Yoona woke up to a tight embrace. An arm encircled her waist while her face nuzzled comfortably against this familiar woman’s chest. The face of a guardian angel greeted her when she looked up, her long blonde hair cascading down to Yoona’s own tiny head. 


Her omma was beautiful. Even now as the early rays of sun caressed her mother’s face, she radiated blinding radiance. Yoona refused to believe she would ever find anybody just as stunning.


Yoona scooted herself closer to her mother, tucking her short arms in front of her to close the distance. 


Now she can hear Jessica’s heartbeat. 


Calm and steady.


Then her mother’s stomach grumbled. 


Curious, the bright haired child pressed an ear on her mother’s bulging belly.


There was another heartbeat there. 


That’s where her sister is sleeping, appa told her one day when she asked why her omma was getting fatter.


Did Jessica eat her too when she was a baby?


Is that how she kept Yoona safe when she was little?


She’s six years old now; surely she doesn’t need to protect Yoona anymore.


This unborn sister of hers on the other hand needs just as much protection and love.


Although Yoona was excited she would soon have someone to play with, much like an itch that must be scratched, she felt involuntary jealousy of her unborn sister. Will omma pay more attention to her when she comes out? What will happen to Yoona? Will she be forgotten?


She hugged her mother tighter at the thought of Jessica abandoning her.


Then she noticed another arm draped over her mother’s waist. It was her appa’s.


Yoona immediately sat up, puffing her cheeks in annoyance when she discovered Yuri’s close proximity to Jessica. 


Too close.


Yuri always did have a horrible habit of always getting in the way of Yoona, especially when she was with Jessica; How Yuri would spontaneously surprise her mother with unexpected kisses while playing with Yoona and how omma’s face would brighten up although she would often try to hide it under a bored expression. Yuri must know this since she keeps doing it.


How could she compete with that? Yuri was just as striking as omma albeit in her own way and she was also strong. Yoona herself was strong and cute; omma told her so. If only she could grow taller---perhaps as tall as appa; maybe then omma would pay more attention to her?


Yoona stood up on the bed, careful not to wake her sleeping omma as she tried to squeeze her tiny feet in between YulSic. But her feet, no matter how miniscule in size got stuck, causing her to lose balance and inadvertently fall on Yuri.


“uuuummmffff~”


Yuri groggily opened an eye, her voice still hoarse with drowsiness at the sudden weight on her.


“Yoona?”


When Yuri discovered the child on her, she immediately sat up.


“Are you okay Yoong?”, she said, picking up Yoona by the waist.


Yuri laid the troublesome child right between her and Jessica, before tucking her in gently.


“Be careful with your mother. You don’t want to hurt your sister too do you?”, Yuri rhetorically scolded, laying herself down and wrapping her arms around the little girl.


Yoona was more than happy with her placement, showing it by eagerly hugging her omma; however, she soon furrowed her eyebrows when her rival displayed her own affection to her.


Displeased, the child pushes Yuri away her small fingers accidently poking Yuri’s half-lidded eyes as she palmed her face away.


“OW!~”


If all the shifting didn’t wake Jessica, Yuri’s involuntary outcry definitely did.


Jessica turned her body to face the two, slowly and carefully so as not to disturb the child residing in her belly before reaching out to Yuri, “What’s wrong?”


With Yuri’s nose crinkled and a palm covering an eye, Jessica gently pried Yuri’s hand away before lifting her chin to inspect her eye.


“It’s nothing. Yoona just accidently punched me in the face…”, Yuri winced, gently brushing Jessica’s hand away from her chin.


“Kwon-Jung Yoona…”, Jessica looked down at her guilty child, her innocent doe-like eyes immediately stopping her scolding streak before it can even begin.


The blonde mother turned her attention back to her injured wife who was now furiously winking the discomfort away, “Your big poor baby~. I’m sure you can handle it”


“I don’t know…Yoong is pretty strong. I might lose an eye, you know. How about you kiss it to make it feel better~?”, Yuri grinned, the injured eye still closed as it waited for its cure to help open them.


Jessica could be seen with a sudden smug smile. She beckoned her wife towards her with a finger, lips already puckered. Yuri, of course, leaned forward eagerly, waiting for those luscious lips to graze her eyelids but instead, felt small, clammy hands when she was palmed in the face a second time.


“YAH!”


