The question came when Wendy picked up her daughter from school, accompanied by sobs of confusion and fear.

It took a couple of pats and 'darling, what's wrong?'s for Yeri to finally talk.

"Why does Soojung say I'm not your daughter?"

Wendy's first reaction was to simply reply what was most logical to her. "What- You are obviously our daughter, honey."

The little Yeri shook her head from side to side while covering one of her eyes with the back of her hand. Wendy furrowed her brows with worry as she caressed the back of the little girl. 

"I know but I'm not your real daughter. You have told me but- Yeri is not your real daughter. We are not a real family."

Those words hit Wendy really hard, unlike any words she had heard in the past. And Wendy had gone through a lot - falling in love with her bestfriend who was the same gender as she was, coming out and even raising a daughter. None of that had hit her as the feeling she got when Yeri was crying over the fact of not being biologically their daughter.

'That Soojung and her mother Joy' Wendy thought, used to the fact of not using curse words around their daughter. 

She had to find a way to calm her daughter down and she had to deal with that issue right now. 'But I'm not the creative one!' Wendy thought as she bit her nail with worry. 'Seulgi always handles this kind of situations. What if I can't comfort her?'

She took in a deep breath and she rubbed the little girl's forearms. "Yeri, my love, we are a real family. We may not be connected by blood, but we are connected by heart. The three of us are a family. Your mom and I love you a lot, from here to heaven. It doesn't matter if we are not biologically your parents. We love you."

She pressed a soft kiss against her daughter's forehead and brought her thumbs up to wipe the tears away from her face, giving her a reassuring smile as she did. "Do you feel better now?" Her little tiger nodded, earning a pat on the head as her mommy stood up and held her hand out for her daughter to hold. The girl held it with no hesitation, her little fingers lingering on her mother's. The two of them walked out of the school and headed to the car. 

Wendy told herself that she had to call Seulgi as soon as they were home.

"Can I watch cartoons?" Yeri asked while pouting cutely, the crying from earlier seemingly forgotten. Her mommy couldn't say no to that pout and she had no intention on doing so.

"Of course honey. Wait here while I call mom."

Yeri nodded like the obedient girl she was and she sat on the couch accompanied by all her favorite plushie toys. Wendy smiled at the sight, sighing in delight as she took the phone out of her pocket. She took a picture of her daughter before dialing Seulgi's number and bringing it to her ear.

In just two tones, a soft voice answered on the other side.

"Hey darling, are you home now?" Seulgi sweetly asked. Wendy could feel her lover smiling at the other side of the line and that brought a smile to her lips. 

"Yeah, we just arrived. Yeri is watching some cartoons."

"That's nice. I can't wait to be home" And now Seulgi's eagerness could be felt, which made Wendy's heart flutter. She sighed as she resumed the main point of the phone call.

"Yeri has been crying earlier..." She whispered, loud enough for her lover to hear as she entered the kitchen to make sure that her daughter couldn't listn. 

"Why? Has someone been bothering her?" 

"Well, yes and no" She started as she used her free hand to rub the back of her neck. "Soojung, you know, Joy's daughter has told her that Yeri's not biologically our daughter but there was a misunderstood and Yeri thought that she wasn't our daughter at all."

"Oh..." Seulgi's voice sounded both shocked and hurt. To Wendy it was easy to read her lover's mood on the tone of her voice. 

"I told her that she's really our daughter although we are not blood related, but I think it's about time we tell her about the real story behind her adoption."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I think she should embrace her past from an early age."

"I think just the same way you do."

"Thanks god" Wendy brought her hand to her chest with relief. "I thought you may not agree with me."

"Don't worry hon. Yeah, I think we should tell her."

"But I thought we should find a right way to tell her. Like, we should make it in a way she doesn't see it as rough as it really was."

"Yeah, you are right." Seulgi hummed, an indicator that she was thinking at the moment. "Oh, I got an idea!"

"What is it?"

"I have to work on it. Let me surprise you, okay? I'll be home in two hours and you will see. I love you babe!"

"Okay, I trust you. Love you, see you later."

She heard Seulgi pressing a soundful kiss against the phone, which made her giggle like she was a high schooler again.

Wendy met Seulgi back in high school. It wasn't love at the first sight but she enjoyed spending time with her. Seulgi however fell for Wendy the moment she met her. They were introduced to each other by a common friend they had - Bae Joohyun. Seulgi wasn't the kind who remembered people's first name, but she had a real good reason to remember hers. The first one was because she was the reason she met the love of ther life and the second was because she was the reason she got the second love of her life.

Their relationship started quite clumpsily. It was Wendy who confessed first after talking to Joohyun. The oldest was really amused by the couple's antics so she encouraged her to go for it.

