“Where do you think you are going squirt?”

Little Chaeyoung stopped on her tracks and froze. Her mother shouldn’t even be at home by now considering Jeongyeon’s little bakery and café closes at nine. Unless—

Chaeyoung quickly hid her scraped knuckles and didn’t look up to face her mom—or else she will see the small cut on her cheek. But she knew Jeongyeon already knows, or else, she wouldn’t be here. Her mom crossed her arms in front of her and tapped her feet and Chaeyoung knew she was caught.

“Mom, I could explain---”

Just then their doorbell rang, stopping whatever Chaeyoung has to say. Jeongyeon hold up her hand to gesture Chaeyoung to stay where she is and not to say anything until she comes back.  Jeongyeon checked the monitor, it was a woman she doesn’t recognized holding the arm of a girl around Chaeyoung’s age. The little girl was looking worriedly at the woman, presumably her mom because of the resemblance, and the woman looks like she’s assuring the girl. Are they the ones…?Jeongyeon opened the door and the woman and the child almost jumped in surprise.

“May I help you?”

The woman smiled shakily and looked at the piece of paper she’s holding, “Is this where Yoo Chaeyoung live? I need to speak with her about Mina—”

The little girl held to her mother’s skirt and partially hid at the back. The principal of the Primary school had called her from work and told her that Chae had been involved in some confrontation at the playground involving Chaeyoung pushing another girl to the ground.

“My daughter didn’t do anything wrong! I know my daughter. Even as a single parent I raised my daughter not to get into trouble unless provoked! She maybe small but I told her not to cower from bullies so we are not going to apologize for anything!”

The woman, surprised from the outburst, stepped back and tried to smile shakily.

“I’m sorry but you seemed to misunderstand, my daughter, Mina said that---”

“I don’t care what Mina said, the principal said that your daughter had been saying bad things about her friend, and my daughter asked her to stop and that’s where the pushing and shoving happened so it was not my daughter who threw in the first punch—”

The woman gaped at Jeongyeon but before she could say something, Chaeyoung appeared beside her mom.

“Mina-unnie? I told you not to come here. Why--”

The woman, seeing Chaeyoung, smiled and bowed. “Chaeyoungie! Mina had been telling me  how you saved her earlier, please accept our thanks.”

Confused, Jeongyeon turned to her daughter. “Wha—what is—who are they?”

Chaeyoung was looking at her feet. “I know mom, you told me not to get into fights, but they—they were bullying Mina for days now, in the playground… and you told me that I should not stand still if I see someone needs help so…”

Jeongyeon turned to the woman and then to her six year old daughter. “So they are not—she is not the one who caused that?”

Chaeyoung tilted her head on the side. “Mina is my friend. And that is her mom.”

Jeongyeon shakily laughed and slowly turned to the woman and the child in front of her. Internally, Jeongyeon is beating herself on her own stupidity, and uncontrollable mouth. On her defense, it was not the first time some mothers would come to their house and rage against her daughter,  who, if not have done some mischiefs, had involved herself with some childish squabbles, and she assumed that the woman knocking on their door was the mother of the one  who Chaeyoung had pushed.

“I’m sorry, I thought—Chaeyoung didnt’t say—”

“Mom, I was about to—”

The woman shook her head smiled awkwardly. “We went her to personally thank Chaeyoung here for bravely standing up to my daughter’s bullies even if she’s smaller than Mina, I—we—we are eternally grateful.” The woman and Mina both bowed at Chaeyoung.

Jeongyeon was still confused on what is happening but cannot help but feel proud of her daughter and thought how she raised her right. She had fears that she would not be a good mom, since her late wife had been the more hands-on mom and the one who loved kids so much and yet she succumbed to leukemia and died when Chaeyoung was three. With Jeongyeon paying off hospital bills, keeping their bakery up float and taking care of Chae, she knew that she had some lapses in raising up her daughter.

When the mother-daughter had straightened, Chaeyoung held Mina’s arm and pulled her in the house.

“C’mon, Mina-unnie, let’s play up in my room! I’ll show you my collections!”

Mina looked up to her mom to ask permission and she shook her head. “We don’t want to bother Mrs. Yoo, Mina, maybe next time?”

Chae whined and looked at her mom who suddenly remembered her manner.
“I’m sorry—for all the things I’ve said, I, I assumed wrongly, Mrs--?”

“Hirai.”

“What?”

“Hirai. Hirai Momo.”

“Riiight. Yoo. Yoo Jeongyeon.” Jeongyeon held out a hand, a hand that Momo shyly took and let go after a few seconds.

“Hirai-ssi, if you—I mean I know I made a mistake and said all those things to you—”

“Iei! I totally understand—”

“But do you like to stay for dinner?”

“Eeeeh?”

