“Haru, it’s time for your bath.” Jimin sang. She pouted and tried to run away, but he scooped her up into his arms and threw her in the air. She giggled as he caught her and kissed her cheek. “Who’s Daddy’s favorite girl?” He cooed, rubbing his nose against hers.

“Me!” I cried, looking up from my laptop.

“Correct!” Jimin beamed, snuggling Haru in his arms and pointing at me. “Who’s Daddy’s favorite baby?” He asked her, poking her cheek.

“Also me!” I raised my hand, grinning.

Jimin laughed. “Correct, again. Okay, who’s Daddy’s favorite Haru?”

“Me! Me, me!” Haru cried excitedly.

“Correct!” I pointed at her. “Daddy loves you!”

“I love Daddy!” She cried. “Daddy mine.” Jimin grinned.

“You can have him, sweetheart.” I said, turning back to my laptop. “He’s a piece of work, your daddy.”

Haru reached up and patted Jimin’s cheek. “You beautiful, Daddy.” She said solemnly.

“Thank you, cherry blossom.” Jimin kissed her nose.

Haru blew me a kiss as Jimin carried her into the bathroom. I smiled and blew one back.

I watched them from my perch on the couch as Jimin prepared the bath for Haru. Our apartment was tiny, just two bedrooms and one bath. I could see directly into the bathroom from the living room. Jimin sat on the edge of the tub and tested the water as Haru stood next to him and laid her head on his knee.

She was such a daddy’s girl. She was always fighting with me over who Jimin loved more, with her limited two year old language. We both knew it was me. Jimin would never love anyone more than he loved me. Although Haru was definitely a close second.

“You ready for your bath, daffodil?” Jimin Haru’s hair softly. He loved to call her by the names of flowers. When we found out we were having a girl, I told him I wasn’t raising a princess and he couldn’t call her that and give her any ideas. He’d protested, saying that I was his queen and he’d need a princess in his life, too. I won in the end, though, as soon as the gifts started pouring in and everything was pink and ruffled and covered in crowns. We’d ended up exchanging almost all of them, except the ones given to us by his grandmother. We were too afraid to return those.

“No. Don’t want a bath.” Haru pouted, her lips pulling down in a frown. She’d inherited Jimin’s mouth and I worried over how many boys would dream of kissing her when she got older. Hopefully she was nothing like her mother in regards to relationships. I wanted her to grow up serious and romantic like Jimin.

“Come on, snapdragon, you’re looking more like a tumbleweed than a flower.” Jimin coaxed, pulling her dress over her head. She started to cry, big fat tears rolling down her chubby cheeks. He immediately scooped her up and cuddled her into his arms. “Don’t cry, little lily.” He crooned, patting her back. “It’ll be over soon and then Mama said she’ll let you have a snack.”

“A snack?” She asked tearfully into Jimin’s shoulder.

“Yeah, a snack.” He glanced up and met my eyes. He smiled, a beautiful, tender smile that had me falling in love all over again. “And then we’ll get your jammies on and Mama will read you a story and Daddy will sing your favorite special song. Okay?”

“Okay.” Haru sniffed and sat up. Jimin smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. She took his face in her small hands. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, Haru.” He mirrored her and cupped her small face in his hands. She giggled, a y giggle.

Jimin gently lowered her into the bath. He knelt on the side of the tub and shampooed her hair while she played with her little bath toys.

“Sing song, Daddy.” She ordered, reaching up and patting his cheek.

“Ah, what should I sing?” He hummed thoughtfully.

“Mama’s song!” Haru cried excitedly.

“Mama’s song, huh?” Jimin smiled. He turned to me, a huge grin on his face. “Baby, you ready to fall for me?”

“Yeah, sing my song, honey.” I smiled at him. “Try and capture my heart.”

“Baby girl, I don’t even need to try.” He smirked. “I’ve already got it.”

