A week passed before Luda managed to convince the orphanage’s principal to allow her to take Chaewon to see a doctor – Dawon, an old friend of hers and a freshly graduated doctor, had helped by calling him and confirming she would see the kid without charging anything for it. The principal, a pudge man a little too grumpy to be in charge of helping children, had no choice but to give her permission.

Today, Luda brought reinforcements – in the form of her wife and her ever so captivating personality and eloquent speech, just in case she needed to deal with the annoying man.

Luckily for them, one of the staff members, a middle-aged woman Luda was friendly with, was the one in charge of Chaewon today – not that was much to do, she only had to wait with the little girl by the big courtyard in front of the main building where Lee would pick Chaewon up for the day.

Waving at the woman, the young brown-haired woman thanked the worker and moved closer to Chaewon, Jiyeon following her a little behind to give them enough space before making herself known.

“Chaewon. Hello, darling.” Luda smiled at the child, finding her an adorable sight in the thick pink and gray winter clothes that made her look even smaller. The clothes were a little too big and Luda made a mental note to get Chaewon a new padded jacket before the end of her internship. “They told you I would come over to take you to see a doctor today, right?”

The only reply was a shy nod as the girl looked from her to Bona. Of course, Chaewon was always wary of strangers and it had taken Luda a few months to get her trust.

“And this my partner…” She started, but was cut off by Bona’s voice.

“I’m Kim Jiyeon, her favorite person! Nice to meet you.” Jiyeon said with more excitement than any of the other girls expected to see; even more surprising was her use of sign language for the last sentence. Luda had taught Bona a few sentences, as per Jiyeon’s request, but she didn’t expect her to be so good at it – Jiyeon’s intelligent onyx eyes were bright as she waved at Chaewon, showing she was as determined as Luda to help the kid. “I will give you guys a ride today.” She smiled as she finished signaling her words – she wasn’t as good as Luda, far from it, but she was a fast learner and knew how to show confidence. “Ludi told me a lot about you.”

Chae looked a little unsure of how to react, but she still gave Bona a polite bow and a stiff smile – the same thing she did to most people she just met, slightly awkward, but still cute. Luda gently caressed her hair, helping her to calm down. “Let’s go, little one.”

Offering her hand to Chaewon, Luda took her to Jiyeon’s car where she would sit with the child on the back while her wife would drive them – she usually liked to drive herself, but for today, she would take the back seat so she could speak to Chaewon freely during the time it would take them to reach Dawon’s clinic downtown.

During the first few minutes, Jiyeon put a mid-tempo song to play as she focused on driving and they all remained in silence as Luda would once in a while show Chaewon something outside the car’s window and give her a short explanation about what it was – the kid didn’t know much about the city and Luda wanted to make of this day a good experience for her and not give her the chance of being nervous about seeing a doctor.

They were halfway there when Bona stopped at a red light, turning on her seat to give them a smile as she picked a small container from the shotgun seat and handed it to Luda – a few boxes of milk-chocolate and some candy bars. “When I was little, I always envied my friend Soobin because she always got candy when she had to visit the doctor, but my mom didn’t like it.” Bona explained, counting on Luda to translate it for Chaewon as she had to go back to driving. “My mom is not here anymore though, so drink all you want!”

Luda thanked her wife with a large smile, passing one of the milk-chocolate boxes to Chaewon. “You can drink it, if you like. We are almost there and you will like Doctor Nam a lot, she is very kind.” It was more of a reassurance than an explanation, her way of making sure Chae felt comfortable with the idea before they arrived at the clinic and the kid was overwhelmed by the large halls and white walls. “Have you ever been examined by a doctor before? For your ears?”

The adults expected a negative reply, but Chae nodded positively. “Once.” She raised a single finger, before taking her time to form a longer sentence. “Had something for it, but it…Broke.”

All the words were correct, but there was a hint of unsureness in the way Chaewon gestured, as if she wasn’t telling the whole story. Luda didn’t question, knowing it was probably something the kid didn’t wish to talk about – and she probably had a good reason to do so.

Therefore Luda only helped Chaewon to place the straw properly on the box of milk-chocolate, making sure she had a good sip before speaking again.

“Doctor Nam Dawon is my friend, she treats kids. She will see if she can help you to hear a little better.” Dawon was actually still working on her specialization, but she was already a pretty talented doctor and Luda knew she could trust Chaewon with her – Nam was also someone patient and sweet, if someone knew how to deal with special kids, it was her. “But if you feel uncomfortable at any moment, you can just tell me. Okay?”

Chaewon, too busy with the beverage between her small hands, could only nod with a small smile – she didn’t look nervous now; Luda and Jiyeon’s presence, as well as the sweetness of the drink, made her feel at ease.

“I promise it will be good for you.”

And Luda was the kind of person that always keeps her word.

Things went better than expected.

Chaewon did tense up during the examination, but Dawon’s kind smile and Luda’s light hand on her back were enough to make her relax and allow the doctor to check her ears and run some basic tests – they would need to do more complex ones eventually, but for a first time, everything went as smoothly as it could go.