“—you know so I could make up for the misunderstanding? I am terribly sorry.”

Momo’s eyes twinkled at the sight of Jeongyeon looking very uncomfortable and her face flaming like a tomato. She looked at Mina’s pleading eyes.

“Okaa-san, can we? Please...”

She sighed. Mina doesn’t ask a lot, actually she rarely ask for anything. Not toys. Nor snacks. In her age of seven, she quietly endure by herself and rarely tells her working mom her concerns. Except that afternoon, when she quietly tugged her mom’s pants and told her about Chaeyoung.

So it’s very hard for her to say no that moment.

“If it’s not too much for Mrs. Yoo—”

“Of course not—”

Both kids had squealed and immediately went in to the house and went up to Chaeyoung’s room. Jeongyeon laughed. She then gestured the other woman to enter the house, to which Momo was hesitant.

“They may take until tomorrow to finish, Chaeyoung had lots of collections.”

“What kind?”

They went to the living room and into the kitchen. The kitchen was meticulously clean, with the late afternoon sun spilling inside the room, it looked very snug and homey. Jeongyeon went to the counter and wore her apron.

“Hmmm, different things. Her sketches. Bugs. Leaves. I dunno what Chaeyoung will show her. I have been pestering that little kid to clean her room and I would like to take out stuffs but she was very adamant that I am not allowed to touch any of her collections, so it looks like Mini Natural museum in there.”

Just then they heard a thud followed by a shriek then laughter.

“You okay there girls?” Jeongyeon shouted.

“It’s nothing!”

“Just don’t get Mina freaked out okay?” She then heard two affirmatives and she went back to the counter.

 “Hiraii-ssi, coffee? Tea? Juice?”

“I’ll have whatever what you will have.”

“I am having coffee. The blackest one out there.”

“Oh. Maybe you could add a touch of cream on mine then please?”

“Sure. Let’s me just whip that out.”

Silence enveloped the kitchen, broken by the constant whirring and brrrrrring of the appliance, Momo watched as the other woman skillfully do two types of coffees, re-heat cookies and some pastries from the fridge and take out ingredients for dinner.

“May I help? I—I really am sorry to impose—”

Jeongyeon dismissed the apology. “After all the things I’ve said earlier, you deserve a dinner. Nothing fancy though. It’s Friday and I was just planning to have pasta tonight. I can manage but if you want you can do the onion and the garlic.”

They worked again in silence but Jeongyeon was stealing glances on Momo. Short hair fanned her face and she was occasionally putting it behind her ear, her forehead scrunched into concentration and bitting her lower in lip.

Cute, she thought.

When Momo turned to give her the onions, she pretended to be busy with the sauce.

“So, Hirai-ssi… do you live around the area?”

“Oh, yes, we just moved last month. Just around the block. Our house had a big maple tree on the garden?”

“Ah, I remember. I knew the person who used to live there moved to Japan.”

“Yes. So we actually bought each other’s houses.”

“I see. So what brings you to Korea?”

Momo tensed a little and Jeongyeon noticed the pause.

“I’m sorry if I was too nosy, you don’t need to tell me—”

“Sorry, my Korean is still not good. Dance. I got a job as a dance instructor here. So we decided to move here.”

“Woah, really? That’s great! You have your studio?”

“Not yet, I am still working in one though, but I want to build my own hopefully.”

“I know you would. A lot of young people here are interested in Kpop and wanting to become an idol, I think that would be in demand.”

“Yeah, I hope so. So far it pays the bills and Mina’s ballet lessons so…”

“Wow, Mina can do ballets? Wow.”

“Yeah, she started when she was four. It’s a shame to stop now, seeing she has a gift for it. But classes are not that cheap, you know. Before, my husband was the one paying it but now—” Momo stopped after realizing she had said too much.

Jeongyeon didn’t look up from the sauce she was doing so not to embarrass Momo further. “He doesn’t want to pay?”

Momo paused and chose her words carefully. “After the divorce, no, and it is very hard to find work there so we decided to move here. But then, being Japanese makes it difficult too.”

“I’m sorry—”

“No need to. Your daughter, she is Mina’s super hero. She is very quiet and timid you know so she doesn’t tell me her troubles and yet earlier she told me how a little girl pushed her bullies away because they had been calling her names.  So thank you. You raised her well.”

Jeongyeon felt constrict. Coming from another mom having the same experience as her—the compliment hit her home. Ji Hyo told her she’s doing well, that Chaeyoung is smart and kind, but after a series of moms coming to the house telling on her child, she had been feeling the Worst-Mom-Ever with the worst-kid-on-the-block.

“I—thank you. Thank you so much Hirai-ssi.”

