Chapter 21. Song

Euna met her mommy outside their school and ran to her even before she could get out of the car. She liked the way she looked today and Euna was excited to walk in school with her today. Her mommy wore a long sleeved white blouse and a dark pink skirt which she thought she wore that because Euna’s dress for the festival was white with pink lace on the edges. She tried to remember if she told her about her dress before but it made her giggle that probably they thought alike.

Joohyun took her sunglasses off then accepted the quick hug the little girl greeted her with, “Have you had lunch yet?”

“Nah-a,” she shook her head then excitedly suggested, “Let’s eat at the canteen!”

“Oh… kay…” Joohyun chuckled at how excited the younger one looked that she even held her hand and was literally dragging her through the hallways of her school.

Euna wanted to show her mommy off to everybody. She couldn’t really tell them that she was her mommy and so she decided she will not say anything so people would think that she really is. Her heart was really happy as they walked inside her school. It was something she had been dreaming of, walking hand-in-hand like her classmates with their ummas—it felt really amazing!

When Appa called and told her that umma will be the one to take care of her for the festival, Euna really jumped up and down because she never really thought of it. It made her sad somehow that halmeoni was out again and she could not watch her sing but then having her umma instead was super awesome for Euna.

They sat in one of the tables of their school canteen and Euna chose a table in the middle so everybody could see her with her mommy. She saw some of her classmates and said hi to them but didn’t introduce her umma. Maybe next time when she finally decides to marry her and Appa. For now, sitting close to her was more than okay. They talked about her day in class for a short moment then Euna remembered something, “I want to tell you something but don’t be surprised okay?”

“Yeah, what is it?” Joohyun prayed that it was not about the mommy-thing again.

“I have a boyfriend already,” Euna said with a big smile.

“A what?!” She fell back laughing by that declaration and when she somehow managed to calm down for a bit, she pinched the little girl’s nose, “But you’re still a baby!”

Euna frowned and showed her fingers as she retorted, “I am six!”

“As if it’s normal to have a boyfriend at six…” Joohyun mumbled to herself then plopped her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand as she looked interestingly at the little girl, “So tell me about  this boyfriend of yours.”

“He is Song Daehan and he is seven and he said he will marry me when I am sixteen,” Euna disclosed earnestly.

Joohyun couldn’t stop herself from laughing softly especially since Euna looked so serious about it. But then again, it was adorable Euna talking so full of innocent pure emotion. Her heart warmed with the thought that the little girl is surrounded with love but then again there was this need for her to have more. That sent a flicker of pain in her heart because she knew that what the little girl wanted her to be in her life was still there. She smiled watching her eat heartily, tucking some strands of hair by the side of her face, Joohyun asked softly, “Does your appa know about this?”

“No, not yet,” Euna said putting her chopsticks on her plate then looked at her umma, “We just decided to this relationship this morning. But we are going out many times already and we ride bicycle a lot.”

“Do you know what you’re talking about?” Joohyun bit her lips to stop herself from laughing. The little girl was so serious that laughing would probably hurt her feelings.

“Yes, but I’m afraid daddy won’t like it but he couldn’t do anything,” she took her glass and sipped a mouthful of water before going on, “I will get married when I am sixteen and I am six now so I think it’s near ‘cause I will be seven next year so he better get married too because if I’m married no one will take care of him anymore.”

She stifled a grin then asked back, “You mean you will leave your daddy when you get married?”

Euna could not understand why her mommy sounded like she was telling a joke. She sighed, “Who wouldn’t? I need to be with my oppa, of course. How about you? Are you going to leave your daddy when you get married?” ‘To my daddy?’ She secretly added in her mind and crossed her fingers under the table.

“Me? I think I will convince my husband for us live in my daddy’s house because I can’t live without him…”

“Hmmm… besides, you have a big house and he will be sad living there alone,” Euna added in deep thoughts, “Maybe if Appa won’t marry, which I hope he really would marry, then I think I will ask oppa for us to keep him too.”

That definitely took the cake and Joohyun could no longer contain her laughter imagining Yonghwa as a puppy to be kept. When she managed to calm herself down, she nodded at the little girl, “Fine, but you have to finish school first before getting married, okay?”

After lunch, they went to the rehearsals which Joohyun sat with the rest of the moms as the children practiced on stage. She also got a chance to talk to Mrs. Choi, the mom of Euna’s best friend. Somehow the feeling of being there was so new to her, she could put it like she was a mother-in-training and it was totally bizarre. But then again it was not something she couldn’t get used to or like— especially watching that particular girl on stage. Euna was exceptionally well-behaved and seemed to be very serious as she did her part on the fairytale skit and sang her piece well. Joohyun smiled like a proud mother hen; the thought made her want to laugh at herself.

“I’m so glad to see you again, Joohyun-ssi,” Tiffany sat beside her while the children took their break, “Euna was worried a while ago because she said her halmeoni is in Ilsan and nobody will be here to dress her up.”

“Mrs. Jung asked me to be here,” she smiled at the teacher.

“Can I tell you a something?” Tiffany looked at her with a secret smile, “Euna is one of my favorites. I know it’s wrong to have one but she is really adorable.”

“Yes, I understand how you feel,” she smiled, she couldn’t help but feel the pride she shouldn’t even have, “I was taken by her too when I first saw her.”

“She’s sweet, vivacious and very smart, not to mention assertive, and it makes me so happy that she seemed to be really happy lately.” Tiffany then looked at the other woman studying her expression as she spoke, “She has been mentioning you a lot.”

“Really?”

“I don’t want to in but,” she hesitated but she really wanted to express how she felt, “I hope you will always stay by her side. She needs something… someone. I have no right to tell you this but as her teacher I can see how she changed since you came into her life…”

Joohyun could not really find the words to say to that but only managed to nod, “Thank you for your concern, I love Euna too…”

She was humbled by what Tiffany said but it was making her uncomfortable. Everybody seemed to want her to tie herself with Euna which she couldn’t really complain about. But then again, Euna meant Yonghwa.

Or is she just thinking too much?

~~~

Joohyun busied herself dressing the little girl up and getting her ready. For about two hours, the program would be starting so everybody was run