Jin Joo wakes up with a cough. This is not the first time she experiences this. As she remembers her Eomma said once, that if she gets awakened in the middle of the night by a cough or a headache or anything, find her Eomma. And that's what she's going to do right now.

She looks around and notices that it’s still dark outside. Even though she still can’t read the clock, she knows it’s still early. The sun hasn’t greeted the world yet. She rubs off her eyes with her little hands and uncovers herself from her thick dark pink blanket. She carefully steps down from her toddler bed and reaches her doorknob. Looking right and left, she can only see darkness. Her Eomma is already sleeping.

She knocks lightly on her mother’s room, which she learns from her Kindergarten that it is polite to knock on others’ rooms doors before entering. “Eomma?” She calls quietly.

She tiptoes, trying to see her mother on top of the bed from the doorway.

When there is no answer, she calls once again and gets closer to her mother’s bed. “Eomma?”

Trying her best to climb the slightly high bed, she notices her Eomma is not there. “Eomma?” She calls louder, maybe her Eomma is at the bathroom.

She carefully climbs down from the bed and runs towards the bathroom. Again, she knocks on the door. “Eomma?” No answer.

Where is her Eomma?

After adjusting her eyes with the darkness, she notices her Appa’s coat is on the sofa, which means her Appa’s home. She runs quickly towards her Appa’s room and knocks. “Appa?” She pushes the door gently.

From across the doorway, she can see her parents sleeping peacefully together. It makes her smile. She wants to join them too.

She giddily runs towards her parents and jumps up and down near the bed. “Eomma! Appa!”

Ji Hyo immediately jolts up and turns her head towards the source of the voice. Their daughter is here. What is she doing with her father, .

“Jin Joo-yah.” Ji Hyo replies hoarsely. She quickly wraps herself with a cover and scans the room to find her clothes. Thankfully she can find them quickly and Jin Joo doesn’t ask anything. “What are you doing here?”

“I feel cold, Eomma.”

Ji Hyo takes her daughter to the living room, so they won’t disturb the sleeping Jong Kook. She then turns on the light and observes Jin Joo. Her thinning appearance looks pale.

“Does your head hurt?” Ji Hyo puts her hand on Jin Joo’s forehead to check on her temperature. It’s a little bit warm.

Jin Joo nods with a smile. “A little bit,” Then she rolls her sleeve to show her mother something. “And look, Eomma! I find blue again in my arm but I don’t know where I get it!”

Ji Hyo observes quietly. It’s not only one on her arm, but there’s also one on her thigh, and two on her little body.

“Ah, Eomma. My snot!” Jin Joo exclaims suddenly while immediately covering her nose with both of her hands.

It’s not a snot. It’s red.

Please not again, Ji Hyo can only pray. She quickly takes a couple of tissues and puts them against her daughter’s nose. Ji Hyo in her breath shakily. “Wait here, Jin Joo-yah, and hold these tightly against your nose. I’ll go get changed quickly.” She jogs into her room, changes into something that she can find easily, not caring about what they are, and takes her purse. Then, she goes to Jin Joo’s room to get some of her necessities. “Gaja*, Jin Joo-yah.”

Jin Joo confusedly asks, “Uri eodiga*? Appa’s not coming?”

Ji Hyo picks Jin Joo up with her arms, not caring about her wounded shoulder. “We’ll have a sleepover.”

“At Ha Rin-ie’s?” Jin Joo cheerfully asks. She even claps her hands.

“Ani. We’ll have a sleepover at another place.”

“At Joong Ki Samchon’s?”

Again, Ji Hyo shakes her head. “It’s a secret. You might like it.”

“Is Appa coming?”

“Appa’s sleeping.”

“But is Appa coming later?”

At four years old, Jin Joo can surely ask a lot.

“He might be.”

“Yay!” Jin Joo claims loudly. “I like sleepovers, Eomma.”

“Shh,” Ji Hyo gently reminds her. “Use an inside voice. Remember, other tenants are still sleeping.”

“Waeyo?”

“Because it’s only four forty-five.”

As soon as they reach the basement, Ji Hyo runs to her car with Jin Joo’s still in her arms. She then straps Jin Joo carefully onto the kid's car seat.

“Is four forty-five early, Eomma?”

Ji Hyo keeps answering her daughter with so much patience. “Yes, really early. That’s why we shouldn’t be so loud, okay?”

“Ne!” Jin Joo chuckles loudly, then she closes with her hands, grinning widely. “Oops, mianhae, Eomma. I forget.”

Ji Hyo replies with a smile, glancing over through the rear-view mirror. Please, don’t let it be worse news.

-

Ji Hyo leans her head against the wall in the hospital room. She closes her eyes, feeling lightheaded and exhausted. Why is everything slipping away from her grasp?

She tries to calm her breathing when she feels her phone buzzes. A text message from her husband. It’s almost 7 in the morning. The sun has already risen.

Eodi gasseossni*?

Should she tell him?

She sighs again. What is she going to tell him?

After thinking long on what to reply to him and carefully choosing the right words, she taps on the send button.

Oppa, I don’t think we need to continue with the deal. We can have the divorce that you wish soon. I’ll contact my lawyer later. Thank you for agreeing anyway, I really appreciate it. But as you said, we just can’