Momo felt the sincerity on the other woman’s words and she smiled. It was nice having someone to talk to, since she was new and well, you can’t just talk to anybody about personal things you know? But here, in the Yoo kitchen that Friday afternoon, while chopping onions and garlics, she suddenly felt…at home.

“Momo.”

“Huh?”

“Please don’t call me Hirai-ssi, I feel old. I am only 34, you know?”

“Really? We are of the same age! What month is your birthday?”

“November.”

“No way, I am November too! What date?”

“9^th.”

Jeongyeon’s face fell. “Oh.”

Momo laughed. “Why the face, you are older?”

“Yeah, by eight days.”

Momo laughed and clapped her hand. “You are the unnie!”

“Yah! Don’t dare call me unnie!”

“Well, I could always call you Jeongyeon-ssi.” Momo with a smirk.

The smirk made her feel something came undone and made her feel warm. “Aish, alright, alright!”

Momo laughed and it was a nice sound. They didn’t even noticed the two kids are there in the kitchen looking weirded out by the two adults.

“Mom? Are those ready yet? We’re hungry.”

“Almost done, squirt. You guys wash your hands first, you looked both of you rolled in a can of paint.”

“I showed Mina my paintings!”

“That’s great hun, now go along while Momo-ssi and I prepared spaghetti and meatballs. You like that?”

Both child excitedly nodded and Chaeyoung pulled Mina at the bathroom to get cleaned but Jeongyeon was able to catch Chaeyoung telling Mina “My mom’s spaghetti are the best! You will love it!”

Jeongyeon shook her head but with a smile on her face. Momo helped Jeongyeon set the table and she counted the plate on the table.

“Your spouse coming in later, Jeongyeon-ssi?”

“Nah. She passed away three years ago.”

Momo stopped putting a plate in midair. “Oh. Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too. There was not a day I don’t miss her. She loved Chae very much and it was such a shame she didn’t get to know her other mother. Nayeon would have been very proud of her.”

She could hear the longing and the sadness behind Jeongyeon’s voice and she smiled understandingly at the older. “You are proud of her too, I know. The way you shouted at me earlier that your daughter wouldn’t hurt anybody unprovoked…”

Jeongyeon scratched her head. “Can we—could you please forget about that part already? I know it was not a great start and it was very embarrassing.”

Momo laughed but stood up held out a hand. “Okay. So let’s start our meeting over again. Hi, I am Hirai Momo from Kyoto, Japan. I have a daughter, Mina, the ballerina. Nice to meet you Ma’am.”

Jeongyeon took her hand for a handshake. “I am Yoo Jeongyeon, café owner, baker and has a super hero for a daughter, Yoo Chaeyoung. Please to be of acquaintance of you and your lovely daughter, Ma’am.”

They both shared a smile and both forgot they are still holding each others’ hand until Chaeyoung pointed it out. They let go immediately, with Jeongyeon scolding Chaeyoung and Momo’s face reddening furiously.  

The dinner was fun and lively, with the funny dynamics of Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung making Momo and Mina laughed all throughout. They didn’t notice it as quite late until Chaeyoung was almost dozing at the sofa.

Jeongyeon walked them to the gate.

“I—we had fun today. Thank you so much, Jeongyeon-ssi.”

“Anytime you need anything, Momo. Don’t hesitate to come here, okay? You too, Mina. You can come here anytime to play with Chaeyoung.”

Mina smiled and nodded and then at the same time with her mom, bowed at Jeongyeon.

They then turned around and held each others hand. Mina heard her mom hum  a tune or something and she looked up and see her smiling. It’s been so long since she saw her mom smiling widely-- the divorce, the transfer here in Korea and her stressful work had always left Momo drained and sad and sometimes angry so it was a surprise seeing her so…happy.

“They seem nice, don’t they, okasan?”

“Yes, of course.”

“You like them?”

“They seem ok. Why?”

“Mrs. Yoo called you Momo.”

Momo blushed. As expected of her perceptive seven-year-old daughter. “We’re the same age, Mitang.”

“So you will be good friends?”

“I dunno. Maybe? Why are you asking me?” She playfully shove her daughter.

“Because we don’t have any friends here and it’s sad. Aunt Sana is in Japan  so it’s nice that you will have a friend here, mom.”

“I have, you.” She teases Mina.

“Yes. But I will have a friend, Chaeyoung. It will be nice that you have a friend that you can talk too Mom, you know of adult stuff.”

Momo gasped. “So you are exchanging me for Chaeyoungie?”

Mina laughed. “Mom! You are so melodramatic sometimes! Of course you will still be my #1, Chaeyoungie would just be #2. “

“Well, glad to know that, munchkin.”

Mina, holding her mother’s hand, skipped and hopped and Momo did the same all the way to their house.

They felt it. Something shifted, like it is a new beginning of something.

Mina prayed that it stays. Because whatever it is, it is making her mom smile.