose to nose, her voice a breathless, sacred promise. “Mama, you’re my superhero. You don’t have to be scared ‘cause I’ll be your light forever. If you ever feel sad or lost, just call me and I’ll come running, okay? I’ll protect you, pinky swear!” She leans in for another kiss, feather-soft, before spinning in your arms, waving at everyone and singing out, “We’re going home! We’re all better now! No more beeps, just pancakes and sunshine!”

Haeun can’t keep still—she’s wiggling in your lap, bunny charm swinging, cheeks pink from pride and joy, little feet tapping on the wheelchair footrest as the nurses and techs linger, some misty-eyed, some smiling wide. She looks up at Jaemin for permission, eyes huge and shining, then stands on tiptoe, hands clutching your shoulder for balance, and clears her throat, trying for her biggest, bravest voice. “Excuse me! Everybody!” she chirps, waving both arms above her head until all eyes turn, the crowd parting for this pint-sized sunbeam in her cloud-print dress. “I wanna say thank you! Thank you for making my Mama better, and for letting me sleep in the nurses’ room when I was scared, and for bringing me jelly and stickers and extra pancakes when I missed my home!” Her hands flutter to her heart as she glances at each familiar face, she calls out names, “Nurse Yuha, thank you for fixing my hair with rainbow bands! Dr. Huang, you let me listen to Mama’s heart, it goes boom-boom just like mine now! Thank you to all the night people for letting me color with your special pens and for giving me warm blankets when it was so cold, and for always checking if my bunny was comfy, too!”

She peeks at you, cheeks dimpled with glee, and bounces closer, whispering in your ear, “Mama, you gotta smile, everyone’s watching! We have to be the bravest, shiniest family ever, remember?” Then she throws her arms around your neck, lips pressing sloppy kisses to your cheek, giggling, “That’s your hero kiss! Now you’re super strong!” She spins away and grabs Jaemin’s hand, tugging him toward her as she continues, “Thank you for fixing all the hurts in our family and for never being mad when I spilled my juice or sang too loud at bedtime. We love you! I’ll bring magic hugs for everybody, promise, and pictures of my flowers, and—oh!—when Mama is all strong again, we’ll come visit and show you how happy we are! And I’ll let you meet Bunny’s new babies, and I’ll bring cookies next time if Mama says yes!” She beams up at Jaemin, then out at the crowd, “And thank you to my Dada for holding me when I missed my home, and thank you for letting me sneak extra pancakes and for carrying me when my legs got tired!”

Her voice wobbles with feeling, lips glossy with kisses, and she beams at you, squeezing your hand three times the way you taught her, whispering, “See, Mama? All our friends are happy too.” The room seems to glow, every heart drawn to this bubble of warmth, as Haeun spins in a dizzy little twirl, bowing low, and blowing kisses to every nurse and doctor, “Goodbye, everybody! I’m gonna be so strong and come back to visit and bring all my sunshine with me! You helped my Mama, you helped my Dada, and you helped me be the happiest girl in the world!” Her giggles echo down the hallway, so bright and unfiltered you feel your chest ache from loving her, she turns back to you, arms wrapping around your neck, nose pressed to your ear, whispering, “Don’t be scared, Mama, I’ll always take care of you. You’re my forever and ever, pinky promise.”

Your throat tightens as Haeun’s little speech echoes and fades, her words hanging bright in the air, and you can’t help but pull her into your lap, pressing your lips to her soft crown, feeling her giggle bloom against your chest. You look up at Jaemin, who’s kneeling beside you, his hand still anchored on your shoulder, and you draw them both closer, your voice trembling but sure. “You know, I thought I’d be scared leaving this place—” You brush Haeun’s hair back, catching her bright gaze, “—but with my sunshine girl and the love of my life, I’m not scared of anything. You two are the reason I’m still here, still fighting, still getting stronger. You both saved me more times than any doctor ever could.” Haeun giggles and wiggles closer, tucking herself against your heart, and you nuzzle her, whispering, “My brave little hero, my best friend, my magic, Mama’s never alone with you here. Thank you for being my light, for keeping me safe when I was too tired to find my way back. I love you more than pancakes, more than bunny hugs, more than all the flowers in the world.”

Your fingers find Jaemin’s, squeezing tight as your voice thickens, your heart wide open. “And you—” You meet his eyes, steady and shining, “—thank you for loving me when I couldn’t love myself, for never letting go, for believing in our family when everything felt broken. You gave me a home, you gave me hope, and you gave me her.” Haeun beams, cheeks glossy with your kisses, and grabs both your hands, anchoring the three of you together. “I promise I’ll keep getting stronger, for both of you, for our whole silly, stubborn, sunshine family. I’ll come back and show everyone just how happy you made me.”

Haeun presses another kiss to your cheek, then to Jaemin’s, her laughter a gentle bell, and Jaemin leans in, voice low and reverent, “We’ll always keep you safe, baby. Always.” Wrapped in their arms, their warmth, their impossible love, you know you’re finally, fiercely, home.

She gives one last round of kisses, feet kicking, face pressed to yours, as Jaemin crouches beside you both, his arm tight around your shoulders, every nurse and tech grinning, and even the patients from their doorways waving. Haeun’s joy is a tide that pulls everyone with her, laughter and hope rising and rising, and when you finally roll forward, her hand in yours, her speech echoing in every heart, you know she’s lit up the whole ward with her little bubble of love, and every step toward the doors feels like a promise that you’ll never, ever walk alone.

You watch her, your girl, your moonbeam, your fiercest hope, dancing through the applause, turning a hospital exit into a celebration, into a victory parade. Today you leave together, not as survivors but as something stronger: a family stitched back together by all you’ve endured, by every promise kept, every squeeze of her little hand. This is Haeun’s last time walking these halls as a patient, and the way she glows, you know in your bones she’ll never need to come back. She’s free, and so are you. Outside, the world waits, raw and blinding, and you realize you’re held here, anchored by love, by Haeun’s unbreakable grip, by Jaemin’s steady hand—every part of you heavy with relief, trembling with the weight of beginning again.

Behind you, Jaemin stands a little straighter, the chief of peds—always the doctor in the room, but now just your partner, the man who carried you through every dark hour. His eyes glisten as he watches you and Haeun, pride blooming across his face, every sharp edge softened by joy and awe. For so long he’s worn the weight of other people’s heartbreak, every loss carving deep inside him, but here, in this moment, with the ward full of applause and his family gathered in his arms, you see the way he’s come undone with gratitude. His hand is steady on your shoulder, but his thumb traces gentle circles—a silent promise, a wordless thank you, an anchor. Every nurse who stops to squeeze his arm, every old patient who waves and shouts, “Thank you, Dr. Na!” only makes his grip on you tighter, as if he’s letting himself believe in happy endings for the first time. When you turn to look at him, he’s already looking at you, all the pride and wonder in the world alive in his eyes, and you feel that old ache, the one that says nothing is ever wasted, not when love survives it.

The moment you wheel through the front door, Haeun explodes from Jaemin’s side in a tumble of pink tulle and squeals, her arms spread wide as she shrieks, “Welcome back home, Mama!” The living room is transformed, ribbons twined across the ceiling, paper hearts swinging from every lamp, a garland of crayon rainbows draped above the sofa. Cardboard letters cut with clumsy scissors spell out ‘home is where Mama is,’ in glittery marker across the entryway. There are bouquets in old juice glasses on every windowsill, bunnies and unicorns perched on every chair, and hand-drawn cards tacked to the walls, each one covered in lopsided stars, suns, and a wild mess of “I love you, Mama!” written in every colour she could find. On the coffee table, Haeun’s tiny hands have arranged a half-dozen cupcakes into the shape of a heart, each iced in pastel swirls and crowned with edible flowers, with a big pink cake in the center that says, ‘welcome home, my best girl!’ in Haeun’s looping, intimate scrawl.

She’s tugging at your hand before you can even breathe, voice bursting with pride as she tries to pull you into every corner of the room, “Mama, look, look! Dada let me pick the biggest flowers for your room! And I made a special card with sparkles for your pillow and me and Bunny did all the hearts on the fridge! You have to see my drawing of us, look, you’re wearing the pretty dress and Dada’s got his doctor hat and I gave myself wings so I can fly to hug you anytime you’re sad!”

She’s already halfway across the rug, feet pattering wild, when Jaemin gently swoops down, steadying her with a hand to her shoulder. “Slow, Haeunie,” he says, warm but firm, “Mama needs to go slow. She’s still getting strong again.”

Haeun’s eyes go wide and earnest as she nods, lips pursed in a soft little ‘o’, and she tiptoes back to your side, slipping her hand into yours. “Sorry, Mama. Dada says we have to be patient and gentle. It’s ‘cause you’re sick, but me and Dada’ll help you get super strong again, okay? Pinky promise.” She holds up her tiny finger for you to hook with yours, grinning so wide you can see the gap where she lost her first tooth last week.

You can’t help but melt, curling your pinky around hers and tugging her close until her forehead brushes yours. “You know what? Every time you smile at me, I feel my heart grow two sizes. You and Dada are my best medicine, way better than any doctor could give. I’ll get strong in no time, promise, just as long as I’ve got my Haeunie to help me.” Your voice wobbles with the sweetness of it, cheeks aching from smiling so much, and you brush her hair back, pressing a kiss to her dimple and whispering, “What would Mama do without her hero?” Haeun giggles, a bright, tinkling sound, and hugs you so tight your ribs nearly creak, the two of you tangled up in sunshine and soft whispers, safe in the silly, sacred little world you share.

Everywhere you look there’s something, a line of painted rocks spelling “Mana’s garden” on the kitchen windowsill, photos from the hospital days printed out and framed with macaroni and glitter, and a parade of her favorite stuffed animals stacked on your bed, each holding a tiny note. There’s a new blanket, impossibly soft, tucked up with your favorite mug and a little stack of books, Jaemin’s gentle, careful touch in every detail. You can’t help it; the tears prick hot at your eyes, the whole room blurring with gratitude and disbelief, and suddenly you’re crying, shoulders shaking as you clutch Haeun to your chest. She gasps, little hands patting your cheeks, “Why are you sad, Mama? Did we mess it up? I wanted it to be perfect.” Her voice wobbles, lips trembling, and she presses quick kisses to your cheeks, sticky and warm, murmuring, “Don’t cry, Mama, Haeunie’s here, I’m right here! I’ll fix it, I’ll hug you all night, I’ll never let you go—”

Jaemin kneels beside you, arms curling around you both, pressing his forehead to yours as his own eyes shine. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” he murmurs, voice thick, “these are happy tears, right?”

You nod, breath hitching, fingers curling tight around both of them. “I’m not sad, baby, I’m just so—so lucky. I thought I’d lost this, lost you. I never thought I’d be forgiven or blessed enough to come home.” You say it raw, the words shaky and honest, and you feel Haeun’s arms squeeze you tighter, her heart beating so hard you can feel it through her dress.

“Silly Mama,” she giggles, nose smushing into your neck, “we’d never let you go! You’re our best thing. Dada said so.” Jaemin cups your jaw, kisses the tears off your cheeks, then kisses Haeun too, the three of you tangled together in the heart of a home rebuilt for joy, each detail proof that you’re cherished, wanted, and finally, finally home.

At home, everything stitches itself back together with the clumsy grace of a first family waltz, slow, sweet, imperfect, so precious it aches. Haeun declares herself the household’s smallest nurse and your official helper, making it her solemn job to be everywhere you are, eyes bright with duty and her nose scrunched in concentration. “Mama, wait, I do it!” she insists, chubby hands clutching your medicine bottle with such seriousness you want to cry and laugh all at once. She pads after you in her bunny slippers, grabbing the hem of your cardigan if you move too fast, reminding you, tiny finger waggling, lips pursed, “no runnin’, Mama, only walk like ducks, ‘kay?”

When you settle on the couch, she piles pillows around you, meticulous, cheeks puffed out in focus as she arranges them “just so.” She brings your slippers, her favorite, butter-yellow ones with white hearts, your matching pair, carefully setting them by your feet and tucking your toes inside, humming under her breath. In the kitchen, she fills your water glass with both hands, spilling a little but beaming when she sets it beside you, announcing, “All done, Mama! Hydrate, hydrate!” Her nose is always wrinkling, sniffing at your tea, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth when she tries to open packets, cheeks rosy with the effort. Her hands, still dimpled and baby-soft, wrap around your wrist as she insists on “checking your pulse like Dr. Huang,” and she leans in so close her lashes tickle your cheek.

Each morning she climbs into your bed before the sun is up, curls a wild halo, cheeks soft as ripe peaches, Bunny tucked under one arm and her icy feet burrowing for warmth beneath your legs. She presses her nose to yours and whispers, “Is your heart all better, Mama? If not, I can share mine—see?” She presses her palm flat against your chest, her other hand to her own, and for a moment she’s very still, eyes wide and hopeful. “Dr. Huang say it’s super strong now. It goes ‘boom-boom’ like music. I got lots to share. I got love to share too, Mama.” Some mornings, you wake to the clink of mugs and the sound of bare feet padding softly across the kitchen tile. Haeun’s voice chirps instructions as she helps Jaemin assemble a little tea tray, balancing the spoon and honey jar in her small hands, face set with determined pride. “We’re the doctor team,” she announces, marching at his side as he carries the cup, “Dada’s in charge but I’m the boss.” When she reaches the couch, her eyes glitter with accomplishment, her smile wide and shy as she sets the tray down without a single spill, glancing at you for praise. Jaemin bows, hand to his heart like a waiter, but it’s Haeun who preens when you call her “boss baby,” lifting her chin and squeezing your knee, already angling for another job to do.

At night, she nestles close in the crook of your arm, body all warm limbs and contented little sighs, tracing gentle circles on your skin until the tension leaks out of your shoulders. Her voice is small and off-key as she sings her favorite lullabies, lyrics dissolving into soft hums. “I’ll stay awake all night, Mama, so you don’t have any bad dreams, cross my heart,” she promises, pressing her nose to your temple, lashes brushing your cheek. She makes a little cocoon of herself around you, thumb stroking your wrist, insistent that her presence alone can keep nightmares at bay. Sometimes you catch her eyelids drooping, her willpower stretched to the limit by the urge to protect you, her sleepy giggle the last thing you hear before you drift off, anchored by her warmth. On days when your body is too heavy for the world, Haeun invents “exercise club,” scampering to your side with a determined gleam in her eyes. She lifts your hands above your head, fingers laced with yours, counting out each gentle stretch and encouraging every toe wiggle with an exaggerated cheer. “One more, Mama, you can do it!” she calls, her enthusiasm contagious, refusing to let gloom claim the day. Each completed motion earns a triumphant high five, her laughter bubbling up as she flops dramatically onto the rug, arms and legs flung wide, “Now we’re super strong, like hero team!”

When the exhaustion wins and your emotions brim over, Haeun is there to catch the first trembling tear, pressing her small fingers beneath your eyes with infinite tenderness. “All gone, see? I turn sad drops into happy ones,” she whispers, ritualistically pressing her fingertip to her lips and then to your cheek. She pulls you into a lopsided, sticky kiss, arms flung tight around your neck, her breath warm and sweet as she reassures, “No more cry, Mama, only hugs now. Promise.” During your afternoon naps, she turns the living room into a gallery, taping up her latest drawings on every wall within view. Her pictures always center you, bright and crowned, cheeks rosy, surrounded by herself, Jaemin, and a flurry of hearts. When you wake, Haeun’s face hovers above yours, proud and hopeful as she gestures to the new masterpieces. “Now the room’s filled with extra Mama power so you get better quick,” she insists, tugging you to your feet to admire every portrait, cheeks flushed with anticipation, eager for your approval. She carries your story with her everywhere—introducing herself to neighbors, nurses, and strangers in the park with the same unwavering declaration. “My mama is very brave and strong, she’s getting better every day, I’m her sidekick forever.” When you’re out in public and hesitation creeps in, she slips her hand into yours, squeezing three times just like she promised, her secret signal to remind you that you’re never alone, her love, a constant, unbreakable tether pulling you back to safety.

No chore escapes her, she lines up your vitamins on the nightstand, kisses each one “for luck,” fetches Bunny if you sigh, arranges stickers on your water bottle (“for magic”), and tries to brush your hair, her tongue poking out in concentration, her little hands gentle but tangling halfway. When you wince, she’s all wide-eyed apology, “sorry, Mama! I be soft!”—pressing kisses to your forehead, your eyelids, the tip of your nose, peppering you with “mwah-mwah-mwah” until you both dissolve into giggles. She tucks your hair behind your ear, the way you do for her, and whispers, “Pretty Mama. I take care of you, promise. ‘Cause you my best friend, forever, ever, ever.” Everything in your world is softer with her: the sharp ache of healing dulled by her arms tangled around your waist, the shadows on hard days chased away by her giggles and the determined patter of her feet. Each sigh, each groan, each slow shuffle, Haeun is there, her whole body a trembling, shining vow, her lashes like butterfly wings on your skin, her nose button-round and pressed to your jaw, her voice a bubbling brook, her heart your miracle and your medicine both.

Your baby girl is sunshine, sweet sticky fingers and wild curls, love so loud it rattles every shadow loose. Your partner is gravity, steady hands, fierce devotion, desire that anchors you back to life every time you start to drift. Jaemin is your shadow and your anchor, never farther than a soft breath, always finding ways to fold himself around your new fragility as if he could take the pain from your body into his own. He hovers at thresholds, watching with that surgeon’s eye, every wince catalogued, every sigh drawing his arms closer, until you’re wrapped in the sanctuary of his touch. Mornings, he tucks your hair behind your ear as you sit at the table, brushing fingertips down your jaw and pressing kisses, slow and reverent, to the pulse in your throat. He carries you to bed sometimes, when fatigue makes your limbs weak and trembling, muttering soft curses at the world that hurt you, at the rules that keep you from the life you built.

Every evening, he kneels by the tub to wash your hair, letting your head loll back into his palm, massaging shampoo into your scalp as if every gentle circle could heal what’s been torn. He presses his mouth to your shoulder, teeth grazing skin gone sensitive with longing, whispering things that make you shiver: “You’re here. You’re home. I can’t stop loving you, even for a minute.” When the house is quiet and Haeun’s small snore drifts from her room, Jaemin slides into bed behind you, his palm splaying low on your belly, his nose nuzzled behind your ear. Some nights, the tenderness twists into need, fingers tangled under cotton, his breath shaky against your neck, bodies moving together with slow, aching urgency, everything deliberate, nothing rushed. He maps every new scar, every line of fatigue, his kisses fierce as promises, murmuring “mine” into the dip of your spine, tracing the love he’s terrified to lose.

He insists on doing the small things, packing your medicine with breakfast, warming your slippers on the heater, filling the house with lilies and sunlight and little surprises: your favorite tea, the novel you wanted, a playlist for slow, rainy afternoons. He sits behind you on the couch, arms locked around your waist, chin hooked over your shoulder as you drift in and out of sleep, holding you close so you know there’s nowhere safer than this. When nightmares come, he’s there before you can wake fully, rocking you, hand between your shoulder blades, whispering that you’re safe, you’re loved, you’re not alone. He spoons you in the middle of the day, in the middle of the night, never tiring of the feel of your skin under his palms, tracing the edge of your thigh, the curve of your breast, the hollow at your throat—mapping you again and again, as if to memorize every inch for the days he almost lost.

His love language is all action and touch—bandaging what aches, drawing hearts in the steam on the bathroom mirror, lifting you onto the counter to kiss you breathless, hands splayed on your hips, teeth at your collarbone. He worships you with every meal he cooks, every step he ta kes at your side, every whispered “I love you” while you’re half-asleep in his arms, his heart beating so hard you feel it echo in your own. In the hush of early morning, Haeun squished between you, he traces circles on your knee, mouth pressed to your hair, and says, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, “You’re everything. I’ll love you through every heartbreak, every scar, every miracle, every mess. You’re my home.” And you know, in the cradle of his arms, that you’ll never have to heal alone.

There are mornings when you can barely get out of bed, every part of you aching and limp, but Jaemin’s already there, kneeling at your side, sliding soft socks onto your feet, humming some old lullaby that Haeun learned from him. He doesn’t rush you; he waits, patient, letting you lean into his side as he leads you down the hall, fingers laced with yours. When you can’t make it to the table, he sets a breakfast picnic in bed, sliced strawberries, honey toast, your mug of tea with the perfect amount of milk and brings Haeun up to join you, both of them fussing and coaxing laughter from your lips. On afternoons when sunlight spills through the windows, he draws you close on the porch swing, letting you rest your head against his chest, heartbeat steady as a drum beneath your ear. Sometimes, he reads to you, voice soft and low, his hand tracing slow lines along your hip as if to say, over and over, I am here, I am yours, you are loved.

At night, when sleep won’t come and you’re haunted by fear, of getting sick again, of the world falling away, Jaemin wraps his arms around you, strong and certain, cradling you close until your breathing evens out. He never lets you shrink from your scars, never lets you feel less for needing help, telling you again and again, “There’s nothing you could do to make me love you less.” When you break down, the tears raw and shaking, he cups your face and kisses every track they leave, letting you sob into his chest, whispering promises he’d carve into bone if he could: “You’re safe. You’re mine. We’re never losing each other, not now, not ever.” In every gesture—every held hand, every late-night snack, every tired giggle under shared blankets—you feel his love, endless and unwavering, the devotion that carried you both home

From the moment you wake, they move as a team, Jaemin, all quiet certainty, guiding the day’s rhythm, and Haeun, a sunbeam in motion, her tiny legs pumping as she races down the hall to your bedside, curls bouncing, her nose pink from sleep. She climbs up with a grunt, hands and knees soft as new dough, eyes searching your face for any trace of discomfort, mouth parted in silent concentration. Before you can speak, she smooths your hair with clumsy, dimpled fingers, then pats your cheeks with both palms, whispering, “Mama, I help! Me and Dada, we do teamwork!”

Jaemin stands just behind, warm palm at your shoulder, reaching to steady your spine as you sit, and the weight of both their care presses comfort deep into your bones. Every morning is a gentle choreography: Jaemin lifts you with slow, practiced hands, supporting your back, murmuring, “Easy, love,” as Haeun runs ahead, picking up slippers and laying out your cardigan, her voice bubbling. “Pink one, Mama, like a ballerina!” She fusses with your hair, chubby fingers smoothing the part. Jaemin fetches your medicine, checks your water, and gives Haeun the task of handing each pill, she does it with both palms cupped, eyes shining with gravity, whispering, “Good job, Mama,” when you swallow, as if you’re the bravest girl in the room. Jaemin watches, eyes soft and glittering, then crouches to help, his big hands tucking the blanket around your legs as Haeun fusses over the edge, her chubby toes curling against your shin. Every gesture is a duet, her tiny hand passing you the water glass, his voice murmuring reminders to breathe; her babbling instructions, “Mama, eat, drink, you be good girl!” as she feeds you one bite at a time, cheeks puffed with pride, Jaemin’s smile crinkling with every accomplishment.

Mother’s Day in your house is a celebration spun gold, soft, reverent, impossibly sentimental, every detail plotted in secret. The first thing you register is the scent of strawberries and melted butter, the giggling crescendo of Haeun launching herself into your arms, curls bouncing, her cheeks warm and glossy, mouth shaped in the widest, proudest “O.” She clambers up, hands sticky from carrying the tray, thrusting a wrinkled, hand-painted card into your lap, pink and purple suns, a wonky heart with “Mama is my Hero!” in jagged crayon. She’s wrapped a sparkly friendship bracelet around the card, a treasure she wove herself from your old hair ribbons, and insists on sliding it over your wrist with such gentle care you feel your heart twist. Jaemin stands in the doorway, one hand bracing the tray so nothing slips, his other holding a single, dew-bright daisy in a juice glass, your favorite flower, because Haeun declared them “happy like Mama’s eyes.”

He sets the tray in your lap with a flourish, every plate bursting with intention: pancakes shaped like bunnies and flowers, tiny paper flags reading “best Mama,” slices of fruit stacked into rainbows, even your coffee mug graced with a hand-lettered “supermom.” Haeun narrates every choice, how she picked the biggest strawberries for you, poured the syrup “all by herself,” and how Daddy let her use the “fancy sprinkles because you’re the Queen.” She nestles beside you, grinning, pink toes tucked under your thigh, insisting on feeding you the first wobbly bite, laughing when a dab of cream lands on your nose then kissing it off for you. The moment feels enchanted: sunlight warming your blankets, Jaemin kissing your bare shoulder with a reverence that breaks you open, his palm splayed over your belly as if cradling everything that’s ever hurt and everything that’s healing.

After breakfast, Haeun parades you through the house, her tiny hand locked in yours, revealing her “Mama Museum.” Every corner has been decorated, paper chains, bouquets of dandelions and buttercups stuffed in juice jars, a construction paper crown atop your pillow, “tickets” for extra cuddles hidden in pockets and drawers. She leads you to the living room where she’s drawn a huge mural of your family, her, you, and Jaemin, all with superhero capes, bunnies at your feet, and a speech bubble that says, “My Mama saves the world.” On the coffee table, she’s lined up the gifts: a tissue-paper bouquet (“for when you need happy tears”), a tiny clay heart pressed with her thumbprint, and a photo of the three of you, framed in stickers and puffy glitter.

You sit, legs folded under, as Haeun clambers onto your lap, nuzzling your cheek, hands cupping your face as she whispers, “Best Mama, best friend, best heart in the world.” Jaemin kneels beside you, one arm slung around your shoulders, his gaze wet and unguarded, lips pressed to your temple as if to anchor you to this tiny, golden universe. You can’t stop crying, laughter and tears all tangled, and Haeun kisses the salt from your cheeks, pressing her soft mouth over every trembling smile, vowing, “Me and Dada gonna make you happy forever.” In that moment, love is thick and irreducible, your first Mother’s Day, not just a holiday but a benediction, a promise that you are seen, chosen, worshipped beyond measure. The day unfurls around you, sunlight and giggles, pancakes and presents, every second a monument to the family you fought for, every breath sacred, every “I love you” etched into the marrow of your bones.

When it’s time for your walk, Jaemin is at your side, your arm looped through his, his steps matching yours, while Haeun trots ahead, her knees knocking together, bunny slippers scuffing. She picks wildflowers for you, stuffing your pockets, “So you can smell pretty things, Mama, even inside.” At home, she helps you change, her hands gentle, voice low, “I zip for you, Mama. You rest.” Jaemin brushes your hair, tangles gently under his fingers, his eyes always searching for pain, always softening with reassurance. “You’re safe,” he whispers. “We’ve got you.”

After lunch, Haeun insists on “doctor time.” She brings her plastic stethoscope and examines your heart, brow furrowed, nose squished, curls falling in her face. “Boom-boom is strong!” she announces, kissing your chest, then nuzzling under your chin. “Dr. Huang say I can twirl in ballet again, Mama! You come see, okay?”

You promise, your hand cupping her chubby cheek, thumb stroking the sticky curve of her jaw. “Wouldn’t miss it for anything, baby.”

Jaemin spends the evenings beside you, legs bracketing yours, his arms wound tight as he reads aloud, his voice a soothing anchor. Haeun falls asleep on your lap, thumb in mouth, curls scattered, her nose pressed to your wrist, bunny clutched to her chest. When you wake in the night, panicked and aching, Jaemin is there, mouth at your temple, whispering, “It’s alright, love. I’ve got you. We’re safe. We’re all here.” His hands are firm and sure, tracing your spine, grounding you in the present, his body heat a balm against old pain. They treat you like a queen, a patient and a love all at once: Haeun’s affection is an endless fountain, her giggles and nuzzles and wild declarations (“I’m Mama’s best helper! Dada said!”); Jaemin’s devotion quieter but no less fierce, every touch an act of worship, every look a promise that nothing, not the ocean, not the world, will ever take you from them again. Together, they fill the house with softness and light, the scent of pancakes and hope, and in their arms, for the first time since the water closed over your head, you believe you might never drown again.

Haeun plops into your lap, card hugged to her chest, cheeks shiny with pride. She shoves it into your hands, pointing at her biggest, roundest letters. “Look, Mama! My handwritin’! You proud of me?” Her voice wobbles a little but she’s beaming, lashes all fluttery, nose crinkled.

“You’re my cleverest girl. I’m so, so proud of you. I love you more than anything.” Haeun wriggles, giggling into your neck, soaking up every bit of your pride and love.

She giggles and clears her throat, like she’s seen grown-ups do, and starts reading—slow and careful, with a hiccup between each word. “I love you Mama! Mama is soft and pretty and Bunny says you the best cuddler. Thank you for pancakes and for fixin’ all my ouchies and for singin’ ‘moon river’ when I sad. Thank you for pickin’ my yellow dress and for lovin’ me big-big, bigger than the sky.” She pauses, cheeks hot, eyes searching yours for approval. “Did I read it good, Mama? You happy?” You sweep her up, smother her in kisses, and whisper,

You nuzzle her nose, cheeks, and crown, squeezing her close until your arms ache with sweetness. “My sunshine, you’re my heart,” you whisper, voice thick, “I’m proud of you every day for being so brave, so kind, such a strong little nurse for Mama. You’re the best thing I’ve ever made and I’ll thank the stars every morning I get to wake up and see you smile.”

Haeun’s chin wobbles; she ducks her head, bashful, then buries her face in your neck, giggling, “I love you, Mama, big as the moon. I taked care of you so good, ‘cause you my one and only.”

The room is a wild garden of color, armfuls of daffodils, daisies, a blush-pink peony in a chipped mug, each bloom handpicked, stems trimmed too short, leaves gnawed by a mystery bunny. There’s a card from Bunny, “signed” with a smudgy paw print, and a lopsided cake, yellow frosting pooling, spelling “BEST MAMA” in uneven loops. Jaemin leans against the counter, eyes glittering, a slow smile tracing his lips as he watches you both. When Haeun finally wriggles free, declaring it “Dada’s turn!” and pelts down the hall in search of sticker.

Jaemin slides in, arms banding your waist, hands hot through your shirt. “Been waiting all day to say thank you for surviving,” he murmurs, breath grazing your ear, voice low and rough. “You’re the bravest, sexiest, sweetest woman on this earth. I see you, every damn day, loving my girl, loving me. Makes me want to ruin you right here on this couch.” His hands move under the hem of your tee, warm, worshipful, tracing old scars, new softness, hunger in his touch tempered by awe. “You’re my home, you know that? You—messy hair, sleepy eyes, bossy as hell—are it for me. The only woman I want to wake up to, the only one I want to see in nothing but a smile and frosting crumbs.” You laugh, color rising to your cheeks as he kisses you, slow and deep, his thumb tracing your jaw. “I love you, princess. Thank you for being mine, for surviving, for giving me the most beautiful girl in the world. Happy Mama Day.”

Then Haeun bursts back in, arms full of fresh-cut dandelions and a new card for “Bestest Mama Ever.” She clambers up, cheeks shining, pressing petals to your lips, her joy a riot, her love the sun you both orbit, your little family blooming all around you, tangled up in cake and flowers and kisses that taste like hope.

You cradle Haeun close, her warm little body curled perfectly into your lap, fingers stroking over the soft shell of her ear as you whisper, “thank you, sunshine, Mama’s strong because of you.” You press kisses to her cheeks, her forehead, the sweet curve of her dimpled chin, each touch slow and reverent, your gratitude a quiet pulse between heartbeats.

She giggles, breath honey-thick and bright, her laughter bubbling up like spring water as she wraps her arms around your neck, pressing her lips to your temple and murmuring, “always protect you, Mama, always, always, always,” the words puffed soft and earnest against your skin.

Jaemin watches, one hand braced on the frame, hunger burning low and restless behind his eyes as he tracks every movement, chest heaving just a little, the flush along his throat making it impossible to mistake his need. He swallows hard, voice rough, “Baby? Do you wanna do something for Mama? Can you get all her medicine pots from the counter for Dada? Then we can fill them together for Mama, yeah?”

Haeun lights up, bouncing off your lap with a proud squeal, “of course! I’m the best helper!”—her patent slippers thumping across the floor, hair bouncing, her purpose beaming from every pore. As she disappears into the kitchen, you and Jaemin lock eyes, heat tightening the air between you, the kind of look that shreds patience, makes everything ache. Four nights running, every time you’ve tried to ride him, hips circling, slick and needy, his cock twitching deep inside you, both of you tangled and aching, Haeun has stormed in, barreling straight for the bed with her bunny and her wide, sleepy eyes, clambering up and wriggling herself right between your bodies, shoving her face against your chest, all soft hair and chubby arms, insisting she’ll sleep right here to protect her family. Each night you freeze, Jaemin groaning under his breath as you both try to rearrange yourselves, desperate and unsatisfied, your cunt pulsing around nothing, his cock left throbbing beneath the sheets, while Haeun burrows in, wedging herself between you and knocking all the breath out of the room. The moment she finally leaves, the door clicking shut and silence swelling in her wake, you’re on him before he can blink, devouring his mouth, nails raking over his chest, every nerve ending shrieking for him, for relief, for the fucking you’ve been denied for days, so raw you could sob, so hungry it feels like a fever burning through your veins.

You barely make it across the living room before you’re straddling Jaemin’s lap, hands fisted in the soft cotton of his shirt, bodies pressed so close you can feel the desperate thrum of his pulse under your tongue. His hands grip your waist, knuckles digging in with a hunger that’s both reverent and raw, your hips grinding down until the world shrinks to the heat blooming between you. His lips brush your jaw, your ear, biting back a groan as you shift, lost in the weight of him, the taste of his mouth, the heady promise of being filled and owned all over again. “Wanna make you a Mama again,” he rasps, voice thick and low, eyes locked on yours like there’s nothing in the universe but this, but you, his need unfiltered, aching.

You press your mouth to his ear, breath trembling, “Fuck a baby into me, Jaemin. Wanna feel you everywhere.” He groans, hands slipping up beneath your shirt, the friction dizzying, your thighs tightening around him, rolling your hips, the kind of movement that’s all need and no shame.

You’re so tangled up in Jaemin’s arms. mouths hungry, his hands gripping your hips, lost in the heat that’s been denied you for days, that you don’t hear the warning tremor of small feet or the gathering thunder that is Haeun on a mission. It isn’t until a single, affronted grunt slices through the air that you blink, heart jackhammering, and realize a storm’s about to make landfall. With a smack of bare heels against the floor, she hurls herself onto the couch like a tiny, mutinous typhoon, the force of her flop sending one cushion spinning. She glares, cheeks puffed up, lip jutting so far it could trip you, her eyes sharp and sparking like she’s about to declare war. Arms crossed in a defiant fortress, she lets out a sigh that could curdle milk, then ratchets the drama up another notch, throwing her head back, rolling her eyes, and muttering loud enough for every molecule in the room to hear: “So not fair! Daddy always, always gets all the Mama kisses!”

When you and Jaemin freeze, still half-straddling him, she fixes you with a gaze full of righteous indignation, like she’s the high court of cuddles and both of you are on trial for crimes against affection. “I wanna kiss Mama! Daddy always does, Daddy always wins!” She wails, huffing so hard her curls bounce, then jabs an accusatory finger in Jaemin’s direction, as if he’s orchestrated some global smooching conspiracy. She scoots closer, planting herself firmly between you, fists balled, ready to throw down, her whole body radiating the fury of a bubba who refuses to be out-snuggled, determined to reclaim what’s rightfully hers, even if it means shoving her dad clean off the couch and onto the emotional naughty step.

Jaemin can barely get the words out, his laugh tumbling loose and startled, shoulders shaking, eyes shining with mischief and defeat, before Haeun launches her full-scale coup, a pint-sized tyrant of tenderness. The second he lifts his hands in surrender, already sliding off the couch and flopping dramatically to the floor, she scuttles into the breach, a protective wall between you and any parental interloper. “No touching!” she declares, wrapping her arms around your waist, burrowing her face under your chin, as if she could fuse herself to you by sheer force of will. She casts a sidelong glare at Jaemin, all dimples and menace, staking her claim with every stubborn line of her body.

He puts on his best show of heartbreak, one hand to his chest, pouting like he’s been banished to the wilderness, “you better pick carefully, beautiful, or someone’s gonna start a revolution,” he warns, only half teasing, but Haeun’s not about to let anyone edge her out. With a triumphant little squeal, she clambers onto your lap, smothering your cheeks in a flurry of kisses, quick, sticky, and ferociously loving, her giggles bubbling out in a victorious chorus. “My mama! All mine!” She sings, nuzzling close, throwing you a wink of conspiratorial delight before squeezing you tighter, her legs tangled with yours, breath warm on your skin, refusing to share even an inch of you until she’s made her victory absolute and the world knows you’re hers.

You cradle her tighter, planting kisses along the crown of her soft hair, your voice dropping to a secret hush only for her, “All yours, baby. My heart beats for you first. just you and me, my moonbeam.” She sighs, the sound happy and soft, snuggling even closer, her little arms stubborn around your neck as if she could keep the whole world away with one squeeze. Her thumb traces a sleepy circle on your jaw, and you whisper, “No one in the universe comes before my bubba. Mama’s here, always.”

Jaemin groans, flopping on his back in mock offence, an arm tossed over his eyes. “What’s a guy gotta do to get some love around here? Left out in the cold by my two favorite girls…” he pouts, peeking at you both with a wounded puppy stare, though the corners of his mouth betray him, he’s smiling too wide to fake it for long.

You arch a brow, lips twitching, “Guess you’re both just gonna have to fight it out to see who wants me the most.” Haeun’s eyes flare wide, Jaemin’s mouth quirks with a wolfish grin, and for one heartbeat, the room holds its breath. Then, chaos: Haeun scrambles to snatch your hand, tugging you protectively into her lap, tiny arms thrown around your waist as she declares, “Mine! Mama’s on my team, Dada, you have to find your own!”

Jaemin, not to be outdone, lunges for the nearest throw pillow and brandishes it overhead, voice pitched in mock battle cry. “You think you can out-love me, sunshine? We’ll see about that!”—and before you can brace yourself, a barrage of plush assaults your back, Haeun squealing with delight, her laughter ricocheting off the walls.

