The wind hit HaNa’s skin, leaving her face pink with chill. She pulled her coat over herself, keeping her grip on her young daughter’s arm. Lauren rubbed her runny nose and looked up at her mother, whose free hand was wiping her damp face with a handkerchief. She sniffed, her lip shaking, squeezing her daughter’s wrist tighter.

“Mommy?”
HaNa looked down, trying to hide her tears beneath a tired smile. “What is it, honey?” she asked.
Lauren looked around her, her head turning in all directions, then gazed up at her mother, her eyebrows bent inwards in bewilderment. “Where’s Daddy?”

HaNa blinked several times, swallowing her pain before responding. She ran her hand down Lauren’s head to comfort her, then took a small, quick inhale. “Remember, sweetie?” she asked. Her voice cracked, and she swallowed again to fix it. “He went to a faraway place.”

Lauren pursed her lips forward, tilting her head to the side. She rubbed her nose, then asked, “To China?”
HaNa raised her eyebrows. “That’s right sweetie. He’s going to fight their oppressive government to free our country.”
“He’s fighting bad guys?”
HaNa her lips. “Yes honey.”

There was a pause; Lauren was most likely contemplating something, by the looks of her wrinkled brow and puckered lips. “Mommy?”
“Yes honey.”

“Is Daddy a good guy?”