Chapter Seven

The silence of the night was lulling the two asleep figures on the bed. Both heavily asleep on the opposite sides of the bed but one was woken up by a shrill sound of a ringtone. Mina sat abruptly and answered the call.

“Hello?” She answered groggily, voice in hush tone to avoid waking Chaeyoung up. She ran her fingers through her hair to at least tame it a bit.

“Aunt Mina! Thank goodness!” A shout on the other line woke Mina’s senses. Fear crept into Mina’s heart, sensing that something happened to her daughter because it was a call from Yeri.

“Kang Yerim? What’s wrong?”

“Seriously? Do you really have to say my complete name?” Yeri, grumpily muttered. On a normal situation Mina would have laugh at but it was morning and she was worried.

“Yerim-ah! What’s wrong?” Mina whispered shouted, still aware on the sleeping figure beside her.

“I’m outside with your daughter.” Yeri said nonchalantly.

“But it’s 2 am.” She groaned.

“Liana seem to not speak our language.” And she ended the call.

With a sigh Mina left the room as quietly as possible. A grumpy Yerim is the first thing she saw when she opened the front door, dressed in her pajamas. Mina looked guilty at disturbing Yerim’s night.

“I’m sorry, Yerim-ah.” She hugged the lady expressing her sorry and gratitude. Something must have really happened to Liana that she was able to convince Yeri to drive her home at 2 am.

“It’s okay, Aunt Mina.” Yeri keeps on patting Mina’s back. “I didn’t know you were dating someone tho.” She continued.

“What?” A startled Mina asked.

“Liana’s Mama. Isn’t she the woman you are dating now?”

“Chaeyoung?”

“Oh. So, Chaeyoung is her name. Is she pretty?”

“Of course, she is.”

“She’s probably really smart because I heard from Mom that she’s a pediatrician.”

“Yes, she is.”

“She’s probably really tall.”

“No, she’s no—”

“Oh. But you still like her nonetheless.”

“What?”

“Liana’s Mama, Dr. Chaeyoung. Your girlfriend.” Yeri said in a tone as if Mina was out of her mind.

“My girlfriend?” Mina pointed at herself questioning Yeri’s assumption. If anyone in the neighborhood will see them right now Mina’s shocked face will make them laugh.

“Yes, your girlfriend.” Yeri pointed her finger at her Aunt emphasizing her point.

“No, she’s not.” Shaking her head, she looked sternly at Yeri to stop the Kang’s eldest in spouting nonsense but Yeri is Yeri.

“Then, make her your girlfriend! Liana really likes her and that would be a mess if you don’t date her.” Yeri persisted as if she was just asking Mina to buy strawberries instead of mangoes. She continued, “Liana thinks that you guys are dating. She cried last night when I jokingly told her that you guys weren’t a thing.”

“Oh, Gosh.” Now Mina’s problem is bigger. If Liana believes on something she will believe it until the end. Just like how she believes that Santa is real and unicorns exists. Every time that someone tells her that those things are not real she bawls her eyes out. It’s going to be a mess.

“Yes, oh gosh. Now, get your daughter at the back seat so I can go home and continue my beauty rest. I’m pretty sure I’ll wake up at Yeji crying over Liana.”

The mother immediately complied while Yeri continued on narrating about how Liana woke her up at 1 am crying over her Mama being sad and she urgently need to go home. On how Liana knew that Chaeyoung was indeed in their home is a wonder. It was on Christmas eve when Chaeyoung last join them for a sleep over.

Mina laid Liana between her and the still asleep Chaeyoung. The little girl automatically succumbing to the doctor’s warmth, releasing a sigh of contentment when she was in Chaeyoung’s arms. She just chuckled at the sight. It seems like Liana likes Chaeyoung’s skin ship even when sleeping.

She laid happily beside Liana, facing the two cuddled asleep figures at the bed. Mina should feel jealous seeing Liana gets too attached with Chaeyoung more than her own mother but she doesn’t feel like that. Mina feels warm. There’s this unexplainable warmth that enters her chest whenever she sees Liana getting too attached with the Pediatrician.

She put some of Chaeyoung’s hair that was covering her bare face behind her ear. She noticed how tamed Chaeyoung looked when sleeping, contrary to her behavior when in her doctor’s duties, fierce during emergencies but an angel in front of her patients.

Looking at Chaeyoung now, she was just Chaey