As they had expected the adoption process did not take a long time. A couple of months with the legal formalities and they can now call Aera their daughter, officially. The date of her adoption is her 5th birthday. Which day can be better than this?! This year, Namjoon and Joy throw a huge birthday party for her in the evening. They have decided that from now on, every year Aera's birthday will be celebrated. She will visit her birth-mother in the morning. 

"Is the cake in the freeze?" Joy asks Yeri. She is quite worked up with the preparation.

She nods, "Yeah, Joy. Don't worry!" She smiles and places the disposeable colourful plates, "You should get ready!! Aera's friends and their parents will start arriving soon!"

"Oh yeah! I'll be right back!" She walks to her room but stops at the door as she hears some conversation...

"Baby-ah!! Ye know I m yer Unnie now!!" Aera is standing on a chair and peering into the cot. She is dressed in a beautiful green dress which is a gift from Cheonsa.

"Aahhh..." Deiji blinks.

"Eh...no I m albeez yer unnie but from today I m yer more unnie!! I can call unkeel and Joy, appa and umma!!" She jumps happily.

Deiji laughs seeing her unnie happy.

"YESHHH!!! You happy??" She looks at the baby expectantly.

The baby squeals.

"Wow! Thenk you Baby-ah!! You r sho nice!! You let me call 'em umma-appa!!" Her gratitude reflects from her voice.

Deiji tries to reach her face. She is babbling softly.

Joy sighs in contentment and watches their daughters. She has not realized that someone is standing beside her.

"I think we'll be fine."

She jumps slightly and finds Namjoon standing beside her.

She hums, "I think so too. Though we have been living for quite sometimes now with no problem, I still feel a bit nervous." She gestures at the two little girls.

"I don't think there will be any problem! Trust me on that..." 

They smile and he looks at her closely, "You...are not ready yet?"

She slaps her forehead, "Oh! I forgot! Just give me two minutes!" She quickly enters the bathroom.

Namjoon shakes his head in amusement and joins their daughters. 

The party has been a huge success. Everyone is enjoying themselves, especially Aera. The venue is their garden thus elaborating on its theme of green and nature. The birthday girl's favourites!!

Joy is chatting happily when she notices Cheonsa observing her with a very pleased face.

"Aunty, what is it?" She asks after excusing herself politely from the guests.

The older woman shakes her head, "Nothing dear...just recalling a particular night at the shop. The night we met?..." She laughs lightly.

"Yes, Aunty. Today whatever happiness I've in my life...It is only because of you!! If you had not given me such good advices then I'd have end up in misery. Your advice of subtlety and strong will saved my  life and got me such a beautiful family!!" Joy wipes her tears, "But to be honest, I never thought Namjoon will be so different..."

"Well, I always believed that the boy had decency and kindness in him. It is just that he never got the chance to even know that!! Let alone express it!! He needed to get out of the world he and Irene created for themselves. He did and it was with your, Aera's and Deiji's help! So it was your patience and understanding that today..." She nods at her family, "...this happened."

Joy follows her gesture. Namjoon is talking to one of the fathers and repeatedly glancing at their children. Noel is busy socializing and entertaining the guests. Aera is eating cake and snacks and Deiji is sitting there with a sulk.

"Why Deiji looks irritated? Is she feeling sick?" Cheonsa asks with aworried tone.

Joy looks at her closely and laughs, "No! She is grumpy cuz her appa has denied her cake! Look!"

They watch as Namjoon moves the plate of cakes and food away from Deiji's reach and shaking his head at her playfully. Her lower lip begins to quiver and folds out. He kisses her head and takes her in his arms. The baby forgets her 'sadness' and laughs happily.

The two ladies laugh.

The guests have left. The garden is being cleared out and the little girls are sleeping. Namjoon rubs his neck tiredly and enters the kitchen.

"Okay, oppa! Bye!!" Joy smiles and keeps the phone down.

"Kim Seokjin?" He asks sitting beside her.

"Yes! He called to ask how was the party." she replies.

It did not take long for Seokjin and Irene to get divorced. None of them had any claims or accusations against each other, making it clean and mutual. It took only a month. Irene stayed in the Kim mansion before it became official and then Namjoon had asked her to come back to the Bae mansion. Afterall, it is her home. But she refused. 

"He wanted to be here but..." She sighs.

"He needed this break. It will be good for him." Namjoon nods.

Seokjin is on a prolonged holiday. He desperately needed a break from everything. Space for himself to start again.

"Yeah, he sounded relaxed and happy." Joy agrees.

"I just hope..." He recalls his last conversation with Irene, "Ren also moves on..."

"Ren..." Namjoon looks around all the boxes and luggage that are being loaded in the vehicle, "Where are you going to stay?"

"I am gonna stay in our old farmhouse in the outskirt of the city. You remember the place, right?" Irene replies.

Namjoon shakes his head worriedly, "But that is too far away...I mean you are all alone and it won't be safe!! Also you have to go to work! The office is really far from that place! Why you are not staying at Bae mansion?! Afterall, it belongs to you..." 

Irene smiles disdainfully, "No, Namy. Everything and everyone of  the Bae mansion belongs to Joy."  

He groans in annoyance, "Not again, Ren!!"

"I am sorry, Namy. But I can't help it. I cannot stay under one roof with Joy. Every moment will  taunt me about what I've lost and what I can never ever have. I want you to be happy. I really do but I can't tolerate you being with someone else. I am a very selfish woman. You know that the best. So..." She sighs, "...to spare you the tension and to spare myself the heartbreak, I should stay away. I don't hate Joy but I can't help blaming her..."

Namjoon shakes his head at the memory.

Joy knows what exactly he is thinking about. They did not know that she had heard their conversation by accident. She had also gone to ask Irene to stay with them but after hearing her reply, she preferred her gone.

"I wanted to tell you something..." She says.

"Yeah?"

"I want to leave." 

"What?! But..." Namjoon cannot believe his ears. After everything, how can she say that?!

"Yeah...I don't want to stay here...I just...Don't get me wrong!! I love this mansion but I don't find it as a home. I don't know why...I used to think that it is my home. But gradually this mansion began to feel like the Kim mansion. Detached and not comfortable. You should give back that 60% of this property to Irene unnie!! I don't want to sound rude. I should have discussed with you. This house has begun to suffocate me. You will call me delusioned and silly but I feel that somewhere Joseph is right! There is something about this place. I just wanted to ask you if you can find a nice house for us in a nice locality? Where it will be nearer to the schools, your office and people? It is too desolated and big!! We don't even need so much space..."

"Us...?" Namjoon asks slowly.

"Yeah...what...?" She frowns in confusion. There is a mixure of distraught, shock and then relief on his face.

" No...Nothing. I thought...nevermind. Yes. We should get away from here. I'll get the property transferred to Ren and I'll talk to real estate agents tomorrrow for our new home." He smiles brightly.

Joy hugs him tightly, "Oh! Thank you!!"

He hugs her back. He thought for a moment that his whole world had crushed down. He cannot imagine a life without her now. She is much more than the mother of his children. He takes a deep breathe. He will say it to her...finally.

"Sooyoung..."

"Yes..." She sighs in content. She is lying her head on his shoulder.

"I..."

The End