Three Kids and A Headache

The bedroom door suddenly busted open, surprising Saerom in her wife’s hold. She then saw her oldest daughter stomping angrily inside and stopped when she reached her side of the bed. “What happened, baby?” She cupped her daughter’s face.

“Chaeyoung and Nakyung are so noisy I can’t do my homework, Umma.” The oldest grumbled.

“I thought you had them down for the night, Puppy?”

“I did…”

“Appa didn’t know that they stuffed their mouths with candies after she’s gone back here.”

Then loud laughs could be heard from their daughters’ room. Saerom gave a scary glare to her wife before turning her soft gaze to her oldest daughter again. “Say you want to work your homework with me here, Seoyeon-ah?” She asked while eyeing her wife who was getting up from the bed to their kids’ room.

“Can I sleep with you and Appa too?”

“…”

“Just for tonight. Please Umma… Pretty Pleaseeeeee~”

“Sure. Now get up here.”

---

“Hey hey! Jang Chaeyoung Jang Nakyung!” Gyuri caught both culprits that were jumping on a bed.

“Appa!”

“It way passed your bedtime! Come on, you two have school tomorrow.”

“But we can’t sleep, Appa!”

“Then you shouldn’t have eaten your candies when I’m gone. And speaking of which I’m going to confiscate and ban you from all of your candy stash and only Seoyeon Unnie gets to get her hands on those treats.”

“Why?” Nakyung tilted her head, puppy eyes on her mother.

“Why? Because you guys are so noisy she couldn’t do her homework. Now back to your own bed please.” Gyuri released her daughters from her arm.

“When do we get our candies back, Appa?” Chaeyoung asked while being tucked in by her Appa.

“When you’re not disturbing your Unnie again and sleep when you have to sleep.” The mother answered. She kissed her Chaeyoung before moving to tuck Nakyung’s blanket better. “It’s not that I don’t love you, I do this because I love you guys all so much. Understand?” She kissed Nakyung good night too.

“Yes, Appa.”

“Now sleep please? Or you’ll be tired at class tomorrow.”

“Story!” Nakyung shouted.

“Alright. What does my Nakko wants me to read?”

“Beauty and the Beast!”

“Again?”

“Yea!”

---

Gyuri huffed and sighed as she snuggled to her oldest daughter who apparently had fallen asleep on her bed. “You smell good, please stop growing up, Deoyeonie.”

Saerom smiled when she heard the baby tone. “Done with the two?”

“Nothing beats Beauty and the Beast story time.” Gyuri replied.

“Again?”

“Always.” Gyuri planted a soft kiss on Seoyeon’s cheek. “She’s sleeping here tonight?” She asked her wife.

“Yes. I kinda granted her wish. Is it okay with you?”

“Absolutely. Now good night kissy, please…” Gyuri pecked her wife’s lips. “Night, Mrs. Jang.” She went back snuggling with her daughter.

“Good night, My Puppy.”

They are the Jangs. Jang Gyuri, her wife Jang Saerom, their daughters Jang Seoyeon age seven, ‘Elizabeth’ Jang Chaeyoung age four and Jang Nakyung age two.

Gyuri met Saerom when she was still in university. Saerom was actually a friend of her friend who was then introduced them both. Despite of being younger, Gyuri was the one who made all the move to win Saerom’s heart. They dated for five years before finally Gyuri popped the question and asked Saerom’s hand in marriage.

The couple enjoyed three years of honeymoon phase before finally decided that they wanted to expand their family and Saerom was more than willing to carry their future kids. They were happy and not realizing that being a parent was actually hard.

And that kids… are not only a blessing but also their source of headaches.

Seoyeon is a really good big sister to her younger siblings. She is the mature one. The one that will always put her sisters’ need first and hers second. The one that will be her parents’ eyes or right hand. But when it comes to Chaeyoung, well, let’s just say that she’s the mischievous one, the rebel, the prankster and she quite affecting her little sister, Nakyung, with her acts. Though Nakyung is still the apple of the Jangs, the babiest princess, the one that her Appa adores so much.

“Chaeng! Chaeng!” Gyuri sighed and passed the uniform to her wife when she realized she got outran by her second daughter. “I give up.”

