Min Ho was sprawled out on top of the bed staring up at the ceiling with unseeing eyes while disjointed thoughts whirled around in his head. He was still reeling from the shock. He couldn't seem to focus on any one thought, any one feeling.

He had found her.  He had finally found Shin Hye after three long, frustrating years of endless searching.

He had been euphoric earlier, elated at finding her, relieved that she was alive and well.  But now, hours later,  as he laid here alone in his rented room, he couldn't recapture those feelings.  He felt numb.  He felt empty.  And he felt hurt…a deep gnawing hurt that he fought to contain before it consumed him.

She doesn't remember him.  The woman he loved and craved for the last three years doesn't remember him.  A gut-wrenching pain tore through his body causing his eyes to sting.

In all his speculations over the years, he had never imagined that she would forget him, because he could never forget...would never forget her.

But she had forgotten him. She had forgotten their love.  A love so all-consuming that they had created a child together.

Eun Sook.  He had a daughter.  A wave of pure love washed over him.

She was beautiful.  He marveled at how he and Shin Hye, together, had created such an incredibly perfect and beautiful little person.

When he realized she was his daughter, powerful emotions had rocked him and robbed him of all his strength, bringing him to his knees.  He hadn't been able to hold back his tears when Shin Hye acknowledged that Eun Sook was his daughter.  Shin Hye might not have remembered him, but her instincts had recognized  their deep connection.

He was a father. He had been a father for three years.  He closed his eyes briefly and swallowed the lump in his throat.  God. He didn't know how to be a father.  He didn't know what to do. He hadn't had any time to prepare.

A small resentment at Shin Hye rose up inside of him.  She had denied him his daughter. If she hadn't run away from him, he would have known his child, he would have known what to do,  he would have been prepared.

He stared at the ceiling again.  He knew he was being unfair to Shin Hye. Her memory loss wasn't her fault, but he couldn't control his emotions right now.  He had to sort through his conflicted feelings before he faced her tomorrow.  He knew he couldn't let his hurt or anger overtake him.  He couldn't lose her again.  He couldn't go back to that lonely existence, life in limbo, waiting for her to come home, worrying about her, aching for her.

His body flinched at the memories. There were times that he had missed her so much that he had barely been able to cope with  the pain. It nearly drove him mad.  He would hole up in their apartment and just brood for days, alternating between cursing her for leaving him, then praying as hard as he could for her to come back to him.  But most of the time, he worried about her being out there on her own with no ID and no money. He worried about her safety.  He wanted to be there for her so that she wasn't suffering quietly from her nightmares. He hoped that she was living well. 
 

"Good morning, Detective Lee."   Shin Hye didn't know how to address him so she went with the first thing that came to mind.

"Good morning."  He responded with an amused look that turned up the corners of his mouth,  like he knew a joke that she didn't know.

Shin Hye smiled back, a little flustered.  She wondered what kind of love affair they had if just a slight smile from him had her heart fluttering like mad.

He didn't look like he had gotten much sleep last night.  His eyes were puffy and blood shot. He looked pale and in need of a good razor, but he still looked devastatingly handsome to her.

She wasn't sure what to expect this morning.  She had lain awake last night recalling their meeting in little details.  She could still see the dazed and confused look on his face before they had parted.  He had been in shock.  She had been reluctant to leave him in that condit