I was alone in the terrace watching my kids playing with my husband and our family friends when my sister Jessica approached me and gave me a glass of champagne. She gestured for me to clink our glasses which I did. She has this calm expression while looking at Sunny and Sooyeon unnie who are walking hand in hand at the shore. They're smiling like the way they did when they were doing their prenup photoshoot.

"Sooyeon's mature side is often activated ever since she and Sunny became an official couple," I heard my sister say after taking a sip of her juice drink.

"Yeah, I noticed that too. And she became more like you when she's working. At first she looks like she's just forcing herself to act maturely to gain others' acceptance. But later on, it came out naturally."

"I agree. But I'm glad we still see her cute childish side at home. I'm going to feel odd if one day I'll never be able to have a dose of our cutie Sooyeon."

My lips parted into a smile after that statement. Me too. I love the cute childish side of our sister. It's never hateful. Yes, it sometimes annoys us but it never gets on our nerves. "Unnie?" 

"Yes?" 

"Thank you." Everytime a wonderful thing happens in our lives, I always feel like I wanna say those words to my sister Jessie.

"For what?"

"For everything you've done for us. I know I've already said it numerous times but it's never enough. That's why I wanna thank you again. At a young age you sacrificed a lot for me and Sooyeon unnie. You did well being our mother, our father, and our sister all at the same time. I'm proud of having you in my life. I'm proud and thankful of being a part of your family. Now it is your turn to be a mother of your own child. I know you're going to be a great mom because you were to us...to me."

"You sound so cheesy." Jessie is fighting the urge of her tears to come out so she's throwing a joke to prevent herself from crying. "Why do you always make me emotional when you're saying thanks? Do you want me to shed the tears I'm reserving for Sooyeon's wedding?"

I smiled though my eyes are already glistening with tears of gratefulness. "Do you mind?" 

Jessie closed her eyes and allowed two precious pearls to streak down her face before meeting my gaze. "I don't," she said as a late reply to my question. "Come here. I miss hugging my youngest sister."

Jessie's hug was the most comforting embrace I ever received when we lost our parents. That was the moment when I first sensed her mature side - a mature, motherly self that was awakened by her brilliant mind as a coping mechanism to the most tragic event in our life. Since the time mom and dad died, Jessie has always been busy taking care of us - worrying more about us rather than herself. She always helps us finish our homework first before she starts working on her school-related papers. That's why among us, she's the one who often sleep late but always wakes up early the next day to see to it that the servants have prepared our school uniforms and our breakfast. During weekends she reads business-related books and also spend time reviewing the reports about MLH that were sent by Uncle Jin. Thanks to her genius mind Jessica Jung was able to deal with complicated matters about engineeering, architecture and business.

"Sooyeon's on her way here. Are you ready to give her our presents?" Jessie's voice interrupted my reminiscence of her tough childhood.

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