“Just sing the damn song, Jimin.” I laughed. He shot me a look and nodded his head towards Haru. Oh, . I was always slipping up and cursing in front of her. She’d said one day and Jimin nearly skinned me alive. I found him crying about it later, saying I was going to corrupt his innocent flower before she was five. I patted his back and told him he better pray she didn’t inherit more of my genes if he wanted her to remain innocent for a long time. He’d glared at me through his tears and wondered aloud why’d he’d fallen for such a woman.

“Daddy, sing song.” Haru reminded him. Jimin stuck his tongue out at me and started the familiar opening lines to Jay Park’s “Joah.” I smiled, remembering how I’d caught him singing this song after our first date all those years ago. When he’d approached me in his parents’ restaurant, I’d thought he was just another guy trying to hit on me. I thanked God daily for making me so shallow that I’d go out with a boy just because of his pretty face. His personality was why I’d stayed, though. He was really the most beautiful person I’d ever met.

Jimin gently washed Haru’s small body as he sang. She splashed in the tub, getting water on him. He patiently wiped off his face with his sleeve. He was always so patient with her. He caught me staring at him and winked, making my heart pound. He could still charm me so easily.

“Okay, rose petal, bathtime’s all done.” Jimin said sweetly, pulling the plug on the drain. Haru pouted. She never wanted to get in the bath, but she never wanted to get out, either.

“Nooooo.” She whined.

“C’mon, Daddy’s got your special shark towel all ready.” He held it out to her and she stood eagerly, ready to be dressed as a shark. He wrapped her up in it, flipping the hood down over her head. She giggled as he gently rubbed her hair dry. He picked her up out of the tub and set her down on the ground. She ran to me excitedly.

“Mama, look, look! I shark!” She stood in front of me, hopping up and down.

“You’re a shark?” I cried, hiding behind my hands.

“No, Mama, I not scary shark.” She came up to me and patted my knee. “I Haru, Mama.”

“Oh, is my little Haru under there?” I bent down and peeked under her hood. She giggled at me, her dark brown eyes looking so much like her father’s.

I put my laptop down and scooped her up in my arms.

“Ooh, you’re wet.” I grimaced and wrapped her up tighter in her towel. “Daddy didn’t do a good job of drying you off.”

Jimin huffed, offended. He came over to us and pulled Haru away from me. He threw her over his shoulder and carried her off into her bedroom.

“Love you!” I called after him.

“Love you too, Mama!” Haru called back.

I heard Jimin’s laughter and smiled to myself. I decided to abandon work for the rest of the night and crept over to her bedroom door, wanting to spy on them.

I peeked my head in the door, grinning as I saw Haru running around while Jimin tried to dry her.

“Get over here, you little rascal.” He laughed, catching her and picking her up easily. He caught my eye and smiled. “Look, Haru, Mama’s here!” He pointed at me.

Her chubby face broke out into a wide smile. She reached her little arms out to me and Jimin handed her off. I snuggled her into my arms and kissed her wet hair.

“You ready for your pjs, baby?” I asked her. She nodded and yawned, suddenly sleepy.

“Froo snacks.” Haru mumbled.

“You want fruit snacks?” I murmured into her hair.

“Yeah, froo snacks, Mama.”

“After jammies.” Jimin said, pulling out a pair of footie pajamas from the top drawer of her dresser. “Can you put her diaper on?” He asked me.

I nodded and laid her on the changing table. She yawned and regarded me through tired eyes. I poked her soft little belly and she let out a sleepy giggle.

Jimin stood behind me and made faces at her while I wrapped her up snugly in a nighttime diaper.

When I was done, I picked Haru up and set her on the floor. Jimin handed me her pajamas and I helped her climb into them. She placed a chubby hand on Jimin’s knee to steady herself. I zipped her up and Jimin handed me the comb.

“You’re so pretty.” I told her, styling her bangs. She smiled at me and patted my cheek. She loved to pat cheeks; I wasn’t really sure why.

“Mama, you beautiful.” She told me.

“Yeah, you are.” Jimin said softly, glancing over at me with a tender expression in his eyes.

