A persistent knock on the door had woken Momo up from her deep slumber. It was Sunday, and since she didn’t have work that day, she indulged herself and Mina to sleep in until late morning.

With her one eye closed and the other barely open, she spied her phone and check the time. Seven o’clock. Who in the devil is awake that early and had decided to ruin their morning?

The knock didn’t stop and now getting impatient. What the—

She swung the sliding door open and the person in the other side gave a loud shriek. Momo’s hair is still in a state of disarray, and she figured out she looked like a zombie but she didn’t care—

“Oh, hi Mrs. Hirai! Is Mina-unnie already awake?”

 Momo now opened her eyes and looked at the three-feet-and-a-half-tall child in front of her. She groaned.

“Oh, hi, Chae. What are you doing here, it’s still so early…” She yawned but the child in front of her was unbothered and standing on her tiptoe to look behind Momo’s for any sign of Mina.

“Oh, Mina-unnie said we can play today. So, I brought some of my toys that she said she wanted.” Chaeyoung beamed at her and Momo sighed.

“She’s still asleep, Chae. We usually sleep a little late on Sunday and do some of the chores before she can have her free time.”

But Chaeyoung was removing her slippers and entered the house already. “That’s okay, Mrs. Hirai, I could wait for her to wake up.”

She was in awe with this child’s persistence and just laughed. “Well, you’re going to wait the whole day then. Does your mom know you are here?”

“Yes ma’am, I left her a note. Oh, hi Mina-unnie! Good morning!”

Mina stopped on her tracks and rubbed the sleep off her eyes. “Oh, hi Chaeng, what are you doing here?”

“You said we could play today...” Chaeyoung pouted, obviously disappointed that Mina had forgotten.

“Oh, yeah, we did, but not this early! I was expecting in the afternoon…”

Chaeyoung’s shoulders slumped a little and she headed back to the door. Momo felt sorry for the small girl so she called her back.

“Hey, Chae, why don’t you have breakfast with us first? Then after Mina finished her tasks, you could go and play?”

Chaeyoung’s bright smile could fill up the whole room. She hugged Momo’s legs and said a quick ‘arigatou, Hirai-sama’ and then ran to where Mina is. Mina flashed the little girl her gummy smile and lead her to the dining room.

Momo smiled at the two and went to the kitchen to cook while the two chat at the dining table.

Chaeyoung was such a chatterbox, Momo found out, but she smiled every time Mina giggle on whatever Chaeyoung was saying. Her child had always been quiet and soft-spoken and even in Japan, she doesn’t have a lot of friends from the Nursery--Mina’s teacher said she preferred to be alone most of the time. That’s why hearing her daughter laugh makes her heart lighter and made her feel less guilty about moving in Korea.

After the dishes had been cleared, Chaeyoung jumped to her feet. “Can we play now, Mrs. Hirai?”

Momo shook her head. “Mina has to do her chores first, Chae, I’m sorry. She just need to make her bed, exercise, water the plants, rake the leaves in the garden and then she can play.”

“What? There’s too many!”
“I told you, but you said you could wait for her?”

“Yes, I did but…”

“I tell you what, if you help Minari on her chores, you could finish faster! So how about that?”

“I guess you’re right. So, what’s the first chore?”

 Chaeyoung had been a great sport. She had helped Mina make her bed and clean her room, do some stretches, water the plants and rake the garden. Momo shook her head with the mess the two had done in the garden, with the two playing with water and chasing each other with the hose instead of watering the plant.

“Yoo Chaeyoung!”

Chaeyoung stopped on her tracks to see her mother standing outside the gate, looking very angry yet relieved.

“Mom! Why--?”

Jeongyeon stormed inside the gate and grabbed her arm. “I’ve been looking all over for you since morning! C’mon, we’re going home!”

“But mom, Mina and I---”

“How could you do this to me Yoo Chaeyoung? I almost died with worry!”
“I left a note---”

“What note? Would I be worried if I saw a note??!”

“But mom—”

“No buts, you’re grounded!”

“Jeongyeon-ssi! What...? Are you going home already Chaeyoung?”

Upon hearing Momo’s voice, Chaeyoung turned around and ran to Momo and hid behind her.

“Hirai-ssi…please, I don’t want to go home yet…”

 Momo looked confusingly between the mother and the daughter who look like having a staring contest. No one wanted to budge and Jeongyeon is growing impatient minute by minute with how stubborn her daughter is.

Momo crouched beside the little girl and took her hand.

“I think your mom was worried sick, I know I would be too if I woke up and I can’t find Mina.  That is why she got mad. Why don’t you go and apologize?”

Chaeyoung realized that Momo was right and hung her head. She walked slowly towards her mom, to which her mom stepped forward and enveloped her in tight hug. Chaeyoung burst to tears and clung to her mom tightly.

“I’m sorry omma..”

“Don’t do that again, Chaeyoung! Or else Nay wouldn’t forgive me if I lost you!”