Determined, Haeun plants herself between you and Jaemin, arms and legs splayed out starfish-wide, cheeks puffed with indignation as she huffs, “No fair! Mama said fight, but Dada’s too big!” Jaemin only grins harder, crawling forward with exaggerated slowness, reaching for your ankle, and Haeun shrieks, “Retreat! Mama, the giant’s coming!”—prompting you to drag her behind the coffee table in a fit of giggles, hearts pounding, bodies tangled in an impromptu fortress of couch cushions and blankets. You whisper a strategy into Haeun’s ear and she nods, lips pursed, eyes alight with mischief; together, you both launch a counterattack, flinging soft toys and blowing the loudest raspberry kisses you can muster.

When the dust settles, all three of you collapse on the carpet in a heap of limbs, you stretch out an arm, feigning deep deliberation. “Alright,” you announce, drawing out every syllable, “I have to choose the winner. This is serious business.”

Haeun’s breath hitches, Jaemin holds perfectly still, both squeezing their eyes shut, silent, tense, desperate. You tiptoe between them, draw out the anticipation with a wicked grin, then dive, pouncing on Haeun, smothering her in kisses until she’s breathless and squealing, “I win! I win! Mama picked me!” Her joy is so big it bursts from her, and you hold her close, feeling Jaemin’s laughter vibrating against your back as he wraps both of you up in one strong arm, pressing a kiss to your temple in defeat, all of you tangled together in sun-warm, giggly victory.

Haeun is nothing but motion, she spins wild, breathless, letting the sunlight turn her curls into a living halo, feet barely touching the rug as she whirls and whirls, little bunny charm bouncing against her chest in time with her laughter. Her energy feels endless, defiant; every time you expect her to wobble and collapse, she only grins wider, pushing herself faster, arms stretched out as if she could catch the whole world in her hands. She twirls, then leaps, then twirls again, and each giggle comes brighter, bubbling from deep in her belly, lighting the room like a thousand paper lanterns. The living room becomes her own small stage, and she dances for all of you, for herself, for you, for Jaemin, for every version of her that once lay sleeping in a hospital bed.

You catch Jaemin’s gaze over her dizzy, radiant orbit. There’s awe and gratitude and something shining behind his lashes as you pull him closer, your fingers lacing through his, grounding yourself in the heat of his palm. Your voices hush into the soft space between the spinning and the laughter, the miracle of her presence a lump in both your throats. “Look at her,” you whisper, pride thick in your voice, unable to hide the crack. “Our baby girl’s so strong now, it’s a miracle. She’s got legs like springs and a heart that doesn’t quit, just like her Daddy.” Your lips brush his jaw, and for a breathless moment, the world is only the three of you: you and Jaemin anchored together, watching your daughter spin herself dizzy, cheeks flushed and eyes sparking, each laugh proof that hope can grow wild and stubborn in the wake of everything you almost lost.

The greatest relief is Haeun’s blooming strength. The medical trial, cutting-edge, gentle as science can be, means she takes fewer pills each week, and her labs come back glowing. The study itself is a regimen of tailored immunosuppressants, new gene therapies, and frequent checkups, all designed to keep her heart (a donor-match miracle) beating without the old threat of rejection. No more blue lips, no more fainting spells; Haeun runs down hallways, leaps from steps, twirls in the kitchen with her arms thrown wide, shouting, “Mama, watch me! Watch me twirl!” Ballet shoes with pink ribbons replace the heavy hospital socks. Dr. Huang’s voice is steady and proud every month, charting a heart so strong it shocks the whole floor: “She’s thriving, truly. She can go to school, go to parties, dance, anything she wants. She’s a regular kid now.” You watch her, flushed and breathless, hair flying, laughing skipping through the air and you cry, every time, because you never thought you’d see the day where her life was normal.

After her wild spinning finally slows and her giggles dissolve into contented little sighs, you scoop her up, arms cradling her tiny frame close, carrying her into the bathroom where the steam curls honey-sweet through the air. You bathe her slowly, tracing bubbles down her soft arms, the scent of apricot and lavender rising off her skin as you hum old lullabies, fingers gentle as you wash behind her ears and kiss the water from her brow. Towel-wrapped and glowing, she leans into your chest, arms looped around your neck, cheeks warm and eyes bright with sleepy pride as you slip her into her favorite pajamas, the ones that feel like velvet against her legs, pink with tiny moons and clouds, the ones she always insists make her dreams extra pretty.

In bed, Haeun wriggles right between you and Jaemin, limbs everywhere, clinging to you with Bunny clutched to her chest, demanding, “Two stories, Mama! One about the magic hospital, and one about you and Dada being best friends, pretty pwease.!” Her questions are endless, voice soft and bubbling, so bright and clever you can barely keep up. She makes you kiss each cheek, slow, loud kisses that make her giggle, then insists on one for her nose, her chin, her belly button, then a kiss for every single toe, holding each up in turn, eyes closing in delight every time your lips graze her skin. “For extra sleepy luck, Mama! All the magic,” she insists, squirming into the crook of your arm, eyes so wide you wonder how she ever gets tired enough to sleep.

As you read to her, she interrupts with a million questions. “Did I really have a heart like a star, Mama? Did Dada cry when I was in the hospital? Did you love each other even when you were sad?”—and you answer every one, brushing her hair from her forehead, watching the shadows dance across her cheeks. She clings to your sleeve, thumb tracing circles into your palm, until the last page is turned and her eyelids begin to droop. Then, she lifts her face, still stubbornly awake, voice slurring with exhaustion but burning with hope. She pulls Bunny up to her chin, clings to your sleeve, and then looks between you and Jaemin, her voice carrying a bubbling, earnest delight that always makes your chest ache. “Mama? Dada? Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend again now?” She says it with a giggle, her toes peeking from the blankets, wiggling for attention, and her face glows in the soft lamplight. “You love each other again, right? Does Mama bounce on Dada again? ‘Cause that’s how you get happy, I heard you, Dada said so!” She peeks up, wide-eyed, innocent and sly all at once, not understanding what she’s saying, her words tumbling out on a stream of hope and wonder.

You can’t help the laugh that breaks from your chest, genuine, helpless, sweet with embarrassment and relief. You smooth the hair from her brow, bending down to kiss her nose, her cheeks, the soft spot behind her ear, and whisper, “Yes, baby. Mama and Dada love each other so much. All for you, always.”

Jaemin slides closer, his hand finding yours across her tiny frame, voice thick, warm, aching with pride. “We’re the happiest we’ve ever been, sunshine. You make us a family. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to us.”

Haeun’s lashes flutter as she processes your answers, chewing her lip with fierce concentration, and then she blurts out, “Sometimes I get jealous… I want all the Mama kisses, all the snuggles. But I’m really, really happy when you love each other again. I like it best when we’re together. I guess me and Dada can share you, Mama” She blinks at you both, a confession and a blessing in one, before whispering, “Are you married now?” It comes out hesitant, uncertain, but fiercely curious—a question she’s carried for the longest time after watching her favorite storybook wedding video on the iPad, after seeing Junie’s mom in her white dress, hands joined with Junie’s dad in the garden, laughter curling into the blue sky. That night, she’d peppered Jaemin with questions about why people get married, what it means to promise forever, if the rings really make a family magic. She’d lingered over the illustrations, tracing gold bands and veils with her thumb, whispering that someday she wanted to dance with you down the aisle, too. Now, nestled warm and safe between you both, she watches your faces with that same longing, a little girl desperate for proof that love can be named, sealed, celebrated, just like in the stories she’s learning to believe.

You shake your head, smile creasing the corners of your eyes as you kiss her forehead, “Not yet, princess.”

Jaemin leans in, his voice dropping low and sweet, the promise carrying all the weight of a vow. “One day, though. We’ll have the biggest, most beautiful wedding—just for you, bubba. You’ll be the main flower girl, you’ll wear the sparkliest dress you want, you can pick all the music, taste all the cakes, and throw petals everywhere you go. You’ll blow the biggest bubbles down the aisle and dance in Daddy’s arms all night long.”

She squeals, body thrumming with happiness, legs kicking beneath the sheets, “And can I dance with you and Mama and throw bubbles on everyone?”

Jaemin grins, squeezing her hand, “Anything you want. You can help Dada write Mama’s vows because I know my baby girl will have the best ideas. You’ll make sure we’re the bravest bride and groom ever.”

She yawns, eyelids heavy but still fighting for one last piece of the night, her voice slurring into sleep as she asks, “Mama, can I sleep with you and Dada tonight? Just for one night, please? I wanna be in the middle, ‘cause that’s the safest place in the world.”

You kiss her knuckles, soft and certain. “Not tonight, my love. You get the biggest bed in the house all to yourself. Mama and Dada need to keep each other safe too. You’ll sleep in your big girl bed tonight, angel. We’re just down the hall, and you can call for us anytime. You’ve got Bunny to keep you safe, and you know how strong and brave you are.”

Jaemin kisses her cheek too, voice warm and playful as he adds, “We love you more than anything, Haeunie, but Mama and Dada need their own time tonight. It’s our turn for extra sleepy luck.” He winks at you, a wicked promise in his eyes.

Haeun groans, rolling her eyes with a sleepy smile, “Grown-ups are so silly. Okay, but you promise you’ll kiss me first thing in the morning?” She pouts for a moment, but her smile returns as she snuggles deeper into her pillow, Bunny’s ear pressed to her lips. “Okay. I love you, Mama. I love you, Dada. I’m the happiest flower girl in the world.”

Jaemin gathers her in his arms, careful and tender, lifting Haeun from the nest of blankets at your side, her little arms winding trustingly around his neck as she burrows her nose into his shoulder, sleepy giggles bubbling from her lips. You reach up, heart aching with love, brushing her hair back with trembling fingers, pressing a long, soft kiss to her forehead, then one to each warm cheek, your voice a whisper just for her. “Good night, my baby. Dream sweet, Mama’s always right here.” She squeezes Bunny tight, eyelids fluttering heavy, but she keeps chattering, whispering about how she’ll wear the biggest twirly dress and throw flower petals everywhere, how her wedding cake is going to be “rainbow and taller than Dada,” her giggles sleepy and loose. Jaemin holds her close, murmuring promises, lowering her into bed with gentle hands, tucking the covers around her tiny frame as you watch from the doorway, too weak to follow but feeling every beat of their love carry you. Even as she drifts toward dreams, Haeun keeps mumbling soft wishes, “I’m gonna be the best flower girl ever, Mama, wait and see… gonna help you with your dress, pinky promise…” Her voice finally dissolves into slow, even breaths, her cheeks pillowed in gold, a smile still tugging at her lips. Jaemin lingers, hand smoothing her hair, and when he finally steps back to you, you’re both flooded with a peace so fierce it leaves you trembling.

You and Jaemin stand in the doorway of Haeun’s room, watching her chest rise and fall, the curve of her lashes pressed to her cheeks, one chubby hand fisted around Bunny and the other flung wide as if even in dreams she’s keeping you close. The soft nightlight splashes the ceiling in pale stars, and every corner of her room is thick with the sweetness of her presence, her drawings taped to the wall, a stack of picture books on the little table, a ballerina slipper balanced on the window ledge where the evening breeze slips in. You press your fingers to your lips, fighting the urge to lean in and kiss her just one more time, aching with that bittersweet, suffocating gratitude that she’s here, that she’s safe, that she still whispers, “Good night, Mama,” even when she’s nearly asleep. Jaemin’s hand rests at the small of your back, grounding you, and you linger for long minutes, letting your eyes linger on every freckle, every tiny rise and fall of her chest, wishing the sight could fill the emptiness inside you. The love you feel for her is an ocean—warm and unyielding—but even in this moment, in the hush and safety, you feel the tide dragging at your ankles, reminding you of who’s missing, and how nothing ever feels completely whole anymore.

You tiptoe from her room, close the door softly behind you, and Jaemin’s arm slides around your waist, steering you gently down the hall, back toward the bedroom that’s supposed to feel like a sanctuary. The second the door clicks shut behind you, your control buckles, your shoulders cave, your chest collapses, and you crumble into his arms, sobbing with a force that leaves you breathless and shaking, clutching him like a drowning thing. He pulls you to the bed, lets you fall against his chest, his arms circling you tight, hands moving in slow, steady strokes over your back and hair, as if he can smooth the cracks in your heart just by holding you together. You shudder, fists tangled in his shirt, your whole body racked with grief so deep it feels feral, animal, more ancient than words. You try to stifle the noise, to keep your pain quiet and private, but the agony won’t be silenced; it pours out in choked, wordless sounds, trembling through both of you. Jaemin rocks you gently, murmuring soft, useless comforts, voice low and rough as he tries to shield you from the sharp edge of your own sorrow. You don’t need to explain why you’re crying—Jaemin already knows, the ache written in every shudder of your breath, mirrored in the tightness of his own embrace; he feels it too, and the silence between you says everything words never could. The room around you—your room, your bed, your sheets, all of it meant to promise safety—feels suddenly too big, too cold, too empty.

You gasp for breath, swallowing mouthfuls of air as the sobs keep coming, hot tears flooding your cheeks, soaking Jaemin’s skin where your face presses to his neck. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t try to hush you, just lets you weep, his own hand trembling on your shoulder. The grief is unrelenting, sharp, fresh, every bit as fierce as the first night Minjoon left. “I miss him,” you manage, the words torn raw from your throat. “I miss Minjoon, I miss him so much I can’t breathe.” You press your forehead to Jaemin’s collarbone, clutching him as if you might fall apart if you let go for even a second, your body shaking with each new wave of pain. Your mind is wild with memories: Minjoon’s small hand reaching for yours, his uncertain smile, the sound of his voice calling you Mama like it was a spell that could keep the dark away. Every promise you made to him—every one you broke—echoes in the silence, a chorus of guilt and longing that knots in your chest and won’t unravel.

You try to speak, your voice catching, shattering under the weight of everything you’ve carried. “I’ve tried, Jaemin, I’ve tried so hard to let it go, to pretend it’s enough, to be happy just the way things are,” you say, the words tumbling out between sobs, “but it’s not enough. I keep telling myself I should be grateful—I am grateful, I know how lucky I am, but I want him here. I want Minjoon. I want to watch him grow, to see him laugh, to tuck him into bed, to hear him call me Mama every night.” The confessions keep pouring out, messy and tangled, nothing held back now. “It feels wrong to be happy without him. It feels like I’m cheating, like every smile is stolen from him. I know it’s selfish, I know I should just love what I have, but I want all of it. I want my family to be whole, Jaemin, I want my baby boy.”

Jaemin’s arms tighten, anchoring you, his breath hot against your temple as he lets you say it all, letting you bleed the wound. He holds you closer, his own voice thick and rough. “You’re allowed to want him. You’re allowed to grieve. You’re allowed to need him. It doesn’t make you selfish, it just makes you a mother.” He kisses your forehead, his hands trembling now too, and you sob harder, pressing your face to his chest as if you could climb inside him and hide from the world. The ache is everywhere, threaded through your bones, scraping at the edges of every happy memory, and you cling to Jaemin, both of you broken open and vulnerable in the dark.

The night feels endless. For a while you just lie there, tangled together, the shaking of your shoulders the only movement in the room. When you finally speak again, your voice is thin and spent, but the words come anyway: “I don’t know how to move on. I don’t know how to stop wanting him, even when everything tells me I should. I keep looking for him in every shadow, keep waiting for him to come home, and every day that he doesn’t is another day I have to pretend I’m okay.” You pull Jaemin’s hand to your lips, kissing his knuckles, begging for some magic, some answer. “It never goes away. I don’t think it ever will.”

You take a shuddering breath, the grief rolling in slow, crushing waves, and for a moment you think you might break apart from the ache of it. “I feel guilty every time I smile. I feel guilty every time Haeun makes me laugh, every time you hold me, every time our house is quiet and safe and warm. I should be grateful, I should just let myself be happy, but I can’t stop wanting him. I can’t stop missing him. I feel like I’m betraying him every time I try to let go.”

Your voice trails off into a helpless whimper, and Jaemin kisses your hair, whispering words you can barely hear. “You’re not betraying him,” he promises, fierce and gentle at once. “You’re loving him the only way you can.”

The night blurs, time slowing until it feels as if the two of you are suspended, anchored only by grief and longing and the tangled comfort of each other’s arms. You let yourself rest there, in the heartbreak and the hope, letting the tears run their course, letting the ache find its own slow, tired rhythm. Jaemin strokes your back, soothing you with the weight of his love, reminding you that even when you’re lost, you’re never alone. “We’ll always hold space for him,” he murmurs, “no matter what. Our hearts are big enough for all of it.” As the hours slip by, your sobs fade to shivers, exhaustion settling heavy in your bones. Jaemin holds you closer, his arms the only thing keeping you whole. You close your eyes and breathe him in, the salt of your tears and the warmth of his skin and the memory of Minjoon’s laughter tangled in every breath. The pain is still there, sharp and bright, but there’s comfort too—in the knowing, in the naming, in the simple act of holding on. You let yourself believe, just for a moment, that maybe someday, somehow, longing and joy can live side by side. And you promise yourself, even as sleep pulls you under, that you’ll never stop loving, never stop hoping, never stop leaving a place in your heart for the boy you can’t let go.

You breathe out, ragged and raw, tears streaking your cheeks as you clutch Jaemin’s shirt in your fists, and finally the words come, half sob, half declaration: “I really need to let him go, Jaemin.” Your voice shakes but you keep going, because you need him to hear it and maybe you need to hear it too. “He’s my baby, he always will be, but if Minjoon is happy—if he’s safe, if he’s found parents who love him, if he’s sleeping through the night and laughing at breakfast—I can’t keep holding on just for myself. It’s selfish, isn’t it? I keep telling myself I want what’s best for him, but I keep wanting him anyway. I have to let go, for my own good, so I can move on, so I can heal and be the mother Haeun needs, and the partner you deserve. I can’t keep living like this, stuck in the ache and the wishing. He’ll always be my boy, but I have to let him be happy without me.”

Jaemin draws you in closer, his lips warm against your hair, voice thick and sure. “Letting go doesn’t mean loving him any less. You’ll always be his Mama, and he’ll always be yours—that’s something nobody can take from you, not a judge, not a new family, not even time. Wanting his happiness, even if it means you have to break your own heart, is the bravest, most selfless thing you can do. He’s out there, and he’s okay, and so are we. We’re going to be okay, too. We’ll carry him with us, always, and you’ll still be the most incredible mother and the strongest woman I know. I’m right here. We’ll do this together.”

Jaemin’s own tears arrive in a slow, unstoppable tide, slipping silent down his cheeks until they mix with yours where your faces press together; both of you breathe in shaky bursts, drowning in the same salt. He pulls back just enough to meet your eyes, sea-blue in the dim room, and you see the grief mirrored there? the knowledge that loving a child sometimes means loosening your grip even while your heart claws to hold on. You clutch his shoulders, both of you shuddering, and whisper again that Minjoon will always be yours, that wanting his safety is the only gift you can still give. Jaemin nods, voice broken, agreeing that if letting go is the only path left, you’ll walk it side by side; but each of you also feels an undertow of dread, because happy reports can hide bruises beneath sleeves, and cheerful drawings can gloss over nights spent flinching in the dark. Still, you make the promise: for his sake and for your own battered ribs, you will release him into the blue distance and turn back toward the family still under your roof. The two of you cling to each other until the sobs taper to quiet sniffles, accepting the sharp truth that sometimes love has to open its fist. Somewhere beyond the window dawn spreads a washed-out light—not bright, but enough to see by—casting the walls in a soft indigo that matches the ache in your chests. You press one final kiss to the damp corner of Jaemin’s mouth, and with that tremulous breath the chapter closes: a son held forever in memory, released to whatever horizon waits beyond your reach.

Home isn’t what it was before. You’re not what you were before. Your body’s still slow, your legs ache, but there’s sweetness in the new pace: Haeun curls in your lap while you grade research proposals you’re not allowed to submit, Jaemin kneads your shoulders while you watch cartoons with Haeun and share bowls of fruit. The three of you build a life inside the quiet edges, bedtime stories, midnight snacks, whispered promises in the dark that you won’t leave again, that there are no more oceans between you. Haeun insists on making breakfast with Pops and Jaemin every Sunday, pancake batter everywhere, all of them laughing at your protests, flour dusted like confetti in her curls. Every setback, your limp, your scars, the paperwork you still can’t sign, feels smaller when she throws her arms around your neck, promising to take care of you forever, “even when you’re an old lady, Mama.”

Your house grows fuller every single week: your father and aunt visit every weekend, their laughter echoing through the kitchen, your dad carrying Haeun on his shoulders like she weighs nothing, calling her his “Sunbeam.” He shows her albums of your childhood, tells stories about your stubbornness, your dreams, the first time you ever wore a white coat. Haeun’s giggles ricochet off the windows; she doesn’t let go of him, not even for sleep, and in her arms she clutches every piece of your family, Bunny, pancakes, grandpa’s stories. Even Jaemin’s parents come, bearing homemade soup and soft hands that stroke Haeun’s hair, both of them crying when they first see you up and smiling again. Christmas is a gentle riot: the tree full of misshapen ornaments, Haeun’s face sticky with frosting, your aunt and Jaemin’s mother swapping recipes, Pops teaching Haeun how to play “Silent Night” on a battered piano. Haeun falls asleep in your lap that night, all the people she loves tucked under one roof, and she whispers, soft and drowsy, “Mama… I happy. Everybody I love here. But I miss Minjoonie.” Your breath stutters. She hasn’t spoken of the boy in weeks, not since you came home but his absence is a shadow you both feel. You and Jaemin exchange a look; neither of you has heard anything. The last update was that Minjoon was placed in a new foster home, his name drifting through your heart like an ache you cannot name.

A month later, when you’re strong enough, you take Haeun and Jaemin to the care home where your mother lives. You dread it, heart pounding as you dress Haeun in her softest blue dress, braid her hair just the way your mother liked it when you were a child. The home is quiet, sun dappling the corridors. You push open the door and find your mother at the window, hair white, body slight and frail, eyes distant, searching the garden as if for a world only she remembers. Haeun hesitates, gripping your hand, whispering, “Mama, Halmeoni look sad.”

You nod, kneeling to smooth a curl from her brow. “Halmeoni’s memory is a little broken, sweetheart. She might not remember and know who we are.”

Haeun blinks at this, but walks forward anyway, clutching her Bunny. She offers it gently, “Halmeoni, you wanna hold Bunny? Bunny always helps me when I scared.” Your mother’s eyes soften for a moment, her hand shaking as she strokes the soft fur, her lips moving in a soundless lullaby you once knew by heart. You cry, there’s no stopping it, grateful for the strange and fragile ways love endures, even through forgetting. Haeun doesn’t flinch when your mother can’t say her name. She just smiles, hugs her around the waist, and whispers, “It’s okay, Halmeoni. I love you lots and lots. I love you forever.” In every room, in every slow return to life, there are the ghosts of what you almost lost and the dazzling brightness of what you now get to keep. Haeun skips beside you down the garden path, chattering about ballet and Bunny, holding your hand and glancing up as if to check you’re still really there—her Mama, her forever.

Night after night, the house settles into hush, pain creeping along your ribs, insomnia curling cold fingers up your spine. The dark feels endless, broken only by the shuffle of tiny feet against hardwood, Haeun, hair mussed and wild, bunny pajamas twisted at the ankles, clutching her plush in one arm and dragging a tangle of blankets behind her. She climbs into your bed, knees digging gentle bruises in your side, curls warm and breath syrup-sweet, wedging herself against your chest as if her weight alone could keep you anchored to the earth. “It’s okay, Mama,” she breathes into the hollow of your neck, her nose smushed soft beneath your chin, “I hold your hand all night, bad dreams can’t get you.” Her fingers seek yours, impossibly small and fierce, and the pressure of her touch tethers you, knitting the loose threads of your courage into something whole. Jaemin joins, sliding under the covers, his arms curving around both of you, humming quietly into your hair. He traces slow, lazy circles down your back, smoothing every ragged knot until you feel yourself unfurl, letting exhaustion seep in where worry once nested. The three of you—mother, father, child—become a single, breathing tangle, a secret island of warmth. Sometimes, when dawn breaks blue and the world is nothing but silence and birdsong, you wake to find Haeun’s little fingers still tangled in yours, bunny tucked under your chin, the bed smelling of dreams and safety and the strange, shivery relief of still being here.

The mornings bring their own rituals of gentleness. Jaemin is up first, careful footsteps in the kitchen, but he returns with the light, stethoscope warm against your chest, his eyes crinkled with the worry that never fully leaves. He checks your pulse, takes your temperature, hands lingering as he smooths a stray lock from your brow. Haeun is right behind, a toy stethoscope bouncing from her neck, clambering up beside you, pressing plastic to your heart and declaring, “Mama’s heart go boom-boom, bestest in the world!” She grins, cheeks flushed, curls wild, insisting on cheering for every small triumph, sitting up, standing, every unsteady step, covering your wrists with stickers, clapping her hands until the room rings with celebration. They turn the slow grind of recovery into a game, each exercise a parade, each stumble an adventure. Even the most ordinary mornings, blood draws, slow stretches, the ache of fatigue are buffered by the soft thunder of their love, Jaemin’s hands steadying you, Haeun’s giggles chasing the pain away.

Bathrooms are full of steam and sunlight, the tap running, your own reflection looking foreign in the glass. Jaemin stands behind you, steady hands bracing your waist, mindful of every scar, gentle as he lifts you under the shower’s heat. He kneels to dry your feet, kisses your ankles, helps you into pajamas soft as marshmallows. On the hardest days, he brushes your teeth for you, making you laugh at his playful scolding when you miss a spot, wiping toothpaste from your chin. Haeun is your towel helper, serious-faced and earnest, fluffing the biggest towel around your shoulders, patting your back until you shiver with delight. When you praise her, telling her she’s the best nurse, she beams, nose wrinkling, pride radiating from every dimple.

Some afternoons, when fatigue is heavy and the sky presses close, music and laughter fill the air. Haeun plants herself at the foot of your bed, toy microphone in hand, spinning wild songs about sunshine and pancakes and “Mama’s pretty hair.” Jaemin records her, voice low and fond as he encourages each lyric, then joins her, the two of them putting on a bumbling duet, laughter tripping over notes until you’re smiling so hard your cheeks ache. Afterwards, he climbs in beside you, arms curling around your waist, voice humming “Moon River” while Haeun wriggles in closer, sleep dragging her eyelids. The music is a lullaby for all three of you, a promise, a wish, a shield against every dark memory. The days unfold into small rituals, Haeun’s “recovery diary” appears on your nightstand, pink and glittering with bunny stickers, her artwork a record of every victory: you with oversized hearts, her perched on your lap, Jaemin in his chef hat, all three of you under a quilt. Each evening, she asks you to help spell out the stories, giggling over crooked letters, proud of every scribbled masterpiece. You keep each page, knowing these are the artifacts of healing, the map of how you found your way back together.

Weekends bloom with new traditions. Sundays mean breakfast on the living room rug, plates balanced on knees, syrup sticky on fingers. Haeun pours orange juice with more enthusiasm than accuracy, giggling as Jaemin catches the spill before it soaks your socks. You lean against his chest, the steady beat of his heart a comfort, his palm tracing circles on your thigh, your toes tangled with his beneath the blanket. Sunlight puddles on the floor as Haeun twirls, cheeks flushed, bunny charm jingling, the music of her laughter a bright thread tying the three of you together. Pain comes and goes, but you are never left to face it alone. On the worst days, Jaemin kneels by your side, massaging your hands, rubbing circles into your palms, pressing grateful kisses to every finger, as if in awe that they still move. Haeun brings her “magic band-aids,” the ones with unicorns and smiley faces, solemnly pressing them to your scars, then covers your face with wet, noisy kisses and blows raspberries on your neck until your tears turn to giggles. Healing, in this house, is not silent or solitary—it’s full of color, sound, and love.

There are soft milestones, each one precious. The first time you make it down the stairs on your own, the first time you laugh without pain, the first time you braid Haeun’s hair again—each is marked by cheers, photos, a wild “happy dance” in the kitchen. Jaemin lifts you gently, spinning you as Haeun claps and Bunny dangles from her arm, the three of you tangled in celebration, your forehead pressed to Jaemin’s, your breath shared. “You did it, love. You’re coming back to us,” he murmurs, and you know it’s true—you feel yourself, piece by piece, being knit back into your life.

Nights end with the three of you tucked in one bed, Haeun burrowed between you, thumb in her mouth, bunny hugged tight. She whispers her baby secrets into the dark—“Dada, Mama, I love you bigger than the moon and pancakes. You my best friends.” Jaemin squeezes your hand, the silent weight of his promise heavy and warm, and you realize in that quiet, drowsy hush, with your daughter’s soft breath against your chest and your love’s arm holding you close, that you have never in your life felt so cherished, so whole, so impossibly lucky to have survived.

Your home, once a quiet sanctuary for three, transforms into a living, breathing refuge, a place where laughter echoes down the hallway and the door is always open, overflowing with visitors, family, and every kind of love you ever dreamed of making your own. It begins as a trickle, a knock on the door, the hush of shoes on tile, and then the nurses and doctors begin to arrive. Jihoon is first, sheepish but smiling, holding a thermos of the barley tea he always drinks, promising you “no hospital food, only real food from now on.” His grin is wide, and when he sees Haeun, he crouches, arms open, and she pelts across the room to barrel into his lap, squealing, “Jihoonie!” Next comes Hyejin, hair swept up in a sleek ponytail, always a little brusque but her eyes softer than you’ve ever seen. She checks your chart, clicking her pen, and slips a tiny pink notebook under your pillow, “for recovery goals, no cheating.” Hayoung follows, bearing a hand-knit scarf in Haeun’s favorite color, wrapping it around your shoulders and cupping your face in her hands, murmuring, “We were so scared, you silly woman. Don’t do that again, okay?” Nurse Hana brings armfuls of stickers, a sticker for every day you survived, plasters you and Haeun in rainbows and hearts. Yuha, shy but beaming, brings little origami cranes and a gentle touch, bowing her head with a smile that shines like forgiveness. Dr. Huang is last, standing back as if unsure, then crossing the room in two long strides, taking your hand in both of his and telling you—quiet, fervent—that he’s proud. “You scared me,” he says, and his voice wobbles, “but you reminded all of us what we’re here for.” Even Dr. Baekhyun, who once questioned your every move, shakes your hand, his laughter bright. “Only you could break all the rules and get away with it,” he teases. “Don’t make a habit of it.”

That night, when the house is quiet and the last tea cup has been rinsed and put away, you collapse against Jaemin, trembling with a relief that makes your chest ache. He pulls you close, strong arms curling around your shoulders, letting you cry it all out, tears for every day you thought you’d never be forgiven, for the certainty that you’d be an outsider forever, for the simple, overwhelming sweetness of being welcomed home. “They don’t hate me,” you whisper, voice small, “they don’t hate me.”

Jaemin just kisses the top of your head, his thumb tracing circles down your spine. “Of course they don’t, love. You’re one of them. You always were.” And you believe him, for the first time, because the warmth still hums under your skin.

It doesn’t end there. The next weekend, your house bursts into color and chaos as Jeno and his wife arrive, Mark and Areum (with a round baby bump), Chenle and Ningning with armfuls of gifts, Karina spinning a basket of sweets, Donghyuck and Shotaro tumbling through the door like a storm, Ryujin with a bag of books, and the little ones, Junseo, Serin, Chaeun, laughing and squabbling, feet bare on your hardwood floors. Jeno catches you in a bear hug so tight you squeak, his grin stretched wide as he whispers, “Missed you, doc.” Mark and Areum bring homemade cookies, and Areum sits at your side, holding your hand, her eyes shining with emotion as she murmurs, “You did what I would have done for mine. Don’t ever doubt it.” Junseo, cheeks smudged with chocolate, plops beside Haeun and introduces his favorite dinosaur, while Serin tugs your sleeve, asking if Haeun can come to her birthday party.

Haeun herself is a whirlwind, introducing her Bunny to every baby, trailing after Serin and Junseo, bouncing between adults and children. There’s a moment when she stops, nose wrinkled, watching as Junseo gives Serin a piggyback ride. She tugs your hand and asks, “Mama, it’s so cute—Serin and Junie are brother and sister, like Bunny and Baby Bunny?”

You smile, smoothing her curls. “That’s right, love, they’re family.”

Haeun pauses, nose scrunching as she watches Junseo hoist Serin onto his back, the two of them whooping down the hallway. She trots to your side, Bunny tucked under one arm, lips pursed like she’s trying to bite down on a question that keeps wriggling free. Finally she whispers, “Mama, Serin and Junie are brother and sister, like Bunny and Baby Bunny… and me and Minjoonie.” Her mouth wobbles, lashes blinking fast. “But Minjoonie’s a special brother, right? One who lives in my heart, not my room. I don’t talk ’bout him lots, but I think ’bout him every day, Mama. I dream he’s hiding under my bed so I can find him in the morning. Sometimes I cry for him and you don’t hear ’cause I’m quiet. I miss my baby brother. When’s he coming back?” The confession tumbles out in one long breath, cheeks flushing with the effort of keeping it hidden for so many nights.

You kneel, smoothing her curls, letting your hands frame her worried face. “Sweetheart, Minjoon isn’t gone forever, he’s just with a new family right now. Remember the social worker who said he’d have other brothers and sisters? They have a cozy house with sea-blue walls and shelves of storybooks. They tuck him in with songs and he eats breakfast with kids his age, laughing just like he did here. He’s safe, he’s loved, and he knows we’re loving him from here.” You press a kiss to the tip of her nose. “That doesn’t change that he’s still your brother in the heart-place. That never goes away.”

The words barely land before Haeun’s brows knit, jealousy sparking. “Other sisters? Other brothers?” Her hands fly to her hips, Bunny dangling by an ear. “They can’t have my Minjoonie! He’s s’posed to eat pancakes with me and build blanket forts with me.” She stomps one socked foot, cheeks blazing pink. “Tell them to share! Sharing is caring, Pops said so. They can borrow him on Tuesdays and Fridays but he sleeps here!” A little diva storm swirls, crossed arms, dramatic spin, fierce pout, as if indignation might yank him back through the door.

You scoop her into your lap despite the flailing protest, wrapping her in a hug that softens the edges of her storm. “Listen, baby: love isn’t a toy we pass around—it’s a warm light that can shine in many houses at once. Minjoon has a light there and a light here. Those new kids help him feel brave the way you helped him feel brave. And just like I still love you when you’re at ballet class, I still love Minjoon when he’s there.” She sniffles, gaze dropping to her socks, the fight slipping out of her shoulders. You guide her hand to your heart. “Feel that? There’s room for every beat—yours, mine, and his. He’s always with us in here. One day, when everyone’s ready, maybe visits can happen. Until then, we send him love in every bedtime prayer and every pancake we flip.”

Haeun’s frown loosens, lips shifting toward a reluctant curve. She presses Bunny’s paw to your chest as if adding a second heartbeat, then sighs against your shoulder. “Okay… but we keep a plate warm, ’kay? In case he smells pancakes and comes running.” You promise, sealing it with a kiss that steals the last whisper of jealousy, and she giggles, burying her face in your neck, still fiercely protective, still learning that hearts, like houses, get bigger each time someone new walks in.

Haeun’s pout disappears the instant she spots Areum lingering near the doorway, dabbing at misty eyes with the sleeve of her cardigan. “Auntie ‘Reum!” she squeals, launching from your arms and barreling across the floor on sock-sliding feet.

Areum barely has time to crouch before Haeun collides into her hug, little arms squeezing tight, face nuzzled in the soft wool at Areum’s shoulder while Bunny dangles from one hand. Areum laughs through fresh tears, rocking the child gently, whispering, “I missed you, Sunshine. You’ve gotten taller already!”

Haeun pulls back just enough to study her aunt’s face, then her gaze drops and her eyes go perfectly round at the gentle swell beneath Areum’s sweater. With solemn wonder, she climbs into Areum’s lap, palms resting on either side of the rounded bump. She plants the lightest kiss on the fabric, whispering near the knit, “Baby in there? You got baby, Auntie?” Her voice is equal parts awe and delight, the secret thrill of discovering new magic.

Areum’s smile blooms tender and wide, a hand covering Haeun’s smaller one. “Yes, sweetheart,” she murmurs, voice soft enough to float, “there’s a little bean growing in there, your cousin. She’s been listening to your stories from the very beginning.”

Haeun’s dimples flash; she presses her ear to Areum’s belly as if expecting tiny giggles in return, then beams up at you, eyes glittering. “Mama, I’m gonna be a double big sister!” she declares, pride swelling in her chest while Areum strokes her curls, the moment warm and sweet as sunlight through glass.

Areum’s laugh has barely floated away when Haeun whirls toward you, Bunny flapping behind her like a banner of resolve. She plants her fists on her hips, lower lip pushed out so far it wobbles, and announces, “Mama, I want another baby brother or sister too! I already got Minjoonie in my heart, but I need one that’s really, really tiny—little bitty fingernails like sparkles, toes small as rice, hair fluffy like dandelion fuzz, and a cry that sounds like a kitten mewing.” She rocks up on her toes, eyes wide. “When you having new baby, Mama? Me and Joonie need a teeny one to cuddle.”

The room cracks up, Areum hides her smile behind her hand, Mark coughs tea through a grin, Jaemin raises an eyebrow at you, amusement and something warmer glinting in his gaze. You snort, trying not to laugh. “Baby, going from one baby to three is a lot. Newborns need round-the-clock cuddles, bottles, and diapers. That’s a whole circus.”

Haeun’s pout straightens into determined seriousness. “I can help! I pour bottles, I sing boom-boom songs, I share Bunny for nap time, and I hold the baby’s head super gentle like this.” She cradles invisible air with exaggerated care. “I’m best big sister, Mama. Big family means more pancakes and more birthday cakes.”

You tug her into your lap, smoothing the flyaway curls at her temple. “Someday, maybe, but not just yet. Mama and Dada need time, and your heart has to learn a little patience.”

Her shoulders sag for half a second, then she nods, fingers tracing circles on your sleeve. “’Kay, I’ll wait. But I’ll practice every day.” You kiss her forehead and whisper against her skin, “Deal.” Across the room Jaemin meets your eyes, the curve of his smile saying later, when the house is quiet, you’ll talk about what patience looks like and how big hearts can always find room to grow.

