I feel someone pinching my nose gently in my sleep. “Hnngg.” I growl but the person won’t quit pinching. Is it mom? Is it dad? “Yaahh~” I say weakly, trying to remove the fingers pinching my nose.

Then I hear the person chuckling, and another chuckle coming from a little girl.

Tae- Taemin?! Da- Dannie?!

I open my eyes to see Taemin leaning so close to me as he pinches my nose. Dannie is behind him, leaning on his back while looking over to me as well. “Yah! What are you doing?!!” I stand up astounded of being so close to him.  The both of them laugh. I’m starting to get nervous that Dannie will inherit Taemin’s naughtiness! Look at her enjoying so much as her daddy bullies me!

She jumps on the bed and hugged me as she plants a soft kiss on my cheek. “Good morning, mommy. Daddy said you and I will bring me and pick me up from school today!” She says excitedly. I smile slightly despite being so surprised and a bit dizzy upon immediately rising up as soon as I opened my eyes.

“Sure, baby, I’ll just wash myself then.” I tell her and she smiles and plants another kiss.

“I’m helping daddy do the breakfast, too!” She says to which I unconsciously nod.

I don’t know what time I actually slept last night. But I’m sure it’s definitely past my desired bedtime, which is why I still feel so sleepy and shaggy. As to why I slept so late. Don’t even ask why. I’m clueless about it as well.

As soon as I’m done taking a bath, I go out to see if the two of them need some help for the breakfast. I could hear Dannie’s cute laughter while going to the kitchen. She is having fun with her daddy who keeps on making funny jokes and playing with her there.

“Dannie, we should hurry up. You have school.” I say as a reminder and Dannie quickly complies. Taemin is still laughing. I wonder what the two of them are talking about while I’m away.

“Oh before I forget.” Taemin says while setting a serving of hotdogs and bacons on the table. He likes these kinds of food in the morning, and because Dannie likes them, too, so I really can’t complain anymore. “We’re going on an event tonight.”

“Tonight?” I don’t know if I repeat the word because I’m not sure of what I heard or because I am surprised of that announcement. By “we”, he means the three of us? As a family? Wait. I don’t understand.

“Yes. Tonight.” Taemin nods in confirmation as he looks at me. “The hospital regularly hosts gatherings and events like this for all their employees including the doctors, nurses, staff, and technicians together with their families. I used to go alone, but now I’m going with two lovely girls.”

“Is it okay to come along, daddy?” Dannie asks in hesitation. It’s what I am about to ask, too.

“Yes dear. They accommodate employees’ family, plus, daddy’s one of the greatest doctors in that hospital, so they should welcome my family. Alright?” I frown as he starts boasting about himself but when I see Dannie smiling – as if she’s enjoying what he just said, I just stay quiet and let it pass. “Remember that cute pink dress we bought before? You’re going to wear it later.” He says and Dannie immediately shoots a sparkling gaze towards me, as if she’s really excited.

Seeing her as happy and as excited as that always warms my heart. She’s enjoying every moment with her father, and I don’t think I am not in the position to complain about that.

Now, I can see, how the deal I had with him is such a success. Overall, it’s perfect since Dannie’s living a perfect life with what she sees as a perfect family.

Let’s disregard the fact that I feel disturbed and not-so-comfortable whenever Taemin is around. And upon seeing that sleeping face last night, my discomfort just levelled up.

“Will I really wear it, mommy?” She asks me and I nod in approval. “I’m excited!”

“But for now, sweetie, we need to finish eating breakfast and be in school on time!” I remind her enthusiastically again. Dannie is energetic and cheerful today. She scoots to the living area and gets her bag as soon as she’s done.

Jinki ssi said it would probably take time for Dannie to completely heal and move on from the past. However, he miscalculated Taemin’s will to help Dannie out, to get her feel better immediately. As what I can see from Dannie right now. She’s feeling wonderful. There might still be these moments when she will think of them, but I can see her leaning towards the acceptance and will start to leave a happier life despite their absence.