It would take nearly two weeks to get Chaewon a proper hearing-aid perfectly fit for her needs, but Dawon borrowed them a similar one that Chaewon could use during her sessions with Luda to get used to how it was like to hear herself. They would meet Dawon again in some days to get the device and check Chaewon’s hearing, making sure everything was fine.

By the end of the appointment, Chae looked a lot more comfortable with Dawon and Jiyeon as well – the Kim spending the whole time giving her thumbs up and making silly faces that were enough to distract the child and make Chaewon smile.

Therefore, it seemed appropriate to have a little celebration – at least, Bona thought so.

“At what time they said we have to come back?” She asked her wife when they were back in the car, Jiyeon once more under the wheel as she diligently drove them out of the parking lot and into the city.

“I didn’t specify how long we would be away.” Luda shrugged her shoulders. The people back at the orphanage didn’t really mind what her plans were, as long as everything was free – money is king in the public administration, after all. “Why? Do you need to stop by your office?”

Shaking her head in a way that made her black hair move on top of her shoulders, Jiyeon looked through the rearview mirror to give the girls a grin. “You know what that means, Chae? We have time to get some ice cream!”

Luda couldn’t help but laugh as she translated the words to Chaewon – who looked surprised, but undeniably excited about the prospect of some delicious ice cream.

“What do you think, Chaewon?” She asked, albeit the answer was already clear on the kid’s small face, she waited for her to nod before giving her wife the green light: “Okay, captain Kim. Take us there!”

Jiyeon’s choice was nothing less than the park – the same one she usually visited with Luda –, the place with its green and blue beauty thanks to the river running down below, made it a great place to relax and bring your kids – or in their case, their little buddy, Chaewon. It was a week day, so there weren’t as many people around, giving them a quiet place to talk and enjoy the afternoon breeze while tasting some delicious ice cream Bona was paying for.

“Go ahead, pick anything.” She had told Chaewon, giving her one of her trademark eyesmiles, making sure the kid knew she wouldn’t mind spoiling her a little bit today. “I eat a lot, so you need to eat as well or I will feel embarrassed.” The extra encouragement, alongside Luda’s approving nod, was enough to make Chaewon agree and go inspect the large menu displayed in the ice cream truck’s wall.

After a few moments, the kid chose the unusual combination of green and brown – the same one the couple ended up choosing as well; the coincidence was enough to make the older women exchange glances as Jiyeon paid for their order and handed Chaewon her ice cream.

As they waited for their own ice creams, and the young Kim took a seat by the wood table a few meters away – as instructed by Luda who told her she could go ahead and eat while they waited –, the shorter woman smiled as her light-brown eyes glanced between her wife and the child.

“A mint chocolate lover…” Luda whispered to Bona, a childish excitement in finding out all of them shared the love for the ice cream most people loathed – it was a small thing, but she was excited about the coincidence and the fact that Chaewon seemed to be acting a little more relaxed today; more like a normal child. “I told you she was special!”

Chuckling lightly, Jiyeon nodded her head in agreement. “I know, right? I like her already!” Her tone was playful, but her words were sincere – Jiyeon always liked kids, she enjoyed playing with her younger cousins and waving at cute babies, but she wasn’t sure if she would be able to get along with Chaewon due to the language barrier; after a few hours around the child though, she felt as if getting to know Chae wouldn’t be hard at all, and maybe they could even bond over the afternoon with Luda’s help.

Finally receiving their own ice cream, Jiyeon led Luda back to Chaewon and sat in front of her with the determination of learning more about the little girl that her wife seemed so fond of already.

“Chaewon, Ludi told me you love puzzles, just like her. Do you like digital games as well?” She asked once Luda was done helping Chaewon with her ice cream – as expected of a kid, the little Kim’s hands were covered in green ice cream and all sticky by now, as the child tried to eat the ice cream as slowly as she cold, but the ice cream was winning the battle by melting first and making a mess – and Lee could help with translating.

Chaewon looked a little shy as she thanked Luda for the help – for the second time that day, Jiyeon noticed the way the kid would flinch slightly whenever an adult raised their hand near her, even though Luda was just trying to help now and, earlier, Dawon just had done it to examine her ears; as someone who worked in the prosecution office, Bona had seem such behavior before and it made her chest a little heavier for understanding what that meant. But Chae replied nonetheless, this time slowly as she tried to balance the ice cream in one hand. “Never played it before.”

“Oh really?” Luda said with a hint of surprise in her voice, forgetting for a moment she needed to relay the message to her wife – which she did once Jiyeon gave her a questioning look. “She never played before. We really need to teach her sometime!” As expected of Lee, who loved games just as much as Jiyeon loved her, she was a little too excited about introducing Chaewon to it.

Although Jiyeon would much rather play real life sports over video-games, she was easily contaminated by Luda’s excitement, wanting to give the child the chance of trying for herself whatever she wanted to do. Therefore, she asked: “Do you want to try it today? Luda, tell her about your favorite games, so Chaewon can decide if she wants to try anything.”