The sky hasn’t decided between lilac and gold when you steer into the studio car park, the tires crunching over last night’s pollen while Haeun bounces in her booster seat, chubby fists drumming the dashboard rhythm she calls “pre-class thunder.” Her lips shine with strawberry balm, every exhale fogging a tiny heart on the window, and she giggles at the ghost-print before wiping it away with the tip of her nose for luck. You trade matching smiles, both of you in peppermint-green warm-ups Ryujin insisted would “summon spring energy,” and she blows a kiss so loud it makes your cheeks flush. Jaemin in the backseat jots vitality high beside a doodle of a dancing bunny, tapping his pen like a snare.

The studio’s pale-wood façade gleams ahead, sun slanting across the ‘Spring Moon Ballet Gala’ poster taped crooked on the door, the words ‘Starlit Dreams’ glitter-foiled in moon-dust silver, and just beneath, bold new letters proclaim ‘A Night for Hearts — Fundraising Recital for Pediatric Cardiac Families.’ This isn’t just a first show for Haeun, it’s a union dreamed up by Ryujin, Shotaro and Jaemin, pulling together everyone from the ballet class and the children’s hospital for one sparkling, nerves-tinged night where tutus and lab coats cross paths under theatre lights. Flyers spill details, how every ticket, every table, every shimmering program will raise money for the new Family Support Wing at the hospital: a place for exhausted parents to sleep, for kids to play and recover, for post-surgery siblings to sprawl on beanbags and forget the beeping world for a little while. The sun paints a streak of gold through the gala poster, and beneath the elegant typeface, the lineup of performers is signed with bubbly crayon signatures, names from ballet class and from the ward, proof that this is more than just a recital, it’s a promise that no one faces recovery, or the dark, or the big, beating world, alone.

Haeun’s toes wiggle in anticipation, sock tips flicking like antennae beneath seatbelt restraints, and when you unbuckle her she launches out with a squeak, curls bouncing like caramel popcorn in a tin. Nurse Hana’s text pings just then, “remember, gentle pacing is still power,” and Haeun presses the phone to her chest as if the words could soak through bone. You inhale steady, exhale slowly, both of you practicing Shotaro’s mantra until your breaths braid together. The parking lot smells of early lilac and asphalt heat, and somewhere a robin trills what feels like a fanfare. Ten steps to the door, ten tiny squeals from her lips, ten heartbeats syncing to the studio’s hidden metronome.

Inside the changing room, fluorescent lights buzz like lazy bees while lockers clang a hello, and Haeun’s eyes dart wide, soft hazelnut rings wobbling with equal parts nerves and thrill, until your fingertips swipe a reassuring line across her freckled cheek. She slithers into bubble-pink tights, legs kicking like excited shrimp, and you thread satin ribbons through new slippers that still smell of clean leather and possibility. Each bow gets a kiss, left for luck, right for rhythm and her grin tumbles out, all dimples and gumdrop teeth, cheeks so round they nearly squeak against the elastic chinstrap of her bun net. Jaemin crouches beside, notebook propped on knee, murmuring “heart rate calm, oxygen perfect,” and she sticks her tongue out in playful defiance before blowing a raspberry that flutters his page edges. Curls ripple when you fasten her bun, loose tendrils framing the curve of her ears like parentheses holding secrets, and she whispers, “No pressure, baby—just dance,” echoing your mantra back at you with soft courage. Ryujin peeks through the doorway to deliver a wink and a sparkly sticker for Bunny’s belly, declaring it an official backstage pass. The air smells faintly of talc and lavender wipes, the scent of little girls preparing for battle. Haeun presses her palm to your chest—checks your bravery, she says—then laces fingers through yours so tight your knuckles hum. Together you step toward the mirror corridor, every overhead fluorescent reflecting a different version of her future. Soft squeak of slippers, tiny gasp of anticipation, door click, and the studio opens like a storybook page.

The mirrored walls catch the light and throw it back in shards, and the first step inside rips everything open for her, the last time she stood here, her legs had given way mid-pirouette, a sharp, splintering pain through her shin, the studio gone silent and blurry with tears and panic, the slap of her bones breaking still echoing under the music. You see it hit her all at once: knees bending as if the floor itself buckles, glassy panic flooding those wide brown eyes, her lip trembling around the shape of your name, grape-sweet gloss smudged where she bites down. Her grip clamps your shirt with a tiny, desperate strength, every knuckle carved white as she pulls herself against your side, breathing sharp and shallow, like she’s fighting not to cry in front of her friends and teachers. You drop to her level, no hesitation, no attempt at false bravado and cup her cheek, thumb tracing the damp path of one wayward tear as you press your forehead to hers, breathing in the scent of her shampoo and a trace of lavender fabric softener. “I know, baby,” you whisper, voice soft but certain, letting your words fill the shaky space between you, “I remember last time too. That was so scary, wasn’t it? It’s all right to feel nervous. It was never your fault. You’re so safe here—me and Daddy are right here, and your doctor checked your legs and heart this morning, remember? They’re strong. They grew back even braver.” You let her press her nose to yours, feel her exhale quiver, and keep her anchored there, holding her wrist gently so her heart can find your pulse and match it. “You don’t have to do any big spins, not today. Just stand with me, listen to the music, feel the floor.” Ryujin kneels beside, adding her hand to yours, steady and warm as stone, and together you hold Haeun in that gentle grip until you feel her start to melt, jaw unclenching, breath evening out, cheek pressing trustingly into your palm, lips parting with a small sigh that tastes of milk and relief.

Her voice, when it comes, is a whisper against your collarbone, small and real: “You’ll stay?”

And you promise, mouth in her curls, arms wrapped close, “All class, every second. I’ll be here for every step.” The studio is just mirrors and wood, but between your bodies you build a shelter, and this time when she steps forward, the fear doesn’t follow her.

Shotaro blows into the room like sunlight in sneakers, puffing imaginary candles in exaggerated slow motion until the entire class giggles, oxygen lightening. Chaewon, Niki, and Heejin close ranks, forming a petal circle, elbows linked, chanting “No one dances alone” while bouncing on toes to share their courage. Bunny is seated solemnly atop the piano, sticker pass glittering, acting as honorary safety officer. Your heart thuds in your throat, but Jaemin’s calm nod across the room—eyes gentle behind glasses—buoys the moment, and you release your grip so Haeun can inhale, smell the flowers, and step onto the wood. Her toes test the surface like tasting soup, cautious at first, then trusting, and the studio seems to exhale in relief when she takes that single, unstoppable step forward. The mirror reflects not collapse but rise; she blinks, sees it, smiles, and the ghost of fear fizzles like smoke in the sun.

Warm-up starts soft, demi pliés no deeper than a yawn, and each bend is a conversation between muscle memory and new caution. Haeun’s lips purse in concentration, nose scrunching every time her knees glide outward, cheeks blooming rose as blood rushes but steadies, and you count each heartbeat in your own chest like backup percussion. Ryujin paces, tapping a bamboo stick for tempo, Shotaro mans the speaker with the “Brave Ballerina” playlist, and when the opening marimba trill hits, Haeun’s shoulders relax; that’s her favorite song, and the giggle escaping her throat sounds like soda fizz. You hover close but not hovering, hands behind your back, presence felt, liberty preserved and she gives you a quick glance, eyes sparkling “watch this,” before sliding into a flawless relevé. Her friends squeal, Heejin claps, and even Jaemin pumps a victorious fist. Dr. Huang’s voice echoes memory: low-impact only, so she lowers heels slowly, savoring controlled descent, arms floating with fingertip tremors of excitement. Sweat beads tiny diamonds along her hairline, and she licks her upper lip, tasting perseverance mixed with cherry balm. No leaps yet, but when she finishes the series with a tiny sauté, barely leaving the floor, Ryujin doesn’t scold; she smiles, writes a mental note, and lets the class applaud the micro-victory. Haeun’s grin splits wide enough to tug dimples down her cheeks, and she mouths “Yes!” before the next track begins.

Halfway through class Shotaro pauses music, demonstrating breathing technique for stamina, cheeks puffing comically as he blows out candles so hard imaginary wax splatters, and laughter ricochets off mirrors like confetti. Haeun copies him, lips forming perfect O’s, nostrils flaring with strawberry focus; each exhale knits anxiety into useful steam powering her petite engine. They line up for port de bras sequence, arms sweeping like lullaby waves, and her wrists paint ghost ribbons that linger in your peripheral vision. When Ryujin corrects her elbow angle, she chirps “thank you!” in a singsong hush, absorbing guidance like sponge cake soaking syrup. Jaemin scribbles excellent adaptive form and draws a star beside it, then flicks his eyes to you with a subtle nod: heart readings stable. Bunny falls from its perch mid-exercise—sticker heavy—but Haeun doesn’t panic; she blows a quick kiss toward plush territory, trusting gravity to keep watch. Chaewon stumbles on a tendu, laughter bursts, and Haeun instinctively steadies her friend with a pinky touch, whispering “got you,” a full-circle echo of her own rescue minutes earlier. Shotaro rewards teamwork with a five-second freestyle, silly jazz hands encouraged, and the room erupts into wiggly chaos, tiny hips popping, toes tapping Morse code of delight. Haeun’s curls bounce, her head thrown back, mouth open wide enough to catch starlight.

The air in the studio smells of powder and sunshine, warmed by four little bodies bursting with secret excitement—Haeun, Niki, Heejin, and Chaewon, all pressed close in front of the barre, shoulder to shoulder in mismatched leotards that stretch over round tummies, shiny with spilled water and sticker glue, every skirt fluffed and ribboned by frantic parent hands. Haeun’s curls are stuffed under a too-tight headband, two bunny clips poking like ears, and Niki, smallest but boldest, keeps squishing his cheeks together, making fish faces until Heejin doubles over, giggling so hard she almost topples off her pink ballet mat. Chaewon lines their slippers into perfect rows, her tiny voice serious as she instructs, “Toes must kiss, or they get lonely,” and the girls collapse onto each other’s laps, laughter sticky and bright, a tumble of arms and knees and little starburst legs kicking as the music cues up.

Ryujin claps a rhythm, but the group ignores her at first, tangled up in their own ballet world, Heejin tugs Haeun’s wrist, whispering “Look, you can do this!” as she demonstrates a wobbly passé, her leg trembling, her chubby toes gripping the floor with all their strength. Haeun copies, lips pursed, tongue sticking out in perfect concentration, and when she finally holds her balance for two counts, the circle erupts, Niki hugs her around the waist, Heejin plants a kiss on her arm, and Chaewon twirls so quickly her bun comes undone, black ribbon trailing behind like a comet tail. Someone’s giggle turns into a snort, and then all of them are hiccupping, rolling on the mat, breathless and pink-cheeked, eyes squeezed shut with joy.

When it’s time to try the group dance, Niki insists on being in the middle, and Haeun, careful and gentle, helps guide her friends’ hands into place, “No, your fingers go like this—soft, see?” She smooths Heejin’s sweaty bangs, tucks Chaewon’s stray hair behind her ear, and Niki sticks his tongue out, triumphant, when he finally gets his arms in the right spot. The music floats around them, all gentle piano and swelling strings, and they move as one, sometimes tangled, sometimes perfect, hands clasped, pinkies linked, little feet padding out clumsy arabesques, their voices soft but fierce: “We are the moonbeams, no one falls alone!”

Niki’s tutu is puffed out so wide it brushes Haeun’s knee every time he spins, the tulle tickling against his leg as Niki squeals, “Look, I’m a real fairy!” His cheeks are shiny with sweat and pride, a gold sticker already plastered on his nose, and Haeun giggles as she helps Niki fix his waistband, clumsy fingers fumbling with elastic while Niki squirms and bumps her shoulder.

Heejin’s voice pipes up, “Don’t forget the bunny hop!”—she’s halfway across the mat, demonstrating a wild, bouncy step, hair stuck to her forehead and mouth wide open in a crooked, unstoppable grin. Haeun can’t help but mimic her, curls flying as she lets out a little yelp, then doubles over laughing, legs tangled with Niki’s.

“Your hair smells like jellybeans,” Niki giggles, nose pressed into Haeun’s curls as he tries to re-pin a stray piece with his own slippery fingers, then gives up and just kisses the top of her head. “Mine’s all sticky, wanna feel?” Heejin pushes her hair over for inspection, Haeun’s small hands squeezing her cheeks in an examination that turns into a squishy-face contest, both girls blowing noisy raspberries at each other until Chaewon squeaks, “No fair, you’re making me laugh too much!”

The music comes up, a gentle piano ripple, and the four of them scramble to their spots, only to get tangled up again, all tiny hands grabbing at tulle, arms looping around each other’s waists as Haeun tries to help Niki find his place. “I’ll hold you so you don’t fall,” she says, voice soft and sure, lips just brushing Niki’s ear, and Niki nods, cheeks cherry-bright, gripping Haeun’s hand with all the trust in the world. When Ryujin claps, “Moonbeams ready!” they all chime back, “Ready!”—but the voices come out at different pitches, Niki’s the loudest, Heejin’s the squeakiest, Chaewon’s a giggle-bubble, and Haeun’s softest of all. The teacher grins, shaking her head, and starts the count. As the music swells, Haeun stretches her arms overhead, fingers splayed wide, her mouth open in a silent gasp, eyes wide and shining at the ceiling as if she’s catching every drop of light. Next to her, Niki stumbles and Haeun steadies him with a firm, warm palm; Heejin nearly topples and Chaewon grabs her, and then they’re all swaying together, a clumsy constellation of bodies orbiting, whispering encouragement, “you got it!” “almost!” “so pretty, bubba!”—each word tumbling from sticky lips, filling the air with friendship and fresh hope.

Every time they circle, their hands link and unlink, Bunny bobs from arm to arm like a shared secret, sometimes getting squeezed into Haeun’s chest, sometimes twirled above Niki’s head like a trophy. Haeun’s laughter bubbles up from deep in her belly every time Niki squints and sticks out his tongue, or Heejin whispers a nonsense spell and tries to tickle her with the edge of her tutu. Chaewon whispers, “If we all close our eyes, we can fly,” and for one suspended breath, Haeun believes it, knees bent, toes pushing down into the safe floor, arms tangled around her friends, the studio spinning with their sweetness and wild, babbling joy. During water break, they huddle together, backs against the barre, sipping juice boxes and trading stickers, swapping stories about dream recitals and lost teeth and favorite snacks. Heejin tries to teach everyone a secret handshake, slapping palms and tickling each other’s wrists until Ryujin calls them back, and they scramble up, arms around each other’s waists, legs bumping, shoes squeaking on the polished floor. Every little bump and bruise is met with a kiss, every wobble with applause, every victory—no matter how tiny—with squeals and stickers pressed to cheeks and foreheads, so by the end of practice they are all a patchwork of stars and bunnies and hearts. During recess, they collapse in a heap of tulle and tangled limbs, Haeun’s head pillowed on Niki’s belly, Heejin’s arm flung over Chaewon’s waist, all four of them clutching their bunnies and giggling at nothing at all, breath warm and sweet with apple juice and bubblegum. The world outside feels big and noisy, but here in the dance studio, it is just them, a knot of soft arms and sticky hands and new, wild laughter, every sound a promise that they will keep dancing, and loving, and lifting each other forever.

When Ryujin finally claps her hands for the last time, Haeun’s cheeks are flushed bubblegum-pink and her mouth is stretched in a smile so wide it nearly squeezes her eyes shut. Niki grabs both her hands, bouncing on the balls of his feet, “let’s do the big jumps! One more time, c’mon, moonbeams!” and in a flurry of giggles, the four of them line up in front of the mirror, wobbly arms lifted high, knees bent low, every little skirt fluffing out like spun sugar. “Ready—set—go!” Heejin squeals, and they leap, toes pointed, squeaky slippers barely catching air, but every landing is a wild tangle of arms, a burst of shrieks and bunny hugs. Haeun’s giggle is the loudest, bubbling up like soda fizz, her curls bouncing over her forehead as she lands and throws her arms around Chaewon, then Niki, then Bunny, spinning in circles until all four of them collapse into a giggle-pile right on the marley floor. When it’s time to say goodbye, Haeun wraps her arms around each friend in turn, Niki gets a nose smush and a “see you soon, starlight,” Heejin gets a loud, smacky cheek kiss, and Chaewon gets a squishy, wriggly bear hug that makes both of them tip over in a heap, shrieking. “Bye-bye, moonbeams! Dream of sparkles!” she calls, waving so hard her little fingers look like butterfly wings. The others chorus, “Bye, Haeunie!” and Heejin shouts, “Next time let’s wear matching socks!” Haeun flashes you a gap-toothed grin and races straight into your arms, nearly bowling you over with all her sticky energy.

Jaemin is waiting by the door, car keys dangling, and scoops her up in a one-armed hug, spinning her so her legs swing wide, ballet shoes kicking the air, her laughter bursting out in thick, breathless peals. “Was that the best class, bubba?” he teases, peppering kisses all along her chubby cheeks, down her button nose, and quick across her giggle-soft chin. “Stinky feet, sparkly heart!” he says, making her squeal and squirm.

“Daddy!” she gasps, voice a sugary whine, “I’m tickly!”

You join in, nuzzling her curls and pressing kisses all over her temples, forehead, even the very tip of her nose, until she’s shrieking with joy, feet drumming wild against Jaemin’s hip, tiny hands reaching to squish your cheeks.

“Two bunnies! My bunnies!” she declares, tugging you both close, planting a slobbery kiss right on your lips and then another on Jaemin’s chin, wrapping her arms around both your necks with the ferocity of a sleepy koala. Her mouth tastes like strawberry milk and her breath smells sweet as frosting, her little tongue poking out as she whispers. “You make my heart go jump-jump, like ballet!” Jaemin scoops her up, tucking her into the booster seat, strapping her in with a flourish. She kicks her feet gleefully, making her shoes tap a rhythm against the seat, toes pointing and flexing, body still humming with all the leftover joy, little hands slapping at her thighs in a private drumroll. “Booster burrito!” she crows, clutching Bunny to her chest, cheeks flushed and wild, hair frizzed in every direction.

Jaemin leans in for one last round of kisses, on her nose, her brow, your lips, before heading to the driver’s seat, shooting you both a wink that leaves your stomach fluttering. You pause, still crouched by her side, and stroke her hair back from her eyes, thumb lingering at her jaw. “I am so, so proud of you, bubba,” you murmur, letting her play with your fingers as she beams up, love shining from every inch of her soft, open face.

Her little voice is so bright it practically squeaks, cheeks ballooned out in a proud grin, sticky lips smudged pink and glistening where she’s bitten them with excitement. “Did you see me, Mama? Did you see me jump? I was so high, so, so high, maybe even past the ceiling, Niki said next time we can touch the clouds!” She stretches her arms up, fingers wiggling at the roof of the car, nose wrinkled, tongue sticking out between her teeth as she tries to look as tall as the sky itself.

You pretend to gasp, hand pressed dramatically to your heart. “Baby, I thought I was watching a magic bunny blast off,” you murmur, every word swooping low and syrupy as you lean in to nuzzle your nose against hers, “I think you might’ve grown wings while I wasn’t looking—next time I’ll have to tie you down or you’ll float away, bubba!”

She collapses into giggles, shoulders shaking, arms wrapping around your neck, Bunny squished so hard between you she lets out a little squeak, and you swear the whole car fills up with her laughter. She pulls your fingers to her mouth, blows a great, noisy raspberry into your palm so hard it tingles, then kisses each one in turn, soft, slobbery, so sincere it makes your chest ache. “I’m your tiny moonbeam. I’m your little heart, Mama. I wanna be little forever and ever and ever, ‘cause then you can hold me like this all the days.” You smother her cheeks with kisses, letting your lips tickle all the way from her warm, apple-soft jaw to her soft earlobe, and she squeals, “Nooo! Mama! My tickles! That’s too many kisses!” but her arms only clutch you tighter, feet thumping against the booster seat as she wriggles with pure happiness, a little bubble of wildness in your lap.

“I’ll give you a thousand kisses, even when you’re a grown-up, even when you’re taller than me, look at those ballerina legs, you’re gonna be the tallest bun in the bunch!” you tease, squeezing her thighs and planting kisses on her knees, then her tummy, which makes her giggle so hard she hiccups, curls sticking to her forehead, face shining like a sunbeam.

She buries her face in your shoulder, voice muffled, “Mama, you’re so silly, you’re a silly-silly-bunny-Mama,” then suddenly pulls back, squishing your cheeks between her hands so your lips pucker, “I love you all the way to Saturn and back and all around the moon and then down to the squishy floor!” She drops another kiss on your nose, grinning so wide you can see the gap where her baby tooth used to be.

Jaemin leans in from the driver’s seat, his voice all mock-serious, “Honestly, it’s getting a little embarrassing. All this smooching, all this lovey-dovey, I might have to call the PDA police.”

You shoot him a look and stick your tongue out, but Haeun bursts into delighted laughter, wiggling her toes and chanting, “PDA! PDA! Daddy’s jealous! Daddy wants kisses too!”

Jaemin lets out a theatrical sigh, clutching his chest. “No one ever kisses me like that. I wish I was the tiny moonbeam. Must be nice, huh, bunny?” Then he puckers up ridiculously, leaning his head into the back seat, “Give your poor old dad a kiss or he’ll shrivel up from neglect!” Haeun nearly launches out of her booster, plants a loud, wet smooch right on Jaemin’s cheek, and then covers you in rapid-fire kisses, tongue sticking out, mouth open, each one sloppier and bubblier than the last. He leans over and kisses you, too, softer, voice dropping low, “Can’t help it, you two are the best things that ever happened to me.”

Haeun claps her hands, squeals, “Group hug! Squeezy group hug! No Daddies allowed unless he’s silly!” and the three of you melt together in a warm, wild tangle of arms and noses and bunny plush, Haeun’s laughter spilling out like sunshine, the windows fogging up from all the sweetness and breathless joy. She bounces in her seat, legs kicking like she’s still on the dance floor, babbling, “I love you, Mama, I love you, Daddy, I love my Bunny, I love ballet, I love you, love you, love you—” her voice filling every corner of the car, warm and sticky and neverending.

You lean close, brushing her curls back, kissing her hair, her forehead, every dimple and freckle you can reach, the words pouring out sweeter and sweeter, “You’re my whole sky, bubba, my dancer, my baby, my wild brave heart, I’ll love you when you’re little, I’ll love you when you’re big, I’ll love you even when you’re bossing me around when you’re a teenager—”

She butts her nose against yours, snort-laughing, “I’ll be little forever just for you, Mama! Promise!”

You whisper, voice thick with adoration, “My promise, my pinky, my sunshine, my always,” and she loops her little finger around yours, tugging you close, lips sticky with the last kiss, cheeks flushed, eyes shining, her love so bright and huge it’s impossible not to give in.

Jaemin groans, “Ugh, I can’t take it anymore, you two are going to rot my teeth—this is sickeningly sweet,” but he’s smiling like a fool, watching you both, and Haeun calls out,

“Daddy! You love it! You love us!” and he just laughs, ruffles her hair, and presses another kiss to your temple. You sit there with her for one more minute, wrapped in her soft arms, her laughter echoing inside your chest, feeling like the luckiest person in the whole world—her love so fierce and unfiltered, it lifts you up and up, higher than any moonbeam ever could.

Jaemin drums his fingers on the steering wheel, lets his head fall back against the seat, mouth twisted in the most dramatic frown he can muster. “Oh, unbelievable. My teeth hurt. I think I just got a cavity,” he grumbles, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth betrays him. He’s watching the two of you with that soft, gone look, eyes sparkling under the lashes he tries to keep half-lidded, like he’s immune.

Haeun sits up taller in her booster, smacking her lips with extra volume, then fires a kiss your way just to prove a point. “Uh-oh, Daddy! Too late—Mama and me are gonna turn you into a marshmallow next. Then we’re gonna eat you up and make you a big, squeezy sandwich!”

You catch her mid-giggle and press a raspberry to her cheek, making her squeal and kick her feet, “Baby! Quick, he’s melting! Save your Daddy!”

Haeun’s hands fly to her face, her eyes wide as saucers, “Mama, if he’s a marshmallow, can we make s’mores in the living room?” Her voice drops to a sneaky whisper behind her palm, “I think Daddy likes it when we’re all mushy. He can’t stop smiling, even when he pretends he’s mad.”

Jaemin rolls his eyes but leans over the seat, mouth puckered for a kiss, “All right, all right, one marshmallow sandwich coming up. But if you two keep this up, I’ll have to eat all the sweets at home myself just to survive.” His grin breaks through the play-acting, so bright it practically glows in the rearview.

Haeun giggles and leans forward, fingers sticky, voice bubbling with mischief, “That’s okay, Daddy. Mama says love’s the best sugar—so you’re gonna be the sweetest of all.”

You become lost in her, her arms looped around your neck, her sticky cheeks nuzzling into your shoulder, both of you squished together in that cramped backseat, swapping kisses and giggles, noses bumping, your whispers all syrupy and secret. “You’re my baby-cakes, my sugar-bun, my squishy-squish,” you murmur, pressing another kiss to her chubby jaw.

You’re always telling her you love her—always, always, as if you could say it enough times to fill up every ache and empty space, but lately it spills out with a new kind of desperation, sweeter and heavier, because nothing is promised, not after that night you almost didn’t come back, not after the sirens and the darkness and the last words in your house being a slammed door and Haeun’s heartbroken wails echoing down the hall. You remember her tiny fists banging on the glass, the way her sobs shook through your spine as you walked away from both of them, angry and stupid and so sure you had more time. Now, every kiss on her cheek, every whispered “forever,” every bubble of baby-talk love is a promise and an apology, the only answer to that haunted look that still sometimes flickers in her eyes when she’s quiet, the only way to make sure if fate steals the sun again, she’ll never doubt—not for a second—that she was always your first, last, and brightest love.

She squeals, “Mama, your kisses tickle my brain!” and then plants a noisy one right between your eyebrows, like she’s painting love right onto your forehead.

You’re so wrapped up, her legs swinging, your hand tangled in her curls, your voices soft and ridiculous, “If I kiss you a hundred times, you’ll turn into a marshmallow,” you threaten.

She gasps, eyes wide, “Then you’ll have to eat me up, Mama! I’ll be a marshmallow moonbeam and you’ll put me in hot chocolate!” and she wiggles, giggling so hard she snorts, cheeks puffed out, curls bouncing.

Jaemin, parked in the driver’s seat with his head back, lets out the loudest, most dramatic sigh, then beep-beep! slams the car horn, making you both jump. “Are you two gonna move, or do I need to call for rescue?” he deadpans, drumming his fingers on the wheel. “I’m starving out here, I can feel my bones turning into dust. There’s only so much sickly-sweet backseat snuggling a man can survive!”

Haeun sits bolt upright, clutching Bunny, and shouts, “Daddy, I’m not done yet! We’re doing science! Mama’s testing how many kisses fit on my face. It’s an experiment!” She squints at you, very official. “Mama, I think we need more data. Five more kisses, one for each finger!”

You dive in, dramatic, pressing noisy kisses down each of her stubby fingers, her giggles coming out in high, squeaky bursts, belly popping with every sound. “Sorry, Daddy!” you call, grinning back at him. “The experiment’s still going! Mama’s gotta see if Haeun’s cheeks go on forever!” Haeun waves her sticky hand at Jaemin, tongue poking out, “Daddy, you go eat your shoe now! I busy!” She giggles so hard she snorts, scrunching her nose, and then wiggles her fingers in your face, “Mama, more! Again! My cheeks need more kissies! More, more!”

Jaemin groans, but he’s laughing under his breath, “If you two don’t get up here soon, I will—don’t tempt me, Haeun!”

You wink at him, snuggle your moonbeam in tighter, and whisper, “I’m keeping her right here till she’s all grown up. Car dinner forever.”

Haeun chirps, “That’s okay, Mama! I’ll feed you marshmallows and love!”

Jaemin just shakes his head, starts the car, and mutters, “My girls are so obsessed with each other, I swear. Somebody save me.”

You press a noisy kiss to Haeun’s cheek, her skin warm and sweet beneath your lips, and she shrieks with delight, arms flapping wild as you finally slip into the passenger seat beside Jaemin. You reach over and squeeze his hand, the soft squeeze saying everything, thank you, I love you, look at our ridiculous life, while Haeun starts up her chant in the back, voice bubbling up like a tiny parade float. “Boba time! Boba time! Boba time!” she shouts, every syllable punctuated by a happy kick, her ballet shoes drumming against the seat, curls bouncing, cheeks still berry-bright from class. Jaemin squeezes your hand back and you both catch each other’s eyes in the mirror, grinning like fools, Haeun’s little chant echoing through the car like magic, every beat a promise that this tiny happiness belongs only to you three, all the way to the boba shop and back again.

The drive is all easy, golden exhaustion, Haeun’s voice a steady stream from the backseat, her words tumbling over each other as she recounts, in microscopic detail, Niki’s “giant-est” jump, how Heejin’s skirt got stuck on the barre, how Chaewon whispered a secret spell so everyone’s toes would point like magic. You hum the playlist’s lullaby, soft and low, while Jaemin calls out silly commentary for every car and bakery you pass, making Haeun giggle so hard she hiccups, cheeks still strawberry-bright. She can’t reach you, strapped snug in her booster, so she cups her water bottle with both hands, straw poked between her lips, cheeks puffing as she sips with the most dramatic slurp she can muster, just to get your attention. Between sips, she holds Bunny up to the window, narrating the world outside. “Bunny sees a big truck! Bunny sees a flower! Bunny says, ‘Hi Daddy!’” Sometimes she squishes her face up against the glass, then sits back to peer into the mirror, making silly fish faces until you blow her a kiss from the front seat. She catches it, presses it to her forehead, and beams, “Thank you, Mama! That’s for my smart brain!”

Jaemin glances at you, a soft, sideways grin blooming as you reach over and lace your fingers with his, your hands resting together on the console, quiet and sure. Haeun wiggles in her seat, feet tapping the air, voice bubbling, “Boba time! Boba time!” every syllable rises higher as the shop comes into view. When Jaemin finally parks, she shrieks, “We made it! We made it! Yay for boba!” Bunny clutched to her chest, she waits for you to open her door, water bottle held high like a victory flag, eyes bright with the promise of her favourite green bunny drink and all the sugar-soaked stories still waiting to be told.

At the counter, she presses her nose against the glass, peering up with those giant, bashful eyes, cheeks still pink from dancing. She stands on tiptoes, elbows perched on the counter’s edge, voice tiny but clear as she looks up at the cashier, “’Scuse me? Can I have a little cup please, with green bunny boba? Matcha milk, extra honey jelly, no ice, please. And, um, two baby straws so I can share with Mama?” Her lisp softens all the words, her lips round and earnest.

The cashier melts on the spot, laughing as she asks, “You want sprinkles, sweetheart?”

Haeun nods so hard her bun nearly wobbles free. “Yes, please! Rainbow ones. For my bunny and me. And Daddy wants mango, ‘cause he’s silly.”

Jaemin ruffles her hair, grinning at the cashier. “I’ll have mango green tea please with no sugar. I’ll have lychee jelly and extra mango popping boba. Biggest straw you’ve got, please. My girls like to steal sips.” Jaemin says, leaning on the counter with a playful smirk, already eyeing Haeun to see if she’ll try to sneak some of his jelly later. “Oh, and could you put a little coconut cold foam on top please? Gotta keep it fancy or she’ll laugh at me.” The cashier grins, nodding, as Haeun wiggles with excitement beside you, already plotting which toppings she’ll trade with her daddy before you even order.

You chime in, “I’ll have roasted oolong with brown sugar pearls please, lots of ice, extra creamy, please.”

The cashier promises, “Cutest coming right up,” and hands Haeun a tiny sticker for being so polite.

She gasps, whispers “thank you, lady,” and tucks the sticker behind Bunny’s ear, clinging to you so tightly you have to pick her up, her body curled warm on your lap as you settle into a booth.

You sink into a corner booth together, Haeun kneeling on the seat, Bunny balanced upright beside her cup, the two of you tracing phoenixes into the condensation on the glass tabletop. She presses her finger to yours, humming softly, “Mama, draw the wings!” You curl spirals and feathery lines, making her gasp, “Ooooh, now make it fly!”—so you swoop your finger across, letting her add glittery tail feathers, both of you whispering little stories about firebirds soaring across the shop. Jaemin stands at the counter, hands in his pockets, watching you both with the smallest smile, eyes soft as Haeun stretches out her arms, “Look, Mama, I’m a flying phoenix! Flap, flap, flap!” She flutters her arms, cheeks flushed, mouth parted in breathless awe, every move a dance, her ballet class never truly left her body.

The bell above the counter rings, and Jaemin accepts the drinks with a formal bow, thanking the cashier like it’s an Olympic medal ceremony. He carries the tray over with exaggerated care, making a show of guarding Haeun’s “green bunny” drink from imaginary thieves, whispering, “Special delivery for the moonbeam and her Mama. I’m not letting my girls move an inch till every boba is accounted for.” He settles across from you, sliding your roasted oolong, brown sugar pearls shining at the bottom, into your hands, then presents Haeun’s matcha milk, extra honey jelly, rainbow sprinkles, and two baby straws for sharing, every detail perfect.

Haeun snatches her cup, clutches it to her chest, and slurps so loudly half the café turns to smile, a line of matcha dripping down her chin. “Mmmmmm! Yummy yummy! So cold, so bouncy!” she announces, lips stained green, cheeks puffed with pride. She angles the cup toward Bunny, whispering, “Bunny wants a sip too! Mama, you help Bunny drink?” You hold Bunny up to the straw, making exaggerated slurping sounds, both of you giggling, cheeks nearly pressed together, your free hand tucked around her waist to keep her steady as she kicks her feet in giddy joy.

Jaemin slides his hand across the table, catching yours, thumb tracing little circles over your skin, a silent, sweet reassurance as Haeun leans over her cup, slurping so eagerly that droplets of matcha dot her chin. You smile at her, dabbing her mouth with a napkin, and she grins back, cheeks green and gleaming, swinging her legs beneath the table. “Mama, do you think bunnies like boba?” she asks suddenly, glancing down at her plush toy, serious as only a three-year-old can be, the question blooming right out of her bright, fizzy curiosity.

You tip your head, pretending to consider it. “Maybe if it was made from carrots and clover, bunny would love it even more than we do,” you reply, voice playful.

Haeun giggles, holding Bunny up to the straw, making a silly slurp and whispering, “Bunny says ‘yummy yummy!’ just like me.”

Jaemin nudges his drink closer, lips curled in a mock pout, “Better watch out, bunny’s gonna drink my mango tea if you’re not careful.”

She wriggles in her seat, turning toward you again, the world narrowing to the booth and her little voice. “Mama, how did you and Daddy find me?” she asks, sudden and soft, and you catch the quiet seriousness behind all the sugar, the earnest weight of her trust. Jaemin glances at you, his gaze warm and steady, fingers squeezing yours as you reach for Haeun’s hand, holding it between both of yours, gentle as a wish.

You let the moment breathe, bending close to press a kiss to her sticky knuckles, “We wished for you every day, and then one day you just appeared—brighter than any moonbeam, sweeter than every boba in the world.”

Haeun beams, tipping her head, Bunny pressed to her heart. “I like being your moonbeam, Mama. I like boba with you best.” She leans in for a kiss, laughter bubbling up between every word, sticky and soft and perfect, while Jaemin squeezes your hand again, and the three of you tuck in closer, lost in a sweetness no amount of sugar could ever match.

At home, the hush is thick and golden, wrapping around the three of you curled together on the couch, your baby girl tucked so tightly between you and Jaemin it’s like she’s stitched into the very heart of the family. Her legs drape over Jaemin’s thigh, one small heel pressing into your hip, her cheek nuzzled against your chest where she can hear the slow, steady rhythm of your heart. You comb your fingers gently through her curls, working out the tangles, fingertips lingering at her scalp until her shoulders soften and her breath evens. Your other hand cups her knee, thumb rubbing slow, lazy circles in that spot you know soothes her when the world feels too big. Jaemin sits pressed against your other side, his palm spread across her back, rising and falling with every breath, his voice low as he hums the end of her playlist—a sound that settles into her bones, safe as a heartbeat.

When Haeun shifts, face creasing with worry for just a second, you pull her closer, murmuring softly, “Right here, baby, you’re home, you’re safe. Nothing’s gonna take you from us.” You press a kiss to her brow, let her tuck Bunny under her chin, and pull the blanket over her shoulders, cocooning her in warmth and love. Jaemin’s hand slides down to her ankle, squeezing with gentle reassurance, and you both lean in until she’s covered on every side—her whole world made of arms and soft voices and warmth.

She blinks up at you, lashes fluttering, lips parting in a sleepy smile, voice tiny as she whispers, “Mama, Daddy… can I stay in your hugs forever? Can we dance in the living room every night?”

You nuzzle her nose, your voice thick with tenderness, “Forever, moonbeam. You’re always safe with us. Even when you’re asleep, we’ll hold you.” Jaemin bends to kiss her curls, his thumb stroking the ridge of her knuckles, and she finally lets out a long, shaky sigh—the last of the fear slipping away as her whole body goes soft and limp in your arms.

“Mama, Daddy… I love you biggest,” she breathes, Bunny squeezed to her chest, “and I wanna have boba and bedtime and you, every day.”

You smile, heart aching sweet, as you hold her a little tighter, blanket tucked up beneath her chin, your lips pressing the quietest promise into her crown. “You will, baby. Every single day.”

Her eyelids droop, her last giggle curling in the air, “Goodnight, moonbeam’s family. Goodnight, love you always.” And as sleep claims her, her body heavy and safe in your arms, you and Jaemin lock eyes, wordless, awestruck, grateful, knowing that this moment, this softness, is everything, and that your baby girl has never been safer than right here, wrapped in the heartbeats that will never let her go.

Every morning feels like a new beginning, sunlight sliding over the hardwood, the sound of Haeun’s giggle tumbling down the hallway before you’ve even started the kettle. Plié contests have become your private tradition: you and Jaemin in thick socks, her in pastel pink with her bunny plushies lined up as judges, all of you crouched comically low, arms rounded just so. “Lower, Mama! Lower!” she squeals, cheeks puffed, tongue poking out as she wobbles but never falls, your hands always ghosting at her elbows just in case. The sticker chart is taped crooked on the kitchen wall, filling up with stars and bunnies, every practice, every brave attempt, gets a new one, and when she stands back, breathless and proud, you press a kiss to the tip of her nose and whisper, “That’s my brave girl, always.” Jaemin claims he’s just there to keep score but you catch him swaying, grinning at her, the morning softening around the three of you like butter in a pan.