Yuri immediately stood up, taking the retaliatory child by the armpits and holding her up in front of her, Yoona’s little feet dangling in the air as she stubbornly stared back at her appa.


“No interrupting fluffy and possibly y YulSic moments! Bad Yoong!”, Yuri reprimanded, a look of displeasure across her face.


Yoona continued to puff her cheeks stubbornly, crossing her arms just to show Yuri she didn’t care.


“Aish, what’s wrong with your daughter?”, she asked her wife although her eyes were still locked in an intense gaze with Yoona’s.


“Drop her, Yuri”, Jessica interjected, her voice mellow and gentle however possessing an authoritative tone.


“But---“


“Drop her NOW”


Yuri sighs and slowly dropped the child back on the bed, but not before narrowing her eyes at the child, “Fine”


The child immediately finds haven in Jessica’s arms. Now under the protection of her omma, Yoona stuck a tongue out at Yuri.


“Did you see that?!”, Yuri exclaimed, wagging an accusing finger at the child.


Jessica looked down at the Yoona, catching her in the midst of egging on her appa. Upon realizing she has been discovered, the child suddenly engulfed her upper lip with her lower ones in an attempt to look cute and innocent. 


“See what?”, Jessica deadpanned at the sight of her innocent little ‘angel’.


“What?! That’s not fair. You two are tag teaming me~!”


Jessica just smiles at her wife, pulling Yoona closer and kissing her temple, eliciting a giggle from the child.


“I see how it is! Just wait until this child is born; I’m converting her into a Yurisistable!”, Yuri exclaimed as she jumped onto the bed and hugged Jessica’s tummy.


“And you!”, she pointed at Yoona, “You’ll regret the day you chose YoonSic over YoonYul!”


And with unprecedented speed and graceful gentleness, Yuri pried Yoona from Jessica’s arms and started tickling the child. Laughter soon filled the room as the two continued to playfully tickle each other, Jessica chuckling at her two chodings.


When everything settled, Yuri got off the bed and stretched before asking, “So what do my two favorite girls want for breakfast?”


“Pancake!”, Yoona screamed eagerly.


“You heard the boss”, Sergeant Sica announced.


With a final pinch to Yoona’s nose and a salute, Yuri walks out of the room, wasting no time to make the general's breakfast.


“Come closer and cuddle with omma now that appa isn’t in the way~”, Jessica cooed as she opened her arms for Yoona, the latter more than eagerly accepting her invitation. Soon, the bright-haired choding fell asleep in Jessica’s arms, drooling all the while.


Jessica the fine hair from Yoona's face, appreciating the little ball of innocence encased in her arms.


It's hard to believe she almost denied the existence of this child. Truth be told, Yuri had been more than ready for a family since they wed although Jessica seemed hesitant. And she was more than justified to feel that way; she was only a medical student when she married Yuri. How could she juggle work, school, Yuri and a baby all together? The amount of time, effort, money and love that would go into it. She wasn't even sure if she was providing enough to Yuri alone. 


Jessica was tired indeed, but it was definitely worth it as Jessica couldn’t imagine living without this little angel.


It’s safe to say that most parents can’t wait until their child grows up, leave the nest, go to college, marry and start a family of their own. Jessica wasn’t one of them. She would love nothing more than to hold Yoona in her protective embrace for as long as she can.


It wouldn’t matter if she was 1, 10, 20 or 100 years old.


Yoona will always be hers to love and protect.


Jessica leans down and kisses the sleeping child on the temple, mumbling, “Stay like this forever, Yoong”, before drowsiness sat in again.


Moments later, she barely heard footsteps and a voice exclaiming, “OMG you two are sleeping again?!”


******


“Are you okay?”, Yuri peered over her newspaper and reading glasses, watching Jessica intently, her food-pancakes-untouched as she stared into open space.


Snapping out of it, Jessica sighs, “I’m worried about Yoona”


“I’m sure she’s fine. Stop worrying about her; she’s a big girl”, Yuri said nonchalantly, resuming her reading.


Jessica just sighs, pushing her plate away.


Yuri raises an eyebrow and lowers her newspaper at the odd reaction. Usually, she’d be glared at followed by accusations of her indifference towards her own daughter.


Her wife was worried sick. Worried enough to not bother fighting back.


Yuri extends an arm across the table to give Jessica’s hand a comforting squeeze.


Jessica’s maternal instincts have been accurate over the years and Yuri can’t help but worry now as well. 


Mother knows best after all.