Their first dates were awkward. Seulgi was really clumpsy and Wendy always giggled out of nowhere. However, they managed to work it out and soon they were sharing a room back in their dorms. 

It was hard for the people around them to understand that their skinship wasn't merely the one two friends would share, but they didn't care about what people thought. However, they had some troubles with college teachers, since some of them could be really homophobic and they would point out every little mistake they did in their exams.

Their lives was going as fine as it could when Joohyun suddenly disappeared leaving no clue of where she could be. She didn't answer the phone or any kind of message they sent on their way - not even letters. The three of them used to hang out really often, sometimes along with the girl's boyfriend at that time. They even tried contacting her friend's parents, but still they didn't find a clue of where she could be. She had quit college and she was nowhere to be found.

But everything became clear when one day they were surprised during a heated make out session with a loud knock on the door. With a groan Seulgi walked up to the front door only to be greeted by the sight of a baby wrapped on a blanket. Her eyes widened and her first reaction was to shout her partner's name. Seungwan joined her by the door only to bring her hands to .

There was a note along the small body of the girl who was about to be their daughter.

'I'm sorry. I can't deal with this.

Promise me you will take good care of her, please.

I love you both.

Bae Joohyun.'

They always remember the long conversation they had about keeping the baby or not but as they were discussing further the for and against, the small gestures the newborn baby did captured their hearts, specially when baby Yeri reached out with her small hands to touch Seulgi's face. After that, they knew that they were going to raise her and there was no going back. 

Neither of them wanted to go back anyway.

They had to take a really hard decision afterwards. Wendy left her studies to take care of the baby while Seulgi kept studying and working at the same time. Wendy gave guitar and singing lessons to kids in their neighbourhood but as time went by and the rumours about Seulgi and Wendy's 'strange family' became wider, they made another hard decision - they moved to Toronto.

Wendy and Seulgi had already started talking two languages to her kid anyway, so Yeri had no problem to talk with her schoolmates when she went to school. The two mothers remember that moment perfectly well - their little kid with the small schoolbag on her back, pouting at both her mothers, eventually giving in and leaving with her teacher.

Gladly, they met a korean couple at a school meeting. Sooyoung, better known as Joy and Sungjae were a married young couple that were raising their second kid Soojung. Their kids got along really well since they could speak both English and Korean. The two families had dinner together sometimes. Soojung's older sister Sooyeon, Soojung and Yeri made an invincible squad. 

It had taken them a great effort, but they were content with how their lives were going. Seulgi worked and Wendy was earning money to open her own bakery shop. Things were going well for both of them.

Seulgi had a perfect way to tell their daughter how she entered their lives and how wonderful she made them.

After a short stop by the toystore, Seulgi got back home and was greeted by Yeri who ran up to her, already wearing her pajamas. Her mom raised her up in her arms and laughed heartedly with happiness. Wendy joined them wearing an apron and greeted her lover with a chaste kiss on the lips.

"What's in the bag umma?" Yeri tilted her head to the side as she asked, a little gesture both her mothers loved without her knowing. 

"It's a secret" She brought a finger to her lips and glanced at Wendy to give her a wink. Wendy chuckled, amused by her lover's antics and decided to follow her.

"Umma and I will cook something yummy for dinner, why don't you join us after you finish your homework?" 

Yeri's eyes glew as she already knew what that meant - they were having chicken for dinner. She nodded and gave a militar salute to both of them before running back to her room, not even bothered by the fact that she had to do her math homework.

Seulgi followed Wendy into the kitchen with a grin on her lips as she thought of a way to explain what they were going to do later that night. Wendy went back to chopping some vegetables while Seulgi leaned against the counter, thinking how cute Wendy looked when she was concentrated.

"I'm all ears" Wendy sang-song, glancing at Seulgi before resuming her task. 

"I bought some puppets. I thought it would be easier to explain it to her like that."

Wendy's brows furrowed.

"I don't know, Seul. Won't it be too- I don't know. Will it be okay?"

"Yeah, because look at how cute they are!" She took out a bear puppet out of the bag and put it on her hand. Wendy couldn't help but laugh at the sight. 

"That one is you I guess."

"Yep, and this one is you!" She took another puppet out of the bag and handed it to Wendy, who laughed once again when she saw the hamster puppet. 

"Her cheeks are so round, I like this hamster" She nodded in agreement. 

"So you are fine with explain in it like this to our daughter?"

"Of course I am. But what about..." Wendy struggled to say her name aloud after all the time they had spent without mentioning it.

"About Joohyun, right?" Seulgi's face had also turned into a more cautious, worried one. "I bought a cat puppet to represent her and a tiger to represent Yeri."