On weekends, the living room transforms into your own ballet studio, furniture pushed to the corners, curtains drawn back so the light pools at Haeun’s toes. Shotaro’s “Brave Ballerina” playlist thumps through the speakers, a blend of gentle piano and bouncy, silly pop, and Haeun dances in her slightly-too-big practice tutu, socks slipping on the floor, arms stretched wide. Sometimes she tugs you by the hand, urging you to spin with her, both of you off balance and laughing, spinning so fast your heart can’t help but leap with her. You let her lead, her little fingers curled tight around yours, and Bunny always watches from the best spot on the couch, a soft, silent audience for every leap, every bow. When she tumbles to the rug, dizzy and breathless, you flop beside her, both of you pink-cheeked and giggling, tangled in the soft chaos of home.

Jaemin takes his role as post-dance doctor as seriously as any surgeon. He sits cross-legged on the rug with a banana and a sippy cup of milk, peeling the fruit and breaking off pieces for Haeun to pop into her mouth. His hands are so gentle as he massages her calves, thumbs kneading softly, eyes always alert for the smallest wince. “Let me see these superstar legs,” he teases, poking her shin until she erupts in laughter, “Only the bravest ballerinas have such strong feet. Doctor’s orders: one more bite and a big drink, then you’ll be ready to take on the world.” Before every class, he loops his stethoscope around his neck, winks, and asks for a “heart check,” she holds out her arm, eyes huge and trusting, and he listens, playing it straight. “Heart strong, feet ready, doctor approved!” She stands a little taller every single time, heart and body both stronger for it.

Some afternoons the light grows small, the shadows stretch long, and you can see it settle in her, your baby’s shoulders curling in, her gaze flickering to the doorway, fingers winding tight in Bunny’s ear. You don’t ask her to be brave; instead, you drop to your knees beside her and start building the Bravery Corner together, piling pillows into a mountain, stringing fairy lights until the whole world glows soft and golden. You let her pick every spot for a sticker chart, one above her head, one near her toes, another tucked right beside Bunny, letting her have control in the midst of nerves. You pull her into your lap, wrapping your arms all the way around her, chest to her back, chin nestled in her wild curls, and rock gently, side to side, the slow rhythm as constant as your love.

You let her boss you around, her little finger pointing, “sticker here! No, Mama, higher, higher! Bunny wants one on his belly!”—and you obey, balancing charts over every patch of blanket fort until it looks like a sparkling palace. “Bunny says, ‘No monsters allowed!’” she declares, voice wobbly and tiny but braver now, chin jutting out. Fairy lights tangled over her head, you wrap her in your lap, tucking her in like a secret, your chin nestled into the crook of her neck, arms around her like she might slip away if you let go.

When she’s silent, you never fill it up with too many words; you only hold her, pressing small, steady kisses to the crown of her head, her temple, her knuckles, reminding her with every touch that she is cherished exactly as she is. You match your breaths to hers, slowing together, waiting until she shifts in your lap, stretching out her legs, finally ready to uncoil. You let her slip off at her own pace, her fingers lingering at your sleeve, her eyes searching for yours, and you give her your biggest, gentlest smile. “Whenever you’re ready, moonbeam. Mama’s always here.” You guide her through your grounding routine—soft squeezes to her shoulders and back, gentle circles at her wrist, your voice a lullaby of little reminders: “Wiggle your toes, feel the floor, Bunny’s here, Mama’s got you.” Sometimes you sway together, humming her favorite song, your palm cradling her cheek until her breath comes slow and easy and her body relaxes against yours.

You press your lips to the crown of her head, humming the tune from her playlist, your voice barely more than breath. You guide her hands to your chest and tell her, “Feel me breathing, bubba. We can make our hearts slow together.” She lays her palm over your heart, you lay yours over hers, and together you count—one, two, in, out, safe, safe, safe. You pull her even closer, Bunny pressed between you, letting the world shrink to nothing but her body tucked against yours. Sometimes she buries her face in your neck, sometimes she just breathes you in, eyelids fluttering, lashes still damp from a few quiet tears.

When you play Ryujin’s message, you hold the phone so she doesn’t have to, letting your other hand stroke her knee, then her shin, then up to her wrist, tracing light, soothing circles. When the message ends, you both blow kisses to the camera, your lips pressed to her hair first, then to Bunny’s nose, then to the screen, never pushing her to speak if she’s not ready, just showing her every way love can be quiet and patient. Sometimes she lets you film her whispering, “Thank you, Teacher Ryujin. I’m brave ‘cause you love me.” Sometimes she just clings to you, nodding, safe in the space you’ve built together.

You press little kisses to her brow, to each finger, to the tip of her nose, “One for every brave bit inside you, my tiny moonbeam.”

Sometimes she climbs right into your lap, feet tucked under her, Bunny between you, whispering, “Don’t let me go, Mama. Wanna stay your squishy-forever.” You hum, letting her set the pace, tracing hearts on her knee, waiting for the moment her body softens, breath matches yours, and you both melt into the pile of pillows and soft lights.

Sometimes you make up stories, about Bunny rescuing all the shy ballerinas in Sticker Castle, or about a magical moonbeam who dances with jellybeans in her shoes and always finds her way home. She giggles, head tipped back, the worry melting from her eyes as she whispers, “More, Mama, more!”

When she’s ready, she slips off your lap, face bright and a little bashful, fingers sticky from clutching your sleeve. You kiss the top of her head, hand lingering at her back, whispering, “Go, go, super-brave moonbeam! I’ll clap every step!” She wriggles into the middle of the room, Bunny held high, then twirls right there, bare feet thumping, her laugh filling every shadow. You clap and cheer, lifting Bunny in the air, “Bravest bunny! Bravest girl!”—and in that little bravery corner, strung with love and light, your baby is safe to start again, every time, her softness and your patience the gentlest kind of courage there is.

After practice, when the house grows quiet and the last stripes of sun spill across the floor, you find her in front of the hallway mirror, bare feet planted, arms curved above her head, lips moving in a soundless count. Her brow is scrunched in fierce concentration, tongue poking out the corner of her mouth, and she doesn’t notice you watching until you start to clap, gentle and slow, filling the hush with soft applause. She whirls around, eyes wide, cheeks flushed, and in an instant she’s launching herself at you, arms wound tight around your neck, nose pressed into your shoulder, laughter fizzing up and out. “Did you see, Mama? I did it all by myself! Like the big girls in the show!”

You nose her hair, press your cheek to hers, breath tangled, “I saw every step, moonbeam. You’re my superstar.” She giggles, all soft and shivery, pulls back just far enough to rub her nose against yours, bunny-quick, then leans in again, lips brushing your chin.

“Was I sparkly? Like on stage?” she whispers, nose to nose, eyes round as moons.

You tap her cheek, “You’re always sparkly, baby—even with jelly on your shirt.”

She dissolves into giggles, arms still locked tight around you, “Mama, if I spin too fast, will I turn into a tornado? Will you still catch me?”

You answer in a whisper, “Always. Even if you turn into a super silly tornado, I’ll catch every single swirl.”

She squeals, “Good! Cuz if you don’t, Bunny will try, and he can only catch little twirls, not big ones!”

You both break into another round of nose nuzzles, her little hands clutching your cheeks, her breath sweet and warm, “Mama, your nose is so soft. Boop, boop, boop!” she singsongs, pressing three tiny kisses in a row.

You go cross-eyed, make a silly face, “My bubba’s got the magic nose! Bet you can boop Daddy’s nose all the way to the moon.”

She bursts out laughing, so loud she hiccups, and cuddles back into your arms, soft as melted ice cream, “Let’s go find Daddy and boop him too.” You sway with her right there, noses still touching, sunlight brushing your hair, your heart so full it nearly spills out. All you can do is hold her, every moment so small and sticky and real, just you, your moonbeam, and every soft, silly nuzzle, the whole world made brand new with every boop.

Her giggles spill everywhere, and when you set her down she tips her head back, still catching her breath. Her voice comes quiet and curious, all sweet innocence, “Mama, when I go on the stage, do the lights make your eyes feel funny? Will I see Daddy and you in the crowd or just all the stars?” She bites her lip, peeking up at you, “If I drop my petals, will I get in trouble? And what if I forget the twirly part, will Bunny remember for me?” Her fingers curl around yours, tiny and warm, her questions tumbling out as if she’s painting pictures you can hold.

You crouch down, brushing her curls from her brow, voice soft and steady as you answer, “The lights will feel bright at first, but I’ll be right in front, waving big so you can find me. Daddy’ll be next to me, making silly faces just for you. And if you drop your petals or forget your twirl, it just means more magic for everyone, nobody will ever be mad at a moonbeam.”

She squeezes you tighter, cheek still warm against your jaw, her words tumbling out fast and hopeful, “Mama, I wanted to build the biggest sandcastle with you and Daddy, and eat all the cold noodles and go on the funny train—remember? I wanna see the ballerinas in the square, ‘cause you said I could twirl with them someday.” She pulls back, eyes wide and a little worried, thumb rubbing at Bunny’s ear, voice turning small, “Are we still gonna go on da holiday, Mama? Or is it all gone now, ‘cause of the park and the scary day?” She stares at you, so trusting and soft, the world waiting on your answer.

You scoop her closer, nose nuzzling into her hair, thumb brushing her chubby cheek as you promise, “Oh, bubba, nothing’s gone. Daddy and I found the holiday again, just for you. We’re still going, I swear it. You’ll get to twirl in the sunshine and see all the ballerinas, build the tallest sandcastle, eat every noodle, and ride that silly train with Daddy, Bunny and Mama.”

She breaks into the widest smile, eyes crinkling, arms flung around your neck, “Yay! I want Bunny to wear his sunglasses and Daddy to go splash-splash in the sea! Mama, you get a giant hat, ‘kay? Biggest hat in the whole world! Can Bunny have a suitcase too? I want to pack his hat and his purple socks. I want to see Daddy swim like a big fish and you eat a million ice creams!”

You kiss her nose, hearts bumping, “Biggest hat, pinky promise. And we’ll all dance in the square, even Bunny.”

She laughs, the sound bubbling out, “I wanna go soon, Mama. I wanna go now! Let’s go! You, Daddy, me and Bunny, all together—just us.” And you hug her so tight, everything that matters is right there in your arms, your moonbeam, your forever, your never-lost joy. The moment feels spun from sunlight and sticky hands, every hope and memory tangling together, your baby safe in your arms, every dream still bright and possible, as long as you’re holding her close.

You wake in the palest blue hush of morning, the city still quiet and dark beyond the window, Jaemin’s body pressed behind you in the tangled sheets, warmth and sleep and home tangled together. You reach back, palm smoothing over his hip, and he rolls closer, lips trailing across the slope of your shoulder, his hand slipping beneath the curve of your breast. You turn to meet him, noses brushing, breath warm, the silence gentle as dawn. He kisses you slow, soft, the kind of kiss that’s half laughter and half promise, and when he slides inside you, it’s careful, unhurried, all tangled limbs and whispered confessions. The only sounds are the low rush of your breath and the thud of your heart, the way his hand holds you so securely, your leg thrown over his waist. You move together quietly, his mouth pressed to your hair, his hand guiding your hips, and it’s not desperate or rushed—just the pure, steady ache of loving someone completely, of sharing the morning before the whole world wakes up. He holds you close after, noses tucked together, both of you whispering, “I love you, I love you, always,” until it’s time to rise.

Hot water drums over both of you as Jaemin presses you back against the tile, your laughter echoing between wet skin and fogged glass, his hands everywhere, soaping your shoulders, gliding down your back, thumbs working into the ache of your hips. You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer, mouths slick and hungry as he lifts your leg around his waist, cock thick and heavy sliding inside, every thrust slow and deep, steam curling between your bodies. You clutch at his hair, nails scraping his scalp as he kisses your throat, water running down the curve of your breasts, his palms cradling your ass, rocking you against him. Each movement is soft, teasing, his hips rolling with practiced care, bodies slipping and joining in the mist, rinsing the night away, every touch a promise, every kiss washing you clean, his mouth swallowing every moan until there’s nothing but the sound of water and the sweet, aching pulse of loving each other raw.

After the shower, all sleepy and soft, you wrap yourselves in towels and tiptoe to your daughter’s room. Her door is ajar, and you slip inside together, still damp, hands clasped, grins threatening to spill over. Jaemin is right behind you, both of you moving slowly as the sun crawls up the walls. Haeun’s all tangled limbs and tousled curls in the nest of her blankets, one chubby hand flung over Bunny’s soft belly, mouth smushed around her thumb, lashes dark and low on her cheeks. You kneel beside the bed, brush stray hair from her forehead, and whisper, “Good morning, moonbeam—guess what day it is?”

She stirs, a tiny frown puckering her brow, then a sigh, sweet and sleepy, “Mmnh, Mama… five more sleeps, pwease…”

Jaemin leans in, his voice honey-sweet, gentle as his hand stroking down her tangled curls, “Come on, baby girl, you gotta wake up—every big star has to rise before the sun or the whole world stays sleepy.” He lifts her up in his arms, swaying her gently, blanket and Bunny tucked in tight, his cheek brushing her forehead as he whispers, “How’s my sleepy pancake supposed to get her sparkles if she stays in bed? Let’s go make some matcha magic and find your show-day smile, yeah?” She burrows in closer, clinging tighter, and he rocks her side to side, making the morning soft and slow, humming just for her until her little giggle bubbles up, her sleepiness melted by the love he wraps around her.

Haeun blinks up at you, rubbing her eyes with a fist, then reaches to tug a fistful of Jaemin’s damp hair, her face scrunching in sleepy confusion. Her gaze bounces between his wet curls and your bathrobe, loose at the collar, the faint pink mark still on your throat. “Mama, Daddy, why you both all drippy?” she whispers, voice hushed like she’s sharing a secret with Bunny. “You shower together again? Why you always shower together? Last time, you left the door open and I saw Mama jumpin’ on Daddy and you were all kissy-kissy!” She dissolves into a shy giggle, hiding her face in Jaemin’s shoulder but peeking out with a grin, “Did Mama win the jumping game? Is that why Daddy was making that silly noise?” She covers her mouth, giggling so hard she hiccups, cheeks cherry-pink, voice dropping to a whisper, “You both so funny, Bunny says next time, close the door so the bubbles don’t escape, ‘kay?” Her laughter is pure sunlight, small and bright and so perfectly three, her mischief soft and safe, your little family glowing in the golden morning.

You and Jaemin lock eyes over the top of Haeun’s head, trying to smother your own laughter, your lips twitching, his eyebrow raised in mock scandal. He clears his throat, keeping his face mostly straight, though his eyes are crinkling, and says, “Well, you caught us, bubba. Mama always wins the jumping game, that’s why Daddy has to practice his stretches every morning!” He leans in to nuzzle her cheek, winking at you, “And next time, we’ll close the door and let Bunny be the official bubble guard. No more bubbles escaping, promise.” Haeun squeals, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck, “Bunny will watch you both, so you don’t get too silly!” She giggles, still peeking at you both through wild curls, and you and Jaemin just shake your heads, laughter bubbling up between you, grateful for the sweet chaos that only your little moonbeam can bring.

You can’t help but giggle, warmth spilling out, your eyes meeting Jaemin over Haeun’s messy curls, there’s a soft, secret glow in his gaze that only you ever get, both of you full of mischief and morning love. Just then, Haeun’s gaze drifts over his shoulder, and her whole body perks up. On the wall beside her bed hangs her hand-painted “Bunny Calendar,” each square colored with shaky marker lines, a different sticker for every big day: stars for dance practice, hearts for family days, bunnies for extra-special treats. Today’s box is covered in a blue glitter pen, a silver moon sticker stuck off-center, her careful letters spelling out “SHOW DAY” in bubble writing, Bunny’s paw print in the corner. She blinks once, then gasps so loud it startles Bunny from his nest. “Is it big show day? For real-for real?”

She bolts upright, thumb slipping from her mouth, shy smile blooming wide as she grabs the calendar and waves it for you to see, one hand still tangled in Bunny’s ear, the other reaching for your sleeve. “Mama! Daddy! Look, my calendar says so! It’s show day, it’s show day!” She burrows into you, half giggle, half tremble, “My tummy feels all bouncy inside. Bunny’s nervous too. Can you both hold me so I can be brave?” And in that bright, sticky, tangled moment, you both squeeze her close, hearts soft, ready to carry your moonbeam anywhere she dreams.

You scoop her into your lap, blanket and all, and Jaemin settles on her other side, both of you crowding her with sleepy affection. “Yes my angel, it’s your big show, moonbeam. Today’s the day.”

Her cheeks puff, excitement and worry battling across her face, toes curling under the covers. “Will my legs work good, Mama? Bunny’s scared to dance but I told him we practiced so much. Did you make my dress all sparkly? Is Bunny gonna get a bow?”

You nuzzle your nose to hers, whispering, “You practiced so much, your legs are made of magic. And Bunny’s got his lucky charm and his best bow. I made sure.”

Jaemin ruffles her wild curls, “Mama made the sparkliest dress in the whole city. You’ll look just like a moonbeam.”

Together, still wrapped in soft pajamas and morning hush, you carry her down the hallway, her legs hugging your waist, hair wild and tangled like a cloud of spun sugar, her breathless voice bubbling with questions. “Is the kitchen cold? Can Bunny help with the magic whisk? Will matcha make my toes go super fast today?” She’s all wriggles in her favorite “bunny bun” shorts, “ballet princess” tee a little crooked, Bunny tucked under one arm, thumb hooked in the ribbon around his neck.

You settle her gently on the kitchen counter, knees hugged to her chest, pink toes wiggling above the drawers, as she wiggles with anticipation. “We make lucky matcha, Mama! Super lucky, super bubbly!” Her eyes go huge as you measure the matcha powder, letting her dump it in with a careful tip and a gasp, green dust puffing up and making her sneeze. You pour the milk—oat, just the way she likes—over the bright green mound, and hand her the tiny whisk. She grabs it in both hands, tongue poked out the side of her mouth, brows furrowed in fierce concentration as she whips the mixture, chanting, “More bubbles! More, more, more!”

You laugh, holding her steady, “Easy, chef! Save some for the mug or it’ll be a volcano!”

She shrieks, delighted, when the foam threatens to spill over, cheeks glowing, “We did it, Mama! Look! Bunny says it’s the best one ever.” You pour her a big splash into her sippy cup, clear with little silver moons and her name scrawled in marker, then hand her the pink straw. She clinks her cup to your mug, solemn and proud, “Cheers, Mama. I drink all for lucky, and Bunny drink for brave.”

You tap your mug to hers, “To moonbeams and magic toes!” She sips, gets a bright green mustache that makes her eyes crinkle, then carefully holds Bunny’s mouth to the cup, whispering, “Tiny sips for bravery, okay?” You tell her how helpful she is, how her strong whisking arm made the best bubbles, and how lucky your show day will be with her in charge of the magic. She beams, mouth full of milk and matcha, giggling, “Mama, you gotta drink too! If you want brave kisses, matcha makes them super power!”

You play along, puckering for a kiss, letting her plant a big, foamy one on your cheek. “Best magic I ever tasted, bubba,” you say, and she throws her arms around your neck, cheeks pink and sticky, ready to take on anything, matcha, bunnies, ballet, and all.

Jaemin’s already at the stove, sleeves pushed up, hair still damp from your shower, humming softly as he cracks eggs into the skillet. The kitchen is warm with the sound of bubbling butter, sunlight filtering through the curtains, and the sweet sizzle of pancakes on the griddle. He glances back over his shoulder, grinning at the sight of you and Haeun perched on the counter, cheeks smeared with matcha foam, her little feet kicking the cabinet. “All right, two sleepy bunnies and one brave moonbeam, who wants pancakes and who wants Daddy’s famous cheesy eggs?” he calls, wiggling the spatula.

Haeun raises her sippy cup high, matcha mustache shining, “Pancakes! Bunny wants blueberry face!” She slides off the counter, scampering over in her bunny bun shorts to stand on tiptoe beside him, solemnly handing Bunny to Jaemin for a chef’s kiss before the first pancake flip. You tease, “Better get it perfect, Daddy, or the pancake judge will send you to time-out!”

Jaemin plays along, bows to Bunny and Haeun, and announces, “My best work, for the bravest ballerina and her world-class coach.”

Haeun giggles, wraps herself around your leg, whispering, “Dada makes breakfast happy.” You sweep her up, kissing her nose, watching as Jaemin plates everything with a flourish: bunny-faced pancakes with blueberry eyes and whipped cream whiskers, a little pile of eggs just the way she likes, all arranged on her favorite cloud-shaped plate. He brings it to the table with a wink, “Bon appétit, my moonbeam.” She claps, hands sticky, “Thank you, Daddy!”—and you know, right then, this breakfast is pure magic, a family spell no one could ever break.

The softest robin-egg light has crept across the floor by the time you ease the bedroom door fully open, matcha mugs icing your hands and Jaemin’s quiet footfalls right behind you. Haeun’s “moonbeam dress” already steals the eye from its place on the wardrobe: tulle dyed in three strokes of blue, pale ice at the waist, dawn-sky through the skirt, and a dusk rim at the hem that seems to sip the morning. Tiny seed-pearls follow the seams like lines of first-position fingertips, and a silk bow the colour of quicksilver rests at the exact place her sternum will rise when she takes her opening breath on stage. Beneath it you’ve laid her starlight tights, each ankle dotted with a scatter of silver flecks to mimic rosin dust; her slippers, snow-pale canvas stitched with “Nana Haeun” in neat grey thread, wait with their ribbons curled like resting swan necks. A single bluebell-shaped clip catches the window light beside a satin ribbon no wider than a pinkie, the ribbon strung with her lucky bunny charm.

She sits on the ottoman hugging her knees, excitement and nerves fluttering from the tip-top of her bow to the twitching pink ends of her toes. Her “Ballet Princess” tee has slipped off one shoulder, revealing the tiny throb of her hummingbird pulse, and every few seconds she gives a little bounce, an almost-jump because the thrill won’t stay still inside her. She spots the dress again and lets out a squeak that turns into a bubbling giggle, half shy delight, half disbelief. “Ooh, Mama, is that really for me? Can I twirl just one time before we go? What if the twirl falls out of my head later?” Her fingers tap the ottoman in perfect, impatient fifth-position beats; her eyes, dark and glossy as evening pond water, dart to yours for permission while her heels drum a secret rhythm on the cushion, already rehearsing.

You steady her restless ankles with your palms, smile into her shining eyes, and guide her small hand to your chest. “Easy, moonbeam, feel how my heart stays slow and sure? Yours can follow.” You shift her hand to her own sternum, letting her feel the eager patter that lives there now. “That little drum is your mended star, the miracle that lets you twirl and run again. It’s strong, but it still likes gentle music.” You gently cup her cheeks, thumbs brushing softly over the warmth of her skin, holding her gaze steady with yours. “I want you to dance as wide as the sky tonight, baby—I know you’ve waited so long for this moment, two whole years, and your new heart’s ready to shine brighter than ever. It’s your miracle, and you’re so lucky it’s strong enough now for you to twirl, to run, to leap again—but remember, even miracles need rest. If you feel it flutter too fast or get tired, slow your steps, breathe deep, and look right at me or Daddy. Promise me you’ll listen to your heart, moonbeam?”

You press a gentle kiss to her forehead, smiling into her eyes as she nods, serious and bright, whispering back, “I promise, Mama—my new heart tells me secrets, and I’ll always listen. My heart stays soft and happy.”

You smile softly, catching her bright eyes in the mirror as you gather her thick, silky curls gently into your hands. “Alright, moonbeam, how many ballerina buns are we doing today? Ten? Twenty?” you tease gently, tugging playfully on a soft strand, making her giggle behind the handle of her brush.

“Nooo, Mama,” she protests shyly, eyes crinkling with laughter. “Just two buns! Just two little moon buns!”

“Two moon buns coming right up,” you say, smoothing each glossy strand with careful fingertips, the vanilla-lily scent floating softly around you. “Do you want them fluffy or ballerina-tight today?”

She bites her lip, cheeks rosy and shy, wiggling a little with excitement. “Tight! Really tight pwease! I don’t want my buns to wobble when I do the comet chassé.”

Each strand releases the vanilla-lily scent of her shampoo; you smooth the flyaways with a dab of rose water before twisting two perfect, low buns. She watches your hands in the mirror, cheeks hidden behind the tail of her brush. You gently twist her hair into two low, perfect swirls, each twist smooth and neat, watching carefully for her reaction. “How’s this, bubba? Is it tight enough, or too tight?”

She tests it carefully, turning her head slightly side to side, eyes serious as she considers, then breaks into a shy, delighted grin. “Perfect, Mama! No jelly buns today!”

Laughing softly, you pick up the pearl pins, feeling their smooth coolness roll gently between your fingers as you slide each one carefully into her neatly twisted buns. With every pin secured, you pause briefly, letting her feel the slight tug, watching the tiny crinkle of her nose and the way her cheeks dimple shyly in the mirror. “Now for your accessories,” you murmur warmly, holding up delicate sprigs of baby’s breath that tremble gently, almost as fragile as her excitement. “Do you think we need ten or twenty flowers, moonbeam? I want to make sure you sparkle brighter than everyone tonight.” Your voice is playful, teasing gently, and you tap her tiny nose with the end of a flower.

She gasps dramatically, eyes widening into perfect, glittering circles of wonder, her fingers fluttering like little butterfly wings as she giggles behind one shy palm. “Mama, that’s so many flowers! Bunny says that’s way too much, just a tiny sprinkle, ‘kay?” Her voice is giddy-soft, her excitement bubbling out through quiet, delighted giggles. You nod solemnly, eyes sparkling with affection as you carefully nestle just a few blossoms into each swirl, the petals blending softly with the pearl pins until a gentle halo forms, delicate and perfect around her earnest, cherubic face.

“There we go,” you murmur tenderly, turning her gently towards the mirror again, hands smoothing lightly down her shoulders. “How does that look, my love? Pretty enough for the brightest ballerina in the whole wide world?” Her cheeks flush a gorgeous rose, warmth blooming beneath your fingertips as she shyly ducks her head, gaze peeking at you bashfully through dark lashes, lips curving into the softest smile.

“So pretty, Mama,” she whispers reverently, her voice soft as morning mist, filled with a quiet awe. She clutches Bunny tighter, hiding behind his floppy ear as she whispers, “Bunny says I look like a real moonbeam now—just like the girls on stage.” You lean close, the fragrance of baby’s breath mingling sweetly with the familiar vanilla-lily scent of her hair, pressing a tender, lingering kiss to the top of her head.

“You belong on stage, my little moonbeam,” you breathe softly, your fingertips gently brushing the delicate halo of flowers in her hair. “I’m so happy for you—so proud of you, my ballerina, my dancer.” You watch the soft sparkle of wonder settle beautifully in her eyes, feeling the warmth of her excitement bloom in the shy, glowing curve of her cheeks, knowing that this precious moment will shine brighter in your heart than any spotlight ever could.

When you lift the dress, she throws her arms high like a grand jeté about to leave the barre. The tulle rustles over her head with a sigh. “It tickles my neck!” she giggles, and you hear the scratch of pearls skipping down her spine. You tug the bodice snug, feeling the drum of her heart under your knuckles. She wriggles her toes into the tights, a private little exercise, point-flex, point-flex, then slips each foot into its slipper, heel snug, ribbon wrapped in a tidy figure eight. She leans forward, nose to yours, and sighs, “Thank you for making me pretty, Mama. Do you think people will hear my heart under the music? It’s so loud.”

You cup her cheeks, stroke the warmth there. “They’ll only hear the music and maybe the stars cheering. I’ll clap loud enough to join them.”

Her answering smile is soft and watery; she touches glitter blush to your cheek, to her own, and then leans in for lip balm. She smacks once, satisfied. “Now we match. Two sparkly moons.”

She practises a curtsey in the mirror, cheeks indented with the effort to remember each step of her port de bras. The skirt lifts and settles like a slow wave. She pauses, strokes the silver bow, and murmurs, “Daddy’s going to see this bow first, right? And Bunny’s allowed to watch from my pocket?”

You gather the ribbon with two fingers, press a kiss to the satin. “Bunny is guest of honour, seat front row, left slipper.”

She nods as though receiving stage notes. Jaemin, camera in hand, steps closer and captures her tentative arabesque. “Frame this one,” you whisper, “she looks like a note held at the end of a lullaby.” He snaps another as she runs two quick pas de chat across the rug, the pearls ringing a muted music against her ribs.

Then reality tugs: a shy glance, lower lip tucked between teeth. “Mama, what if my bow falls or I need a hug in the middle?” You scoop her, feel her dress balloon around your thighs, spin once so the skirt fans in perfect third-ring symmetry.

“If the bow falls, Daddy will catch it. If you need a hug, I’ll walk to centre stage, lights or no lights, and hold you until the orchestra starts again.”

She presses her nose into your cheek and breathes, “Love you big-big, Mama. Promise you’ll come back if I get dizzy?”

You tighten your arms, inhaling the mix of matcha on her breath and new fabric at her shoulders. “Always. Every time. Even if you spin all the way to the moon, I’ll follow.” She giggles, squeezes until her fingers ache, and then because she is three and hope is a physical thing, she kisses your eyelid, the lightest brush of lips. In that blue-washed room, the pearls, the bow, the tremble of her slippers on wood, you feel the day expand: stage lights already waiting, curtains already quivering, your moonbeam ready to step into her own gentle sky.

Haeun perches on the bathroom counter, knees bent, tiny legs wrapped around your waist for balance, the soft soles of her ballerina slippers brushing the small of your back. The vanity light halos her curls in pale gold, catching the fragile fluff of baby hairs at her temples. She tilts her head, eyes wide and gleaming, watching every movement as you swirl the tiniest blush brush in a pot of rosy powder. “Hold still, moonbeam,” you murmur, and she clamps her lips together, nose scrunching in concentration, a little hum of excitement thrumming in her throat. You tap off the excess, then dust the whisper of pink across the apples of her cheeks. The powder blooms over her porcelain-smooth skin like the first blush of dawn, accentuating the natural rose already hidden beneath.

She giggles, the sound bubbling up like a glass of soda, and her legs squeeze your waist in a burst of giddy affection. “Pretty?” she whispers, breath sweet with matcha-flavored puffs you shared earlier.

“Pretty as a sunrise,” you assure her.

Next, you lift the pearly highlighter, just a fingertip dab of shimmer and she leans forward eagerly, nose bumping yours. You dot it along the bridge of her button nose, then tap the excess above the bow of her cupid’s-bow mouth. She squeaks at the coolness, rubbing her lips together before breaking into a bashful grin. “Mama, can I look just like you?” she asks, voice small, reverent.

You chuckle, smoothing a stray curl behind her ear. “You already do,” you say, and plant a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. She giggles so hard her shoulders shake, hands flying to your cheeks as she pulls you closer, pressing her mouth to your eyelid in a feather-light kiss. “Now you got sparkle too, Mama,” she declares. In the mirror you see the shimmer she left behind, a faint starburst where her lips touched your skin, and you feel warmth pool deep in your chest.

You uncurl her fingers from your face to reach for the pastel eye shadow palette, a palette she refers to as “the rainbow box.” She points to a barely-there lilac. “That one, for sky clouds,” she decides, twisting at the waist so her slippers scuff gently over your ribs. You pick up the smallest brush and let her close her eyes, lashes fluttering down like silk fans. The lilac dust sweeps across her lids in a single soft stroke, setting off her natural doe-brown eyes. When she opens them again, her irises look impossibly large, ringed with wonder. “Do I look like a fairy yet?” she asks, canting her head.

“A very important fairy,” you tease, leaning in so your foreheads touch, her breath puffing warm against your lips as you whisper, “the queen of moonbeams.” She squeals, hiding her face against your collarbone, shoulders shaking with shy delight. You rock her gently, feeling her legs tighten around you, the hush of her laughter vibrating through your sternum.

Mascara is a single pass of clear gel, just to tame her baby lashes, and she holds perfectly still, mouth a petite O, every freckle on her nose illuminated. “Blink, blink,” you coach, and she obeys, blinking once, twice, sending her lashes fanning up anew. The final flourish is a swipe of tinted lip balm, a sheer strawberry pink. She puckers, and you glide the balm over her soft lips, her breath catching as if the touch of the stick tickles. The moment the lip balm clicks shut, she leans forward and plants the gentlest, strawberry-sweet kiss on the back of your hand, soft enough to leave only a faint, heart-shaped shine. “All done now, Mama?” she breathes, voice hardly more than a giggle, cheeks glowing like sugared peaches.

“All done, moon-pearl,” you murmur, easing back so she can admire herself. She lifts her chin, eyes huge with wonder, turning her head this way and that as if her freckles might start twinkling; a little gasp escapes her, half awe, half laughter, and she wiggles her shoulders in quiet delight, the tiniest ballerina proudly inspecting her own private sunrise.

The car hums softly beneath you, gentle notes of Haeun’s “Brave Ballerina” playlist drifting through the speakers as the morning sunlight filters in golden, dancing patterns through the window. Haeun sits snugly in her booster seat, one tiny hand clutching Bunny tightly, the other wrapped securely around your fingers. Her eyes are wide and full of wonder, flickering back and forth between the world outside and you, soft clouds drifting through skies reflected in her gaze, her lips parted softly in awe. “Mama, look!” she squeals, pointing excitedly at every passing landmark, each familiar street somehow transformed by the magic of recital day. She lifts your hand and presses soft, quick kisses onto your knuckles every few moments, humming along to the music. “Mama, is the theatre big-big? Will my twirls echo? Will Bunny hear me?” Her excitement makes her toes wiggle in her slippers, brushing her ballet bag on the floor below.

When Jaemin pulls the car gently into the parking lot, ‘Bluebell Theatre’ gleams softly in the morning glow, sunlight bouncing off glass windows, lavender velvet curtains just visible through the foyer doors. Haeun gasps, leaning eagerly forward, nose nearly touching the glass. “Mama! Daddy! It’s so pretty, like my dress! Are there princesses inside?”

Jaemin chuckles, softly touching her cheek. “There’s at least one princess, moonbeam, and she’s sitting right here.”

Inside the sun-warm foyer, Jaemin kneels to her height, the two of them facing each other in the middle of the lavender-lit chaos, his hands strong and sure, hers tiny and trembling but so determined. Haeun tugs at the hem of his jacket, eyes wide and vulnerable, cheeks warm with shy color. Jaemin takes out their folded “Recital Ready” checklist, a silly tradition they started in recovery, each step sketched in her crayon: bunny hugs, ribbon checks, heart listen, courage stamp. She holds out her wrist, and he presses two fingers lightly, humming theatrically. “Pulse, strong as a lion. Check.” He traces her bow, fingers gentle on her shoulder. “Tulle, fluffiest in the room. Check.” She holds up Bunny, and he gives Bunny a quick, dramatic kiss. “Best friend—present and on duty. Check.”

Haeun shifts closer, voice tiny and trembling, “Dada, am I really really ready? My heart no owie-owie anymore?”

Jaemin leans in, brushing his nose to hers, voice soft and low as if their little world holds only them. “You’re more than ready, beautiful. That beautiful new heart of yours is stronger than any stage. No more owie-owie, not with all this love squeezing it tight. You’re my brave girl, and you’ve got the strongest heartbeat in this whole theatre.” She smiles, cheeks dimpled, breathes out relief and wonder. You watch, your throat tight with pride and something heavier—caught between the sight of Jaemin’s handsome, focused tenderness and your baby girl’s little trembling bravery, feeling heat pool low as memory and longing stir. For a moment, the two of them are all you see: her clinging to every soft word, Jaemin a picture of devotion, his hair shining and jaw sharp, the man who was always your safe place, your ache, your partner in every fear and miracle.

Sometimes, when you look at Haeun now, how she dances down hallways, giggles unburdened, skips up stairs, chases after friends with arms outstretched and laughter so loud you hear it in every room, you remember how impossible that once felt. The endless hospital days, the white glare of machines, her breath caught in pain and exhaustion, her world a grid of waiting rooms and worry. The new heart changed everything, her cheeks pinker, her eyes wider, every movement stronger and more certain, her body humming with possibility. There’s an energy to her now, a freedom she wears even in stillness, the way she spins in your arms without fear of running out of air, the way she hugs tighter, sleeps deeper, wakes every morning humming. That heart beats with everything you and Jaemin have poured into her, every ounce of hope, every late-night vigil, every whispered promise you’d always find your way back to her. Watching her now, bright, trembling and so very alive, you know nothing is wasted. Every ounce of her courage is a testament, every giggle a victory, every step a quiet answer to all the prayers you whispered, year after year, waiting for this day.

The three of you walk hand in hand through the sun-dappled lobby, Haeun’s little fingers squeezed between yours and Jaemin’s, her ballet shoes tapping a secret rhythm on the tiles. Every few steps she pulls you both closer, and then, unable to contain her bubbling excitement, she lifts her feet and leaps, swinging in the air between you, giggling so bright it echoes all the way to the paper stars above. Jaemin squeezes her hand tighter, and you lean in to press a quick kiss to her temple as she lands, the three of you swaying for a second, linked and laughing. “Again! Again!” she squeals, twisting Bunny’s ear in her free fist. With each leap, you whisper the silly mantra you made up together during all those long hospital nights, “sunshine in the middle, love on both sides!”—and with every swing, you both plant the softest kisses on the tops of her hands, until her giggles melt into happy hiccups. You pause by the recital hall doors, and she pulls out the tiny origami heart she made that morning, pressing it into your palm: “Mama, for luck. Dada, for brave.” The three of you stand tangled and grinning, the world narrowed to love, light, and the weightless promise of her leap.

The theatre lobby is all gentle chaos and laughter, sunlight pouring in through tall windows, illuminating walls hung with fluttering paper stars and children’s artwork. The painted ceiling is a swirl of graceful swans and delicate lilies, and Haeun tips her head back, eyes huge and round, her mouth forming a little “O” as she takes it all in. “Mama,” she breathes reverently, fingers tightening around Bunny, “it’s like dancing in the sky.” Her small frame trembles softly with excitement, eyes flicking quickly around the bustling room, ballet friends and families gathering, excited whispers blending into a comforting hum.

