Jihyo was on her way to work when her phone rang.

"Hello, Mrs Kang?" the guy greeted from the other end. She frowned, opening to protest, but the male spoke too quickly. 

"I'm Lee Kwang Soo calling from the Social Services Department. This is regarding the adoption papers you filed 5 years ago. I know, it's our msitake for taking this long to respond, but I would like to enquire if you are still interested in adopting a child? I'm so sorry that we took this long. I know we have no excuses but-"

He rambled on so quickly until Jihyo cut him off. 

"Huh."

"Right. I'm so sorry, I forgot to confirm if you're her. You are Mrs Kang right?"

Jihyo frowned again. It pained her to say it, but she had to clarify.

"I was," she said briefly.

"Sorry?"

"We're divorced," she said flatly.

"Oh," Kwang Soo replied awkwardly. "Ah. I'm so sorry. I... Uh... Have a nice day! Good bye!" He ended the call hastily, not knowing what to do.

Jihyo sighed as the unfamiliar ache crept up her heart. She hadn't thought about him for a while now. But before she had time to think about him, her phone rang again.

"Hi, it's me again. Actually, I was just wondering if you're still interested in adopting a child?"

"What-?" She opened , but was again cut off, this time by an arguement in the background.

"Are you crazy?!" She heard an older man yell at her caller. His replied was muffled, because he covered the speaker. After a lapse of maybe 30 seconds, he came back to the phone.

"We actually allow for single-parent adoption... if the critieria of the parent is good enough..." Kwang Soo commented, sounding less confident as before.

"I..."

Jihyo wanted to reply a flat out no. Why the heck would she want to adopt a child when she's no longer married?

But then, there was this longing in her heart for a child. Her child. Her little boy who died when he was only 3. Her little boy who brought her so much joy in the short time he was alive. 

"I'll get back to you."

Why does all so many of my stories have to do with death...