And just like this, the conversation continued for the next half-hour as the couple learned more about Chaewon’s tastes in games and sports – or better saying, the fact that the kid didn’t have the chance of doing much in her short life, and was now so curious about everything. They took upon themselves the challenge of introducing Chaewon to a whole new world.

Luda, having called the orphanage to inform that they would take a little longer to get back – under the excuse of running more tests –, made them able to keep Chaewon company for the rest of the afternoon and take her to the small arcade in the mall near their house. It wasn’t very big, but to Chaewon it probably looked huge, and anywhere she looked at there was something new to try and more fun to be had – the kid was still shy and obedient, but it was easy to tell how excited she was to experience it all, intelligent chestnut eyes shining with a glint that reminded Jiyeon of Luda so much.

The couple was more than willing to indulge Chaewon’s wishes, and in non time Luda had taught her how to play several games as Jiyeon tried her best to keep up with it – with different degrees of success; the next time she would take them to do something she was better at, she promised herself.

By the end of the day, the pale and quiet kid Jiyeon had met that day, turned into a rosy-cheeked-all-smiles little girl who held tightly onto her new tiger plushie – courtesy of Bona’s stubbornness and competitiveness that manage to win over the rigged claw machines of the arcade – and a smaller Charmander one – thanks to Luda’s undying love for Pokemon. More important than the gifts, there was a new light in Chaewon’s eyes as she walked beside them with confidence instead of hesitance, a confidence born out of the trust she had in Luda, and, now, a little bit in Jiyeon too.

Of course, Chaewon was still Chaewon, and she kept her distance as she accompanied them back to the orphanage – no tight hugs and goodbye kisses like most kids do, but instead Chaewon gave them a polite and full of gratitude bow and a shy smile as Luda gently patted her head lightly; as for Bona, she only returned the smile and waved at the kid, knowing that Chaewon still needed more time to feel as comfortable around her as she was around Lee.

If they got some suspicious looks from the staff once they were back and Chaewon’s colorful plushies caught their eyes, the couple pretended they didn’t notice it and Luda simply gave the staff a quick report about Chaewon’s medical appointment, showing them the papers Dawon had given her and informing about their next appointment. It was enough to make the tired social worker who was in charge nod in approval and say their goodbyes, too busy to waste anymore time on the case.

Watching Chaewon wave at them as they went back to the car made the couple exchange a look, with the shorter of the two letting out a sigh – it was an odd feeling, but leaving Chaewon behind after spending such a fun day with the kid, felt weirdly wrong. Yet, they knew they had done the best to make it a nice experience for her.

Climbing the passenger’s seat, Luda glanced over her shoulder once more, watching the door close and Chaewon disappear behind it. In a few weeks, she would be seeing that scene for the last time – she sighed again.

Stealing a quick glance at her wife, the older brunette reached out to rest her hand on top of Luda’s knee, squeezing it lightly. “I guess I can understand you better now, but I don’t know if I should say what I think.”

Blinking, Lee gave Jiyeon a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“You like Chaewon. You really do, and not just as a patient, but more like one of your nieces.” Bona voiced a thought she had kept for a long while – even though her wife may look a little socially awkward at first, she was surprisingly good at bonding with people, even more with children, including all her beloved nieces who she loved to spoil as if they were her own kids. Working as a speech therapist for kids sounded like a great job for someone like her, but Jiyeon could tell right away that Luda was getting a little too attached to that particular child. “I already had this suspicion, but today made it even clearer.”

Making a face, Luda let out an airy chuckle as she rested her hand on top of Jiyeon’s – of course she knew it, Bona knew her better than anyone and the way she had been so sweet and good to Chaewon today only showed how much her wife was caring and good to her. “Not very professional, right? I just felt a connection since the very beginning and now I’m struggling to remember my place in her life.”

Nodding slowly, Jiyeon used the chance given by the red light to stop the car and bring their joint hands to kiss the back of Luda’s smaller one. “I know, I can’t blame you. But you only have a few more days to go.”

“Yes…” Shaking off another sigh, Luda focuses on the warmth of Jiyeon’s hand on hers instead of the subtle pain inside of her chest. “That’s why I wanted to make today a nice day for her, but you did most of the work.” A genuine smile made its way to her lips as she remembered Jiyeon doing her best to talk and get to know Chaewon better, seeing the two of them getting along so well regardless of words, made her heart happy. “Thanks to you I feel like she had so much fun and that we made the best we could for her today.”

“And we did it, together. She is a good kid, but she looks much happier whenever you are around.” Bona corrected gently, returning Luda’s smile as she carefully put the car in motion once more. The sun was going down the horizon now and there should be traffic, but the streets were surprisingly calm, allowing her to drive with calm. “And you still feel like you can’t leave her behind. I know because I’ve only met her today and I’m already struggling.” Chuckling softly, Jiyeon glanced at her wife with a fond smile. “I guess we just need to do all we can for her before your contract is over.”

And just like her wife, Jiyeon was someone who took her promises very seriously.

A/N: No, author isn't dead. I will finish this...eventually!