“You ready for some fruit snacks?” I asked Haru. She nodded sleepily. Jimin took her hand and led her into the kitchen. I stretched out on her floor and sighed contentedly. I closed my eyes, feeling almost ready for sleep myself.

“Here, Mama.” Haru shoved a gummy into my mouth before I could open my eyes. Luckily, I sat up before I started to choke.

“Oh, thank you, Haru. Did you give one to Daddy?” I asked, looking up at Jimin. He smiled down at me, his hand on Haru’s head.

“Yeah. Daddy likes froo snacks.” Haru said, shoving three in at one time.

“Eat slowly, slowly.” Jimin told her. “Don’t choke.”

“Here, come here, Haru. I’ll read you a story.” She crawled in my lap and I picked out her favorite book. Haru loved to read. I was happy that I recognized at least some of myself in my daughter. Sometimes I felt like she was just all Jimin.

She pointed at the pictures, eagerly turning the pages before I had finished reading them. Jimin wandered around the room, tidying up here and there.

“All done!” I announced, closing the book. Haru yawned and leaned against my chest.

“I wanna ‘nother.” She mumbled.

“Nah, it’s time for bed.” I told her. Her lower lip trembled, but fortunately, Jimin came to the rescue.

He picked her up from my lap and laid her snugly against his shoulder. “It’s time for your special song, Haru.” He said softly, patting her back.

Jimin started singing to her, a sweet, low tune that held special memories for me. This was his mother’s lullaby. He used to sing it to me when we first started dating. He still sang it to me sometimes, in the dead of night, when I couldn’t sleep for some reason or another. This song was so special to all of us.

I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of his gentle voice. I loved his singing. I opened my eyes after a minute or so and caught him staring at me as he gently bobbed back and forth, soothing Haru to sleep. I gazed back at him for a while, still mesmerized by the look in his eye after all these years. Eventually, he looked away and laid Haru down in her crib. She stirred in her sleep as he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. I stood up and walked over to her crib. Jimin took my hand as I bent down to give her a goodnight kiss.

He turned off the light and led me out of the room, closing the door behind us quietly. He pulled me into our bedroom and shut the door. He turned to me, tenderness and desire burning in his eyes.

He placed his hands on my waist and bent his head down, resting his forehead against mine. I looked up into his eyes, my heart starting to pound.

“I love you.” Jimin whispered, kissing me gently.

I wound my arms around his neck and pressed myself closer to him. “I love you, Jimin. You’re such a good dad. I wanna have all your babies.”

“Works for me.” He laughed. His warm breath fanned over my face as he leaned in to kiss me again. He pushed my mouth open and slid in his tongue. After a heated minute or two, he drew back and smiled at me. “Want another one?”

I giggled. “Not quite yet.”

“Well, then, let’s just practice for when you’re ready.” Jimin smirked and scooped me into his arms. I rested my head against his chest and breathed in deeply.

“You smell like Haru’s shampoo.” I informed him.

He chuckled and laid me down on the bed. I watched as he climbed on top of me and pulled his shirt over his head.

“Smell me now.” Jimin demanded, laying down on top of me. I sniffed his neck gingerly.

“Smells like you.” I decided, kissing his neck.

Jimin propped himself up on his elbows and studied me.

“What?” I asked, feeling self-conscious.

“Nothing.” He said softly, still staring at me.

“No, seriously, what?” I persisted. “Why are you staring at me?”

“You’re just gorgeous.” Jimin murmured. “I just love you so much.”

“You’re still so cheesy.” I muttered, flushing and avoiding his eyes.

“And you’re still so damn shy.” He chuckled. “We’re married. We have a kid together, baby.”

“Yeah, but you still look at me like it’s the first time you’ve seen me.” I whispered, brushing his hair out of his face.

“I’m going to make love you to now.” Jimin said seriously, looking into my eyes.

I didn’t say anything, just sat up and watched him as he lifted my shirt over my head.

“I love you.” I said softly, reaching out and his cheek.

“I love you, too.” Jimin whispered. “I love you more every day.”

We didn’t talk much after that, but everything we needed to say didn’t need words to be understood.