Ryujin appears almost immediately, clipboard tucked under her arm, smiling warmly as she kneels before Haeun. “There’s my little sunshine! Ready to sprinkle some starlight?” She carefully pins Haeun’s number onto the pearly bodice, smoothing the tiny tulle skirt gently.

Haeun nods shyly, her fingers twisting in her skirt, eyes hopeful as she peeks up through her lashes. “Teacher Ryujin, will you clap too, even if I wobble a little?”

Ryujin cups her tiny face warmly, smiling tenderly. “Oh, baby, I’ll clap so loud the moon will hear.”

Shotaro comes over, gently checking her slipper ribbons, thumbs softly grazing each tiny ankle, making sure everything is snug but comfortable. “Perfect fit for our brightest star,” he murmurs, winking gently. Niki bounds over, already lively in his silvery-blue comet costume, twirling once in greeting. “Hi, Haeun! Ready to be amazing?” he calls, grinning brightly.

Chaewon and Heejin appear next, little midnight birds in elegant, shimmering black feathers. Chaewon leans close, slipping a single delicate feather from her shoe, whispering conspiratorially, “This is my secret bravery feather. Wanna borrow it?”

Haeun nods eagerly, eyes wide as Chaewon carefully places it inside her slipper. “Now you’re double brave,” Heejin giggles, squeezing Haeun’s hand gently.

The backstage is bustling, air thick with the comforting scent of hairspray and soft powder, filled with the warm chatter of excited ballerinas. You help smooth skirts, whispering gentle reassurances, adjusting ribbons and bows. Haeun never strays far, one hand always clutching Bunny, her other always seeking your fingers or Jaemin’s reassuring palm. “Mama,” she whispers nervously, her voice barely audible above the soft backstage hum, eyes flickering anxiously to the thick velvet curtains, “will you see me when I go on? Will Daddy see my bow?”

You kneel before her, eyes soft and shining, thumbs smoothing gentle circles over her small knuckles. “We’ll see every single step, bubba. Every twirl, every bow, every starlit petal you scatter. We’ll see it all, and we’ll clap loudest of anyone.”

The theatre fills slowly at first, then all at once, a wave of chatter, camera flashes, the sweet rustle of programs in every row. There are four hundred and sixteen seats in Bluebell Theatre tonight, nearly all of them claimed by parents and grandparents, teachers in spring dresses, hospital nurses in neat pastel scrubs, and rows of children from Haeun’s ward dressed up in borrowed tulle and fairy wings, little paper stars stitched to their hair. The air is perfumed with excitement and the faint tang of hairspray, the lilac velvet curtains shimmering under the warm haze of the stage lights. The ceiling mural glows overhead: painted swans, water lilies, and ribbons of gold that seem to flutter each time someone gasps. In the orchestra pit, a student quartet tunes their instruments; the whisper of strings blends with the low hum of anticipation, and somewhere backstage, a teacher hurries by with a tray of glitter and spare slippers.

Backstage is a living thing—a whorl of bodies and hope, tulle brushing walls, little shoes squeaking secrets into the ancient marley, every heartbeat ratcheting higher as the bluebell theatre hums and swells just on the other side of the curtain. The atmosphere is pure, joyful chaos, forty-seven dancers bustling in a flurry of blue, silver, black, and white, each one careful to avoid the racks of costumes and baskets overflowing with props. Ryujin floats through the dressing rooms, pinning stray locks of hair and whispering last encouragements. Shotaro moves from group to group, checking every laced slipper and reminding each child to breathe. At the makeup table, Heejin lets Haeun dab blush onto her nose, Niki spins a plastic star wand for luck, and Chaewon, quiet and calm, smooths a trembling hand down Haeun’s skirt, pressing her secret bravery feather into the lining one last time.

You hover just beyond the tangle of tulle and sneakers, hands wrapped in Jaemin’s, letting yourself blur into the quiet watchfulness only a parent knows, every instinct tuned to your child’s laughter, every muscle twitching with the urge to scoop her up and press her to your heart. She’s a watercolor in motion, her dress hiked up around her knees as she collapses giggling on the carpet, Bunny clutched between her ankles, cheeks so round and pink you want to kiss them from across the room. Her friends tumble around her, Niki’s slipper spinning like a satellite, Chaewon showing off a secret twirl, Heejin’s hands sticky with lemon stars, and in the kaleidoscope swirl of their chaos you see all the wild hope of childhood shining right through.

Jaemin is beside you, thumb grazing the back of your hand, his eyes gone misty as he snaps a photo on his phone, holding it up to show you, “look, baby, they’re a painting. That’s our girl, in the middle.”

You can’t help but grin, the kind that aches at the corners, whispering, “She’s never been so bright,” as Jaemin zooms in, catching Haeun’s tiny tongue poked out in concentration as she braids Bunny’s ear. You lean in, tucking your chin on his shoulder, hearts pressed close, and he turns, kissing your cheek before angling the camera for a quick selfie, his face still glittered, your eyes wet, both of you caught in that sweet, giddy moment where nothing exists except the bubble of backstage joy.

There’s a pause, the kind that only lasts a second but feels like forever, Jaemin holding your waist, you smoothing down your own skirt, eyes tracing the silhouette of Haeun and her crew, how their legs tangle, how her fingers curl around Chaewon’s pinky, the unguarded love spilling out in every glance and giggle. You nudge Jaemin, nodding at the cookie tin in the corner, “Think if we sneak a treat now, they’ll notice?”

He laughs, whispering back, “Our baby would trade us for a gummy star any day.” Still, you pocket a lemon candy for later, a small keepsake for after the applause.

When Haeun looks up, searching for you, her eyes catch yours, wide and awash with giddy pride, cheeks flushed, mouth half-open like she can’t decide whether to run to you or blow a kiss. You raise your hand, tapping your heart, mouthing, “I love you, moonbeam.” Her lips round in an “O,” she grins, hugs Bunny tighter, and you know she carries every bit of your love right onto the stage, every beat of her joy sewn into the blue threads of her dress, every hope you ever held for her glowing in the golden hush before her leap.

The chaos backstage is like a bubbling fairytale written in giggles and gasp-loud mishaps, every stumble blooming into something more beautiful because you’re all in it together. your little family is orbiting right at the heart of it. Niki tries his signature “space jump” and his slipper launches off with a thwap, bouncing beneath the skirts of older girls and disappearing into a jungle of costumes. Haeun shrieks—half-laugh, half-hero—her feet barely touching the ground as she scrambles after Heejin, who’s crawling on elbows like a rescue mission, while Chaewon waves her arms, hollering, “Other left! Other left!” All you can do is laugh, heart thumping wild, darting in just in time to grab the slipper before a mountain of petticoats topples down.

You scoop up Haeun too, pressing her close, whispering, “See, baby? No lost slippers on our watch. You got the fastest rescue squad in town.”

Jaemin swoops in next, all big shoulders and crinkled eyes, dropping to a crouch so Haeun can slip the slipper back onto Niki’s wiggling toes, and when she fumbles, he guides her hand, his voice warm, “That’s it, moonbeam, glass slipper magic, just like the story.” Haeun beams, Bunny flopping from her elbow, and you all dissolve into laughter so loud it bounces off the wings and makes the older dancers turn, shaking their heads with fond smiles. Nurse Hana pops out of the crowd, armed with pins and a roll of cartoon bandages, fixing crooked bows, sticking a sticker on Chaewon’s hand (“Most Helpful!”), her grin a secret promise that every little disaster will be celebrated.

Heejin, now regal with bunny ears perched lopsided atop her head, parades along the line, blowing kisses and bestowing “luck taps” to every friend, while you nudge Jaemin in the ribs and whisper, “Think anyone’s got more fun than our girl tonight?”

He grins, fake-sighing, “We should be charging admission just to watch you two giggle.”

When Haeun catches you looking, she sticks her tongue out, then scrambles into your lap for a nose-kiss, giggling, “Mama, you’re my best slipper catcher. Dada’s my glass slipper prince!” For a moment, the three of you are tangled together, cheek to cheek, breathless and gleaming and full of love so silly and strong, you wish the world would never spin past this night.

It’s not just the dancers, their stuffed animals are in full attendance too, a pageant of plush: a bear in a hand-sewn tutu, a duck who sports six star stickers, Bunny regal atop Haeun’s shoulder. The older kids judge with dramatic flair, waving colored cards. “Sparkliest Toes!” goes to Chaewon, “Heroic Flop!” to Niki, “Best Bunny Ballet Partner!” unanimously to Bunny himself, who is immediately hoisted for a group selfie, every face squished together, half laughing, half beaming, all of them shining.

Then disaster strikes with a rain of gold: Niki, trying to conjure a “ballet spell,” upends a tub of glitter, rivulets running over toes, sparkling on eyelashes, dusting Bunny and all the bows. For a moment, the world is only gold, and Jaemin, swept in for a last-minute hug, emerges with a five-pointed star on his cheek. The kids squeal, trying to tag him with more, and Ryujin surrenders her shoes to the mob, letting them paint on stripes of shimmer, every footprint a trail of stardust. For the rest of the night, even the air feels enchanted, each breath a little brighter, every photo touched by flecks of light.

When nerves threaten, the pep talk chain wraps around the wings: each child leans into the next, soft encouragement passed like a secret charm, “You leap like a comet!” “Your bow’s the bravest!” “You look like a real moonbeam!” When it comes to Haeun, her hands trembling, Bunny clutched tight, she squeezes his paw and whispers, “Love you big-big, don’t fall down!” The air swells with it, arms tangle, tulle bunches, and there’s a group squeeze that leaves everyone out of breath, every heart pounding. Suddenly, the hospital kids are among them, tiny in doctor’s coats, cheeks bright, sticker sheets at the ready. Each dancer lines up for their badge: “Bravery,” “Best Glitter Rescue,” “Most Magical Moonbeam.” Haeun bows so low her nose touches her knees, her badge pressed proudly onto Bunny’s ribbon. There’s no line between audience and cast, sick and well, everyone is radiant, everyone chosen, everyone seen.

At last, Bunny pressed into Haeun’s arms, the last squeeze tight with every secret hope and trembling dream. The stage is just steps away—her friends on one side, you on the other, Jaemin at the edge, and every child carrying the rituals, the laughter, the belief that tonight the world might actually be kind. The hush before the leap is thick, holy—your moonbeam’s hands in yours, the magic of hope spun between trembling fingers, and a certainty that no matter what happens when the curtain rises, she will never be alone. Not in a world this full of love, not when every heart backstage is pounding, aching, living for her.

The moment the emcee’s welcome drifts through the speaker, Jaemin slides an old silver coin, polished so thin the ridges have vanished, into Haeun’s palm. It’s the same “bravery penny” he rubbed between his fingers outside the surgical theatre two years ago, and she knows the story by heart, but tonight her gasp is brand-new, wide-eyed, as if it minted itself just for her. She presses it flat against her sternum, feeling the quick skip of her mended heart beneath blue pearls, and you guide her thumb to trace the faint outline of Liberty’s head. “That’s you,” Jaemin whispers, voice low and conspiratorial. “Standing tall, shining even when the lights go down.”

Haeun nods, forehead touching his, then slips the coin into Bunny’s ribbon sash, her own secret armor, before she gathers a fistful of star petals from the prop basket and tucks one behind your ear. “Now you’re twinkly like me, Mama,” she giggles, the petal trembling with her breath. The call for Act I comes again, brighter, nearer; she wiggles from your arms, coin secured, petals rustling in her fist, and for one exquisite instant the three of you share the same inhale, the same pulse, the same promise that when she steps into the light, every beat of your joined hearts will echo in her dance.

Jaemin scoops Haeun closer so her legs dangle around his waist, her cheek nuzzled into his damp curls. He coos, a lilt so soft only you and your moonbeam could ever hear, “Who’s Dada’s little dancer? Who’s my prettiest, bravest, shiniest ballerina?” His fingers trace circles along her back, slow and sure.

Haeun’s lips split into that gummy, half-toothed grin. She buries her face shyly, giggles a nervous “Me! Haeunie, Dada’s baby girl. Mama’s moonbeam too!”

You lean in so close your foreheads nearly touch, the shimmer from your top dusting her cheek, and your hands cradle the curve of her jaw, thumbs soft at her pulse. “Who’s Mama’s sugar-bubba, hm? Who’s my sparkliest spark, my jellybean moon, my whole universe squeezed into a tutu?”

Your nose nuzzles hers, breath a tickle, and she squeals, legs kicking, voice high and proud and so impossibly sweet. “Me, Mama! Me—your moonbeam, your bubble star, your Haeunie!” She presses her nose hard to yours, giggling until she snorts, tiny hands trying to cup your cheeks the way you always do.

You whisper, “All mine, forever and ever—my baby, my best girl, the reason the sky has blue in it at all.”

She bites back a shy little laugh, eyes wide and watery, and burrows deeper into your neck, voice muffled and lisping: “Mama, do you love me more than pancakes? More than Bunny? More than… more than all the ballet shows ever?”

You gasp, scandalized, winding her wild hair around your finger, “More than every pancake, more than every Bunny, more than every star on every stage, forever times forever. Who loves you the most, moonbeam?”

She grins, squeezing your arms, “You, Mama! And Dada too, but Mama first!” You both break down giggling, the sound sticking in your throats, until you’re kissing her nose and she’s pressing sticky little kisses back, over and over, like neither of you can stand to stop, the whole world shrinking to just your hearts tangled, beating right there in the velvet-lit wings.

Suddenly her nerves get the best of her, and she tugs you both down so you’re eye-to-eye, her fingers knotting in your collar, legs locked tight around Jaemin’s waist, heart beating against your own. “Mama, Dada, are the scary juju ladies gonna come tonight? The ones we saw at the park?” Her voice trembles, almost lost in the backstage noise, but your own chest aches at the worry you hear. “I dreamt they were there and they tried to take my bows and steal my shoes. Will they ruin my show, Mama? I don’t want them to touch me.”

Your heart shudders, God, you would burn the world for her, would leap onstage yourself to chase every shadow away. You drop to your knees, catching her face in your hands, pressing your lips softly to each brow, each cheek, the tip of her trembling nose. “Listen to me, Haeun. No one—no one—will ever touch you or take away your stage. If you see anything scary, you look for me, you look for Daddy. We’ll be there the whole time, front row. I promise. You’re safe and you’re ours. And you’re going to shine so bright tonight, those ladies won’t even remember how to frown.”

Jaemin kisses her temple, murmuring, “Not a single shadow’s getting near you, baby. You’ve got Mama’s heart, Dada’s hug, and Bunny’s magic. You’re surrounded, see?” He squeezes her close, and the three of you fold together, a knot of arms, noses, giggles, all tangled up in love that could light up the moon. She clings a second longer, soaking it in, your hands stroking her hair while Jaemin hums your hospital lullaby, slow, grounding, steady as hope itself. She melts, eyelids fluttering, lashes dusting your palm, and you see the nerves fade, replaced by something braver, more certain.

You pull her close, arms winding around that tiny, starlit body, your lips pressing gently and trembling into the round of her cheek, your own cheek pressed to hers until you’re both squished and giggling, Jaemin’s hands sneaking in from the other side to sandwich you both. The world narrows to the scent of her, matcha, baby shampoo, sugar, and nerves and you hear the thud of your own pulse, wild and breaking with the weight of love, as he snaps the photo. Your lipstick smears, blooming like a mark of belonging across her forehead, but she only beams, eyes wide as the moon. You duck your head so she can see nothing but you, your hands cupping her face, your voice shaking but true as vows: “You know you saved my life, right, Haeun? You fixed my heart. You made me a Mama, my best thing, my miracle. I was always meant to be yours. Everything in this world I do, I do for you. My heart—baby, my heart only beats because you’re here. If I lost you, there’s no more me.”

Her eyes well, lashes shimmering, and she catches your wrist in both her little hands, Bunny squished to her chest. She frowns with all her might, so fiercely it hurts, whispering, “Don’t go, Mama. Don’t go nowhere. Promise?”

Jaemin’s voice is thick, rough-edged, but soft as he pulls you both into him, forehead to forehead, “No one’s ever going anywhere, baby. We’re your sky, and you’re our star. We stick together, always.”

Haeun nods, squeezing so hard your bones ache, her voice barely a breath: “Love you big-big, Mama. Dada, love you bigger than the whole sky, and all the clouds and all the lights in the whole city, forever and ever.” Her nose rubs yours, lips brushing your jaw, clinging for a minute longer, the three of you tangled in a knot of arms and heartbeat and hope, not ready to let go, every goodbye a promise to come back, every single time.

As you help her into line, you tuck a tiny folded note into her skirt, brushing her ear with a secret: “If you get nervous, check your pocket, baby. Mama loves you big-big.”

She squeezes your hand, finds the note, and waves it at you, bunny pressed tight to her heart. “I’ll dance for you, Mama! I’ll twirl for you, Dada!” Her voice is giddy, almost bursting, cheeks glowing, feet barely touching the floor.

The stage manager’s call sweeps through again, “places, please! Curtain in one minute!”—and you both kneel, pressing kisses to her nose, cheeks, brow, her lips bubbling with shy, happy squeaks. Jaemin murmurs, “You make my heart so proud, little one. I’ll be watching every step.”

You whisper, “Shine for us, baby. I’ll clap so big the stars will hear.”

She wriggles, grins, presses Bunny’s nose to both your cheeks for luck, then suddenly turns bashful, eyes wide. “Will you wave, Mama? So I can find you?”

You nod, fighting back tears, “Always, baby. Look for my hands. Look for Daddy’s star cheek. We’ll be right there.”

A cluster of patients surround your beautiful family, patients who have become her fiercest champions: Jisoo in her pink wheelchair with the rainbow wheel covers, shy Miri holding a stuffed fox, Jinwoo tracing stars on his arm in pen. Every child, dancer or patient, glows in their own way, hair slicked into buns or pressed flat under hats, costumes sparkling, eyes wide with anticipation. Jaemin moves through their circle with gentle gravity, bending low so he’s face to face with each child, the familiar stethoscope gleaming at his collar. One by one, he gives a quick “heart check” for luck, pressing the bell over each chest and listening with exaggerated seriousness, “strongest heartbeat in the house!”—before cupping his hand to their sternum, whispering just to them, “You’re magic, you’re the bravest I know.”

Jaemin knows each of these children better than most, he’s been their doctor, their champion, the one who coaxed smiles in the early mornings and soothed them through the darkest nights. As chief of peds, he’s patched scrapes, memorized every allergy and every lullaby, and always finds time to kneel at eye level, never speaking down to them, always meeting their fears with warmth and gentle humor. In the dressing room now, it’s the patients who comfort him, tugging at his sleeve to show off their costumes or pressing handmade bracelets into his palm, reminding him with shy, grateful hugs that he’s as much a part of their story as the doctors and nurses behind the curtain. They all crowd close around him, some patting his back, others squeezing his hand, whispering encouragement back, “you’re brave too, Dr. Na!”—as if his courage is just as necessary as theirs tonight, and in their laughter and love, the whole room glows softer and safer.

The children giggle, some wiggling shyly, others reaching for his hand or his coat, and when it’s Haeun’s turn she climbs into his lap and demands, “Check Bunny too, Dada, he needs magic heartbeats for the show!”

Jaemin grins and solemnly listens to Bunny’s chest, declaring him “approved for the stage.” Laughter spills out in a wave, the nerves breaking.

Then it’s time. Haeun lines up with her friends, hands linked, bouncing on her toes, the peds kids flanking her in a scatter of bright costumes and hospital bracelets. She skips away toward the wings, turning once, twice, then a third and fourth time, each time flashing a gummy smile at you and Jaemin, blowing kisses so enthusiastically that Bunny nearly tumbles from her arm. You catch every one, heart aching with pride and hope as your moonbeam disappears into the hush of the wings, her joy lingering in the air like confetti. You feel Jaemin’s hand curl around yours, thumb tracing the inside of your wrist where your pulse is wild and unsteady. The audience buzzes behind you, a sea of parents and soft laughter, the smell of perfume and theatre dust but all you feel is the echo of her tiny fingers letting go. Jaemin leans in, lips brushing your temple, soft as a vow. “That’s our girl,” he whispers, voice hoarse, breath warm against your skin, and you tip your chin, meeting his mouth with your own, your kiss hungry and trembling, a secret shared in the half-light. Your arms slide around his neck, his hands spread wide at your waist, and for a moment you both breathe each other in, letting the world shrink to just the two of you, grief and awe and gratitude all burning beneath your ribs.

He presses his forehead to yours, nose brushing your cheek, and you smile against his mouth, whispering, “You made this, too. You’re her miracle, my miracle.” He answers with a nuzzle and another kiss, lingering this time, before you both move down the row, your hand never leaving his, towards your seats. Just ahead, you spot your dad, tears already bright in his eyes, and your aunt beside him, clutching her hands together so tightly her knuckles are white. Jaemin’s parents wave you over, his mother dabbing her cheeks with a tissue, his father’s arm slung around her shoulders as he beams with pride.

You squeeze into the row, Jaemin’s arm staying firmly around your waist, and everyone shifts to make room, cheeks flushed with love, eyes brimming with unspoken words. Your dad squeezes your hand, whispering, “She’s got your spirit, honey.” Jaemin’s mom tucks a curl behind your ear, eyes glistening, and your aunt presses a trembling kiss to your temple, murmuring, “Our little star.” The lights dim, the crowd quiets, and the orchestra begins its soft overture. Jaemin leans in again, lips brushing the shell of your ear, his hand warm and steady at your thigh. “You ready, Mama?” he teases, voice low and intimate. You squeeze his fingers and nod, heart thundering, tears pricking your eyes, and together, surrounded by family, by the miracle you made, you wait to watch your moonbeam shine.

All at once, the stage door swings wide, and out step Dr. Byun Baekhyun, his black suit immaculate, and Shotaro in a navy suit that sparkles almost as brightly as his grin. The applause rises, warm and full, as Baekhyun crosses to center stage, the house settling into hush. “Good evening, friends, families, beloved dancers, and our brave patients,” Baekhyun begins, his voice gentle but resonant, echoing across the hush. “Welcome to the Spring Moon Ballet Gala, Starlit Dreams, an evening where we celebrate not only the beauty and art of dance, but the boundless resilience of our children. Tonight is more than a recital, it’s a homecoming, a reunion, a moment to remember why we keep hoping. Every pirouette, every leap, every soft step you’ll see is made possible by love, science, and the fierce hearts of our little ones.” He glances fondly at the front rows, at a scattering of wheelchairs and IV poles decorated with ribbons, and you feel the tightness in your throat as Jaemin squeezes your hand, both of you brimming with memory.

Baekhyun continues, “This gala is a fundraiser, supporting the Pediatric Cardiology and Arts in Healing Program at Bluebell Hospital, where our dancers and many of our patients have spent long days and longer nights. Tonight, every donation, every ticket, every cheer will help us offer music, art, and therapy to more children in recovery. And this year, for the very first time, we’re honored to welcome our sister hospital, St. Mary’s Children’s Heart Centre, whose own dancers and patients are joining us in a celebration of courage, friendship, and second chances.” The spotlight sweeps to the opposite wing, where a small group of children and nurses from St. Mary’s wave shyly, each wearing matching moonbeam pins.

Shotaro steps forward, the stage lights glinting off his tie as he beams at the sea of faces. “Every child here has a story, a story of resilience, of healing, of hope. When we dreamed up tonight’s performance, we wanted every child to know: you’re not alone. You’re seen. You’re celebrated. So, before we begin, please join me in applauding not just our ballerinas, but the brave patients of Bluebell and St. Mary’s, and the doctors, nurses, and families who never gave up on a miracle.”

He turns to Baekhyun, their hands clasped in a gesture of solidarity. “And now, for the first time, a collaboration that fills this stage with twice as much joy: our opening act will be performed by the Bluebell Ballet Troupe and the children of the Bluebell and St. Mary’s Pediatric Cardiology Wards, a dance of starlight and strength, of dreams shared and hope reborn. Tonight, every heart in this room beats together. Thank you for believing, for giving, for dancing with us.” Applause erupts, the whole theatre blooming with warmth and gratitude, and you turn to Jaemin, your cheeks damp, his thumb swiping a stray tear from your face. On stage, the children begin to assemble, a twinkling constellation of blue, white, and silver, and your own moonbeam waits in the wings, ready to turn hope into something you can see and feel and never, ever forget.

The house lights drift down to cobalt, and a hush rises through every row like a held breath as the curtain glides aside. The stage greets the audience with a heartbeat of its own, an indigo glow that slips across a floor polished to black mirror, mirroring coils of silver mist that snake around the footlights and braid themselves at the foot of a towering crescent moon. That moon, built of papier mâché but painted in eleven layers of pearlescent wash, gleams like a freshly struck bell; each nick and brushstroke catches the haze so it pulses gently, a living rhythm that promises the entire night will breathe in time with the children onstage. Behind it, a rear scrim painted with snow-white swans seems liquid as it shifts between twilight violets and deep marine blues, as though pond water and sky water trade secrets in slow tides of color. Up above, a swaying canopy of paper stars spans the proscenium, thousands of them, every one cut by small, determined fingers in the ward’s craft room, each tipped with phosphorescent paint and inscribed with a wish: for fewer needles, for Friday discharge, for big-big twirls. When the overhead rig kicks on, those stars ignite like a constellation newly discovered, a map no astronomer could chart because it points not to galaxies but to children’s hearts.

Set dressers have threaded the wings with ribbons of midnight tulle, each strand pinned with miniature white doves sculpted from featherweight clay. Every few feet a dove hovers in the gloom, wings open, chest arched, a miracle paused in mid-flight. Whenever the dancers pass too close, their skirts brush the silk ribbons so the birds sway, catching stray beams of light and scattering them in quick flutters of gold. Those flashes, faint but insistent, are the first hints of yellow in a dominantly blue world: a promise that dawn follows night, that warmth follows hush. On the stage left ramp, a cluster of star pillows, stuffed by volunteers and stitched with constellations in lemon embroidery floss, waits for the youngest dancers to tumble over in their entrance, each pillow designed to puff a little cloud of cornstarch shimmer into the air. Even the orchestra pit carries the color story: the harp is strung with pale-yellow ribbons, and the principal violinist’s scroll is wrapped in a band of sunflower satin that picks up every shaft of light.

Lighting cues deepen the symbolism as the overture warms. A wash of cool sapphire sweeps up from the booms, bathing the swans and the mist in nautical hush, while pin-spots of buttery gold slide across the paper stars until they seem to drip honey. The effect is tidal: blue settles the house into quiet reverence, yellow lifts the gaze toward possibility. Stage right, the ‘Dream Starlets’ crescent glows in a halo of candle-bright LEDs, small rings of warm light that make their silk-wrapped wheelchairs glimmer ivory, not hospital white. Upstage center, Ryujin has set a low, revolving gobo that projects cracked-sunlight spokes across the marley; whenever fog drifts through, those golden spokes fragment into wings, so the stage itself appears to pulse with dove shadows. The first three rows see it first—light breaking in feathers against the black floor—and a ripple of audience sighs testifies that everyone understands: this is not just scenery. It is the soul of the night made visible.

When the opening chords of “Clair de Lune” unfurl, the color palette breathes a final transition. Blue fades to the rich cobalt of deep water, and a single bar of pristine, unfiltered yellow pours downstage, illuminating the exact spot where Haeun will place her first plié. That ray of gold is narrow, tender, and fiercely bright, as if someone cut a sliver of sunrise and aimed it at her heart. It splits the stage into halves, midnight left, morning right so that her very first step will physically bridge shadow and day, illness and recovery, the uncertain past and the glitter-threaded future. No one in the house moves; no cough breaks the hush. In that charged stillness, every adult in the audience can almost see the surgery incisions fading, the IV lines dissolving, the monitors blinking farewell in a dark ICU room. The stage is a promise written in light and paper and breath: blue grief met by yellow grace, a white dove hovering where the two colours clasp.

At center stage, bathed in that slender blade of sunrise-yellow light, Haeun stands on a trembling demi-pointe, blue-pearl skirt quivering around her ankles. Two paces behind her, five of her ballet-classmates wait in a staggered V, palms pressed to hearts, ready to bloom outward in the first ripple of music. Just inside the left wing, Niki—the Comet—bounces on the balls of his feet, silver streamers coiled in his fists, counting down the measures until he can explode across the marley. Directly opposite, hidden behind a curtain of midnight tulle, Heejin and Chaewon—Midnight Birds—mirror each other in soft pliés, fingertips grazing feathered skirts while whispering last-second reminders: “wings first, smiles second, catch Haeunie if she wobbles.” Farther upstage, the older volunteers, tall teenagers in silver capes, form a quiet semicircle around the moon prop, each holding a lantern they will plant like stepping-stones when the children’s galaxy begins to spin. Stage left belongs to the ambulatory peds patients: four little survivors in pastel tunics and soft ballet flats, poised on a low ramp, streamers looped through IV poles disguised as shooting stars. Their eyes glow in the half-dark, hands clutching ribbon wands that will unfurl at Haeun’s first scattering of petals

Stage right gleams with the Dream Starlets: a row of star-pillowed risers hides wheelchairs beneath folds of lustrous silk, braided garlands of lilies draping over tucked-away IV lines so the medical becomes mythic. Each Starlet holds a wand tipped with a LED bulb, warm, flickering amber, to echo the yellow thread of hope running through the blue night. Behind them stand two “guardian” dancers, both former patients now healthy enough to lift props: they rest a reassuring hand on every chairback, ready to steady wheels when the platform glides forward. In the shadowed wings, Ryujin mouths eight-count phrases while Shotaro rolls his shoulders like a maestro about to summon an orchestra, and Nurse Hana crouches near the prompter box, handkerchief already damp, her free palm hovering in case any trembling knee or runaway ribbon needs rescuing. The footlights hum soft gold, and the hush is so complete you can hear the orchestra leader inhale, the swish of Haeun’s breath, the collective hope of a packed house waiting for the very first step to turn night into dawn.

From the first down-beat of Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” the production plants its feet squarely in classical technique, yet every step, every bourrée, every arabesque, every breath, is tailored to children whose bodies have known IV poles and surgical scars. Shotaro spent weeks breaking the choreography into color-coded stories: blue cards for pliés and port de bras that teach balance, yellow cards for petits jetés that build calf strength without taxing fragile hearts, silver cards for partnered promenades that let tiny dancers feel flight while an older volunteer quietly carries most of the weight. In rehearsals Ryujin paces the marley with a metronome, slowing the waltz counts so the Dream Starlets in wheelchairs can wheel forward on cue, their spokes timed to the harp glissandi. Every child learns to read the score almost like a picture book, crescendo means “hands like wings,” fermata means “listen for your own heartbeat.” They practise in mirrored studios and in hospital corridors alike, feather boas traded for oxygen tubing, nurses clapping the counts at shift-change, until the ballet feels less like choreography and more like collective muscle memory.

The overture hushes, a single golden spotlight slices the darkness, and there, tiny toes in fifth, blue tulle aflutter, stands Haeun, a moonrise in human form. Every eye locks on her shy, gap-toothed grin, and the paper-star canopy seems to lean closer, as if the theatre itself is holding its breath for her first plié. Haeun steps into that hush, a single blue bloom of tulle and pearl, toes perfectly placed in fifth. She tips forward on demi-pointe, scattering her first handful of silk petals, and the stage drinks the light pouring off her smile. You clasp Jaemin’s fingers so tight they ache, tears blurring the scene as your little girl, cheeks glowing, lashes trembling, tiptoes across a circle of soft azure, arms drifting overhead in a moon-shaped port de bras. Every plié feels like the earth itself lowering in reverence; every port de bras, a lullaby to the ceiling mural of lilies. Blue petals trail behind her, marking the path of a lost moonbeam searching for home. She pauses, presses two fingers to her heart as though she can still feel the bravery penny tucked beneath her bodice, then lets her free hand unfurl toward the Front Row, toward you, toward her grandparents, toward every soul who once watched her breathe through wires. Your sob breaks before you can swallow it, and Jaemin’s shoulders tremble beside you, his free hand hiding the wet shine in his eyes.

A flash of silver slices the dim: Niki bursts on in a comet’s spiral, streamers streaming, landing in a wide second with a flourish that sets the audience laughing. He tears into a diagonal of grands jetés—one, two, three—then springs into a back handspring that ends at Haeun’s feet. He bows with show-off bravado, offering his hand like a prince coaxing a shy princess into mischief. Haeun’s giggle lifts, bright as bells; she slips her fingers into his and the music shifts, tambourine and pizzicato strings propelling them into a skipping mazurka that circles the moon. Niki darts ahead, swings around a velvet star pillow, beckons her after him; she chases with quick pas de bourrée, flutter-light, skirts flaring, until he slows, winks at the front row, and kneels so she can pirouette over his outstretched arm. Her skirt blooms, the pearls wink, and the house gasps when she lands without a quiver.

Niki lunges forward, offering a flourish of his silver‐streamered arm, and Haeun answers with a shy, fluttering révérence, fingertips grazing the skirt of her moonbeam dress. On the downbeat they launch into a zig-zag pas de basque that carries them in mirror paths, Niki slicing wide arcs, Haeun tracing smaller echoes just inside his sweep so their skirts and streamers braid blue and silver in the air. When the melody flicks upward, Niki coils into a tight tour en l’air, landing in fourth as Haeun darts beneath his lifted elbow, executing a quick glissade–jeté that makes her look like a spark thrown off his orbit. They meet downstage centre and link pinkies, tiny, deliberate touch and pivot into a shared chaîné sequence. Niki’s turns are broad, daring, the ribbons on his wrists snapping into spirals; Haeun’s are compact, her toes whispering over the floor in a blur of blue satin. Mid-turn, he releases her, drops to one knee, and she vaults over his bowed head in a miniature échappé sauté, landing lightly on the far side where she rests Bunny atop his crown like a knight’s laurel. The audience laughs, but the choreography barely pauses: Niki rises, scoops her waist, and together they spin in a cradle lift that arcs across the golden wash of footlights, his knees bent deep to protect her post-surgery heart, her arms stretched first position high, face tilted toward the paper-star canopy.

In the quiet that follows the lift, their feet skitter into a playful mazurka step—heel, toe, hop—tracing a half-moon that brings them back to centre. Niki tosses a streamer skyward; Haeun pursues it with a tiny cabriole derrière, legs scissoring just enough to catch a glint of pearl under the lights. He crowns the moment with a flashing saut de chat that lands in a whipped assemblé, his streamer spiralling down to coil around Bunny’s ear. They dissolve into giggles, breaking character just long enough for Haeun to press Bunny’s nose to Niki’s cheek, her solemn little ceremony of thanks, before she flits upstage to await the Midnight Birds. The duet, short but blazing, marries two vocabularies in one heartbeat: Niki’s grand, explosive lines speak of loud, kinetic courage, and Haeun’s precise, floating steps whisper of a brave heart newly mended, together proving that heroism can be both thunderbolt and moon-soft glow.

From opposite sides float Chaewon and Heejin, the Midnight Birds, feathers stitched into black-blue tulle that catches the light like oil-slick rainbows. They glide in arabesque penchée, arms sweeping wide, then cross downstage in mirrored pas de chat, each step timed so the feathers on their wrists blur into gauzy motion. They encircle Haeun, one at her back, one at her front, cradling her hands, teaching her to “flutter”: gentle bourrées that skim the floor, a tender assemblé into their arms. When she stumbles mid-turn, just a toe not quite under, Chaewon’s palm presses steady to her ribs, Heejin flashes a conspiratorial grin, and the audience exhales in collective relief. Together they flow into a pas de trois of soutenu turns: Heejin rotates, then guides Haeun; Chaewon mirrors on the other side, creating a slow-spinning triangle of skirts and shared breath. Their final lift is modest but perfect, Haeun drawn into the air, legs in sous-sus, arms curved overhead, long enough for her face to catch the down-light and break into a dazzled, dimpled smile that brings your tears anew. Chaewon and Heejin, the Midnight Birds, move in elongated adagio phrases, low arabesque penchée, rippling cambré backs, quiet pas de bourrée couru, teaching the audience that bravery can be soft, watchful, almost motherly.

When Haeun drifts to centre stage, flanked gently by Heejin and Chaewon in shimmering midnight feathered skirts, the theatre goes completely silent, breath held in collective wonder. Every delicate tilt of her chin, every slow rise of her arms into a perfect fifth, transforms her from your tiny girl into something ethereal, a white dove carved from moonlight, wings unfurling softly beneath a silver glow. She mirrors her partners with flawless poise, executing graceful bourrées en couru that glide across the polished floor like whispers of silk, the three of them perfectly synchronized, their fingertips brushing gently through arcs of soft blue light. Haeun’s gaze never wavers, her tiny frame impossibly elegant, her expression serene, eyes wide with a wisdom that shouldn’t belong to someone barely three years old, yet it does, astonishingly, beautifully so. The scouts who had come expecting only sweet chaos are leaning forward now, eyes widening, brows knitted in disbelief, spellbound by a child whose every movement breathes pure magic. Beside you, Jaemin’s eyes glisten wetly, and you’re openly weeping, your heart aching with pride so fierce and bright it feels like it could burn right through you. Each gentle développé, every poised arabesque, every tender fouetté sauté is not just a steps, it’s proof of a miracle, a testament of a heart that fought to beat and now soars effortlessly, gracefully, through this fairy-tale moment, leaving even the sternest observers utterly enchanted.

The fog creeps rosier as the Dream Starlets wheel into view, streamers trailing behind their crescent moon like comet tails. The Dream Starlets introduce gesture work drawn from rehabilitative physiotherapy: ribbon spirals replace classical port de bras, and gentle shoulder rolls become a flock of white doves hovering at dawn. These vocabularies converge when the orchestra shifts into John Williams’s “Hymn to the Fallen,” re-orchestrated for strings and children’s choir; every dancer steps into circular formations that resemble a great, turning orrery, each orbit dependent on Haeun’s tiny center of gravity. Each child raises a glowing star wand; one taps a cymbal for a twinkle of sound, another releases a puff of biodegradable glitter that rides the stage breeze. Haeun runs to them, scattering her last petals across their laps. A young boy with post-surgery bandages lowers his wand so she can kiss it; a girl with oxygen tubing lifts her streamer and Haeun spins beneath its arc, letting Bunny’s ears flap like victory flags. The moment feels suspended, nurses crying openly, doctors wiping lenses, parents clapping as softly as they can so they do not break the spell.