I must admit, though, that Taemin actually plays a bigger part in this between the two of us. I am being good at portraying myself a good mother to her. But Taemin, on the other hand, has successfully reached down to her eye level, has been acting as her friend, her oppa, and not just her daddy.

There is this fine line that connects the two of them, and I think it has something to do with what happened to Taemin in the past.

I know I once told myself I am not interested about knowing his past, but now that I can see how his past has affected his totality as a person today, I want to know what is there in the past. I’m not just curious, I’m concerned.

Taemin and I really take Dannie to school together. She insists on having both of us walk her inside the school ground towards her classroom. We comply only to see how happy she is upon walking together hand in hand with the both of us. Other kids are looking. Their parents are looking, too. At one point, I saw three women whispering and squealing while looking at Taemin. I don’t know why I automatically feel a bit irritated. “Dannie, do you want daddy to carry you until we reach your room?” I ask her and Dannie looks at him.

For a while, I know Taemin is confused as to why I asked Dannie that, but he smiles eventually and lowers himself to carry her. “Sure, daddy loves to carry his little girl.” He says as he lifts her in his arms.

Meanwhile, I randomly wrap cling an arm around his elbow causing Taemin to pause a bit to look at me. I grin. He frowns only to notice the same women who are looking at us.

“Ah, my wife’s showing off.” Taemin chuckles lightly and wraps the same arm around my shoulder. So now, he’s basically holding Dannie on one arm, while his other arm is around mine.

Wow. I don’t understand why my ego as a woman boosts up to the highest level as soon as I notice the women frowning and looking so envious. I am not minding Taemin’s arm around me. What’s making me feel good is the fact that right now, all these people should know that I am married to one of the most handsome doctors in South Korea who also wears good-looking clothes and smells so good in his masculine perfume. Hmmp! Take that, envious women!

Oops. Am I being too much?

Dannie kisses the both of us before she enters the classroom. We watch for a while before the both of us decide to go.

“Why aren’t you holding me?” Taemin asks as we are walking back to his car. I look at him. I don’t know why I only realize the embarrassing results of what I have done just a while go. He is surely going to tease me again. “Come on, they are still looking at me. Do you want one of them to steal your husband away?”

“Stop it.” I whisper and he just chuckles.

“Come on. Hmm?” He says and extends his hand towards me, reaching out for me to hold. I look at it, and look up to him and then I see that sparkling smile. As if my hand had its own brain, I take his hand and hold it tightly. He sighs and we continue walking. “Any schedule for the day?”

I shake my head. I don’t know why my heart is starting to skip its beat abnormally. I am not just uncomfortable, I am nervous, too. Oh my… what is actually happening to me?

“Let’s have a date then. Save this day only for me.” I blink a few times affirming his words. He looks at me and nods. “You didn’t hear? I said save this day only for me. Let’s eat out. Watch a movie, and then later, let’s buy you some nice dress you can wear at the event later.”

“Why?” There are lots of things coming and going inside my head that I could only utter that question. Why?

“What why? Why are we buying a dress? Because you need to look extra beautiful tonight. I allowed you to show me off to those women. I think it’s fair if I show you off later, too. See, you need to be the most beautiful woman there. I want all the men staring at you, but then I want them to feel that the only thing they can do is to stare as they don’t have any right to stay any closer to you.”

“W-why are.. why are we having a date?”

He frowns as if it’s the weirdest question he has heard so far. I feel his hand holding mine even tighter before he responds.

“Hmm… because you’re my wife? Can that be a valid reason?”

“No.” He frowns again and sighs.

“Because I want to date you.” He says straightly looking into my eyes as if he’s going to read everything that is going into my mind.

Why is this so weird? Why, suddenly, why?

“Look at this.” He lifts our hands up and shows me my fingers. One of them has the wedding ring around it. “This is exactly why I want to date you right now. Get it? Now let’s move on.”

Wow. I’m speechless.