Tearfully, she nodded and hugged her mom tighter.

When Jeongyeon straightened up, she turned to Momo and bowed. “I’m sorry for any inconvenience, Momo-ssi—we’ll get going.”

“It was nothing, and Chaeyoung actually helped around the house.”

Jeongyeon’s eyebrow raised on the muddy garden and wondered what kind of help her daughter did.

Momo scratched her head. “Okay, so she helped some and played some. No big deal, they’re kids. I was cooking when I heard you. Would you like to stay for lunch?”

Jeongyeon looked at Chaeyoung’s pleading eyes, matching Mina’s and then looked up to Momo’s expectant ones. She figured out she was outnumbered.

“I—if it’s not too much inconvenience, Momo-ssi…”

 “Of course not! But I am not much of a cook, so please excuse my cooking…”

She led Jeongyeon inside their still-bare house, with some furniture still having covers and some had dust.

“You still haven’t unpacked?”

Momo shrugged. “I still didn’t have the time. We only fixed the bedroom, and the kitchen because that’s what we use most. Planned to arrange things when I had free time…”

“Well, if you want, I could help you with it since I am not doing anything at all.”

Momo raised an eyebrow and Jeongyeon mentally thought of the bakery. Jiwon, her assistant baker would probably hold until later and she would just text her to close-up early.

“Are you sure? I know you have a more important things to do—”

“Well, there nothing more important than cleaning. And this house hadn’t been cleaned thoroughly for a long time, so you need more hand to finish this…”

Momo isn’t so sure but she knows she cannot win against Jeongyeon’s determination and insistence. She nodded, and after Jeongyeon repeatedly assured her it’s okay, she relented.

Lunch had been lively, with Chaeyoung telling her mom Mina’s chores and how she helped her. Jeongyeon that she hardly helps her around the house and yet very willing to help Mina with her chores. Chaeyoung shrugged and said that her mom is a cleaning addict which left her with too little things to clean anyway.

Momo looked at Chae in awe the way she answered her mom, but Jeongyeon’s booming laugh made her feel at ease. She could see that the mother and daughter had a very close relationship, something that she thought a little refreshing.

Momo had never been the cool-mom—Sana said that she and Mina were too alike—being shy and introverts, and it was usually her who play that cool-mom role to Mina. She usually blames herself for being like that, thinking if she had been a little livelier, Mina would probably be more out of her shell.

Momo watched as Jeongyeon took over her sink, and she just realized how she had been daydreaming and her visitor had been taking charge already. She slightly panicked and tried to get the plates from Jeongyeon to which the other woman just laughed. Momo apologized for spacing out, but Jeongyeon shrugged it off as her appreciation for the lunch.

“Anything, for making Chaeyoung and me at home here.”

Momo nodded and just got the rag to dry the plates. Silence filled the kitchen, with the noise of plates and utensils clinking the only things that can be heard.

The silence had been comfortable, too comfortable even for Jeongyeon. “Penny for your thoughts?” Jeongyeon asked without looking at Momo, just to break the silence.  

Momo sighed. “Nothing. I just—I just thought it’s nice.”

“Which is?”

“That you and Chae are here.”

Jeongyeon laughed. “Well, that’s a first.”

Momo had to look at Jeongyeon. “Why? You guys are great.”

Jeongyeon laughed. “We’re okay. We mostly just keep to ourselves too, and with Chae usually get in trouble, we became the unpopular duo.”

Momo looked incredulously at the other woman, since the woman had nothing but gracious with them even it’s just their second meeting and Jeongyeon looked at her expression.

“I—we’re used to it, don’t worry. I just always tell Chae to do what she knows is right, and usually her heart is in the right place, so I don’t worry too much about what other people’s thoughts about us.”

Momo nodded and wished she had that resolved too. She felt that she had been living in other people’s opinion all her life and that her life was not hers at all--- that is why she decided to move in Korea, where no one knows them.

A fresh, new start.

After putting the dishes out, Jeongyeon stood in the middle of the living room and turned to Momo where she wanted to start.

“Well, to be honest, I don’t know. You’re the “cleaning addict”, you tell me.” Momo teased Jeongyeon, quoting Chaeyoung earlier.

“Well, I think we should start with the shelves and the bookcase, take out the things you won’t be using and putting things that would make it feel it homey…”

Momo nodded, and through her instructions, took out the books of the previous owner, put it in the box, and putting out the photos of Momo and Mina to grace the shelves.

“Wow, you got a lot of trophies…”

“Oh, those. Yeah, I used to enter a lot of dancing competitions…”

 “And I figure you must have won all of them…”

Momo giggled. “Not all, maybe some. And these are way back when I was in elementary and high school.”

“You must be very good.”

Momo shrugged, but the red on her face is evident.

“Just decent.”

“You’re lying.”

“Who’s lying, omma? Isn’t it bad to lie?” Chaeyoung and Mina arrived from outside, sweaty from all the playing.