When the music dips softly into a gentle lullaby, the spotlight shifts tenderly to the Dream Starlets at stage right, their wheelchairs transformed beneath silks shimmering silver and lavender, IV poles woven artfully with starry vines, ribbons cascading like falling starlight. Haeun moves toward them, floating with delicate bourrées, her small hands gracefully extending to each child as she passes, twirling and scattering silk petals that settle softly in their hair, on their laps, like kisses blown from fingertips. In this quiet hush, the entire theatre leans in closer, hearts swelling as Haeun takes her place among them, matching her gentle movements to theirs, leading them in soft port de bras that ripple like slow, shimmering waves beneath the moonlit scrim.

She pauses, smiling tenderly, and steps gracefully to the side, arms stretching wide to proudly present the Dream Starlets, their moment alone under the soft glow. They move gently, hands lifting skyward as though catching moonbeams, faces alight with radiant pride, each careful gesture an echo of their resilience. The audience breathes softly together, captivated, enchanted, while Haeun, now side-stage, peeks mischievously toward the crowd, catching your teary gaze with bright, playful eyes. Suddenly she’s your baby girl again, gummy smile flashing wide and impossibly cheeky, tiny thumbs springing upward, lips puckering dramatically for exaggerated air-kisses toward you and Jaemin. Her grandparents clutch hands to hearts, shoulders shaking softly with laughter through happy tears, while you press your fingers to trembling lips, overcome with joy. Jaemin shakes his head, laughing softly as he dabs his cheeks, whispering, “That’s our girl,” while Haeun wiggles her nose and scrunches her face playfully, a joyous spark igniting laughter amidst your tears—your star, your miracle, your moonbeam glowing brighter than any spotlight could ever shine.

Haeun stands in the exact heart of the marley, blue tulle blazing beneath a wheel of footlights, while forty-six dancers form concentric rings that pulse around her like ripples from a dropped pearl. On the down-beat she raises her arms into fifth, elbows soft, fingers curved as if cupping a hush, and the entire cast follows that single cue, knees flex, torsos sweep forward, petals fly in perfect echo so the stage seems to breathe with her small lungs. A hush fell earlier when she executed a feather-light échappé-assemblé; now that hush thickens into reverence as she threads a liquid chaîné diagonal straight through the outer circle, each step chased by a glimmer of pearl that skims the floor. In her wake the Comet, the Birds, and every last classmate mirror her cadence: silver streamers carving arcs, feathered arms rippling in canon, star wands lifting with a hush of ribbon. Even Bunny, tucked in Haeun’s sash, bobs like an honored marshal. Scouts in the mezzanine lean so far over the rail they nearly drop their clipboards, penciling exclamation marks when she floats through a perfectly squared tombé-pas de bourrée-glissade, lands in first, and opens her chest as if releasing a white dove. You clutch Jaemin’s fingers, both of you sobbing past pride into something like awe, because your baby is no longer three feet tall, she is the planet, and every other body onstage orbits her bright, improbable gravity.

The house lights dim to a hush, and one by one the other dancers flit from the stage like shadows curling back into the wings, until only Haeun remains, centered in a pale pool of light, her tiny figure haloed in gold, the theatre vast and silent around her. You sit on the edge of your seat, breath caught somewhere between your ribs and your throat, your hands clasped so tight they tremble. The hush in the room feels holy, electric, and you find yourself whispering soft, trembling encouragements. “You’ve got this, baby, you’re my sunshine”—your voice cracking on the vowels as you press trembling fingers to your lips and blow her a kiss, your heart beating out a frantic, wild rhythm, every ounce of love in you winging silently across the dark to reach her.

The lights dim, soft as stardust spilling over the hushed audience, and then, from the velvet darkness, emerges your daughter, luminous as a comet streaking across midnight skies. Haeun stands center stage, arms curved gently like the crescent moon, eyes glittering brighter than constellations as she holds a single breath, poised to ignite. Her tiny feet, delicate and precise, trace arcs upon the stage floor, painting invisible galaxies beneath the satin sheen of her slippers. Each graceful turn sends ripples through the air, gravitational waves of innocence and bravery that tremble softly through the auditorium, pulling every heart toward her orbit. In each movement, you see celestial balance: softness mingling with strength, stillness with effortless flight.

She leaps, a petite silhouette suspended briefly between earth and infinity, and in that heartbeat of flight it seems she has broken free of every anchor, every echo of hospital beds and whispered fears. Her dress floats around her in silken waves, the fabric catching stage lights like nebulae illuminated by cosmic glow. Her limbs extend, lithe and fragile, fingertips reaching toward unseen galaxies, her laughter silent but painted in radiant hues across her face. With each graceful descent, she returns gently to earth, feather-soft, only to rise again as if gravity itself is merely a suggestion she chooses gracefully to decline.

Her movements become currents in the darkness, forming a constellation unique to her, arms weaving like stardust clouds, feet pivoting with the rhythm of planetary alignment. You watch, breath caught in your throat, feeling every pulse and pull of the universe shift in perfect harmony with her dance. The music swells, guiding her through cosmic tides; you swear, in that moment, the stars themselves lean forward, compelled by the magnetic pull of your child’s pure-hearted brilliance. Her eyes, bright with concentration and wonder, shimmer like twin moons reflected in a tranquil sea, fierce yet tender, unyielding yet vulnerable. Every twirl, every bend, every graceful leap feels like a starburst, flinging brilliance across the infinite expanse of stage and soul.

The theatre around you seems suspended, transfixed, riding each delicate wave and crescendo as if carried upon cosmic winds stirred by her leaps. Time folds gently in on itself, leaving you all breathless and floating alongside her. The world beyond these walls fades into insignificance, replaced by the boundless universe held within your child’s graceful motions, where each step feels profound, each pirouette a declaration of freedom, of survival, of luminous joy. Her infectious smile, impossibly bright, illuminates every hidden shadow, and in her eyes, you glimpse galaxies unfurling,boundless potential stretching endlessly toward horizons unseen.

When the notes linger in quiet, sparkling echoes, and her tiny feet slow to rest, your heart surges into your throat, and the tears come—softly, swiftly, overwhelming in their pride and awe. Jaemin squeezes your hand, his own eyes glittering wetly, and as you turn toward him, he kisses you deeply, lips trembling against yours in shared wonder. Together, in this suspended moment, you know you’ve witnessed something extraordinary, something transformative, a fragile miracle who danced her way from fear to flight, from broken whispers to shining constellations, and both of you realize with fierce clarity that your little girl is forever changed, radiant, and infinite as the universe itself.

Haeun launches into a gliding bourrée, satin toes whispering over the marley as the stage’s lone spotlight sharpens into a white-blade corridor, her arms unfolding into a high, defiant fifth; with each step she sheds the story’s darkness, slicing through it in a sleek arabesque penchée that seems to pin the Black Swan’s shadow to the floor. She pivots through a crisp série of fouetté turns—one, two, three—skirt flaring like a white supernova while phantom feathers, conjured by the lighting tech’s slow snowfall of jet-black confetti, spiral around her ankles only to be scattered by the snap of her développé. Gathering every ounce of momentum, she drives into a grand jeté en avant that cleaves the stage’s center line, the arc of her body a silver crescent; when she lands, perfect fifth, arms lifted in victory, the last black feather drifts to her instep, crushed delicately beneath the quiet rise of her relevé, and the Black Swan’s threat evaporates, quashed by the precision of her technique and the bright, unstoppable pulse of a heart too fierce to darken.

The stage door swings open and a ribbon of the dancers spills back into the wings, Haeun right in the middle, Heejin clasping her left hand, Chaewon her right; the three form a little daisy chain, swaying while they wait for the last hospital kids to be ushered into the dance. Haeun tips her head toward her friends, giggles bubbling as they peck quick kisses on each other’s cheeks, noses wrinkling at the tickle of face glitter, then they lean together in a conspiratorial huddle, whispering about whose tutu is the twirliest and which flavor of ice pop they’ll demand after final bows. Your phone is a blur of shutters, burst after burst capturing Chaewon draping her cardigan over Haeun’s shoulders like a royal cape, Heejin balancing a stray bobby pin on her upper lip until all three dissolve into hiccup-laughs, and Haeun sprinkling imaginary stardust over their heads for luck. At the last second Haeun spots you with the camera, blows a dramatic double-handed kiss, and the other two copy her, turning the moment into a triple-heart salute that lands straight in your lens and your already overflowing camera roll.

Then, on the final swell of strings a side curtain parts, and the visiting children from St. Mary’s Pediatric Cardiology Wards roll and toddle on. tiny “Sun Sparks” in lemon-yellow tunics, shoulder capes trimmed with glitter dust. Their wheelchairs shimmer under gauzy veils the color of dawn; the ambulatory kids hop in satin shoes dyed buttercream, each holding a miniature sun-disk no bigger than a teacup. They fan across the upstage apron, cheeks dimpled with giggles, and Haeun, still center, pivots toward them with a delighted squeal, blowing exaggerated kisses. one for you and Jaemin, one for each grandparent, a double-wide smooch for the row of nurses in pastel scrubs. The rings re-form: blue Moonbeam at the core, yellow Sun Sparks blooming behind like a corona, every dancer now part of a living eclipse. The air smells of lilies and rosin; the color story, indigo swirling into molten gold, feels like morning cracking open inside night.

A hush settles, thin as moth wings, light enough to quiver on every breath, when a small figure glides onto the ramp where indigo meets footlight gold. His tunic is dawn-yellow so pale it looks brushed from first light, but along the seams tiny cornflower spirals glimmer, as if someone stitched slivers of Haeun’s night-sky pearls into a morning sky and hoped the two halves might speak. You recognise that careful crown of dark curls, the slight tilt of concentration in his brow, Minjoon: your wave-chaser, your riptide rescue, the heartbeat you dragged back from salt and panic; he’s your lost piece, your baby boy, your son, the soft center of every lullaby you’ve hummed into nighttime halls, the puzzle corner you’ve kept open in every photograph, the hush in your chest that whispers home whenever his name brushes the air. Tonight he steps alone, cape whispering behind him, pausing center ramp with both heels kissed in third, as if measuring the theatre’s silence to be sure it can bear what comes next.

Soft harp threads drift above a single flute; Minjoon lifts one arm to second, palm cupped like it holds a pocket-sun, and eases onto demi-pointe. His slow ronde de jambe barely stirs the mist, but the sweep of pale fabric paints a buttery crescent on the black mirror floor, a luminous answering arc to Haeun’s earlier trail of blue petals. Each pivot tilts his cape so the lining flashes gold, sunflower one breath, candleflame the next, sending thin, bright ribs of light fanning across the swan-scrim. Only when he bends through a melting cambré do you notice the soft purple blotches peeking beneath his sleeve: dark constellations of bruises peppered along his forearm, marks pressed there by cruel hands, not hospital needles, each one a dim galaxy that tugs the eye and twists the heart. Your breath snags; Jaemin’s hand spreads between your shoulder blades, his own breath shuddering against your ear, yet neither of you makes a sound loud enough to disturb the fragile dawn blooming onstage.

The moment Minjoon steps into the spill of backstage light, you and Jaemin inhale together, a sharp, twin gasp that lodges beneath your ribs, hands flying to cover open mouths as tears spring unannounced. It’s him, your tide-tossed boy, but the set of his shoulders is smaller than memory, the dark crescents under his eyes deeper, and something in the too-careful way he scans the room hollows your chest with dread. Every nerve in you thrums with a mother’s certainty: the foster home hasn’t wrapped him in the gentleness you were promised. You feel it like a tug in bone and marrow, the subtle sag of his posture, the way his fingers worry the frayed edge of Bunny’s ear, the quick, uncertain flinch when a stagehand drops a clipboard. Tears leak down your cheeks as your heart surges, fierce and immediate: he’s yours, he’s found his way back, and every instinct screams to scoop him up, to fill the space that was never meant for anyone else. Jaemin’s palm slides over yours, both of you trembling, and you know without words that you’ll do whatever it takes—again—to bring him home where he belongs.

Minjoon completes the glowing circle and stills, feet in first, chest wide as horizon. Haeun, moonbeam in the galaxy’s centre, turns toward him, skirt fanning in a slow soutenu, and their eyes catch across the now-painted floor. She smiles first: that gummy curve you know as surely as your own pulse, two tiny teeth tucked shy in the corner. Minjoon answers with a grin just as bright, gap matching gap, sunrise greeting moonset. He sinks to one knee in a reverent bow, arms opening like a shoreline greeting tide, while behind him the Sun Sparks, four little dancers in buttercream capes, flutter their miniature sun-disks high, catching the golden spill until it spills back in ripples across their faces. Haeun raises a hand to her heart, pointer and thumb forming a tiny white-dove wing, a secret signal they invented when they met, to say you’re safe, I’m shining with you. Around you, grandparents muffle sobs in handkerchiefs; the scouts forget their pens; Jaemin’s shoulders quake against your arm as Minjoon rises, cheeks glowing, and slips into a gentle pas de chat that pulls the golden circle wider, inviting morning onto the stage one silent leap at a time.

The second Haeun’s glittery hand finds Minjoon’s small fingers, the air leaves your lungs in a rush and your knees nearly buckle—it’s as if someone has stitched the missing square back into your family’s quilt right in front of a sold-out crowd. Tears pour unchecked down your cheeks; you clutch Jaemin’s arm so hard he winces, yet neither of you can look away. Everything you’ve mourned, every empty seat at breakfast, every bedtime story with a name left out, collapses into this single, staggering breath of reunion: your two babies, side by side again, their heads tipping close in instinctive trust. It’s overwhelming, how instant the belonging is, how quickly their smiles match and their bodies lean together, like magnets finally set free to click. Your heart thunders against your ribs, equal parts relief and raw amazement, and all you can do is cry and whisper, “They found each other, they found each other,” as if repeating it might keep the universe from undoing this miracle.

The moment unfurls slowly, like watercolor dawn spreading over the rim of the world, delicate strokes of moonlit cobalt bleeding into buttery yellow, weaving moonlight with sunrise. It is the quiet miracle of night melting tenderly into morning, gentle as ink dissolving in water, seamless as breaths exchanged between two sleeping children. On stage, Haeun’s blue tulle swirls softly as she turns toward Minjoon, whose sunflower-gold tunic glimmers softly, catching fragments of her silver. Their gazes meet, each mirroring the other like a reflection captured in still water, two halves of the sky reunited, sun and moon spinning quietly into one orbit. Here, in the hush between notes, two small hearts pulse in tandem, dancing into being a new light, born from darkness, spreading gently like dawn’s first fingers of warmth reaching to cradle a bruised sky back to life.

Haeun once glowed the tentative yellow of dawn, fragile, post-surgery, trembling on the threshold of day but month by month that pale light has deepened, layering itself with steady cobalt until she blooms tonight in pure moon-bright blue: the colour of veins that finally carry oxygen without falter, of twilight skies that promise stars instead of storms, of a courage cured and strengthened by every plié she practised on trembling legs. Her new heart, stitched, coaxed, and prayed into rhythm, beats beneath pearls like a lighthouse wrapped in ocean night, guiding every dancer who orbits her. Minjoon, by contrast, arrives swathed in yellow that isn’t sunrise but warning-flare: bruised marigold blooming along his arms where cruelty has pressed constellations of hurt, saffron shadows under eyes that have stayed awake too many midnights. He carries daylight the way a cracked window carries morning, letting the warmth in but bleeding at the edges yet when he spins beside Haeun, her calmer blue spills toward him, tempering the harsh gold into something more tender, hinting that even a battered sun can soften into safe dawn given one steady moon to dance beside.

Haeun has healed, her heart now whole, her spirit grown bright and strong, a little girl who’s learned to turn her pain into blue-lit courage on the stage. While Minjoon, still caught in the yellow of old wounds and bruises, bears the marks of a childhood yet to be saved, hope flickering at his edges but not yet fully born. You and Jaemin sit side by side, hands knotted tightly in your laps, tears stinging at the corners of your eyes. You watch Haeun dance, her blue shining bold beneath the lights—a child restored, a miracle that’s yours, that you almost lost but now get to keep. You see the way her joy spirals outward, all that sorrow transmuted, every step a testament to how fiercely you and Jaemin fought for her healing. Yet, across the stage, Minjoon’s yellow is stark and raw, the bruises not only on his skin but written in the way he moves, halting, searching, hungry for safety. Your heart aches as you realize that where Haeun’s healing has flourished, Minjoon’s has barely begun, his pain still asking, wordlessly, for the love and rescue you now know how to give. And in that blue-and-yellow glow, you and Jaemin know: if there’s any way forward, you will not turn away.

You’re sobbing openly now, unable to keep the shaking quiet, tears running hot down your face, your shoulders trembling so fiercely you can barely stay upright. Jaemin’s chin wobbles, lips pressed tight, but then his composure cracks and he buries his face in your neck, breath hitching, both of you gulping air, hands clinging together as if you’re anchoring each other against the undertow. Your vision blurs, but you see it, Haeun and Minjoon catch each other’s eyes across the stage, the slow dawning of recognition blooming into something uncontainable. All at once, they break character: a pair of tiny, bubbling beams, squeaking, jumping in place, bunny and cape bouncing, grins splitting their faces wide as the house ripples with gentle laughter. Haeun darts across the floor, Minjoon spins on his toes, and in a wild, unscripted burst, their hands find each other, fingers interlaced, blue and yellow braided together in the spotlight’s soft rain. The audience melts with them; it’s laughter and sniffles and the feeling of something old being made whole. They bounce on their toes, grinning, whispering secrets

For a moment, the routine dissolves into childish glee. Then, in the hush that follows, Minjoon begins to stim, his hands flutter and tap at his thighs, shoulders jerking in rhythmic patterns, a small whirr of sound slipping from his lips. You feel your breath catch, the doctor in you cataloguing the possibilities: trauma, sensory overwhelm, post traumatic dress, anxiety, sensory processing disorder, maybe just the fallout of too many days unloved, too many nights spent bracing for the next blow. Your chest aches with the knowledge that this isn’t just a quirk, that this is the body’s silent plea for comfort, a language of touch and repetition learned when love is rare and chaos is constant. You whimper, clutching Jaemin’s arm, the realization that you could be a mother to two children who bear invisible scars nearly buckling you, but all you feel is longing—a wild, aching promise that you will never let Minjoon go unloved again.

And then something magical happens. Haeun notices Minjoon’s stimming, sees the way his hands flutter, the little circles he draws on his cape, and without a second’s pause, she leaves the choreography behind, copying his movements exactly—flapping, circling, tapping—her blue tulle swirling with his dawn-yellow, their laughter echoing through the theatre. Stimming, you know, is the body’s way of self-soothing: repetitive gestures, fingers flapping, rocking, bouncing, humming, small acts of comfort to fend off the world’s sharp edges. Haeun’s mimicry isn’t mockery; it's acceptance, a soft, fearless joining-in. They spin together, the only ones onstage, and suddenly every pair of eyes in the room is watching not a dance, but two children teaching each other, in real time, that healing can be shared. You press your lips to Jaemin’s wet cheek, both of you weeping, because in that moment, your family feels infinite, patched together by grief and miracle and stubborn, unstoppable love.

The last chord climbs like a tide and every dancer melts to the marley, knees folded, palms pressed to hearts, an array of silver capes, feathered skirts, star-pillowed wings all settling into hush so that only one spot of light remains living. Haeun steps into that glow, blue tulle breathing around her ankles, pearls on her bodice winking frost-bright. She inhales, rises onto the tips of her satin toes, and with a courage that seems to tug the moon itself lower, she launches into a miniature grand pirouette à la seconde: one slow pivot, leg unfurled, skirt unfolding like a midnight lily opening to night air; second pivot, quicker now, head spotting straight to the balcony; third pivot, impossibly sure, the pearl halo of her clip catching the rigging light so it flashes like a lighthouse. The house gasps—then roars—as she lands in a flawless fourth, arms sweeping overhead in fifth, chin lifted, breath steady.

What she achieves in that moment is not merely precious, it’s nearly impossible. The move she lands at center stage, a grand pirouette à la seconde, is a feat so complex that most dancers don’t attempt it until their late teens, sometimes not until years of relentless training, muscles and bones matured by a decade or more of barre and bruises and repetition. It demands not just physical strength, but control: balance carved into the spine, ankles sturdy as tree roots, a core that holds every secret quiver of fear and channels it into grace. To see a child so small, barely more than three feet tall, blue tulle billowing, new heart ticking steady, rise to that height, holding her line through all three pivots, chin up, eyes blazing, is the kind of miracle that cracks a theater open. In the audience, jaws go slack; scouts’ pens hover, forgotten, above their pads; even the oldest ballerinas at the wings blink tears from their lashes, stunned by the bright, unrepeatable audacity of your moonbeam’s impossible spin.

But she hasn't bowed yet. Instead, she turns, finds Minjoon kneeling in his dawn-yellow tunic, and reaches for him. The hush returns, electric; two small hands meet, blue twining with gold, night clasping sunrise. They stand together at the eye of the star-paper canopy, and Minjoon’s free hand begins its gentle tapping rhythm against his skirt,small comfort pulses, an echo of earlier fear transfigured now into music. Haeun mirrors him, tapping the same beat over her heart. Their fingers flutter up, out, tracing circles that ripple through the hush like twin stones dropped in still water; blue petals left on the floor lift and swirl in their wake, catching footlights so each flicker looks half-moon, half-sunbeam. They rock from heel to toe in a shared bourréec tiny, whisper-fast steps, turning their duet of stims into choreography: circle, tap, flutter, rock; night wave kissing first light; cobalt washing into marigold until the colours inseam, a dawn-tide where no one can tell which hue began the miracle. From the balcony their linked silhouettes resemble a single bloom: outer petals ink-deep, inner petals gold, trembling on the same stem. The orchestra sustains a chord so soft it feels like birdsong before sunrise, and every breath in the theatre holds. Then, with bunny tucked between them like a seed of tomorrow, they bow together, one moonbeam, one sun-ray, tiny backs bending, small hearts beating strong and synchronous and the stage lights swell to white. In that radiant tide the bruises fade into constellations of possibility, the scars into silver threads, and the blue of healed night marries the yellow of brand-new morning while the whole auditorium rises, sobbing, cheering, witnessing how light, once shared, refuses ever again to be small.

Minjoon shuffles closer, still catching his breath, his yellow tunic stained in places where his hands have wrung the fabric. “You did the hard spin, Moon-partner,” he whispers, voice soft as if he’s confessing a secret to the sky. “Were you scared?”

Haeun grins, chest still rising and falling fast, a wild dimple digging into her cheek. “A little, but not when you’re here. When I see you, I’m super-brave. Did you see my arms? I made them big like doves.”

He tries to mimic her, arms curving wide, wrists delicate, but then giggles and drops one, fingers flicking against his thigh. Haeun spots the gesture, immediately weaving her pinky with his and squeezing, a little mama-bird move she learned from watching you. “That’s okay, you can flap however you want,” she says, matter-of-fact, “I like when you dance funny, Minjoonie. It makes me wanna laugh and fly too.”

He glances up, eyes glistening with something so raw and relieved it nearly buckles your knees. “You really think I’m good at dancing?”

Haeun nods fiercely, brow pinched with grown-up seriousness. “You’re the best sun I ever had. Promise I’ll share the stage with you forever.” She leans in, nose bumping his, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “If you get scared, hold my hand, okay?”

Minjoon squeezes her fingers, lips all wrinkly with a shy smile. “Haebee, how you always find me? Sometimes I’m so good at hiding!”

Haeun leans in, nose squished to his cheek, her whisper clumsy and tiny. “’Cause blue knows where yellow is, silly. Like when you hide under the stage and your socks peep out! I just follow the yellow bits and then I catch you.” She giggles, hiding behind her own hands, peeking at him through her fingers. “You my yellow boy, Minjoonie. No hiding from me. I’m the blue boss!”

Minjoon’s eyes go all round, and he bounces on his toes, laughing, “You always win, Haebee! Even if I’m super sneaky!” Their hands tangle up and they start to spin, little feet scuffing the stage, giggles tripping everywhere, the whole world just blue and yellow and best-friend bright. Minjoon lets out a hiccup of a laugh, shoulders loosening, and together they step forward into the golden circle, as if the whole world is just a dance meant for two hearts to light up.

The applause is a living wave, rolling out from the seats in shivering heat, but all you see is the soft flash of blue and the wild rush of tiny feet as Haeun barrels from the wings, her arms spread wide and trembling, Bunny dangling from one hand, crown tipped sideways in her hair. She reaches you at full tilt, almost knocking the air from your lungs, her body all heat and heartbeat and laughter tangled with tears. You drop down to your knees on instinct, catching her as if she might truly lift off, and when her arms wrap around your neck she buries her face in your shoulder, breathless, still humming with the last echoes of the music. You clutch her back just as fiercely, your voice crumbling as you try to tell her, “You did it, baby, you were beautiful, you made the whole world shine.”

Your words break up on the sobs in your chest and she giggles into your collarbone, sticky and sweet, whispering, “Did you see, Mama? I was so brave. I was your moonbeam.”

Jaemin is beside you now, tears gleaming on his cheeks, his hand settling on your back as he bends low and presses a kiss to Haeun’s hair, then to your temple, pulling you both into his arms. He murmurs, “You were everything, bubba. The whole sky.”

Haeun twists in your arms, looking up at both of you, her cheeks splotched pink and gold, eyes blown wide with pride and wonder. “We all clapped for you,” you tell her, kissing her damp curls, “every single person, every star in this place.”

Beyond the stage’s edge, Minjoon stands alone, small and yellow-bright in his sunflower tunic, fingers twisting the end of Bunny’s scarf, uncertainty trembling in the set of his mouth. You see him, your heart aching with the familiar weight of the child you nearly lost once, the boy who’s drifted at the edge of every family photograph in your mind. You reach out, voice raw and choked with hope, “Minjoon, sweetheart, come here. Come to us.” The invitation cracks something in him, his eyes flick to Haeun, then to you and Jaemin, and suddenly he’s running, stumbling in his haste, crashing into the circle of your arms. He stands awkward and rigid for a heartbeat before you gather him close, folding him against your chest, Haeun wrapping her arms around him too, the three of you a tangle of limbs and Bunny fur, with Jaemin’s hand smoothing down Minjoon’s back, steady, unhurried.

For a long moment, the four of you stay pressed together, your tears soaking into Minjoon’s hair, your words stuttering out between kisses and laughter, “You did so good, sunshine, you were so brave, we’re so lucky you’re ours.”

Haeun, all gentle seriousness, tips Minjoon’s face up with both hands and says, “We dance together now, ‘kay? No more alone.”

Jaemin’s voice is thick with love, low and sure in your ear: “We’re family now, all of us, for always.”

Minjoon melts under the weight of this new belonging, shoulders finally softening as he leans into you, blinking hard, and you promise in a whisper meant only for him, “We’re never letting you go again, sweetheart.” You stay there, kneeling on the marley, wrapped around your children, as the theater bustles and beams overhead, the world spinning away, the applause now only background to the sacred quiet between heartbeats—your family, finally whole, found at last.

The theater hushes but the wings are riotous, the air honeyed and crackling with every kind of joy, your lap is full of Haeun, her hair sticky with sweat and glitter, breath hitching in tiny, hiccupy gasps as she twists to peer at every new face spilling backstage. Minjoon is tucked under your arm, head on your chest like he’s been there all his life, knees drawn up, thumb flicking at the hem of your dress. Jaemin circles the both of them with his arms, drawing you close so you all melt together, the world shrinking to a knot of tangled limbs, fluttering heartbeats, and your laugh breaking on a sob when Minjoon shyly asks if he can call you ‘Mama’ now, voice so small you nearly miss it over Haeun’s bubbling excitement, “Mama, look, all my hospital friends, can Minjoonie have two mamas? Can I keep him forever? He’s got yellow shoes and his medal says ‘Strongest Sunshine!’”

The nurses, soft pastels, their scrubs dotted with little bunny pins and star stickers, guide the parade of peds patients through the aisle. Even the shyest kids beam when they spot Jaemin, his stethoscope looped around his neck, hair mussed, face still streaked with a single tear he never wiped away. “Dr. Na!” they shout, and he crouches down, one by one, giving “heart checks” with his warm palm, stethoscope pressed gently to each chest, murmuring, “Strongest heartbeat in the house, you hear that?”—his voice a caress, steady as a heartbeat, each child grinning wider, shoulders squaring with pride.

Haeun dashes to greet every friend, peppering them with kisses, looping arms through IV lines with reverent care, declaring, “This is my baby brother Minjoon! He got a yellow medal but his heart is blue like mine now, we’re family forever, ‘kay?”

Then, Ryujin waves parents and doctors onto the stage, a ridiculous, wonderful sight as Pops and Jaemin’s dad shuffle out, half-dancing, half-bowing, their shoes squeaking on the marley. You scoop Minjoon up onto your hip and Haeun grabs your free hand, declaring, “Mama, do the moonbeam hop! Like this! Pops, you so silly, you gotta twirl too!” and she demonstrates, legs swinging, bunny clutching her shoulder like a pirate’s parrot. Everyone tries, some failing spectacularly, Jaemin trips over his own feet, Minjoon giggles so hard he snorts, Haeun presses both palms to her cheeks in delighted horror: “Mama, Dada, you so funny, you need more ballet lessons from me!” The crowd is in stitches, laughter rolling over the footlights as the hospital team joins in, forming a ragtag circle of doctors, parents, and nurses, all clapping, swaying, bowing with the kids. For a moment, the whole world is this, a flock of found family spinning beneath fairy lights, blue and yellow ribbons streaming from every wrist, every heartbreak rewoven into something golden.

Both grandfathers are hopeless at ballet, Pops, in his rumpled suit jacket, tries to mimic the “moonbeam hop,” knees creaking, arms flapping like a startled goose, while Jaemin’s dad squints down at his shoes as if they’re hiding the secrets of fifth position. Haeun is relentless, marching between them, cheeks puffed and hands on her hips, tiny toes pointed with utmost seriousness. “No, Pops! Your arms go here, like you’re holding a bubble, not like you’re squashing a watermelon!” She scurries around him, physically lifting his elbows, tongue poking out in concentration, her little voice turning bright and bossy. “Papa Na, you gotta twirl softer or you’ll make the stars dizzy! Watch, one-two, one-two, gentle! See? Bunny could do it with his eyes closed.”

The men exchange mock-desperate looks, both towering over her, grinning so wide their faces ache. Pops tries again, this time making a grand, swooping bow that nearly takes out a string of fairy lights; Haeun gasps, “Careful, you’ll make the sky fall down!”—then collapses into a giggle fit, flinging herself against his legs, and he scoops her up, planting noisy kisses to her cheeks. Jaemin’s dad attempts a pirouette, only to wobble and land square on his heels, arms windmilling. Haeun claps both hands to her mouth, then shakes her finger at him, “You silly! You need more sparkles. Maybe you can be the sun to my moon, but only if you dance nicer!”

Pops dusts off his suit jacket, bows again, and winks at her. “I think I need extra lessons from my best teacher,” he says.

Haeun grins, bashful but proud, darting between her grandfathers to hug them both at once. “I teach you every day, okay? You gotta listen good. Ballet is about being soft, brave and always smiling even if you mess up!” Jaemin’s dad lifts her high, spinning her gently, and she squeals, reaching out for Pops’ hand, three generations turning together under the theater’s starshine, her giggles echoing, little bossy scolds mingling with kisses and praise, every second pure, golden-bubba memory.

You sink into the tenderness of the moment, feeling the world slow and settle around you—Haeun warm and heavy in your lap, her wild curls tickling your chin, Minjoon tucked into your side, his small fingers gripping tightly to your sweater as if afraid you might slip away. He shifts closer, nuzzling into your neck with the softest sigh, and when his tiny voice whispers, “Mama,” something ancient and luminous blooms within you, unfurling like petals opening toward sunlight. It’s the same radiant feeling you had when Haeun first rested her cheek against your heart—the universe finally sliding into place, your soul whispering, “Oh, there you are.”

When your gaze lifts, Jaemin is already watching, his eyes shimmering with tears and an unspoken promise. He mouths, softly but so clearly, “Let’s adopt him,” and the certainty that fills your chest is immediate, overwhelming, and perfect. You nod, a fresh wave of tears trailing down your cheeks, heart bursting, the ache of happiness nearly unbearable. With one hand you cradle Minjoon closer, smoothing gently over those bruised constellations on his wrist, your thumb brushing carefully over the faded shadows of pain as if you could erase them with touch alone. Your other hand cups Haeun’s face, fingertips gliding tenderly through her hair, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead. You breathe in deeply, feeling fate, destiny, and the very threads of your family knitting together at last.

In just three months, paperwork and promises will align, and Haeun will officially be yours in the eyes of the world, just as she already is in your heart—your miracle, your moonbeam, your very reason for breathing. And now there is Minjoon, the lost piece you didn’t realize had always been waiting for you, who has found his way home just as surely as she had. He curls deeper into you, breath warm against your collarbone, and you feel Jaemin’s fingers lace with yours, binding your little family tight. You close your eyes, smiling through tears, and whisper softly, “My babies, my heart.”

You smooth Minjoon’s hair gently, voice a hush so only he and Haeun can hear, “How did you get here, baby? We were all so surprised to see you tonight. My heart almost jumped right out of my chest.” He blinks up at you, those huge eyes suddenly watery, and Haeun squeezes his hand, nodding for him to go on.

He swallows, lip trembling, then whispers, “I had to go to another hospital, ‘cause my Daddy hit me so hard, and the police lady said it was safer there. I cried every night, Mama. I missed you, Dada and Haeunie so, so much. I kept hoping and hoping you’d come get me, but nobody came.” Your chest aches, the urge to fold him inside your arms forever nearly breaking you. “I was so lonely, but then my kind nurse—Nurse Jisoo—she asked if I liked dancing. I told her yes, ‘cause Haeunie loves ballet and I wanna be just like her.” He smiles, shy and bright, and you wipe away a tear streaking down his cheek.

“So she said there was a ballet show for kids like me, and maybe, just maybe, if I danced good, my family might be there. Every night before sleep I prayed, ‘Please let Mama be at the show, please let Haeunie come too, please let Dada clap for me.’” His small fingers knot into the fabric of your sleeve, hope blooming and breaking in his voice. “When I saw Haeunie on the stage, I clapped so loud, and I shouted, ‘Yeahh! My Mama! My Haeunie!’—‘cause I just knew it was you.”

He looks down, then up again, cheeks flushing with sudden worry. “You… you don’t mind if I call you Mama, right? I know I’m not really yours. My real Mama, she… she hits me when I ask her to hold me, when I call her Mama, she gets mad. But when you hugged me at the beach, it was the first time I knew how a Mama should feel, soft, warm, like the sun after rain. I always wanted to call someone Mama, like the other kids do. And I wanna call you that forever. Only if it’s okay.”

Your tears come fast now, impossible to hide. You cradle his face, voice trembling but sure. “Oh, sweetheart. You’re mine forever. Me and Daddy want you to be ours, we want you in our house. We knew we had something missing, and it was you all along. It might take a while, but you’re ours, okay? We’re going to fight for you, and you’re never going to be hurt, or hit, or lonely again. You hear me, beautiful? Never again. You’re our baby, too. Forever.”

He sniffles, clinging tighter, cheeks wet but glowing, and he gives a small, wobbling smile. “Promise? I can be your Minjoonie forever? Even when I’m big?”

Haeun squishes her cheek to his, chiming in, “Forever and ever and ever. You’re our baby now, Minjoonie.”

You hold both of them close, whispering into their hair, “Forever and ever, my loves. You’re both home now.”

Home is a living thing now, always shifting, noisy, light-filled, soft around the edges in a way that feels like breathing for the first time after a winter spent sick. Minjoon, technically your “kinship placement” under a temporary order of safe harbor, is not yet adopted but sleeps between you and Jaemin nearly every night, his little body fitted into the nest Haeun makes for him at dusk. Home, at last, is a shifting mosaic of tangled limbs, laughter echoing down hallways, and the ordinary chaos of life lived all the way open—blanket forts stitched together by small, sticky fingers, ballet slippers discarded in the kitchen, Haeun’s quiet humming winding through Minjoon’s soft questions as they build worlds out of sofa cushions. Minjoon’s room is his own in name and color, sun-yellow and cloud-blue, but most nights he can still be found curled between you and Jaemin, or tucked under Haeun’s arm, their bodies knotted together like they’ve always belonged. There’s a subtle choreography now to the four of you: Jaemin’s hands steadying both children as they cartwheel in the hall, your voice threading lullabies over the sound of giggles, Minjoon’s shy “Mama?” answered every time with open arms and a promise, Haeun’s wide eyes always tracking her brother, always keeping him close. The fridge is covered in court letters and stick-figure families, the floors are littered with moon and sun stickers, and the air is thick with the scent of warm bread and baby shampoo. Each day, the rhythms settle deeper. brushing teeth together, tracing the moon’s shadow from the living room window, learning, over and over, that this is what it means to be safe: love without terms, love that never leaves, love that wraps around you, blue and yellow, until the only thing left to do is sleep.

The legal journey is a relentless current, tugging you from room to room, each day measured by another signature, another soft knock at the door. The court date for adopting Haeun and Minjoon, both, together, a double petition, looms just a few weeks away, close enough to keep you up at night, heavy enough to make every morning taste like hope and nerves. Every misstep from your medical past resurfaces in sharp detail: the probation after the incident with Haeun’s care, the weeks spent fighting for a second chance, the way you clung to Jaemin’s side outside every board hearing. Now, your redemption is meticulously documented, every effort stitched into the file, letters from Nurse Hana, who wrote that “no child has ever been more gently or fiercely loved in this hospital”; from Yuha, who described your habit of whispering “You’re safe, you’re home” to every child waking from surgery. Chief Resident Siyeon submitted a declaration of your “growth under pressure,” recounting how you learned to ask for help, how you showed up to every shift with quiet resolve, never ducking the harder jobs. Dr. Byun Baekhyun and Dr. Huang Renjun both wrote statements, Baekhyun describing the way you comforted terrified families, Renjun detailing your vigilance and the clinical excellence you regained, how he would trust you with his own child.

