Author’s POV:

 

 

"Mommy…" Hyomin called her pretty godmother softly while yawning sleepily. The room was dark, but she knows her pretty godmother was in there with her. She hears a sobbing sound next to her. It must come from her pretty godmother, she thought. She remembers her pretty godmother had slept in the same bed as her last night. Because her pretty godmother asked her in a loving tone if they can sleep together. She missed her pretty godmother so so much. She always loves sleeping on the same bed as her pretty godmother. Since she was so so small, her pretty godmother always pats her till she fell asleep. Right now, she was awake because she wanted to pee. Not because of the sobbing sound that she overheard. Anyway, the sobbing sound has delayed her intention to pee already. She wasn’t that sleepy anymore when she lets out her next question. "Is mommy, okay?"

 

Tiffany already cleared droplets of tears on her face upon hearing her little princess’s first call. She felt bad if she was the reason why her daughter has awoken. When she felt a small hand made a contact against her skin, she quickly makes a statement to tell her daughter that she was in there with her.

 

"Mommy woke up just now, baby. Did mommy bother your sleep?" Tiffany adjusts her position to scoot over near to her baby girl. She gave a kiss to the warm hand that touching her face before enveloping her baby girl’s small frame in her body.

 

She has no idea what time it is right now. She knew it’s been awhile since she started crying. She felt tormented to think about everything. Clearly, she isn’t ready to give Taeyeon a divorce and to live in a different house from Taeyeon and their daughter. She knew that she can stand from not seeing her daughter and Taeyeon in the same house for a week or two. But she was unsure if she can stand from not seeing them in her house for months or years. Not able to process the idea of breaking up in their contract marriage has put her in distress situation. She can’t get her sleep after the conversation she had with Jessica. How she wished that she has the ability to erase her own memory. She won’t experience any of it if she can erase her own memory, she thought.

 

"Did mommy cry?" Hyomin interrogates after feeling leftover tears on her pretty godmother’s face. Her pretty godmother’s voice sounded so so different. It’s like her pretty godmother was having a flu or something when she speaks a word.

 

"Mommy has a little cold. But it wasn’t really that bad." Tiffany tried to hide the real story. Not wanting to share the reason of her cry has made her choose to give that kind of safe answer. She knew how curious Hyomin was at her age right now. "Let’s get back to sleep, baby. Sorry if mommy had bothered you."

 

"Mommy didn’t bother Hyomin at all. Hyomin waking up because Hyomin wants to pee, mommy." The little kid told her reason softly for waking up at that hour. It felt like her body clock has woken her up at the normal hours she used to. She doesn’t feel like she wants to sleep anymore. "Can mommy accompany Hyomin to the toilet?"

 

"Ahh… wait, mommy will turn on the light."

 

Tiffany searched the bedside table light switch before she turned her head around to look into her daughter’s face that still lying lazily on the bed. Her daughter was trying to adjust the light by flashing her eyes a couple of times. After a few seconds, her daughter was returning the stare that she initiated.

 

"Mommy, why mommy’s face is so so pink? Mommy's eyes look so so puffy too. It was red. Or pink?" Hyomin begins to wonder, getting confused with the color. She disliked what she sees. Her pretty godmother's condition worries her. With red or pink nose and eyes. Why her pretty godmother has that? She was curious. "Dust got into mommy eyes again?"

 

"It’s red, baby. Not pink." Tiffany quickly explains the exact color while trying to help her daughter to sit up on the bed. Only Taeyeon ever said that she could look pink whenever she cries. She can’t let her daughter has the same thought like Taeyeon. "Mommy doesn’t have enough rest these a few days. And mommy can't really sleep just now because of the little cold. That’s why mommy’s eyes and nose become like this. Mommy will be okay soon. Now, let’s get you out from here to pee."

 

 

*******

 

 

Taeyeon's POV:

 

 

I was so distraught after I got into my awareness and got to know Jessica was already left from the place with her cat. None of the others in me came out last night when I ask Tiffany about if I have changed again. The time I was awake was still the time that I was still being me she said.

 

I felt ice-cold. Like I was in a freezer. I have unsettling thought after knowing Jessica's luggage was already gone from the room for real. She left no message prior to her departure. Her phone has been turned off. And I couldn't get Krystal's number after my second call. Like Krystal’s phone has been turned off intentionally.

 

"Where is umma and umma's fluffy cat, mama?"

 

My daughter was asking me the same question while I was inside the room that has been occupied by her biological mother previously. I got no answer to her. I don't know it myself why Jessica suddenly left us and turned off her phone. As what I remembered, Jessica agreed to give me a chance to prove my love to her. I want to learn to appreciate and enjoy her presence with me for as long as I'm still breathing. That's what I told her last night.

 

The IV treatment still got 300ml fluid left when my eyes caught the IV bag hanging in the IV stand next to my right. Jessica didn't finish consuming it all. Mean she is probably leaving us an hour ago before I awake if I didn't calculate it wrongly.

 

I lost count how many times I went inside the room where Jessica stayed to check if she had left anything as a hint of her departure.

 

None.

She left nothing.

No clue. No piece of puzzle.

 

Not even inside my luggage or every single of our clothes that I try to check. The ring that I bought to propose her was still inside the jeans I wore during the flight. I hold it in my palm, trying to think where I did wrong.

 

Perhaps, did I scare Jessica last night? Or perhaps, did my bad hunch about bringing Tiffany into the house has become true? I have no clear clue for now. However, I was certain something must happen somewhere to make Jessica leaves us like this.

 

I picked up my daughter in my arms before looking into her eyes. She was as sad as I was. I don't know now. But looking into her face was making me miss her biological mother even more. I could see her mother in her eyes. It worries me. I don't want to lie to her, but not that I have a choice. I supposed to calm her worry thoughts if she has any.

 

"Umma has some important matters that she needs to settle. We will be able to see umma again if she is already free from the things that suddenly make her left us. What do you want to have for breakfast, baby? Mama will do it for you."

 

You know how bad I was when I need to change the topic immediately before she interrogates me more about the woman that she first seen on the flight? My attempt is such a failed anyway. She didn’t answer my question, but returning me another question back.

 

"Mama, will umma play roleplay with Hyomin again next time? Because Hyomin wants umma to join us playing minion roleplay so badly."

 

"Of course. We will play a roleplaying game with umma again next time. Mama will make sure to tell umma about this. Now, please tell mama, what mama's little princess would like to have for breakfast?"

 

"Mommy already made pancake for us." She informed the things that I clearly unaware of. Only after her announcement I could feel my sense was slowly getting return back to me. I could smell the food that has been cooked in the house. "While mama was busy unpacking clothes, mommy has made our breakfast."

 

"Let's have them now if like that." I tried to smile for her. That's the only thing that I know she wants to see from me. I can't be all worry like I want right now. My little princess cannot see that from me if I don't want her to be suspicious about her mother's disappearance from the place. "Thanks God, we have mommy with us."

 

"Thanks God we have mommy with us, mama."

 

My little princess repeats the sentence in her adorable and cheerful kid voice. Her innocent smile that she presented on her face can cure my worried heart temporarily. I can’t get enough giving her a feverish kiss on her face due to that. I was being thankful for having her in my life. This kid is obviously my source of happiness before I get to know about her biological mother. Without delaying the time, I brought her directly to where our breakfast is ready, meeting the woman that I suspected got to do with Jessica's disappearance. I might be wrong, but I might be right. That's why I want to speak with Tiffany later, since I can’t ask her directly when our daughter is around.

 

I hope I was wrong.

 

 

*******

 

I’ve spent my day with our daughter and Tiffany while trying hard to stay focused and making our dau