It’s been a month since Si Jin opened up to Mo Yeon about his past, and since then he’s been thinking about when is the right time to contact his mother again.

All these years he knows where she is, even some of his Professors during university were his mother’s colleagues, but still he doesn’t have enough courage and his heart is still not ready to meet the woman who gave him a lot of bad memories.

Mo Yeon, on the other hand, gives Si Jin all the time that he needs, she never mentions about his mother unless Si Jin is the one who brought up the topic because, in the end, it depends on Si Jin.

What she can do is to support him and to make him happy.

——

“Happy birthday Hee Jin, happy birthday Hee Jin, happy birthday happy birthday, happy birthday Hee Jin!!!”

The people who gather at Mo Yeon’s apartment singing a birthday song loudly for the little girl who just turns three today, Hee Jin is smiling from ear to ear while clapping her tiny hands along with the melody sung by her favorite people. 

Her mother, father, uncle Dae Young, aunt Myeong Ju, uncle Young Jae, aunt Min Ji and also nurse Ha.

She also asked them to wear matching birthday hats like her.

“Happy birthday princess.” Si Jin hugs her and gives kisses on her red cheek.

Mo Yeon does the same but she can’t help to cry seeing her Hee Jin celebrates another birthday, it feels surreal for her to witness her baby girl is now getting bigger and healthier.

“Eommaa don’t clyyyy.” Hee Jin looks worried when she sees her mom sheds some tears from her eyes.

“Ohh no sweetheart, eomma is just so happy to see Hee Jin getting bigger.”

“Appaaa, hug eomma so eomma not cly!” Hee Jin grips her father’s shirt and signaling him to do what she asks.

Si Jin can only smile seeing how adorable his daughter is, and of course, he does what she asked, hugging his girlfriend tightly then both of them laugh.

The day goes by really quick, Hee Jin is playing with Nurse Ha and Min Ji, then somewhere in the afternoon Nurse Choi came and brought her a cute teddy bear, Mo Yeon with Myeong Ju’s help prepare the dinner while Si Jin, Dae Young, and Young Jae get the cleaning duty, basically they are the ones who in charge to clean up the mess.

“So, your daughter is turning three, you are back with your girlfriend, then when are you going to pop the question?”

Dae Young nudges Si Jin’s elbow while they’re sitting down on the sofa after they cleaned up the living room.

Si Jin smiles and his ears, as usual, getting red because of that question, he looks up and sees Mo Yeon chatting happily with Myeong Ju, not aware that her boyfriend is looking at her.

“I have some things to be taken care of before that big question buddy.”

Dae Young looks at him with a question in his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

Si Jin touches Dae Young’s shoulder then he stands up.

“I’ll let you know when the time is right.”

Then he walks to Mo Yeon and hugs her from behind, of course, Myeong Ju who’s standing next to her gives a mocking face to the couple.

——

“I’m going to meet my mother, this Friday.”

Mo Yeon’s eyes widen when Si Jin suddenly tells her about his plan.

“Really?”

“Hmm, i’ve been thinking about this since that day and i know sooner and later i have to meet her.”

Mo Yeon holds his hand and gently squeeze it.

“Are you sure, baby?”

“I’m sure, and i have to..besides, it’s my promise to my father.”

She kisses his cheek and rests her head on his shoulder. Si Jin is silent for a moment.

“Do you think i can do it? meeting her, without, you know bursting into a ball of anger..”

Mo Yeon chuckles, she knows Si Jin is very nervous about this, but she feels really proud of his decision to finally face his mother even though it must be hurting him.

“I believe in you Si Jin-ah, you are not that seven-year-old boy anymore, you’ve grown to be a very wonderful man, and you are a father now, for sure it will be hard for you but i know you can make it.

Hmmm, how about this, i’m going with you and I’ll stay somewhere far but still can observe you, so in case you turn into that ball of anger, i’ll come and save the day!”

She excitedly explains him about her plan and he, too, chuckles.

“That’s a great plan, you can come and dress up as a y firefighter, i won’t mind.”

“YAAA! Byuntae!”

“Hahhaha, but thank you..”

“thank you for what?”

“For making me laugh, for offering me the greatest plan ever..and for believing in me, i love you Mo Yeon-ah.”

Her eyes sparkle when she hears those words from her man, then she gives him a peck on his lips.

“I love you too, Hee Jin’s appa.”

——

Yoo Si Jin can feel his hands getting wet, nervous is an understatement, somehow he kinda regrets his decision to not bringing Mo Yeon along with him, his girlfriend indeed had offered him her plan, but at the end he feels he can get through this by himself and it’s better to leave Mo Yeon with Hee Jin since his daughter is feeling a bit under the weather last night.

That’s why now he’s alone, inside a fancy restaurant in Gangnam, the place that Park Sol Mi, his mother suggested him. He’d contacted her since last week, although he did not expect anything, surprisingly she agreed to meet him today. Maybe she too has something to tell.

Twenty minutes later, a woman in her late fifty comes inside and just by a slight look Si Jin knows she’s his mother.

The woman looks around the restaurant and finds Si Jin, then she walks toward him. Si Jin stands up and bows slightly at her, even though this woman had given him so many bad memories, but Si Jin knows how to show his respect to the elder one.

“How are you Si Jin?”

Park Sol Mi opens the conversation after she finished ordering the food.

“I’m great, how about you?”

“Well, as you can see i’m more than great.”

Si Jin can feel his anger slowly building, how come this woman says she’s great when she meets the son that she left more than twenty years ago, how come this woman manages to live that kind of life after she abandoned her family. Si Jin decides to take a deep breath to cool down himself.

“I heard from Professor Park that you took a year off, is that right?” She gives him a questionin