Chapter 27. Sunshine

The morning rays slithered inside the room warming the rather cool morning. Her body hummed in response to the unfamiliar bed she just woke in to but she couldn’t help but smile. Joohyun smiled some more when the little one’s eyes opened slowly then closed again. She rubbed her cheeks when Euna yawned. “Good morning, princess. Awake now?”

“Hmmmm…. mma,” she sighed and buried her face on her mommy’s chest.

She chuckled by the way her little girl called her, realizing that she was still sleeping. She should probably be alarmed by that but Joohyun felt nice inside and it wouldn’t hurt to keep herself in this little bubble for a while longer. Whatever it is that she has with the girl’s father shouldn’t probably affect how she felt about Euna. The little one gives her something that she has never felt before.

In the end, she sighed knowing that she shouldn’t have fallen asleep in this house even if she was in the safest room. She knew her time was up once again but Euna was heavily hugging her with her long limbs. Gently, she shoved her little leg off her hip and then Joohyun took her arm but before she could lay it on her side, Euna’s eyes opened wide.

“I’m hungry.”

Joohyun laughed; Euna was awake after all. She kissed her forehead then slowly rose, “Then we should wash up. What do you want for breakfast?” That was probably another bad idea since, first, she’s never an experienced cook and most of all, there was no way she’d want him to see her this morning— in his house.

But Euna was already on her feet before she could take it back.

“Okay!” Euna clapped as she hopped off the bed.

Joohyun sighed then looked seriously at the little girl with her wild hair and expectant eyes, “Uhm, Euna…”

“Yeah?”

“I have a bit of a problem…”

“What’s that?”

“I can’t cook…”

The little girl put her palm on her forehead and sighed.

~~~

He could see Ha In walking towards him wearing her usual smile that would always make him feel at home. She was walking closer and closer but the rain blurred his vision. He ran to meet her right before the mist took over as the frosty water running down his body was making him quiver. He tried to find a place to stay. Suddenly, he felt a warm palm touched his bare chest pushing him slowly down on the damp grass.

Her face was wet as trickles of water flowing from her hair caressed his chest and she gently moved with grace on top of him. Yonghwa could see her face clearly— as clearly as the voice that calls out his name. Gently, she laid her lips on his skin moving upwards in a refined dance until she conquered his hungry lips in a deep, wanting kiss. Then her body undulated on top of his, skin to skin. The hard buds on her chest and it was only then he realized they were both . His hand traveled on the contours of her soft body. He wanted her so much he was losing his mind. His world spun and held on to her elbow when she detached herself from him, but she just smiled and whispered his name on his ear…

And he whispered hers—

“Joohyun…”

A happy noise stole him from that crazy yet beautiful nightmare and it took a few minutes for him to realize that someone inside his house. He got up and went straight to the bathroom. He stared back at his reflection and felt so much different. Why does he feel like a stranger? 

And that dream—it felt so real.

“No, you cannot put that first!”

“Why can’t I? It says here… look… see?”

“But… I know better than you do!”

“Are you really sure?”

“Yes… we should put this first before this one. Have you ever done this before?”

“Nope…”

“See? So you should just watch me, okay…?”

“But I wanna try it too…”

“But you don’t know how!”

“That’s why I wanna try it so that I’ll learn!”

“No, please! You’re just gonna mess it up!”

“No, I won’t! I swear!”

“Aish! Just let me do it first and you do it after I show you how, okay, Unnie?”

“But…”

He found the two girls on the island counter of the kitchen—Euna standing on a high chair and Joohyun just right beside her, both were wearing similar aprons. Flour, egg shells, and a few boxes suggested what they were up to.

“Good morning, Appa!” It was Euna who first saw him and Joohyun looked up to him with an unsure expression.

“Good morning…” he whispered directly addressing the woman in pigtails just like his little girl. She looked so different from the one in his dream. He shivered.

“Good morning…” she timidly smiled then turned to Euna. She had been thinking about how weird it would be for him seeing her here in his house early in the morning. Joohyun sighed and finally looked at him again, “I’m sorry to make this mess on your kitchen.”

“No, it’s okay,” he walked over to them, “You’re making cookies?”

“Yup! Chocolate chip cookies!” Euna beamed, “I’m teaching her…”

“I can see that…” he snickered crossing his arms on his chest then gave the older woman an amused expression, “She’s a tough one.”

“No wonder she’s you’re daughter…” she smiled but no matter how she wanted to look up to him, she just couldn’t so she focused on mixing the dough on the bowl.

Euna smiled to herself when she realized the way they were shyly looking at each other. Did they see her dream too? If only she could tell them that she dreamed that she saw them kissing but she could not, instead she beamed, “Appa, Unnie is pretty in the morning, right?”

Joohyun’s eyes widened in disbelief with what she heard so she protested, “Eunayah!”

“She’s pretty anytime of the day…” Yonghwa walked behind them and took a glass of water. He smiled to himself seeing her blush.

“Hey!” She whined and narrowed her eyes at Euna but deep inside she felt the warmth in his voice, “Are you two making fun of me?”

“Ani,” he spoke from behind and whispered close, “Really…”

That seriously made her shiver. Did he even need to whisper? “Yeah, right…” she rolled her eyes ignoring her thoughts then went over to the sink where he was now standing, “I’m sorry, I was about to go but you know you’re daughter…”

“I don’t mind at all,” he said without taking his eyes off hers. Yonghwa didn’t mind waking up and finding her in his house— not at all.

“Ohhh… coooold!” She cried when the first burst of water startled her after she put her hands under the running water in the sink.

“Come here…” Yonghwa took her hands and held it like he was ho