"Do you think she will hate her for leaving her?" Wendy furrowed her eyebrows again. Her angel was so innocent and had a beautiful heart. She didn't want that heart be filled with hateful thoughts, no matter how wrong her biological mother did in the past. 

"I don't know. Maybe she will. But however, she has us now."

Wendy nodded, most likely to herself more than to what Seulgi had said. Seulgi wrapped her arms around Wendy's waist and leaned her chin on her shoulder. They stood like that for a couple of minutes, ignoring the fact that the puppets were still on their hands. 

"You know what?" Wendy suddenly muttered when she got out of her spacing out. "I don't hate her. I should be mad at her for leaving. I should be mad as hell at her because she didn't give us any explanation of why she left. But as years had gone by and Yeri has grown up, I can't stay mad at her. I can understand her struggles and I forgive her for the huge mistake she did, but I simply think we are not in the same page. I would never give up on Yeri. But it's thanks to her struggles that we are a family now. It's weird because I should hate her, but she gave us a really good present. The best present I have ever found in my front door."

Seulgi simply listened to her as she softly caressed her back, inhaling the scent of her hair before she spoke up.

"I'm still hurt about what she did, but yeah, I agree. Yeri is the best thing that has happened to us" Her voice cracked up a bit, finding herself about to cry when she said that.

"I love you Seulgi. Thank you for always having my back" Wendy said before she kissed her bear's jaw. Seulgi returned the kiss by placing another one on the woman's shoulder. 

"I love you too, my love. I will always have your back."

Just as Seulgi was bathing Yeri and playing with her,  Wendy's phone vibrated with an incoming call. She smiled when she saw it was Joy, because she already knew what the youngest was going to say.

"Hello?"

"OH MY GOD WENDY I'M SO SORRY MY DAUGHTER TOLD YOUR DAUGHTER THAT YOU ARE NOT A REAL FAMILY. I EXPLAINED IT TO HER YESTERDAY AND I DIDN'T EXPECT HER TO UNDERSTAND IT THAT WAY-"

"Joy."

"BUT I DIDN'T TELL HER THAT YOU ARE NOT A REAL FAMILY, I SIMPLY TOLD BOTH JESS AND KRYS THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT KIND OF FAMILIES BUT ALL OF THEM SHARE THE SAME AMOUNT OF-"

"Joy."

"LOVE BECAUSE NOBODY LOVES YERI MORE THAN YOU GUYS DO." Joy stopped to catch her breath and was about to resume her talking when Wendy talked again.

"Joy, it's okay. We had to talk to her about this sooner or later."

"Oh thanks god, I thought you would be mad at me" Joy released a sigh of relief. "Thanks god. Are you going to talk to her about her biological mother then?"

"Yes. Seulgi has a plan and we are going to tell her today."

"It will be fine, Wen. Oh, I gotta go, tell Seul and Yeri that I said hi!"

"Thanks Joy. Have a nice weekend!"

At bedtime, Yeri was surprised when both her mothers joined her to read her a book. It was usually just one of them who read them something while the other one got a shower. So this time felt really exciting because her parents had also said that they had a surprise for her.

However, on the other side, Seulgi and Wendy were worried about how would their daughter react to the story they were about to tell her. They sat on the feet of the bed, hiding the puppets behind their backs. 

Since Seulgi knew that it would be hard for Wendy, she decided to start first.

"So Yeri, mom told me that you were sad earlier today because you thought we were not a real family." Yeri nodded her head before lowering it, kind of ashamed. "Hey love, don't worry. It's okay. It's normal that you have questions about that because we are different from any family your schoolmates have."

"We are different but we are a family anyway" Wendy pointed out, earning a nod from Seulgi and another one from Yeri.

"In order to make it easier for you to understand, we have prepared a puppet show. So this bear here" Seulgi showed her hand covered by the beat puppet. "Is your umma Seulgi."

Yeri squealed happily at the sight of the bear and Seulgi chuckled while caressing the little girl's nose with the puppet. Yeri gave the bear puppet a Skimo kiss and her eyes widened when her mom showed her a hamster puppet on her left hand, her right hand with the tiger's puppet still hiding behind her back.

"And this puppet is your mom Wendy."

"I thought mom was Olaf" Yeri tilted her head with confusion, but she didn't seem disappointed with the hamster.

"And she is, darling" Seulgi chuckled. "But in this story, Wendy is a hamster."

Yeri nodded once again and she waited for her mothers to start their puppet show.

"Are you ready my little tiger?" Seulgi asked while moving the bear puppet's mouth. Yeri nodded eagerly and exclaimed a "Yes!"

"Okay, so let's get started!" Wendy used a funny tone while moving the hamster puppet's mouth.Yeri giggled at her mother voices.

"Once upon a time, a little bear met a small, tiny hamster" Seulgi mockingly said, smirking at her lover.