“Elizabeth Jang Chaeyoung, one… two…” Chaeyoung hurried back to her Umma when she heard the tone and stood still. Saerom smirked to her wife as she finished putting on the uniform on her second daughter. “Now go eat your breakfast please?”

“Yes Umma.”

“I swear they never listened to me.” Gyuri rested her head on her wife’s shoulder and sighed.

“It’s because you’re spoiling them too much.” Saerom patted her wife’s cheeks.

“Oh by the way Mrs. Jang…” The ‘Appa’ helped ‘Umma’ packed their kids’ lunch.

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna pick them up after school and eat out today.”

“You’re not working?”

“I am but only for half-day.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

“Okay.”

“And I need your lesson on threat-count down.”

Saerom chuckled. “Later.”

“Umma! I want that pancakes!” Chaeyoung tried to steal her sister’s pancake.

Gyuri clicked her tongue. “They are the same pancakes, Chaeng.” And tried to make her second daughter sit back on her seat.

“But Nakko got the prettier ones, Appa.”

“They are the same pancakes, Chaeng. Eat yours.”

“But I want—“

“Jang Chaeyoung.” Saerom said in stern tone that effectively cancelled all Chaeyoung’s plan to steal her sister’s breakfast.

The oldest of the three who was only quietly observing her family, decided to ask, “Are you going to drive us to school, Appa?”

“I’m sorry Syeonie, I can’t drive you to school but I’m gonna pick you up later.” Gyuri apologetically smiled. It has been their habit that Puppy Appa would drop them off to school and then she goes to her office.

“Then who’s going to drive us to school?”

“Me.” Saerom then looked at her wife. “Do I need to get to Nakko’s school when she’s finished so you don’t have to pick me up here?”

“If you could…”

“I can and I will.”

“Such an understanding wife. How I’m so lucky to have you.” Gyuri showed her puppy smile before kissing her wife.

“EW! GROSS!” Seoyeon loudly protested.

“Hey! That what love is.”

---

“Saerom Unnie!”

Saerom looked to the one who called her. “Oh! Jisun-ah!” She quickly hugged the latter.

“What are you doing here?”

“Gyuri decided to take the kids out after school. Is Jiwon with you?”

Jisun nodded before looking around to spot her wife. “Yep. She’s right… with your wife.” She pointed the laughing woman walking beside Gyuri.

“I want that toy!” Chaeyoung suddenly protested after she inspected her Unnie’s toy from the happy meal package.

“But you said you wanted that toy!” Seoyeon defended, oh so protectively hugging her brand new plaything.

“But yours is prettier, Unnie!”

“No Chaeng, you chose your own. This is mine!”

“Hey hey! Everybody got to choose their own toys. You got your own, Chaeng. Stop being jealous over someone else’s.” Gyuri said, putting the lunch on their table.

“Appa! She pinched me!” Seoyeon abruptly shouted, rubbing her inflicted arm while pointing at her younger sister, Chaeyoung.

“Jang Chaeyoung time out! Apologize to your Seoyeon Unnie and give me your new toy and go sit on your seat to think what you just did.” The warning came from Saerom. She sternly looked at her second daughter with her palm opened. And Chaeyoung could only hand over her new lego robot to her mother and sat on her seat with a very dejected face.

Jiwon only sighed when she witnessed what just happened. “Whew.”

Gyuri chuckled when she heard the respond. “Welcome to parenthood where a single toy can erupt a world war three.” She then looked at her youngest princess in her arms. “At least my baby is not causing trouble. Right princess?” She playfully smooched Nakyung.

“Uh-huh.”

“Are you happy with your toy?”

“Yes, thank you Appa.”

“Awww… Such a sweetheart.” Jisun commented.