Haeun’s health is a daily miracle, a string of little victories that taste sweeter for how hard-won they were. The last cardiac MRI showed “no residual defects, robust biventricular function, no pericardial effusion, mild valve regurgitation”—the attending scrawled “exceptional outcome” in three places, and you wept in the stairwell after reading it. She’s taller now, all legs and laughter, and her energy is wild, no more rationing steps or whispering warnings about blue lips or fainting. Her medication list has shrunk to a single pill at bedtime, and she keeps a sticker chart to mark every “super brave checkup.” Haeun’s trial enrollments, new physiotherapy regimens, a peer mentor program for heart kids, have been less about survival and more about living, about dancing and field trips and Saturday sleepovers. Her pediatric team still checks in weekly, but they say it’s routine now, not rescue. She flashes her chest scar in the sun and tells strangers it’s her “brave stripe.” She wants to go back to pre-school next month, and her cardiologist, after seeing her pirouette on the exam table, said she might be ready.

The intern crew, Jihoon, Hyejin, Hayoung, each offered their own windows into your world: Jihoon remembering your late-night walks to the pediatric ICU, Hyejin recalling how you always made time to braid nervous hands into yours, Hayoung telling the court, “She’s the reason I’m not afraid of making mistakes. She never hides the mess, but she always shows the way through.” Social workers pop in for home inspections, sometimes unannounced, and always leave a little slower, watching Minjoon pull Haeun into his lap, both of them laughing, your walls covered in their artwork, sticker charts, Jaemin’s precise rows of appointment cards. Even court liaisons, like Ms. Kim, mention the “undeniable atmosphere of love and healing” in their reports.

The case is bolstered by your lawyer, Ms. Eunji, who reminds you how much is working in your favor: Jaemin’s steady record as chief of pediatrics, the documented history of neglect and medication mismanagement by Aseul and Nahyun, their medical errors, psychological evaluations, and the mountain of evidence showing the difference in Haeun and Minjoon’s health since coming under your care. You spend hours at the dining table, fielding interview after interview, about your daily routines, how you handle conflict, your crisis plan, your family support system. The court wants proof of stability, so Jaemin’s friends rally: Jeno and his wife send letters, Mark and Areum testify to the transformation in your home, Shotaro and Ryujin speak about seeing the kids “come alive” at every family dinner, Chenle and Ningning record a video of the kids singing together, Donghyuck and Yangyang write about movie nights and sleepovers, Karina stitches together photos and journals, each page a quilt of safety and belonging. Every submission is a promise: this family is worth believing in.

Behind it all, you feel the weight and lift of every testimony, every reference, each a stitch in the tapestry that is pulling your children home. Haeun curls in your lap after bedtime, tracing your cheek and whispering, “Will they let you be my Mama forever?”

Minjoon, nestled beside you, adds, “Will I always live here, even when I’m big?”

You say yes, again and again, with hope trembling in your chest, because now—finally—the world is ready to believe it too.

Sometimes you wake before dawn with your heart clawing in your chest, so afraid you’ll never be enough, that the court might decide you aren’t fit to be their mother, that all the healing and hope in this house won’t be enough to erase a single, fatal mistake. The idea that someone could look at all you’ve become, all you’ve rebuilt and still say no, still take them from you, it terrifies you so deep it nearly splits you open. What keeps you breathing is the knowledge that no matter what happens, Haeun and Minjoon will always be Jaemin’s, a bond no court or circumstance can break. Some part of your babies will always be safe with him, and now—miracle of miracles—they have each other too. Watching them fall for each other, shy and sticky and stubborn, is the one thing that lets you unclench your fists. There’s something sacred in the way this family is still grafting itself together, growing slow and wild. Every morning, you see the proof: Jaemin’s hand gentle on Minjoon’s crown as he sounds out bedtime stories, Haeun nudging her last piece of cookie onto Minjoon’s napkin just because she can’t stand for him to have less, Minjoon always making sure there’s a space beside him in every waiting room chair, a warm little kingdom just for her. They bicker, over crayons, who gets the last scoop of strawberries, what song plays in the car but the fights always dissolve into giggles or tangled limbs in a fort of blankets. It’s gratitude that blooms, stubborn and bright: for the way fate spun Minjoon back into your orbit, for the miracle of Haeun’s chest rising easy and strong each morning, for this house that’s no longer haunted by loss, but humming with the small, fierce gestures of children choosing each other—choosing you—again and again, building a home out of every ordinary, miraculous day you’re given.

Minjoon’s room rests at the quiet end of the hall, walls washed in what Jaemin calls cloud-sky, a pale blue that dissolves to the color of dawn when the night-light glows. Haeun spent an entire Saturday pressing yellow dove decals onto the plaster, each sticker arranged in pairs so her little brother would feel watched over whether the curtains billowed or the dark pressed in. Beneath those gentle birds stands his new bed, a toddler frame low enough for sleepy legs to find the floor without fear; its quilt shows swirling cartoon planets, orange rings and lilac moons spinning across a navy field that reminds him of the NICU ceiling stars. A plush rocket guards the headboard, Bunny the well-loved rabbit claims the pillow, and the foot of the mattress houses a wooden tray painted emerald where his nightly water cup waits. The top shelf beside the window displays treasures carried home from his own homes: a single green marble that catches sunrise like a secret gem, two glow-in-the-dark stars that still faintly pulse after hours, and an origami boat marked in Haeun’s round handwriting reading “Minjoon’s moon buddy,” its creases soft from constant unfolding and study. Even the closets smell newborn fresh, tiny shirts rolled by color, jeans snapped on mini hangers, and a drawer reserved for fleece pajamas printed with surfboards in homage to his favorite ocean visits.

Evidence of his small life spills past the doorway into every communal corner of the apartment. At the entry bench, his navy canvas sneakers with lime-green stripes sit neatly beside Haeun’s ballet flats, both pairs pointing outward like siblings ready for adventure. A pegboard above nests his sand-colored windbreaker, its pockets forever hiding seashells and bottle caps he cannot bear to leave outside. The living-room bookcase now devotes an entire cube to board books about turtles and tide pools, each spine chewed at the edges from teething days. Near the sofa, a red plastic dump truck idles beside Haeun’s doll carriage, wheels touching as if holding hands. The kitchen counters echo his preferences too; one corner hosts a row of oat-milk cartons because cow milk upsets his tummy and oat milk steadies his storms. His small blue sippy cup dries on the rack beside Haeun’s sparkly pink thermos, while the refrigerator door boasts crayon waves taped beside pointe-shoe sketches, two worlds harmonizing in magnetic frames shaped like dolphins. Even the bathroom décor shifted when Jaemin installed a step stool painted with white sea-foam so Minjoon could reach the sink, the underside stamped with tiny footprints from an afternoon of enthusiastic trial.

Night settles into ritual. After baths scented with lavender bubbles you guide both children to his room, dim the planets lamp, read two pages from “Milo the Moon Explorer,” then cue their favorite lullaby on Jaemin’s phone. The song drifts like slow tide over stuffed animals, yet nearly every night quiet footfalls cross the hallway minutes later, a bunny-clutching silhouette appearing at your door. Minjoon climbs the mattress with practiced stealth, noses between you and Jaemin, then exhales the sigh of someone who finally believes dawn will arrive. If Haeun wakes to the rustle she lifts her blanket without speaking, offering him space, and his cold toes tuck against her shins while her fingers find his curls. Bedsheets shift, hearts recalibrate, the apartment returns to hush, and the only protest rings from the teakettle when it cools after warm milk duty.

Morning light breaks through sheer curtains and reveals him star-fished across the center of your mattress, cheek damp on your collarbone, Bunny wedged beneath his chin. Lashes flutter as dreams finish their flight, and the first thing he murmurs is usually a request for oat milk in his frog mug, the one that changes color when filled. In the kitchen he perches on the step stool while you gather cereal, Haeun stacks sliced strawberries into the bowl like ballet formations, and Jaemin hums a gentle bassline while grinding coffee. The family orchestra rises with clinks of spoon on porcelain, giggles about straw-formed moustaches, and Minjoon’s delighted squeal when the mug shifts from green to turquoise. His coat waits by the door, pockets already bulging with pebbles salvaged from yesterday’s walk, and his shoes sit ready for another parade to the park where he will chase pigeons until his cheeks glow pink.

Each detail, the surfboard pajamas folded in the dresser, the oat-milk cartons filed like medical charts, the sneakers lined beside satin slippers, acts as a quiet declaration that Minjoon’s story is written into these walls forever. No longer a temporary guest nestled in borrowed blankets, he is a resident whose heartbeat sets the pace of the household, whose laughter coats the paint brighter than any dove decal. Your fingers brush the origami boat each time you pass the shelf and you remember the night he whispered that moon buddies never drift apart; those words echo now whenever the apartment door clicks shut against the world. This space once echoed with sterile caution but now breathes in two playful rhythms, ballet beats and ocean waves, woven through hallways that finally feel like home, proving that love can renovate more thoroughly than any contractor and that belonging smells a lot like oat milk warming in a frog-shaped mug at sunrise.

There’s a rhythm now to the friendship blooming between Haeun and Minjoon, a kind of language they have invented out of giggles, ballet steps, and whispered secrets. Most afternoons, they’re inseparable, twirling in matching socks across the living room rug, inventing dance routines for their stuffed animals, painting each other’s faces with glitter, and building elaborate forts from sofa cushions. Sometimes they squabble, over who gets the pinkest crayon, or whose turn it is to be the comet in their made-up ballet but even their fights are gentle, short-lived, always ending with a tangle of arms, a choked apology, and Minjoon’s hand searching for Haeun’s hair to twirl. They have rituals now: secret handshakes, “moon and sun” stickers on their cheeks before bed, twin cups of warm milk, and sleepy conversations about their dreams. It’s Haeun who teaches Minjoon how to braid, and Minjoon who invents a handshake that makes her giggle so hard she snorts. They fall asleep most nights giggling into each other’s shoulders, a harmony of safety you ache to protect. Every afternoon drifts into a private carnival where the living-room rug becomes a stage and two pairs of socked feet glide in endless circles, Haeun chanting “Spot, spot, spot” as she teaches Minjoon to keep his eyes on her braid so he will not wobble in the turn, his delighted “Spin again, Hae-Hae” ringing off the bookcase while Bunny claps from the sofa with stitched paws. They choreograph elaborate pas de deux for their plush toys, the giraffe forever assigned the role of noble prince while the worn bunny portrays a shy moon sprite who only steps from the shadows when Haeun curtsies. Minjoon counts out beats in an earnest whisper and pats his chest to feel his tiny heart match the tempo, then both collapse giggling into a tangle of limbs, pink cheeks pressed to the faux fur of their audience while you lean in the doorway memorising the way their laughter braids through the afternoon light.

Their friendship speaks through rituals as intricate as anything printed in a spellbook, beginning with matching stickers before bed, a silver crescent on Minjoon’s cheek because he claims the night is full of hidden whales and a golden sun on Haeun’s forehead because she promises to guide him home if he wanders in dreams. After that comes twin cups of warm milk timed to the hum of the dishwasher, hers sweetened with a single drop of honey and his poured from a small green carton of oat milk that he calls sea-milk because it reminds him of quiet beach mornings. They perch side by side on the kitchen stool, feet swinging, noses wrinkling with secret smiles, and trade stories about the sandcastle kingdom they will build next summer, Minjoon insisting the throne room must include a slide while Haeun vows to paint every turret blush pink. Even their quarrels bloom gentle and brief, little sparks that flicker and die before they can singe the edges of affection. One example bursts when both reach for the lone glitter crayon reserved for comet trails on their paper galaxy and Minjoon pulls away first, triumphant until he sees the wobble in Haeun’s lower lip. His victory shrivels and he thrusts the crayon forward with a hurried apology, waving Bunny like a white flag while admitting he only wanted the comet to look as bright as her twirls. Haeun accepts the peace offering, pats his curls, and declares that every constellation needs two comets anyway then presses her forehead to his, whispering a silly knock-knock joke that sends them both hiccuping with relief until the argument evaporates into shared colour-stained fingers.

Haeun treasures teaching moments as if they’re pearls, guiding Minjoon’s small hands through three-strand braids until the brush no longer snags and his bunny’s ears sport perfect plaits. In return Minjoon springs a secret handshake on her, five quick claps and a wrist flip that ends with their foreheads bonking together, the collision sparking such laughter she snorts every time. They repeat it until dizziness melts them into a heap of tangled arms, and you catch snippets of breathless dialogue, Haeun declaring “We are moon twins” while Minjoon answers “No, shooting star twins,” both content to settle the debate tomorrow because yawns tilt their eyelids low. Night often ends with their whispers seeping across the hallway like purring cats, Minjoon knocking softly on her door until she lifts the blanket and he slides under, placing ice-cold toes against her warm shins. She squawks but never pulls away, instead curling around him as he murmurs that dreams are less scary when shared. They trade quiet promises beneath the quilt, Haeun vowing to guard his stuffed animals from imaginary pirates and Minjoon pledging to shout at any nightmare that tries to nibble her toes. Eventually their voices fade into unbroken breathing that syncs with the ticking clock, a lullaby that drifts down the corridor to your half-closed door and wraps your heart in velvet.

You and Jaemin stand outside those doors some evenings, hands linked, marveling that such a fierce, gentle bond could grow in such a short time. He squeezes your fingers when Minjoon’s giggle bursts through the wood and you answer with a soft hum when Haeun’s answering laugh follows, both of you holding that sound like a fragile lantern against every darkness. Their love has become the steady metronome of the household, guiding morning routines and evening prayers, and you know with a certainty deeper than bone that as long as they keep inventing languages of sunshine stickers and sea-milk toasts the apartment walls will echo with safety. Together the four of you are a constellation that redraws itself nightly, comet and moon sprite spinning around the gravity of family, glowing bright enough to light the path back home no matter how deep the night. Jaemin never meant to love this hard or this fast, but Minjoon’s sun-bright giggles, gap-toothed grin, and habit of patting his own chest whenever Jaemin enters a room have proven irresistible, filling a hidden hollow the paediatric surgeon never knew existed; the toddler trails behind in milestones, speech a lilt slow, balance a wobble but Jaemin turns therapy drills into games, flexing arms thick as Minjoon’s whole body while lifting him through every new word and wobbling step, transforming strength training into fatherhood practice. Evenings end with those same arms forming a fortress around a surfboard-print sleeper, Minjoon nestling close, murmuring “Love you, Dada,” and finding perfect calm against the steady drum of Jaemin’s heart, soothed by head-canon comforts like lavender baths, oat-milk nightcaps, and “brave-heart” lullabies whispered in a bass so deep it vibrates through both of them. In that hush Jaemin realizes fatherhood is not something he’s stumbled into, it’s the strongest muscle he has ever grown, sculpted by a boy whose laughter rewires every beat.

Jaemin’s day begins with the quiet ache of dawn rolling through the apartment windows, the mellow grey light spilling across his bare shoulders and mapping every smooth arc of muscle that has become Minjoon’s favorite pillow; his son stirs against his chest, pudgy fingers curling possessively over a bicep nearly the size of his entire torso, tiny nails grazing the warmth until Jaemin’s arm flexes in instinctive response, ripples sliding under skin like quiet tides, and Minjoon sighs a happy “Dada strong,” the syllables gummy and reverent. Jaemin tilts his head, dark lashes sweeping low as he places a feather-soft kiss on the swirl of Minjoon’s temple, inhaling the sweetness of strawberry shampoo mixed with warm milk; something inside him melts the same way muscle fibers yield under a heavy lift, unexpected yet addictive, because he never knew how completely a child’s weight could anchor his pulse. “Good morning, Bubba,” he murmurs, voice husky from sleep, and the toddler’s button nose scrunches before he plants a wobbling kiss on Jaemin’s jaw, lips sticking in sticky morning drool that makes them both laugh. The room smells of cotton sheets and oat-milk breath, and in that hush Jaemin feels a bright tug in his chest, the exact sensation he’s studied in cardiology atlases labeled missing piece found, realizing that Minjoon hasn’t just slipped into his life, he has rewired it beat by beat, heart by heart,

The kitchen erupts into soft mayhem once Haeun pirouettes in carrying her silver-tipped spoon like a maestro’s baton, leading Minjoon in a sock-shuffling samba toward the island where bowls await. Jaemin’s forearms flex as he whisk-whips oat milk into a froth that calms Minjoon’s jittery tummy, the carton’s vanilla scent puffing into the air, and he can’t stop smiling when the toddler lifts chubby hands to clap along with the rhythm of the whisk, cheeks dimpling like tiny half-moons. “Again, Dada!” Minjoon squeals, pink tongue poking between gap-toothed gums, and Jaemin repeats the motion just to hear that giggle burst like uncorked soda. Haeun, towering beside the booster, leans over to tap her brother’s nose with the back of a cereal star. “Comet landing,” she proclaims, sprinkling crumbs down onto Minjoon’s bib, and he erupts in a hiccupy laugh that splashes milk on Jaemin’s forearm. The doctor wipes the droplets, marveling at how the baby’s gappy smile can soft-reset every line of tension in his shoulders, how each syrup-sticky finger that tugs at his sleeve wrestles him further from the lonely edges he once mistook for boundaries.

Later, they sprawl across the living-room mat strewn with flashcards and foam blocks so colorful they resemble sugar candy; developmental milestones stack like uneven towers, and Jaemin coaxes Minjoon through consonant sounds, his rich baritone guiding “buh-buh” into a clear “Bunny,” the word catching in Minjoon’s throat before blooming bright and sure. Minjoon’s eyes, owl-round, marsh-brown, rimmed by lashes that could sweep stardust, light up when Jaemin praises him, and he lunges forward with clumsy enthusiasm, arms hugging Jaemin’s neck in a chokehold that makes father and son topple backwards into stuffed-animal mountains. “See, that’s perfect pacing,” Jaemin mutters through laughter, his cardiologist brain noting how Minjoon’s motor skills lag two moons behind the curve but leap forward whenever praise beats steady. Haeun kneels beside them to demonstrate the next card, her ponytail flicking like a metronome, and Minjoon copies her tongue placement, drool glistening at the bow of his lower lip. Jaemin marvels at the way her patience stitches confidence into her brother, the siblings’ whispers about bubba badges filling the room with gentle thunder, and he vows, right there against a sea of plush planets, never to let a single milestone slip through the cracks of a crowded schedule again.

Come afternoon the house spills onto sun-drenched pavement, Jaemin balancing Minjoon on one hip, forearm veins carved like riverbeds beneath smooth tanned skin, while Haeun prances ahead with ballet precision, twirling a ribbon wand that catches every shard of light. By the duck pond, Minjoon’s pudgy toes wiggle inside lilac Crocs, and he lurches forward to chase Haeun’s ribbon shadow, legs wobbling yet determined. Jaemin’s heart performs a skipped beat followed by a cavernous pause—textbook PVC—but this time the skip is pure wonder as he watches Minjoon toddle farther than yesterday, arms windmilling, cheeks flushed rose-petal pink. “Look, son, strong steps!” Jaemin calls, voice cracking on the praise, and Minjoon stops to grin back, top lip shiny with drool, before shouting, “Watch me, Dada!” A gust carries the warm scent of grass and sunscreen, the toddler’s sweat beading sweet and salty on the curve of his wedge-shaped ear, and Jaemin realizes awe can taste like sun-heated breeze on your teeth, feel like thirty pounds of fearless joy barreling toward a future you suddenly want to guard with every muscle fiber.

Post-park fatigue settles like warm syrup, and Jaemin lifts his son in a cradle hold, forearms bulging, flexor tendons taut beneath baby-soft thigh weight; Minjoon’s lashes flutter heavy, head lolling until his forehead bumps Jaemin’s collarbone, whispering, “’Night, Dada,” in a breath that smells of oat milk and distant playground dust. Jaemin sinks onto the sofa where Haeun already dozes with Bunny tucked under her chin, and he aligns Minjoon’s ear over the steady drum of his heartbeat, recalling pediatric articles about rhythmic resonance regulating anxious toddlers. Within seconds Minjoon’s fists unclench, fingers curling loosely around the pendant at Jaemin’s throat, a tiny stethoscope charm Haeun gifted him on Father’s Day. Jaemin strokes the toddler’s curls, each strand sun-bleached at the tip like soft sea grass, while his other hand cups Haeun’s ankle, thumb rubbing slow circles over the faint ballet-rub blister there. In the hush, he counts his blessings in cardiac rhythms: lub-dub for each giggle, lub-dub for every sticky kiss, lub-dub for the breathtaking truth that he finally fits inside a title he once feared would dwarf him.

By evening, bathwater still beads along Minjoon’s neckline as the siblings climb into the big bed, Haeun in cotton pajamas sprinkled with pointe shoes, Minjoon in surfboard sleepers hugging plump calves. Jaemin lies between them, arms outstretched, biceps forming warm ridges where small heads find natural pillows, and Minjoon mumbles through a thumb-sucked slur, “Love you, Dada, big like ocean.” Jaemin’s throat tightens; he kisses the baby’s damp crown, tasting lavender wash and unfiltered trust, then glances at Haeun who grins mischievously. “Ocean big,” she repeats, slipping her brother’s thumb free so she can plant a peck on his sticky knuckle, and the boy giggles, drool dotting Jaemin’s forearm. Jaemin inhales, blood humming fierce beneath skin, realizing that every sinew he once sculpted for sport now exists to cradle these two beings and the woman whose laughter lit up his emptiest rooms. He tucks the quilt up to their shoulders, murmurs a good-night litany, “Brave heart, bright moon, safe dreams”—and as the children’s breathing syncs into a soft duet, Jaemin lets his eyes close on a single shiver of gratitude: he never planned for fatherhood, yet here, with thirty pounds of sleeping miracle weighing down his chest and a ballet-ribbon hand linked in his own, he discovers that love can squat deeper than any weight rack, stretch wider than any horizon, and hold him still in a way bench presses never could. Minjoon is still learning how to settle into this life, how to breathe easy when someone calls his name, how to ask for seconds at dinner without fear, how to let himself play without always watching the door. There are moments, shadows in the bright kitchen light, when you catch him flinching at a sudden noise or shrinking from an unexpected touch, and every time you ache with how much has been taken from him. Yet you watch his world grow larger by the week: he learns to ride a bike in the yard, draws you a picture of a family with four smiling faces, lets Haeun paint his fingernails to match hers. He asks questions now, hundreds a day, about why the moon follows you on walks, about why you make soup when someone is sad, about how long forever really is. Some mornings, when the light is soft and your arms are full, he whispers “Mama” with a hope so raw you can barely breathe, and you promise, again and again, that this time no one is leaving.

The coastline spun its lie the day the undertow swallowed you, headlines screaming that a promising young doctor had vanished beneath milk-blue breakers while hauling an orphaned boy toward the light. Funeral lilies filled a chapel you couldn’t enter, and for three heart-splitting months Jaemin paced that same strip of shore with Haeun clutched to his chest as though her ribs might shatter if he loosened his grip, the two of them scanning every silvered seam of horizon for a ghost who never bobbed into view. Colleagues whispered that fairy-tale love always ends with women turning to salt and men turning to stone; the hospital packed your locker in cardboard silence, and somewhere under that grieving city you floated in a covert ward, lungs re-stitched, mind ragged with morphine, learning how to breathe through painkillers and how to cradle the very child whose panic had dragged you under. You loathed the mirror that showed sea-salt burns along your thighs and the news clips that crowned your disappearance heroic, because the only taste in your mouth was the iron of Jaemin’s unshed tears and the brittle hush of Haeun’s unanswered questions—shame chewing at every breath like sand in your raw throat. Yet night after night Minjoon woke slick with fever dreams, whispering “Mama” as though the dark itself might steal you back, and you understood that drowning had cracked you open so his little hands could choose a place to live inside your chest. When he curled sticky fingers in your hair and muttered that water should be blue, not black, your shame receded like a tide surrendering shells. You didn’t rescue him any more than a compass rescues the lost; he became true north, steering you clear of guilt’s rip current, showing you a life ripped apart can be sewn into brighter shapes. The world insists you give him breath, yet every time his gappy smile flickers across the kitchen or his sea-glass eyes hunt for your approval during speech drills, oxygen rushes in reverse, his laughter siphoning sunlight straight into the hollows the ocean carved. Salvation, you realize, isn’t measured by the lungs you fill but by the heartbeat you follow home and he, your tide-born son, is the pulse that keeps your world from sinking.

When the wave folded over you and the ocean pinned you to the sand, you didn’t kick because you thought the story had ended, your chest cracked, darkness swarmed your eyes, and you let go until a weight no heavier than a loaf of bread collided with your shoulder and a fistful of panicked toddler fingers clawed your hair. Minjoon’s body wasn’t strong enough to pull you up, but the shock of his touch, the raw instinct of a child who’d already lost too many arms to cling to, jerked your lungs into motion. You surfaced because he used your name underwater, a garbled “Mama” sliding through the salt, and the thought that he would sink alone hit harder than the undertow. Jaemin hauled you both out, but the truth is brutal: you only kicked because his hand was desperate on your scalp, and the will to live ignited in the millisecond his wide brown eyes met yours through green-grey murk. He saved you by needing you so fiercely that death became the less bearable option. Months later, when infection gnawed your lungs and morphine blurred the ceiling, he saved you again with quieter weapons, raspy night-wails that dragged you out of self-pity, stubby arms locking around your ribs hard enough to bruise, the demand that you hold a cup while he tasted oat milk for the first time. Each time you thought staying alive was too heavy, he bawled or laughed or drooled on your collarbone, and your pulse spiked because his heart set the tempo. He rewired your brain’s terror circuitry: hospital monitors had become countdowns to grief, but his uneven speech, “Mama look, sky blue, me safe”—turned every beep into proof you were still needed. This is the unvarnished math: no Minjoon, no heartbeat; his clinginess is CPR, his questions are oxygen, his sticky kisses are the defibrillator paddles that jolt you clear of the dark. You kept him from drowning for thirty seconds; he has kept you from drowning every breath since.

Being Minjoon’s Mama feels like diving beneath a warm sunrise tide and discovering the sea has been waiting forever to wrap itself around every hurt place inside you, water turning its salt to balm, because the moment he pressed one sticky palm to your cheek and breathed “Love Mama big like whale song” the roar in your chest stilled, and now each day begins with him sprawled over your ribs as if your heartbeat is the drum that keeps the world turning. His eyes are deep marsh brown pools rimmed by lashes long enough to brush secrets into the air, he meets the morning light by patting your collarbone and asking whether today the moon will follow him again, strawberry-milk breath coating the question in sweetness; you tell him “Always,” then kiss the tiny freckle on his button nose, the freckle that seems to brighten whenever he giggles, and you feel something inside you float to the surface that was once weighed down by grief heavy as coral. Jaemin stands in the doorway watching, broad shoulders haloed by dawn, and he murmurs how Minjoon’s laugh turns the bedroom into a salt-touched cathedral, sunlight pooling against the quilt, and in the reflection of his soft gaze you see the woman you nearly lost under those waves now reborn in blue and gold.

Being Minjoon’s mama feels like floating ten feet under blue water, sun braided into your hair, only to find that the warmth you were searching for is already inside your arms, his little body pressed to your heart, soft breath fogging your collarbone, blue pajamas smelling faintly of oat milk and baby shampoo. He’s the tide that drags you deeper and the raft that lifts you back to the surface, a boy whose laughter repairs cracked places you forgot were broken. Every morning he presses those marsh-brown eyes, rimmed in feathery lashes, to yours and asks, “Mama, you happy?” before you’ve even blinked sleep from your lashes, thumb smushing your cheek, lips searching for a kiss like it’s the only permission he needs to begin the day. “Mama kiss bubba?” he lisps, cheeks glowing and dimpled, and when you answer with a dozen kisses scattered over his nose, he beams, crooning, “Bubba love Mama big, big big, bigger than sky!” The world could set itself on fire and you would still have purpose in the sticky arch of his arms around your neck, his soft sigh when you whisper, “Mama not leaving, baby. Never, never.”

He clings tight in ways that sometimes ache, legs wrapped around your waist like a sea otter, tiny fists curled in the hem of your shirt, head tucked beneath your chin so his curls catch your breath. He demands your approval with every small task, holding up his spoon mid-cereal and waiting, eyes wide, for you to say “Yes, bubba, you’re doing so well!” before he’ll take a bite. When you’re folding laundry, he drags a sock over and asks, “Mama, this one for me, right? Bubba blue?” and beams when you let him match the pairs. He follows you through rooms like a shadow with a mission—everywhere, always—tugging at your hand if you walk too fast, whimpering “Mama, wait, slow slow!” if he thinks you’ll disappear. He pouts hard if you talk too long to anyone else, even Jaemin, and will wedge himself between you, cheeks puffed and voice petulant: “My mama. Mine.” Yet he’s never jealous with Haeun; instead, he’ll reach for her hand, tug her onto your lap too, and say, “We all Mama’s babies, ‘kay?”

The first time Minjoon meets Pops and Jaemin’s parents, he is all wide-eyed shyness, fingers bunched in your sleeve and half his small body hidden behind your legs as if your shadow could shield him from a world of strangers. He refuses every offered toy, shakes his head at every “Hello, bubba!” and won’t let go even for Jaemin’s coaxing; you crouch, hands gentle on his trembling arms, whispering, “You’re safe, baby, Pops is nice, promise.” For long minutes he watches everyone from his hiding spot, peeking out with wary eyes, and it’s only when you scoop him into your lap and hold him tight that he finally lets Jaemin’s mom ruffle his curls, burying his face in your chest as she says, “He’s a Mama’s boy, huh?” and you beam, pressing your lips to the soft crown of his head and nodding. Gradually he eases out, first just reaching to grab Bunny and show her off, then allowing Pops to roll a toy truck across the rug for him, though he stays wedged between your knees, head darting back for your approval after every brave new step. Each time he meets someone new, he scans for you first, gaze flickering to make sure your eyes are on him, your arms ready, needing the anchor of your presence to test each tide.

At home, the possessiveness sharpens into a daily dance, his need for you as fierce and physical as hunger. If you and Jaemin sit together, Minjoon scrambles between you, elbowing his way into your lap and glaring at his father, lips pouted and voice full of outrage, “No, my Mama, sit here!”—until you open your arms and let him climb in, giggling when he drapes himself over your chest like a starfish. He watches every gesture between you and Jaemin, and sometimes, when Jaemin presses a kiss to your neck or pulls you close at the counter, Minjoon scowls and wriggles in, wailing, “No, Dada, my turn, Mama mine!” Jaemin laughs and play-wrestles him away, but you always reward the theatrics with a big, exaggerated hug and whisper, “it’s true, you’re my baby, forever and always,” just to see the jealous storm in his eyes melt into the sun. He does the same with Haeun, but with her it’s never competitive, he’s the bridge, the peacemaker, tugging her in close so both of you are tangled together in a pile of limbs and giggles, three heartbeats thumping against each other in perfect, wild rhythm. Still, you recognize that Minjoon’s hunger for you is different, more desperate, more demanding, a fierce need to be chosen and cherished, to never be left behind.

Your devotion for him has rewritten every rule of your body. You became his home the hard way, through sleepless nights and every whispered promise binding you to his side, you threw yourself headlong into making your body his sanctuary. You meet with lactation consultants in spare call rooms, watched shaky YouTube tutorials on inducing lactation, massaged your breasts under hot water in hospital showers, set alarms for midnight hand-expressions and double-pumping sessions, anything to trick your body into believing you’d carried him all along. You charted hormones and filled prescriptions, drank fenugreek tea until your breath turns sweet and earthy, stitching up your resolve each time nothing came but a few thin drops. When milk finally arrived, sticky and stubborn, as if drawn from the ache in your chest rather than any natural process, it felt miraculous and hard-won, a labor of love as fierce as anything you’d ever done. Feeding him became a nightly rite, his lips latching with such neediness, one chubby hand curled around your thumb, his heavy-lidded gaze searching your face for safety. Sometimes you’d fall asleep upright, Minjoon snuggled against your bare skin, milk-damp curls pressed over your heart, and wake to his sleepy murmur, “Mama, more?”—reminding you that every sacrifice, every ache, every stubborn hour of longing had been worth it for this: for him to find his peace and belonging inside your arms, for you to know the miracle of being his only comfort, his harbor in a world that never loved him soft enough before.

Minjoon is still learning how to live with the world’s edges softened. When someone calls his name, he startles, hands fisting against his sides; when dinner’s almost done, he hesitates, blinking up at you until you gently say, “You want more, bubba?”

Only then does he whisper, “You sure, Mama? ‘Kay! Yes please den, Mama, more? I can really have more?”—relief so pure in his voice you want to scoop him up and never put him down. Some days, sunlight fills the kitchen but a shadow moves across his face at the scrape of a chair or the slam of a cupboard. When you see that shiver, you cross the tiles in three quick steps, crouch low, and pull him close, breathing “Safe, baby, safe. Only love here.”

He settles instantly, burrowing in, then peers up to ask, “Mama, why moon follow us on walks?” or “Why does soup make hearts feel better?” You answer every question with the weight it deserves, teaching him again and again that asking is safe, that love has time for every wonder.

Nights can still break like cracked shells because those first thirty days he woke every hour with a scream torn straight from the cupboard he used to hide in, the shout always the same, “Mama don’t leave, Mama I sorry”—voice raw as rope burn, limbs thrashing as if the pillowcase were closing in like a door he couldn’t push open. You never ran, you glided, scooping him before the second sob split the dark, pressing his tiny palms against your sternum and whispering the tide mantra you stitched together on the quietest NICU nights: “Breathe in with the waves, send the fear out with the foam, this water is ours, this love is home.” At first his breaths were shattered glass, his pupils blown wide, but you rocked in slow circles until he could name the shapes in the wallpaper again, until his chubby fist unclenched and unfolded like a sea anemone testing safety, until he stroked your hair the way you soothed him and whispered “Mama safe” with a softness that vibrated through your collarbones. Only then did you settle him back into the surfboard pajamas still warm from his nightmare sweat, surrounding him with lavender mist and bunny’s stitched smile, and watching him sink into what sleep should have always been, an ebbing tide rather than a riptide.

Morning resets him like tide lines drawn fresh in wet sand. He sprints barefoot across the kitchen tile, feet pattering in a rhythm that reminds you of tiny gull wings, arms lifted in the universal plea for altitude, and Jaemin, who can deadlift every worry off your shoulders, answers by swinging him high so that Minjoon’s tummy bumps rock-solid biceps almost as thick as his waist. The toddler squeals “Dada strong” and drool sparkles from the curve of his gap-toothed grin, cheeks flushed peach as he claps along to the whisk’s metallic beat while you whip oat milk into clouds to keep his delicate stomach calm. Haeun appears, ballet-straight posture and hair ribbon snapping a comet’s tail, brandishing a silver spoon like a conductor’s baton as she orchestrates the pouring of blueberry batter onto the pan, declaring each pancake a tiny island for seahorses to live on. Minjoon thrums with excitement, turning every stirring motion into a dance step, both children chanting “Flip, flip” until golden disks arc through steam. Jaemin’s gaze lingers on the syrup drip sliding down your forearm, and when you lick it away his pupils darken like deep water beyond the sandbar while Minjoon gasps at the sweetness vying for attention, tipping his shell cup so oat milk dribbles along his chin and your sleeve becomes a sugary map of domestic miracles.

Afternoons bloom into language adventures scattered across foam puzzle mats that smell faintly of vanilla and crayon wax; you and Jaemin hide flashcards inside bright red blocks so speech drills feel like treasure hunts, prompting Minjoon to shout half-formed words in triumph. He calls a pineapple a “pine ball” and a dolphin a “doll fish,” rolling with laughter as Haeun repeats his inventions in operatic soprano, translating nonsense into nonsense while Jaemin chuckles through clenched abs, the deep reverberation shaking plush planets off the shelf. You hear every syllable’s true intent, translating his babble into meaning even when his consonants tangle, because you have woven yourself into the spaces between his breaths; he sits on your lap tracing the grains of your necklace bead by bead, whispering lisped questions about whether the moon ever feels lonely because it cannot splash like him, how long forever really is, and whether sadness is why you make soup instead of cake. Each answer you give becomes a stepping-stone he leaps across, small feet thudding on the rug, cheeks blooming roses when he nails a new word and Jaemin lifts him overhead in celebration so the chandelier prisms scatter rainbow shards across his dimpled elbows.

Your bond is spun from the ordinary, a private language of giggles and whispers that no one else can quite translate. Jaemin sometimes struggles to keep up, brow furrowed as Minjoon babbles, “Mama, fuffa dino boom boom,” when he’s talking about dinosaur pajamas, or “Dada, gween bopple taste happy” about a favorite green apple. Jaemin blinks, lost, and Haeun swoops in to provide wild interpretations: “He said he wants to eat pancakes for dinner and become a unicorn, Daddy!” which sends Minjoon into wild giggles, clutching his stomach and shrieking, “No, Hae-Hae, no unicorn, pancakes!” Still, you never miss a beat. Every muddled phrase, every lisped syllable, you understand as if the two of you share the same heartbeat. He’ll crawl into your lap, chatter about the color of the sea, or how his “toes want to be fish,” and you nod, serious, saying, “Maybe today your toes will learn to swim, bubba.” He babbles through baths, grocery lists, while putting on shoes, spinning stories about “bubba’s castle” and “moon puddles” and “Mama, can we make big soup and eat with Daddy and Hae-Hae?” You answer each thought with matching energy, voice pitched just right, letting him know there is no question too silly, no dream too small.

At bedtime, he insists you tuck him in even if Jaemin’s already sung the lullaby, pouting and holding up his arms: “Mama, hug me tight, squish all the bad dreams.” He nuzzles in, face smushed against your neck, whispering, “Mama, never let go, ‘kay?” and you promise, over and over, that nothing, not night, not noise, not anything, will take you from him again. He sleeps with one hand fisted in your shirt and the other gripping Bunny, blue nightlight washing his soft cheeks, lips parted in peaceful, needful trust. Some mornings, when dawn glows pale across the room, he stirs first and traces the shape of your mouth with his thumb, breathing warm against your cheek, and whispers, “Mama still here.” Each time, you close your eyes and let your heart remember: you dove ten feet down, but it was your baby boy who hauled you back to the light. Every day you rise and breathe, it’s because he reached for you and made you want to surface.

