Chapter Twenty Two

Dara POV

The house has a weird aura. It was just pure silence and a deafening one at that. She didn’t even try to say a word after she had suggested Jinnah to watch some TV as soon as Jiyong’s car was out of sight. 

Jinnah nodded slowly but then five minutes into watching TV she said she wanted to do her homework instead. It was some shading and drawing so it was better.

Dara felt so bad because she knew what Jinnah was doing she was trying to keep herself busy so she wouldn’t think of her dad. Jinnah is a kid, she should be allowed to feel sad that Jiyong wouldn’t be here after staying with her for more than 3 days straight.

What worries Dara the most is, maybe Jinnah still hasn’t comprehended much that Jiyong isn’t close. The phone calls everyday Jiyong promised eventually wouldn’t be enough for Jinnah and the month would be too long. And she’d miss him too much. Dara assumes that’s when Jinnah would break down crying. 

She watches as Jinnah staring at her watercolours and her book. Then the brush, which she had swirled on the color for too long. She wasn’t even paying attention. She had the color pink, she was about to start to color.

“Honey, you’re coloring the lion pink?” Dara asked. She wasn’t sure if the homework was color whatever color or find the proper shade that goes with it. Dara thinks Jinnah should mix colors to get orange. 

“Oh. It should be yellow and red.” Jinnah sighed then she dips the brush in the water to wash the Pink color off.

Dara bit her lip. Jinnah had been doing that for the past ten minutes that the pink color had almost disappeared. Dara sighed, giving up. As the parent, she knows she should do something. She stands up and takes a chair so she can sit close to Jinnah. “Listen, how about you be bad with Mommy tonight and tomorrow?”

Jinnah picks her head up and looks at Dara with her eyebrows furrowed adorably, interest at a peak. “Be bad? With you mommy?”

“Well you have that no homework pass right? We can use that for tomorrow.” The three star homework that David had helped Jinnah for this week had actually gave Jinnah a one day pass for a homework.

“I thought we could use just incase?” Jinnah blinked since It was Dara who suggested to build up the passes in the end of the year. 

“That’s why I said, be bad with mommy tomorrow. Instead of you going to school and work for me tomorrow which is a friday, we can go on a trip...?” Dara said cautiously now realizing that what she had suggested was dangerous. She might ask for a place Dara couldn’t say no to. Another continent would be one...

Jinnah’s face perked up. “Really?”

So Dara had to chose her words carefully, “You and me can go to—“ before she could suggest a place to go there was a knock on the door.

Jinnah turned towards the door and wordlessly runs to the door without waiting for Dara to ask who it was.

“Jinnah wait—“ but Jinnah had already opened the door. 

To Dara’s surprise and Jinnah’s excitement it was Jay Park standing at the door. Dara had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Of course he is here. For some reason Jay had always been there for her when it comes to these issues. It’s like he either knows himself or has inside information.

“Uncle Jay!” Jinnah cried out as she jumped into his arms. 

“Hey.” Jay said as he positioned Jinnah properly as he carried her. He then searches for Dara and he grins darkly since she didn’t even move from her spot. “Aren’t you going to say greet me.”

Dara rolled her eyes now, “What are you doing here?” She asked.

Jay smirks playfully, “A birdie told me to come.”

“A little birdie or a big one?” She glances towards Jinnah who just looks rather happy to have Jay around.

He shrugs and smiled, “Wasn’t sure.... the voice was distorted.” 

“Whatever,” Dara mumbled.

“Guess what Uncle Jay!” Jinnah said with excitement. Dara’s distraction had worked either good or really well to perk up her daughter’s mood.

“Whats up?” He turns his head towards Jinnah.

“Mommy and I are gonna be bad tomorrow!” Jinnah said as she smiles at Dara.

“Really?” He glanced over at Dara. “Isn’t tomorrow a school day?”

“A trip! She said we can go anywhere!” 

Dara bit her lip now nervous. She hopes that the words ‘where daddy is’ wouldn’t leave her lips. 

“Oh yeah?” Now Jay was finding this amusing because he could see Dara freaking out.

“Wanna come?” Jinnah asked. 

Dara mouthed to Jay “Help me,” 

Jay laughed. He wasn’t really sure what to do but he figured, he understand where she’s coming from and the word anywhere is always dangerous when it comes to a kid. “Well, Disney world or Disney Land then I’ll go.” Jay responded.

Jinnah raises an eyebrow and nods. “You haven't been?”

Jay nods and pouts, “No your mommy never took me.”

“Oh god,” Dara mumbles in annoyance. He still hasn’t let that go when she took Jinnah to California eight months ago when he was only in Las Vegas. 

“Well we can go where you wanna go!” Jinnah said excitedly since Jay said he’s going.

Jay nods. “Now how about I put you down cause you’re heavy.” 

Jinnah giggles and slides down when Jay bends.

“Okay,”

Dara reaches over Jay and pats his arm thanking him. Then he turns towards Jinnah, “Listen, grab the things you wanna wear and I’ll talk to Jay about the details.” Jinnah actually enjoys choosing clothes she’d want to wear and most of the time they match perfectly. She’s a future fashion icon that one.