“Please don’t grow up, Nakyungie.”

~~~

“Umma?” Chaeyoung called out from her bed.

Saerom got the bedtime duty for tonight, she almost finished with her oldest daughter when her second daughter called her. “Yes, baby?”

“Can I play with my new robot?”

Saerom kissed her oldest daughter before moving to her second daughter. “I’m sorry but no. You can’t play with your new toy for three days.” She fixed Chaeyoung’s blanket and dolls.

“Why?”

“Because you pinched me that’s why.” Seoyeon butted in.

“Seoyeon… What did I tell you about letting it go?”

“Sorry, Umma.”

“Umma! Nakko kishy kishy~” Nakyung puckered her lips and extended her hands.

Saerom complied and smooched her youngest. “Night kishy kishy Nakko.” The mother then walked to shut the lights out. “Okay, all nice and comfy, time for bed because you three have school tomorrow. Good night my babies.” She closed the door and walked to her bedroom.

Gyuri felt arms s around her neck from behind. “All three down without any fights?”

Saerom nodded while inhaling—what she thought—the most comforting scent in the world—her wife’s. “Yes. What are you doing here and not in bed?” She asked when she realized her wife was still drawing a blue print.

“Finishing my job, Mrs. Jang. Got three little mouths to feed now. Why?”

“Well I thought since the kids are asleep maybe we can have y time.” Saerom whispered.

“Hmm… Tempting… But I really need to finish this.”

The older woman let go of her hold and took a few steps back. “Don’t make me count to three, Jang Gyuri.”

Gyuri chuckled, turning her chair to face her wife. “You’re well aware that I’m your wife and not your kid?”

“Well…” Saerom hand was above the knot of her night robe. “…One…” She pulled one of the strings.

“What are you…”

“…Two…” The night robe slid off smoothly and revealed a very Saerom.

“…Oh…”

“Three.”

~~~

What a morning view. Saerom thought while sipping her morning tea, looking at the back of her wife who was cooking their breakfast. Nothing ier to her than Gyuri’s toned back when she was cooking. She just wished that she had longer moments for this.

But…

“UMMAAAAAAAA~.” A crying Nakyung run to her mother with a decapitated Barbie in her hand.

Saerom sighed as she put down her cup to tend to her youngest daughter. “What’s wrong, baby?” She picked up the sobbing girl in her arms.

“C-chaeng U-Unnie c-cut B-Barbie…”

“Let me see.”

“Aww… What’s wrong, baby girl?” Gyuri asked when she saw the tear-stricken-cheeks of Nakyung. She looked at her wife who then showed the beheaded doll. “I’m sure I can fix that. Who is—?”

“Chaengs. You handle this, please?”

“Alright. Scrambled eggs on the pan.”

“I got it. Go, Puppy.”

“Elizabeth Jang Chaeyoung! What’s with this? Didn’t I tell you to play it cool? Why did you do this?”

“I… I…” Chaeyoung didn’t know how to explain to her Appa. She scratched her head.

“Chaeng was trying to comb the Barbie’s hair when Nakko got it tangled, but the head snapped off, Appa.” Seoyeon helped explaining the situation.

“Oh… Sorry Chaeng, I thought you ruin your sister’s toys.” Gyuri hugged her second daughter. “Let’s go to Umma, I’ll tell her about this.”

“Appa not angry?”

“Nope. You’re trying to help Nakko, you’re a good sister.”

“But Umma?”

“She won’t angry at you, Chaengs.” The Puppy Appa reassured.

---

“I don’t know a public holiday does not refresh me at all.” Gyuri grunted. She rested her head on her wife’s stomach. She just finished getting her daughters sleep for the night.

“You did well, especially with Chaeyoung and Nakyung’s case.”

“I should’ve been a lawyer instead of an architect. I handle many disputes in this house, especially toys case. That Elizabeth…” Gyuri chuckled, remembering that her second daughter wanted to be called by United Kingdom Queen’s name.

“No Umma, My name is Elizabeth!” Saerom mimicked and laughed with her wife. “She may have been the most unpredictable daughter that we have but one thing that I know, that she has the kindest heart among the three. I mean, she quietly takes care of her sisters.”

“Three princesses. I never imagined that we’re going to have three kids.” Gyuri let out a loud exhale. “We only planned for one, right?”

“Then Seoyeon asked for a baby sister. And you agreed. Since you said you need the one that constantly clings to you too.”

“But then Chaeyoung is so independent, you even couldn’t baby-ing her.”

“So there’s Nakko. Our baby princess. The one that I could baby-ing and the one who constantly clings to you.” Saerom smiled.

“I feel really complete right now. Thank you, Mrs. Jang.” The younger woman moved up to kiss her wife.

“How about one more kid?”

“I’ve had enough headaches. Thank you. But I don’t mind the making process.” Gyuri started to trail her kisses down on her wife’s body.

“ert.”