Jaemin steps into the dim nursery carrying the soft hush of the hallway on his shoulders, moonlight glinting along the muscles in his forearms as he leans over Minjoon’s tiny planet-print quilt and presses an unhurried kiss to the toddler’s brow, his lips lingering long enough to feel the warm flutter of a dreaming sigh. “Good night, baby boy,” he whispers, and Minjoon’s lips twitch into a foggy half-smile before he snuggles deeper into the crook of your arm, lashes brushing the curve of your breast where milk waits heavy and warm. You shift your nightshirt, guiding his sleepy mouth to latch, and Jaemin’s eyes soften to liquid amber; he bends to kiss the corner of your mouth, tasting both strawberry lotion and promise, then moves to brush his lips over the swell of your exposed breast in silent gratitude before you settle the fabric aside. You feel his breath, a tender wave across your skin, while Minjoon’s fists relax, one hand opening like a sea anemone against Jaemin’s knuckles. The three of you hover together in the low glow of the star night-light, the rhythm of sucking mingling with your slow heartbeats until the room itself seems to pulse.

He straightens, clears his throat, and murmurs something about needing to reorganise the storybooks, though you and he both know you shelved them alphabetically with Haeun just this afternoon; still he drifts to the tiny bookcase, fingertips ghosting spines, eyes never really leaving the slow bob of Minjoon’s swallow or the way your hand strokes the velvet of his curls. He moves on to smooth an already perfect stack of folded blankets, tugs a plush comet half an inch to the left, pretends to dust the glowing star decals Haeun placed in perfect constellations, all so he can steal glances at the sight of his son drowsing safe at your breast, his family gathered like sea-glass treasures on a quiet shore.

Minjoon lies boneless against your chest, breath warm and sweet with lingering milk, his lashes fluttering like slow wings, yet sleep hasn’t sealed his lips just yet; he shifts, small toes brushing your thigh, and in that hush only the night-light hums while you map the weight of him across your ribs. His forehead nuzzles the slope of your collarbone, cheeks still rosy from the effort of nursing, and he sighs a soft ocean-shaped sigh before murmuring, “Mama, ’member beach? Wawa big, bubba love splash, water talk nice.” Each word is slurred velvet, but you catch every syllable, stroking the curve of his dimpled arm where milk droplets still glisten, answering in a whisper tuned to his slowing pulse.

“Yes, baby, the sea sings just for you.” He hums approval, nose wrinkling like a sleepy rabbit’s, and his fingers, still curled possessively in the neckline of your sleep shirt, loosen by a fraction, as though your reply has threaded a little more peace into his bones. You feel his heartbeat steady, neither too fast from fear nor too slow with sorrow, and with each rhythmic thump your own lungs learn the tempo of safety again.

He shifts, bunny crushed between you, and exhales another confession half drowned in drowsiness: “Wish bubba go outside more at the old house. Old dada and mama had beach close but no play, just look from window.” The syllables tumble over one another, vowels lazy, yet every fragment slices clear, loneliness pressed against cold glass, tiny palms yearning for salt air. You kiss the fine curls at his crown, tasting soap and the faintest tang of sea breeze still tangled in them from this afternoon’s adventure.

You smooth your hand down his back as you promise, “Tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that, you’ll touch every wave you want, my sea-bright boy.”

He makes a contented “mmm,” lips pursing, then opens one eye—the brown saturated with moonlight, just enough to find your face, searching for proof that your vow has weight; when he sees belief shining back at him, he lets the lid drift closed again, whispering, “Mama promise big,” the consonants melting into a sigh that smells of oat and trust.

Minjoon’s lashes flutter as if he means to drift off, but the second you shift your shirt he lets out a soft whimper, lips mouthing the air, nose nuzzling for the familiar warmth, then coos a sleepy “Mama, more, bubba still hungry,” voice sticky with need. His mouth latches again, cheeks hollowing in gentle pulls that send a warm tug low in your belly, tiny fingers drumming against your side as if urging the milk to flow faster. Each rhythmic suckle ends in a little click and a contented hum, his button nose brushing your skin while a milky crescent gleams on his lower lip.

You stroke his damp curls, murmuring, “Drink up, sea sprite,” and watch his eyelids droop heavier with each swallow, his feet giving one last kick before settling. Bunny slips from his grasp but Jaemin catches it, sliding the plush ear back beneath Minjoon’s hand without breaking the spell, eyes locked on the tender seal of your son’s mouth around you, the way your fingers cradle the curve of his skull as though you’re holding the entire tide in a single touch.

Jaemin’s breath hitches, awe pouring across his features like moonlight on calm water, and when he bends to kiss your shoulder his lips linger an extra heartbeat longer than before. “You are unbelievable,” he murmurs, voice husky, fingers lightly tracing the line where your breast meets Minjoon’s flushed cheek. His gaze flicks up, dark and reverent, making your pulse stutter beneath his fingertips while your son suckles in slow, languorous pulls that vibrate through you both. Jaemin’s free hand smooths the quilt over Minjoon’s legs again, a task already finished but repeated just to keep close, then travels to cup the back of your neck, thumb drawing soft circles that spark along your spine. “Seeing you give him everything he was denied makes me fall harder every night,” he whispers, and presses a kiss to the corner of your mouth that tastes of silent promises and warm milk. When Minjoon finally releases with a drowsy sigh, Jaemin gently tucks you back into your shirt, brushing a stray drop of milk from your skin with his thumb before letting it linger just a moment too long. He settles Bunny’s paw securely beneath a chubby arm, straightens, and drinks in the scene, your smile, the steady rise of Minjoon’s contented breathing, memorising it like a sacred tide chart he’ll navigate back to long after the nursery light clicks off.

Minjoon’s head slides lower, settling over the steady drum of your heart, and you sponge quietly across the room with slow fingertips up and down his spine; he murmurs one final thought, voice so small you feel it more than hear it: “Mama, bubba safe now.”

You answer by drawing the quilt to his shoulders, easing Bunny’s ear beneath his palm, and shaping the words against his temple like a spell: “Always safe, always loved, never missed another splash.” He shifts, fingers finding the hem of your shirt once more, but this time the grip is gentle, a tether of comfort rather than fear, his mouth parted, breath drifting across your skin in feathery waves that mimic the sea he loves. In that delicate moment, as sleep folds him under, you understand how completely he has repaid every breath you lost in the water: by turning each night into a shoreline where you both can rest, tides of love rising and falling in perfect, luminous quiet.

After Minjoon finally opened up to you, snuggled in his bed and milk-drunk, voice heavy with sleep, whispering about how much he loved the beach and water even though it sometimes scared him, how he used to watch other children play in the waves when he lived with his old Mama and Dada, but was never allowed to join, always left behind at the window. Hearing him say, “Wish bubba go outside more at the old house. Only look, no splash,” broke something deep in your chest, and you held him tighter, promising that this life would be different. You stroked his hair, promising that you would fill his days with as many waves and sunlit afternoons as he could ever want.

So when Saturday rolled around, you kept that promise, planning a surprise trip for the whole family to reclaim the very beach that had almost taken you both away. The air shimmering with sunscreen and cautious hope as you pack swimsuits, buckets, drinks and snacks, Jaemin fussing over floaties and hats, and Haeun dancing around the living room in her bathing suit, shouting, “Beach day!” The four of you load into the car, Minjoon clutching Bunny and peeking at you every few minutes, checking that this isn’t just a dream, that you really meant it when you said, “We’re going to play in the water together, all day, as long as you want.” You can feel his trust, timid and bright, growing with every mile toward the coast, a reclamation not just of sand and salt, but of his right to joy and belonging.

The sun cuts through hazy clouds, brightening the sand until it burns white and silver beneath your toes. Jaemin can’t take his eyes off you. He stands a pace behind, towel slung over his shoulder, the sight of you in your coral-pink swimsuit making every muscle go slack, his gaze tracing every curve, still stunned by the way you look after everything you’ve survived, the way sunlight paints your collarbone gold and your scars like the contour lines of a tide map. Haeun’s swimsuit mirrors yours in miniature, yellow bows bright against her shoulders and her curls bundled atop her head, cheeks glowing and legs kicking up sand as she leaps, calling, “Mama, look! Like you! We twins!” She grabs your hand and twirls.

You laugh, letting Haeun spin you until you’re dizzy, her curls bouncing and her yellow bows bobbing as she shrieks again and again, “Mama, look! We twins, we twins!” You scoop her up, hugging her tight, pressing your nose to hers as she giggles and squishes your cheeks with sticky hands.

Minjoon immediately shuffles over and glues himself to your side, squeezing your thigh with both arms, looking up and pouting, “Mama, me match too? Bubba same as you?”

You lean down, ruffling his curls, laughing softly. “Of course, bubba. You and Dada have your blue suits, and us girls—pink and yellow! See? All my babies matching. We’re the best team.”

Haeun squeals and kisses your cheek, smudging a little sunscreen, while you boop her nose, and Minjoon wriggles in for a kiss too, chanting, “Mama, Mama, kiss bubba, too!” You press kisses all over his face, and Haeun giggles, “Mama loves bubbas best,” collapsing into your lap as the sand crunches beneath you, sun burning warm across your backs.

Jaemin watches all this with a wide grin, eyes glued to the way your coral-pink swimsuit hugs your hips, the thong bottom leaving your ass bare and sun-kissed, and he walks right up, slapping your ass with a sharp, playful smack that makes you gasp-laugh, your arms tightening around both kids. Haeun lets out a scandalized, “Silly, naughty Dada!”

Jaemin just pokes his tongue out at her, grinning. “What? My girl looks too good, what am I supposed to do?”

Minjoon, squished between your thighs and clutching your hand, looks up with adoring, sleepy eyes and mumbles, “Dada silly. Mama pretty. Bubba happy. I love my family.” It’s messy, loud, sandy, and you wouldn’t trade a second, sunlight, laughter, the feel of Jaemin’s hand sliding over your bare back, and your children glowing beside you, everything safe and claimed in the tide-washed light.

Jaemin can’t stop grinning, tugging you in for a quick, surreptitious kiss on the cheek, voice low and hungry, “You’re going to kill me in that suit, you know that, right?” Heat sparks in your belly, but the shriek of Haeun already has him sprinting down the sand, chasing her as she pelts toward the edge of the tide, arms flapping and laughter bursting free. The air smells of coconut sunscreen and crushed grass from the dunes, and you feel Jaemin’s hand brush the small of your back, all wordless awe, before he’s off at a run, his silhouette long and loose in the morning light.

Haeun is a flash of pure joy. She claims every inch of the shoreline, dancing in wild arcs around your towel, splashing ankle-deep into the foam, spinning so fast her bows slip sideways, arms thrown out as if the wind might carry her. “Mama, watch! Mama, watch me jump!” she calls, and you cheer as she launches over a wave, stumbles, and comes up spitting salt and giggling. Jaemin is never far behind, sweat already glistening at his hairline as he wades in after her, catching her up under the arms and swinging her, a wild carousel of shrieks and sandy toes. You watch him plant a wet kiss to her forehead, then set her down to chase after a seagull, and for a second he leans back, hands on hips, breathless and beaming at you. Haeun calls for ice cream and Jaemin raises a brow, mock-exasperated, “Again? Already?” She just grins, grabs his hand, and races him to the vendor, while you remain where the sand is still cool, heart beating double for the girl who lives as if every inch of the world is hers to reclaim. She tries, at times, to ease Minjoon, “Come on, baby bubba!”—but he only peeks at her from behind your legs, shy and trembling, unable to loosen his grip on you.

Minjoon’s whimpers are so small at first you almost miss them, just the tremor of his breath, the sticky salt of anxiety wetting his brow as he presses his cheek to your thigh. His fingers dig into your hips, his body wound tight, legs cinched around you as if the sea itself might reach for him again. “Mama, Mama, no go, no go,” he mutters, every syllable low and frantic.

You crouch down, scooping him up, holding him close until his heartbeat slows against your chest. “We’re safe, baby. I’ve got you, I’m not letting go.” He snuffles, lashes clumped with tears, nose pink and damp as you rock him gently, humming his favorite lullaby under your breath, letting him listen to the ocean at a safe distance, until finally his breathing slows. You smooth sunscreen over the tender skin at the nape of his neck, feathering kisses along his hairline, whispering, “Every freckle, every curl, mine to keep, my moon-boy, always safe, always held.” Slowly, you guide his hands to the bucket and help him dig the first shallow moat in the sand, narrating every movement as you go.

You take baby steps, no rushing. “Let’s try a little closer, bubba,” you whisper, feet sinking into the damp, ridged sand, the hush of the waves meeting the shore like a slow inhale. Minjoon’s arms clutch around your neck, his body a tight knot of nerves and want. “Mama, too big, water loud,” he breathes.

You just nod, “It’s loud, baby, but I’m right here.” For a long time you stand at the very edge of the tide, foam swirling around your ankles, feeling the thrum of his heart against your own. Each time the water slips up over your feet, Minjoon buries his face against your neck, but when you pull back, gentle, and show him the shallow pools left behind, he peeks out, curiosity flickering through his worry. You bend to point out a hermit crab, the iridescent blue of a mussel shell, and his breath hitches, fear giving way for just a moment to awe.

He peppers you with questions, voice small but insistent: “What’s dat, Mama? Dat shiny? Dat run away? Dat make noise?”

You kneel and show him every shell, every bit of kelp, let him hold a stone slick with saltwater and drop it into the pail. “That’s a mussel shell, love. That’s kelp, it’s like sea spaghetti!” You make a silly slurping sound and he giggles, face buried in your shoulder.

“Mama, you silly.” He asks why the seagulls scream, why the waves crash, why the sand sticks between his toes. You answer with soft patience, letting him set the pace, matching his wonder with your own.

He’s back at it a second later, tugging at your hand, voice running a mile a minute: “Mama, why water cold? Mama, why wave make big crash sound? What’s dat bird, Mama, why bird yell at me? Mama, sand sticky in my toes, look, Mama, toes look like cookies, you want bite?” Every new thing demands explanation, every moving shadow and skittering bug becomes an emergency mystery for you to solve.

You answer each one with soft patience, letting him press a wet shell to your cheek, offering nonsense back and forth, “Maybe that bird’s yelling because he wants your cookie toes, bubba!”

He gasps, eyes round, and wedges himself tighter in your lap. “No, Mama, you save bubba! Mama, you strong? You here if water big?”

You press your lips to his ear, voice low and sure, “Always, always. Mama’s the strongest swimmer in the whole ocean, and I’m never letting go.” He nods, reassured, already shifting to point out the next treasure, his voice bubbling over with new questions, trust and joy threading through every breath.

He nods, snuggles tighter, and with each new discovery, sea glass, crab claws, the tangled root of driftwood, he asks, “Dat safe? Bubba safe?” and you reassure him again and again, your words a mantra, a tide returning always to shore.

Your love for him glows brighter than the sun beating down. You kneel in the sand and let him build towers on your knees, let him squish wet sand between your fingers, giggle as he makes a castle for Bunny with a seashell roof. When he cups a tiny crab in his palm, face screwed up with concentration, he holds it out to you for approval, breathless. “Mama, good? Bubba brave?”

You beam, pressing your forehead to his, "Bravest bubba I ever saw.”

He clings to the words, repeats them to himself, “Bubba brave,” as if trying on a new suit. When he hesitates at the water’s edge, toes curling, you let him decide when to step forward, never pulling, always patient. You watch the shift in him, the softening of his shoulders, the way his eyes brighten with each new sound and scent.

The magic is in the slow reclamation, the way he fits into your arms like he was born to be held, the way you both tremble but stand anyway, step by tiny step, until the water is swirling at your knees and he’s still wrapped around you but now giggling, head thrown back, droplets sparkling along his cheeks. “Mama, swim? Bubba swim?” he asks at last, hope shimmering in his voice. You nod, lift him high, and wade deeper, the sea cool silk on your calves, Jaemin’s watchful shadow never far behind.

Haeun and Jaemin call from the shallows, “Come on, slowpokes!” and when Minjoon hesitates you make a silly fish face, coax a giggle, and together you dive under the first small wave. His legs tighten around your waist but he shrieks with delight, nose crinkling, lips shiny with saltwater, and when he surfaces he grins, triumphant, “Mama, we did it! Bubba swim!”

The atmosphere is golden and alive, Haeun shrieking with every wave, Jaemin tossing her into the surf and catching her midair, Bunny stashed on a towel but never far from sight. Jaemin glances back at you often, eyes shining, pride and gratitude written in every line of his body. When you and Minjoon finally settle onto the sand to build castles, Haeun flops beside you, still dripping, and sprawls across your lap. Minjoon, newly bold, insists on decorating every tower with seaweed and shells, and tells you, “Mama, make more! Make big!” You laugh and let him order you around, secretly soaking in every second of his joy, every moment he looks at you as if you invented the world.

As the sun dips and the air cools, you wrap him in a fluffy towel and hold him close, his body limp with exhaustion but his eyes bright and unafraid. “Mama, love you. Bubba safe now,” he whispers, thumb creeping to his mouth. You press your lips to his forehead, rocking him gently, while Haeun chatters about catching moonbeams in jars and Jaemin pretends to snore beside her. The sound of your children laughing, the grit of sand beneath your knees, the sting of salt still drying on your skin, these things feel holy, woven through with every ounce of love and healing you could ever give or receive. When the day ends and you gather your babies and all your battered, reclaimed hopes, you know the beach that once took everything from you is now a place of return, a place where Minjoon, clinging and cautious, learned how to call joy home again, and where you, holding him, learned how to breathe. Together you walk toward the car, the four of you tangled and sun-warmed, trailing footprints that the tide will claim and erase, but the memory will remain: a day bright as forgiveness, a world wide as love, a beach remade for you and your bubba, one gentle wave at a time.

By the time the sun has drifted behind the dunes and the air tastes like salt and distant barbecues, your babies have curled into sleep on each of your chests, Minjoon sprawled over your heart, thumb working at Bunny’s ear, breathing slow and steady in a way that makes you believe in miracles, and Haeun draped across Jaemin’s bare shoulder, hair tangled with sand and tiny shells, one fist clutching his shirt, her lips parted in a smile even in sleep. You and Jaemin lie tangled together on the beach blanket, watching the last gulls arc over the glitter of tide pools, both of you so heavy with peace you can hardly speak. When you finally gather them, their limbs soft and heavy, you barely manage to rouse them for the walk back to the car. Haeun murmurs, “Home time, Mama.”

Minjoon only stirs to nuzzle your collarbone, mumbling, “Love Mama, love dada.” Bath time is a gentle ritual, two sleepy bodies slumped in your lap, warm water sluicing away the grit of the day while you and Jaemin work in tandem, washing curls and scrubbing tiny toes, kissing each forehead as the steam fogs the bathroom mirror. Both children yawn, eyes heavy, lashes dark against flushed cheeks, and by the time you’ve wrapped them in towels and carried them to bed, their bodies have gone boneless again, breaths falling in synchrony. That night, for the first time in a month, Minjoon sleeps through the dark without a single cry or whimper, no nightmares clawing him back to the cupboards of memory, just the slow tide of safety and love carrying him into the morning. When you realise, when dawn glows soft and quiet across his peaceful face, something inside you finally unknots; you melt into Jaemin’s arms, burying your face in his neck, and he kisses you back, hungry, grateful, hands slipping over your waist as if you’re the only thing that’s ever mattered.

You’re both still tangled up in the glow of that perfect, ordinary night when Jaemin pulls back, eyes shining with something more than just lust or gratitude, and crosses to the dresser. You watch, heart fluttering, as he slides open the top drawer and pulls out a velvet Pandora box, turning it in his hands before meeting your gaze. “I know I can’t ever repay you for what you’ve done for us,” he says, voice rough, “but you deserve something beautiful. Jeno got his wife something like this when we were all still in college and it’s really beautiful to see, she still wears it even after all this time so I admit, I took inspiration. I wanted you to have something that you could wear, every day, to remind you just how much I love you. How much you belong here, with us.” He opens the box, revealing a delicate silver bracelet that catches the lamplight like starlight on water, his hands trembling just a little as he lifts it free. You feel tears prick your eyes before you can stop them, and he coos and wipes them away, slipping the cool chain around your wrist with a tenderness that makes your heart ache.

There are two charms already threaded onto the silver: the first is a tiny, polished ballet slipper, pink enamel bright and sweet, delicate but strong. He brushes your hair behind your ear, kissing your temple as he murmurs, “For Haeun. Because she’s always wanted to dance. She’s our sunshine, our spark—your baby girl, your first real miracle. Every time I see her twirl, I see you, the way you never let her fall, the way you built a stage for her in the middle of our storms. You’re her safe place. Her teacher. Her Mama, forever.” The slipper glints as you twist your wrist, memories flooding you, her first hesitant steps in the living room, the mess of tutus and hair ties, the pure, blinding joy on her face every time she shouts, “Mama, watch!” You press your lips to the slipper, whispering thanks, knowing that every moment with Haeun is threaded through your life like a ribbon, grace, persistence, the brave joy of being seen and chosen.

The slipper is more than enamel and silver, it’s the flutter of Haeun’s laughter when morning sun spills across the living-room floor and she claims the light as her spotlight, the hush that falls over the apartment when she spreads her arms and announces, “Dove dance, Mama.” You remember how she pressed yellow stickers shaped like doves onto Minjoon’s nursery walls, promising him company even when she couldn’t be there, how those same birds now circle her own mirror, a paper flock that reminds her to keep her chin high. When she pirouettes, ribbons streaming, she’s the very definition of resilience: a beam of sunlight that learned how to curve and leap. The slipper on your wrist catches that radiance and carries it with you, a reminder that you’re a guardian of a soul made of feathers and fire, that your applause is the wind beneath every bourrée she attempts, that every time you steady her waist during an arabesque you’re teaching her that balance is found in love first, technique second. You stroke the charm once more, seeing not just pink enamel but a sunrise bottled and worn, Haeun’s sunrise. She’s your dawn after the longest night, the first ray that broke through when grief clouded every horizon; she’s the reason you learned lullabies and the discipline of gentle hands, the reason you still tuck love notes into lunch boxes, folding each one into a shape she calls “sunbeam letters.” Jaemin closes his hand over yours, thumb circling the tiny slipper like a vow, and you feel the years ahead opening wide: recitals where the stage lights halo her curls, feather-soft slippers abandoned in the hallway after late practice, chalky rosin dust mapping little footprints across the floor. With the bracelet snug against your pulse, you know you’ll be standing in the wings for every leap, ready to clap, ready to catch, ready, always, to be the net that lets your sunshine soar. That delicate slipper isn’t just a charm; it’s the first heartbeat of motherhood itself, the moment Haeun’s newborn cry crowned you with a title no loss could ever steal, she’s the one who made you a Mama, the spark that ignited every instinct to shelter, teach, and twirl right alongside her.

The second charm is blue, a perfect, tiny glass bead shot through with silver and aqua, swirling like a wave caught in sunlight. Jaemin’s fingers linger over it as he explains, voice low and awed. “For Minjoon. For our boy, for water, for second chances, for everything blue, new and brave. You saved him, and he saved you. Every time you see this, I want you to remember that you’re both survivors, both more beautiful and strong than you ever knew. He’s your anchor and your sea, your softness and your adventure. This is for every moment you pulled him close and said, ‘You’re safe, baby, you’re home,’ even when you didn’t feel safe yourself. He made you a Mama all over again. He brought you back to the surface.” The bead flashes in the lamplight, a promise coiled tight around your wrist, reminding you of Minjoon’s blue eyes blinking up at you from the surf, the way he clings to you in every new world, the way he fills you with peace like the hush of the tide. Jaemin draws you in, the bracelet cool and perfect between you, and you hold him as tightly as you ever held your children, knowing that this life, the laughter, the safety, the soft blue and gold light of your home, is everything you ever hoped for, more than you ever dreamed you could keep. The blue bead catches every stray shimmer of lamplight and scatters it across the room, the silver threads inside glittering like moon paths laid over midnight water. As you turn your wrist, the charm rolls and its colors deepen, turquoise slipping into cobalt, then back into pale sea-glass green, each shift a reminder of the day Minjoon’s small fingers closed around yours in the surf, begging you both to survive. That bead is the first gasp of breath after drowning, the hush that settles on the ocean just before dawn, the promise that even when tides drag you under, love will buoy you back to the surface. Inside that swirling blue you see his drenching eyes blinking up through salt spray, hear his shaky voice: “Mama safe now?” and feel your own heartbeat answer yes, yes, I’m here. Every glance at the charm promises you’ll never again let the water steal his laughter, never again let darkness rise higher than the bright, brave blue of his world.

Haeun’s dovelike slipper and Minjoon’s ocean bead jingle together when you move, two tiny lanterns swinging from the same silver line, sunset and sea tide, light and hush, the twin truths that birthed you into motherhood twice over. The slipper reminds you that she arrived first, a single sunbeam slicing through every storm, crowning you Mama with her very first cry; she taught you the choreography of unconditional love. The bead shows how Minjoon dragged you back into that title when you feared you’d lost it forever, proving you could be reborn underwater just as surely as you once bloomed under sunlight. Side by side, the charms clink like sea foam meeting shore, like applause in a quiet studio, singing their duet of survival: one child dancing forward, the other holding tight, both of them stitching you into the person you were always meant to be. pYou lift your wrist and the bracelet slips cool against your pulse, and you feel the world narrows to the warmth of Jaemin’s hand at your back and the distant sigh of two safe children sleeping. Tears blur the charms until slipper and wave melt into one shimmering droplet, and you realize that motherhood isn’t one moment but a tide that ebbs and floods, Haeun’s sunshine pulling you skyward, Minjoon’s ocean cradling you deep, each swell making space for the other. You lean into Jaemin’s chest, letting the scent of salt and milk and brand-new silver fill your lungs, and whisper, “They made me a Mama twice, you made me whole.” His arms tighten, sealing the bracelet’s weight against your skin, and in that hush, blue and gold, dove feather and sea spray, you finally, completely, belong.

Returning to work is a new kind of ache: a slow, careful unfolding. Your medical probation has been officially lifted, but there’s a shadow of supervision trailing behind, case reviews, mandatory weekly check-ins, the quiet, omnipresent oversight of your chief resident, Dr. Siyeon. Still, you feel the rhythm coming back: the confidence of stitching a wound, the familiar hum of monitors, the sound of nurses greeting you by name. The pediatric ward staff, who once held you at arm’s length, now tuck chocolate bars in your locker and sneak extra breaks your way. You’re still learning how to be present in two worlds, hospital and home, code blue and bedtime stories but the split no longer feels like punishment, just the shape of your new life. Your shifts are lighter now, two days a week plus weekends on call, a schedule carved around your babies and therapy sessions. There’s relief in the ordinary, the way old muscle memory returns: scrubbing in, charting, teaching an intern how to handle a parent in tears. Some days you stand outside the on-call room and just breathe, letting the weight of old guilt dissolve.

Back at work, you’re never alone, Jaemin’s hand is a quiet anchor at your lower back as you navigate crowded corridors, always making sure you’re shielded from harsh lights and stranger’s eyes, his presence an unspoken promise that no one will ever touch you or question your place again. He intercepts whispers before they start, meets every sidelong glance with that calm, unflinching gaze, and answers every question with a softness that makes even the hardest nurses melt. You never walk anywhere without feeling his support, the heat of his palm curled around your wrist or squeezing your shoulder, a constant defense against the ache of memory and the coldness that used to chase you from room to room. And when you’re with your babies, his love expands to circle all of you, every meal, every laugh, every hand-clasp in the hallway, you feel untouchable, insulated by the family you built together, safe in a way that feels like armor, like grace, like coming home.

You finally feel safe. For the first time, the hospital isn’t a place that devours your spirit or marks you as someone broken, there’s no shame prickling your skin, no eyes searching for cracks in your composure. Jaemin’s steady hand and the weight of his devotion erase every old scar, and when your babies dart through the halls, laughter trailing behind them, you know you’re not judged or pitied, just seen, just loved. Every room feels warmer with him beside you, every meeting softer, and the fear that used to gnaw at your heart dissolves in the gentle, constant shelter of your family. Here, wrapped in Jaemin’s protection and your children’s bright joy, you are whole, you are enough, and at last—finally, quietly, beautifully—you belong. The afternoon glides forward wrapped in gentle confidence, the hospital corridors echoing with your children’s laughter rather than your old fears, and every department you pass feels smaller and kinder because Jaemin’s devotion shadows your steps like a steadfast star guiding sailors to safe harbor. You usher Haeun and Minjoon toward the nurses’ station, deposit a final kiss on each bright forehead, and promise movie-night slushies once clinic ends, their delighted chatter trailing behind as you step into Exam Room Seven with your chart tucked close, heart still light from that soft domestic exchange that reminded you how fully you belong.

Seated on the edge of the paper-crinkled cot is your next patient, Mr. Choi, a man whose birth certificate declares thirty-nine yet whose face reads early-twenties under the fluorescent glow, all smooth tawny skin, thick sable hair brushed back from a gentle widow’s peak, and wide hazel eyes that spark mischief even while discomfort pinches the corners. He lifts one hand in a shy greeting, the cuff of his denim jacket revealing lean wrist bones that carry a rosary tattoo, and the nurses outside the glass panel exchange quick smiles you are certain include a blush or two. Your own cheeks warm as you return his hello, noting that his complaint lists persistent palpitations and mild shortness of breath after an early-morning charity run. You ask him to describe the flutter, whether it feels like skipped beats or racing drums, and he chuckles in a voice low and melodic that the flutter worsens whenever charming doctors lean too close with stethoscopes. You fight the grin tugging at your lips, refocus on placing the diaphragm against his sternum, and hear a benign but irregular extra beat hinting at premature atrial contractions, nothing life-threatening yet worthy of an EKG and lifestyle counsel. He smells faintly of cedar soap and mint gums, and when he exhales his shoulders relax as if your presence alone eases more than the arrhythmia.

While you thread the blood-pressure cuff around his arm and tug the Velcro snug, Mr. Choi keeps his gaze fixed on the silver chain that dangles and sparkles every time you shift your wrist. He clears his throat, the corners of his mouth tipping into a grin. “Those charms,” he says, nodding toward the tiny ballet slipper and the little glass wave that catch the overhead light. “Let me guess, on weekends you’re center stage at the opera house, then you sprint straight to the coast and dive off cliffs like some adrenaline junkie?” His voice is playful, a gentle tease that somehow softens the antiseptic chill of the exam room.

You laugh, brushing your knuckles over the slipper’s pink enamel paint. “Not exactly,” you admit, fastening the gauge and squeezing the bulb. “The slipper is for my daughter. She pirouettes down the hallway at breakfast and insists every rug is a stage. If I don’t clap after each twirl she gasps like I’ve ruined the finale.” You rattle off the systolic number aloud for the chart and tap the wave charm so it swings. “And this little tide bead? That’s for my son. He calms when the ocean hums at his ankles, he calls the surf ‘the big hush,’ and he’ll stand right where the water just kisses his toes, singing to the waves like they’re old friends.”

His eyebrows jump, eyes warm with genuine admiration. “You’re hardly older than my youngest cousin,” he says, voice pitched low as if confiding a secret. “Yet you talk about two children like they’re the fuel in your veins. How do you keep that kind of energy?”

Heat pricks your cheeks, but you bite back a flustered laugh. “Honestly? Their giggles beat caffeine. Love is the best multivitamin on the market.”

He chuckles, shaking his head, then nods at the monitor as it beeps the diastolic. “Well, that sparkle in your eyes—” he gestures lightly toward your face “—brightens this place more than the fluorescents. My compliments to whoever designed motherhood for you.” Outside the glass panel the nurses exchange a pointed giggle; you pretend not to notice, focusing on keying the reading into his chart. He watches you schedule his imaging, still half-smiling. “So, Doctor Mom of the Year,” he ventures, tone softer now. “When your ballerina twirls and your little tide-talker needs a lullaby, who takes care of you?”

You glance up, pausing mid-keystroke, warmth flooding your chest despite the bustle in the corridor. “They do,” you answer after a breath, feeling the truth settle like sunlight on skin. “Every hug, every ‘Mama, watch!’—they’re the reason my heart beats steady. I patch them up, they patch me right back.” He nods, understanding flickering across his features, and you finish the notes, offer a final reassuring smile, and slip your wrist out of view, charms chiming softly like a duet of surf and music as you guide him toward the door.

You turn to rinse your hands at the tiny sink, glimpsing the bracelet one more time, and for a single breath the polished stainless backsplash shows your patient’s reflection warped by water droplets into something unspeakable, half his polite smile melting into an abyss of onyx eyes and jagged teeth before the vision snaps back to normal glassy steel, leaving only your pulse thrumming high in your ears. You spin, heart stuttering, yet find him sitting as before, boyish and charming, thumbs tapping nervously against his thigh, utterly human and unaware. The room feels one degree colder despite the steady vent hum, and you swallow, forcing your fingers steady as you hand him discharge instructions, wondering whether the fluorescent light played a trick or whether the nightmare you thought dissolved has merely been biding its time in the shadows behind every shining surface. Your gloved hands steady the ultrasound probe over Mr. Choi’s flank as the local anaesthetic takes hold, the hum of the portable machine filling the procedure suite while you guide a fine biopsy needle toward the shadow on his kidney. Conversation stays light by design, oxygen saturation, weekend weather, until he breaks the rhythm with a wistful, “You know, I’ve got a little one at home. Two years and four months. He talks my ear off.” The words snag someplace soft inside you as that's Minjoon’s exact but you school your voice, eyes fixed on the grayscale monitor.

“That’s a fun age,” you offer, keeping anything more personal locked behind your tongue.

The needle slides true, a perfect dart, and he exhales. “Bet you’ve heard all the toddler stories.”

You nod, pulse ticking faster, because that is exactly Minjoon’s age, but a lifetime of caution around strangers keeps your reply to a neutral, “Plenty.”

You’re bent over the tray, steady hands threading the suture, mind locked on the glisten of blood and tissue and the sterile smell of the room. You’re not thinking about anything outside this tiny circle of lamp-lit focus, not the rattle of trolleys or the distant voices down the corridor. You don’t notice Jaemin yet, don’t see him walking your way in loose blue scrubs, don’t see the flash of yellow that is Haeun darting down the hall like she owns the place, her bows bobbing and her voice carrying in quick bursts, or Minjoon in his arms, clinging close and peering around the hospital, wide-eyed and overwhelmed, still new enough that every beeping monitor and passing white coat makes him shrink tighter into his father’s chest. You’re focused on Choi’s kidney, the numbers on the screen, the way each movement has to be precise and clean. Only when the quiet stretches does your attention snap to him.

“Your children are beautiful, Doctor.” Choi’s voice slices through the clinical silence, soft and oddly measured. Instinct makes you look up, following the tilt of his head and the direction of his gaze, and you catch sight of your family just beyond the glass, Jaemin’s frame broad and reassuring, Minjoon pressed tight against his chest, small fingers digging into his shirt, and Haeun bounding ahead with fearless delight, bows bobbing as she drags Jaemin’s hand toward the vending machine. The sight always floods you with warmth, and for a heartbeat your smile flickers out, the kind of unconscious pride that only love can summon. Yet as you catch the look on Choi’s face, something inside you wavers. The pleasure in the moment fractures, replaced by a prickle of suspicion and confusion—how does he know? How does a stranger, with no connection and no context, recognize the shape of your world so easily? The weight of it lands: of course he knows. Of course so many people know. Every piece of your family picked apart in news articles and posts, your traumas and miracles dissected for strangers, every smile, every scar, every private grief made public. Jaemin, the famous surgeon. You, the girl who drowned and lived. Your children, miracles and headlines. You don’t need to ask how Choi knows. You feel suddenly naked, like your whole body’s been split open for the world to paw through. There’s no protection here, not from strangers’ hunger, not from the darkness flickering behind Choi’s polite stare. You tape the gauze, press it down hard, wishing it was enough to hold everything together, wishing there was a stitch for this kind of exposure, for the danger that always seems to be coming.

You lean down, scalpel poised, the edge of the blade catching light in a cold, sterile gleam. For just a heartbeat, your wrist shifts beneath the overhead lamp, and the bracelet Jaemin gifted you, the charms for your children shimmering with promises and protection, shudders faintly, unnoticed by anyone but you. The tiny glass bead representing Minjoon, blue as the sea, deep and calm, cracks invisibly down its center. You feel the fracture like a hairline fissure inside your chest, and suddenly you hear it, a distant wave roaring louder, violent, rising into a furious, murderous crash. The charm’s beautiful blue darkens, swirling into a murky black, an ocean corrupted, waters poisoned. Inside your mind, you sense the black swan that once haunted your dreams, always lurking, sinister and graceful, swimming with menace beneath still waters. You feel its sudden defeat, the creature finally withering away into nothingness, wings crushed and feathers drifting lifelessly on an ink-dark sea. But the relief is short-lived. In its place, rising from the inky depths, looms something else, something darker, masculine, violently aggressive. It’s not elegant or subtle like the swan; it’s raw power, predatory and unmasked, spreading dark wings that blot out the sky. This creature stares straight into you, straight through you, a chilling promise in its endless gaze: you will never be safe, no matter how far you run, no matter how hard you try to hide.

Choi smiles easily as you finish stitching the incision, his features pleasant and open, nothing in his gentle expression hinting at anything darker beneath. Your attention is half on the neat row of sutures, half on your own thoughts, Jaemin probably rounding up the kids for lunch, the endless mental checklist of motherhood and medicine and Choi’s polite charm registers only distantly, like a pleasant background hum. When he thanks you softly, his voice is warm, friendly, innocent enough that your returning smile is genuine and unguarded. You don’t notice the way shadows briefly trace strange patterns across his face, or how the overhead lights catch something deep and unsettling flickering through his eyes, you’re already turning away, gathering your tools and notes, entirely unaware of the danger you’ve just overlooked. The patient nods appreciatively, harmless and grateful on the surface, but beneath his composed exterior, something ancient and malignant stirs quietly, patiently waiting for the moment you finally see it clearly.

author’s note

now, if you made it this far, i’d love it if you left me a comment, reblog, or even a like. i read every single one and they mean so much to me—it’s genuinely the best way to let me know what moved you, what you loved, or even what broke your heart. writing is a little lonely sometimes, it always takes me restless nights, and hearing from you makes it all feel worthwhile, like sharing a secret or lighting a candle for these characters. so don’t be shy! every little note is treasured and makes me want to keep going. thank you for reading, and for loving these messy, magical people with me. <3

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