Later that evening, Min Ki and I were on the couch and he was telling me about his day.

“Hey mama, do you know a man named Choi Minho?”

“I did a long time ago. Why?”

“He’s my P.E. teacher and he said he knew you. He also said he knew me as a baby.”

I nodded. “He’s right Minnie. You were about three years old when Minho was around so you probably don’t remember him.”

Min Ki nodded before continuing to describe his first day. I listened intently and just as he began describing his desk partner, the doorbell rang. Min Ki went to answer it and came back with Mari in tow.

“Okay Yaya, your kid is seriously cute,” she said in greeting.

Min Ki looked between us with an odd look on his face as I hugged my friend. Before I could explain, another visitor announced themselves and I went to the door to let Baro in. He followed me to the living room where CAP and Mari were sitting on the couch across from Min Ki. Said child’s eyes almost popped out their sockets when both men greeted each other with jokes.

“Excuse me, but what is this?” Min Ki asked. “Are all of you friends or something?”

“Actually, we are,” I said. “Min Ki, this is Mari and Sunwoo.”

“How are you so nonchalant about this?” Min Ki asked. “I didn’t bat an eyelash when you said you were getting divorced. I even let it go when you said you had other people, but this is too much.”

“Min Ki-” CAP started.

“Seriously, you guys come introducing these two people to me like it’s a normal thing to do. Did you think about this at all? What’s going to happen now? Is…,” he stopped his rant to turn to our guests. “How am I supposed to address you?”

“Just call me Baro.”

“Yeah, and I’m just Mari. There’s no need for formalities.”

Min Ki nodded once and went back to fussing. “So is Baro going to live here with Mama? Where’s dad going? You…what’s going to happen to me?”

I could see tears in my son’s eyes but I knew that if I tried to comfort him, he’d run away, so I stood still and let him get himself together.

“Min Ki, calm down and let us answer your questions,” CAP said calmly. He waited until our son’s breathing evened out before speaking again. “Your mother and I didn’t realize this was affecting you so much. First of all, I am leaving this house, but I’m only going across the street. I can show you the place later if you like…and no, Mari isn’t staying with me.”

“Sunwoo isn’t moving in here either,” I cut in. “It’s going to be me and you here for a while.”

“We’re also not asking you to be involved with Mari and Sunwoo unless you want to. They’re part of our lives, but if it makes you uncomfortable then you don’t have to deal with it.”

“I’m sorry Minnie,” I finished up. “We didn’t intend to upset you.”

“It’s okay,” Min Ki said. “I guess I just wasn’t really expecting all this so quickly.” He turned to Baro and Mari. “I’m sorry for blowing up in front of you,” he said.

“You’re such a cutie I couldn’t hold it against you,” Mari gushed.

“Besides,” Baro said, “it was your first day of high school, right? That couldn’t have been easy, even without all this extra stuff at home.”

I had amazing people around me. For once, I was grateful for the people who cared about me. Baro and Mari didn’t have to be so understanding about anything. They could have decided this was too much for them to deal with, yet here they were trying to put my kid at ease.

What had I done to deserve this? It seemed like no time at all had passed since I’d been arguing with Sungmin and packing my bags. In a little over a decade I’d been an , run away twice, had a child, been married and divorced, and fallen in and out of love. I’ve met people who have changed my life in ways indescribable.

“Mama, are you okay?”

Min Ki’s voice snapped me back to reality. Everybody was looking at me weirdly but I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. I glanced at CAP, then Baro. I thought of P.O who’d become a staple in my life and Minho who’d made his way back, and thought to myself that I wouldn’t be where I was today if it hadn’t been for my time in the Rapper’s Club.