“No one, squirt. And how many times I told you not to in adult conversations, hmmm?” Chaeyoung rolled her eyes, but with Jeongyeon’s eyebrows shooting up, Chae had to bow and murmur an apology.

“Mina, why don’t you lend Chae some of your clothes? You go cleaned up first in the bathroom and go change your clothes.”

The two kids went off to the bathroom and it was Jeongyeon’s turn to roll her eyes.  

“Sometimes, I don’t know where Chaeyoung got her cheekiness.”

Momo hold off her laugher, and Jeongyeon seeing her threw a rag at her. “Yah! What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.”

“Really? You thought it was from me?”

“Well, I didn’t get to meet your wife, so I would just base all my opinions on you.”

“That’s unfair!”

“Life is never fair honey.”

Jeongyeon laughed to hide away her embarrassment with the endearment. They continued to place the trophies, picture frames in the glass cabinet and to Jeongyeon’s amazement—dolls.

“Are all of these Mina’s?”

“No—they are mine.”

“What??!”

“Those Barbie were my collections.”

“But Dolls are scary.”

“I didn’t know Jeongyeon had fears.”

“I don’t! I just—I can’t sleep with dolls in the room. I felt like they are staring at me.”

Momo raised an eyebrow. “Why, are you going to sleep here?”

Jeongyeon gaped at her. ‘I—of course not!”

Momo smirked. “So the dolls will stay. My ex didn’t let me put up the dolls too for display, so since he’s not here, I can now put them up.”

Jeongyeon held off her tongue from telling her that the dolls looked tacky, but seeing how decided she were and how important it must be for her, she relented. It was her house after all, and you were just here to help, she told herself.

She cannot help but look at the other woman with awe. She was headstrong and yet sentimental. She’s tough and yet child-like. She never met someone who is such a paradox.

Or just plain weird.

Jeongyeon had to smile with that, and Momo had caught it.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Nothing.”

“What nothing. I know you think I’m funny.”

“of course not!”

“So why are you smiling?”

“Nothing. Is it wrong to smile?”

“Weirdo.”

Jeongyeon laughed aloud at that. At least they think the same about each other.

The late afternoon sun had spilled in the room when they were finished cleaning and decorating the room. Momo looked around the room, feeling a bit happy on how homey the room had become. It started to look like a real home for the first time since they moved. She looked at Jeongyeon, sprawled on the floor, smiling widely while enjoying the afternoon sun on her face.

“Jeongyeon-ssi, hontoni, arigato gozaimasu.”

Jeongyeon opened one eye and looked up at Momo.

“Gwaenchana. What are friends for?”

'Friends.' Momo had to smiled widely with the thought that she had a real friend now in Korea, not just a co-worker or someone who just she says hi to on the streets. 

She held a hand up to Jeongyeon to help the other woman up.

“I’ll make us tea. Let’s sit at the porch.”

Jeongyeon nodded and went to the porch and sat. The sun was setting, and she marveled how long since she had last watched the sunset.

It’s been too long.

Momo came bearing a tray of scones and tea and placed it at the floor beside Jeongyeon. “The kids must have been tired playing, they fell asleep.”

Jeongyeon nodded and Momo also took a seat on the porch step and sip on her tea. “Is the sunset in Kyoto the same with our sun here?”

Momo shook her head. “Kyoto sunsets are so pretty, it’s like an explosion of red, yellow and orange. It’s very big that I felt that the sun could swallow us whole…when I was going home from school, I felt that the sun was following me. Seoul sunsets are pretty too, it just felt the sun is so far away.”

Jeongyeon smiled at the thought of high schooler Momo in Kyoto. “You must miss Kyoto very much.”

Momo shrugged. “I do. But there’s no use of staying. I had to start over for Mina.”

Jeongyeon nodded, understanding very well.

Probably too well.

Momo couldn’t recall what they had talked about over tea, she had lost count of topics they have talked about until the moths appeared and circled the porch lights. Talking with Jeongyeon had been easy, she doesn’t judge her with her corny jokes, tried to understand her broken Korean and helped her with unfamiliar words and her pronunciation. Time had passed so fast that she didn’t realize it was time to bid goodnight. Momo and Mina walked them to the gate and only went in when their visitors had round the curb. 

As they go home, Chaeyoung reached her mom’s hand and hold it.

“Omma?”

“Hmmm.”

“Can we go back to Hirai-san’s house next week?”

“Well, I missed a whole day at work squirt.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, just don’t go off like that again, hmmm?”

“Okay.”

“Let’s just invite them for dinner again on Friday, whaddayathink?”

Chaeyoung’s eyes went as big as saucers. “Really?!”

“Yep. Really.”

Chaeyoung jumped to hug her mother. “Thank you omma! You’re the best!”

Jeong messed up Chaeyoung’s hair. She is willing to invite their neighbor all the time, if that will mean she will be the best mom there is for her daughter Chae.