Jinnah nods and looks over at Jay, “yay!” Then runs to her room.

“Way to distract Jinnah from this,, taking her on a trip.” Jay said. He knows why she’s doing it. Jinnah hasn’t yet to comprehend that she’s going to be away from Jiyong. 

“You owe me,” Jay teased. 

“Obviously,” then he drags Jay towards the living room and glances over to see if Jinnah could hear them. When the coast was clear, she glared at him. “What are you doing here anyway?” She demanded.

He just rolls his eyes. “If you think I’d answer that.” Then he glares back at her. “Better question is, what are you doing?” 

She raises an eyebrow confused, “What are you talking about?”

Jay laughs sarcastically and stares at her in disbelief when she looked rather clueless. “Seriously, aren’t you supposed to do something like right now?”

Now she’s annoyed, she’s not in the mood. “Like what?”

“Oh I don’t know like some cliché move that only people in movies do?”

She blinks.

He shakes his head responding, “Like stop the love of your life from getting on that plane.”

She laughs, like a hearty one, wondering if Jay has lost his mind but she abruptly stopped when Jay was staring at her like she’s the crazy one. Then that’s why it hit her... why is she laughing. This isn’t really something she should laugh about. He making it sound so simple when it really isn’t. 

“Glad you finally got to your senses,” he spits out angrily. He has been annoyed this whole entire trip. He wanted to smack Jiyong and Dara’s head together then maybe this stupid game would be over. 

“It’s not simple.” She said sadly.

“I really don’t understand why you two think it is. Just be together... how difficult can that be?” Jay said exasperatedly. “Even the people around you are tired with what you two are doing...”

She just shakes her head and refuses to listen. Jay is always her voice of reason and this is what she had been hiding from herself as soon as Jiyong walked in her life after five years. Theres one obstacle. “Not if he’s married.”

Jay blinks and blinks... waiting to see if she was actually joking or if Jiyong is an idiot. From Dara’s expression, it’s clear that Jiyong is the idiot. He shakes his head and rubs the side of his head. “I am going to kick his when I see him.”

“Why?” She ask nervously. She could hear Jay’s tone and it’s sure that he really would punch Jiyong when they see each other. 

“Because for some reason it’s feels like it’s my job to fix his mess.” He was mostly talking to himself. 

“What—“

“Jiyong and Kiko are in a middle of a divorce settlement.” Jay said.

Dara’s heart stopped to her stomach and she swears she was nauseous. “I— what— ... what?” She was stuttering unable to find the words she wanted to say. She almost backed into the table. She finally found her balance and sat down on the couch rather heavily. Trying to comprehend what she had just found out. “It isn’t because of me is it?”

“And would that give you an excuse to torture yourself, if it is?” Jay snapped at Dara knowing all to well that if it was the reason she’d shun any contact with Jiyong other than with Jinnah. 

Dara’s lips formed a thin line. That hurt a bit.

“They have been separated for months now, all they need is to sign the papers and Jiyong would not be married if that’s what your worried about.”

Dara shakes her head. Not wanting to believe the whole thing, was this what Jiyong was talking about? After everything will be done... or things he needed to do in Korea. That still doesn’t change things. Why didn’t he say it himself...

“Before you start forming things in your head and making Jiyong into a bad guy. Ask yourself if you didn’t do anything to Jiyong for him to act like this the past week?” Jay sighed as he could see Dara’s mind forming to find an excuse to want to be happy. She’s always been doing that thinking that Jinnah would be enough... when in reality she’s not all that whole.

Jiyong and Dara’s break up changed Dara a bit but after the accident Dara had been so lost that she’s holding on to Jinnah so that she’s feel complete. He just hopes Dara could see this. If only she’d listen to her own songs she’d know what her heart and soul needs to fully heal.

Dara starts chewing at her nails, a habit she does when she’s super anxious. “I— no— I know.” Hiding Jinnah was something big too. He came to New York to find her but what he didn’t expect was to actually find out he has fathered her child who is now a four year old. 

Jay sits down next to Dara, he takes her hand and holds it. He pats her palm, comfortingly. “If you think you’re at fault for the divorce, then yes. If you want the truth but only part of the reason. So little that it wouldn’t really matter.” Jay is never afraid to tell Dara what he truly thinks if he knows he is right. “Because honestly, their marriage was doomed from the start. It’s both their fault for going into this marriage when Kiko knows that Jiyong could never get over you. She just believes that marriage will make him love her.”

Dara just kept her eyes on her palms, she was internally shaking. These things she should hear from Jiyong but for some reason Jay’s here and his words hurt her more.

“And then there’s Jiyong who I think is an idiot or a martyr for marrying Kiko... but idiot is the word to best describe him.” Jay rolls his eyes. 

“What do you mean?” Her voice broke, deep inside she thinks she knows what Jay means she just needed to hear the conformation.

“That kid, Daehyun, isn’t his.” Jay said carefull