Present

Son Seungwan felt as if she should feel happy. She made an obscene amount of money and owned a house big enough to get lost in. However, all the material earnings in the world couldn't fill the void in her heart. The marble floors felt cold underneath her feet, but the absence of arms holding her while she slept is what truly made her shiver. There were countless late nights where she would come home from work to a deafeningly silent house. The lack of noise seemed to taunt her, reminding her that the house would never fully be a home.

In the mornings, however, the Son household was buzzing with energy. Seldom were the days where Wendy could make it through the morning without feeling like her ears would explode, and this morning was no exception.

"Son Joohyun!" Yeri shouted from the kitchen. "Come eat breakfast! Now! We have to go shopping in no less than an hour because we have to get good parking because-"

Wendy cut off her sister with a small slap to the back of the head. Her parents insisted on having Yeri live with her older sister; the reasoning they vocalized to Wendy was that Yeri and her sister had always been best friends, so it made sense they would live together. However, Wendy knew the real reason was fear that Wendy couldn't survive on her own. They saw Wendy as a butterfly with broken wings looking for an escape. She would've understood that logic years ago when she was drowning in her mourning, but she wasn't a broken widow anymore. Everyday she looked at her daughter and was filled with an indescribable love. Joohyun had her entire heart now. As long as she is alive, she will love Joohyun, and as long as she loves Joohyun, she will have a reason to live.

Nobody wanted to hear the ramblings of a woman seen as eternally mourning, though, so Wendy kept her thoughts to herself. It wasn't always bad living with Yeri; she knows her daughter needed more presence than just her mother. Yeri was a descendant of the devil, but she was undeniably a blessing for Wendy and her child. In the midst of her thoughts, her daughter came down the stairs, skipping with a bounce that only meant one thing.

"Guess what today is?" the 9 year old asked cheerfully.

It was the day before her birthday, a day where the child is flooded with presents and even more love from her mother and aunt. That wasn’t the reason for her excitement, though. Tomorrow was important for the sole reason of the envelope that would be waiting at the bottom of the pile. Every year, Joohyun opens a letter from her mother, and because tomorrow’s letter is the last one, she’s never felt more consumed by anticipation.

Wendy and Yeri exchanged amused looks. Wendy looked down at her daughter with pure admiration. The girl seemed to glow with an aura brighter than Wendy could comprehend; the child had Joy's eyes and smile, and that alone was enough to light up a room. More importantly, though, she seemed to inherit the same vibrant, joyful demeanor.

"I don't know, Hyun, what is today?" Wendy humored her daughter, smiling when Joohyun looked at her with those bright brown eyes, gleaming with a happiness Wendy used to know.

Joohyun began ranting about her tenth birthday, even as Yeri dragged her out the door to go birthday shopping. Wendy just shook her head and smi