"The hamster wasn't that short, honey" She pointed out with a pout, much for both Seulgi's and Yeri's amusement.

"Anyway" Seulgi winked at Yeri, making the girl giggle. "The bear fell in love with the hamster because she had beautiful cheeks and she looked lovely when she ate her lunch."

Wendy felt her heart warm as the bear puppet nuzzled the hamster's cheek. "And the hamster fell in love with the bear because she loved the shape of her ears and how talented she was at singing, playing the guitar and drawing."

Seulgi smiled but pulled her hand away. "But nobody would understand the love between a bear and a hamster, so they stood as friends for a while until one day the hamster earnt all the courage thanks to her friend Joohyun, the cat"

Yeri liked the cat puppet and she was excited to hear about that friend. She had heard Joohyun's name before since it always came up in conversations her parents had with Soojung's mother. However, she didn't know the relationship her mothers shared with Joohyun. As much as Yeri knew, Joohyun was someone both their mothers knew.

"So one day the hamster was brave enough to tell the bear that she was in love with her."

"And the bear loved her back" Wendy smiled as their puppets shared an skimo kiss.

"It was hard at first because the other animals didn't like the idea of a bear and a hamster sharing their lives together" They lowered both their puppet's heads. Yeri pouted and frowned. It wasn't something new to her since she had always heard all those old people whispering when they went to the grocery store.

"But since they had each other, they always found a way to go forward." The puppets hugged each other, making Yeri smile.

"The two of them spent a lot of time with their cat friend, because the three of them had a lot of fun together" Seulgi took the charge of talking about how Joohyun disappeared, because she knew the issue was harder for Wendy, who had spent more time with Joohyun in the past. "Until one day, Joohyun disappeared and the bear and the hamster didn't get any news from her."

"They tried asking all the animals in the town, but nobody knew anything about her" Wendy moved her puppet along with Seulgi's, the grip on the tiger puppet behind her back becoming tighter.

Yeri's pout appeared once again, getting the feeling that this was going to lead to something sad, just like that time she watched Bambie at Soojung's house.

"They spent nine months without knowing about Joohyun, until one day..." Wendy looked at Seulgi, expecting her to continue.

"There was a knock on the door and the bear went up to open the door" She moved the puppet. "But she couldn't believe what she saw, because it was unbelieveable. It was the most beautiful thing she had seen."

"It was you, little tiger" Wendy pulled out the tiger puppet and Yeri's eyes widened. She automatically reached out and held the puppet her mom was holding on her hand. Wendy looked back at Seulgi, asking for permission and the older nodded at her. She took off the puppet and she handed it to Yeri, helping her to put it on.

"Though it was something that brought a lot of happiness to both of them, they were both afraid because it was the cat's baby and they didn't know where Joohyun was."

"And the bear and the hamster were both young when they found a baby tiger at the front door of their dorm" Wendy pointed out, earning a small nod from the girl, who stood seemingly emotionless, trying to hold back her tears.

"But as soon as they took the baby tiger in their arms, they knew they already loved her" Seulgi used the bear puppet to hug the tiger puppet in Yeri's hand. The little girl gave them a little smile.

"So, the bear and the hamster became stronger thanks to the baby tiger" Wendy was also doing her best to hold back her tears.

"Although they never knew about Joohyun again, they did their best to raise the kid" Seulgi hid Joohyun's puppet behind her back, removing it helping herself with her back. "And the bear, the hamster and the tiger became a family."

"And this story will never end as their love will only become bigger and bigger as time goes by" Wendy finished.

They stood in an awkward silence, looking at their baby tiger who was staring at her own puppet. Seulgi was almost holding back her breath, not wanting to disturb any of her thoughts. The girl finally opened and made a really complicated question.

"Do you think she will come back?"

Wendy opened but no answer came out. Seulgi took the chance then to answer.

"We never know, my love. She might, but we will never know."

Yeri nodded at her words and stared back at her tiger puppet.

"How do you feel, darling?" Wendy asked as she placed her hand on her shoulder.

"I-" She didn't know how to finish her sentence. But she said what she had been wanting to say ever since they had started explaining their story. "I love byou so much!"

Yeri began to cry, not sure if she was happy because she had her parents or sad because she was abandoned. She ran to Wendy's lap and she embraced her, reaching out with her other arm for Seulgi. Seulgi obeyed and wrapped her arms around both Wendy and Yeri. The hamster and the tiger were crying while the bear tried to sooth both of them.

When they finished crying, they realized that Yeri had fallen asleep. The three of them lay on their daughter's small bed, snuggling the girl lovingly.

Nobody would have believed that a bear and a hamster could raise a tiger, but here they were, proving them that they were wrong.