Norma stood in front of the open coffin along with granny and…Jihoon. The boy was glued to Norma…simply was looking at her dead mother’s body…he wasn’t crying at all.

Jessica looked beautiful even with her skin pale as blue in her black dress. Why would she even think that Norma was more beautiful than her? She was just plain as anyone unlike the one in the coffin.

Norma’s face was white as ghost and her eyes blood red from crying…she had no more energy left.

“Where ith mama goink? (where is mama going?)”    the boy asked in his baby accent looking up at the ghastly lady aka Norma.

“Your mama…is going to rest…she hasn’t had her rest.”   Norma answered looking down at the boy…then smiled after not being able to resist. He was so beautiful…she was just surprised that he was…comfortable with her. What will he do if she tells him that…she was his new mother now?

Granny then realized few people coming…

“Children?”   she gasped causing Norma to turn…and see all of them…Alexander, Kevin, Eli, Hyomin, Sunny, Hyuna, Taeyeon, Tiffany, Tacyeon, Jangwoo, Ga-in and Narsha.

Norma should have been happy to see them rather…they made her mad. She left Jihoon standing with Granny while she stomped her way to them.

“You?! None of you came when she was sick! Why are you here now?! To satisfy yourself that she’s dead?!”    she spat those words at them. She didn’t expect it from them and vice versa.

“Easy Norma…we were wrong not to visit her when she needed us but…”     Narsha, the oldest tried to reason with her but Norma didn’t let them.

“But what?! You chose to abandon her just when she wanted to apologize! You all call yourself friends?!”   Norma growled.

“She hasn’t been a good one either! We all were there to see what happened! She slapped you and you’re the one siding her!”   Ga-in the most tempered one countered. She always had logic in her words.     “Look at yourself! You never cried for anyone and now you’re crying your brains out for someone who didn’t even appreciate you until she realized by then which…it was already too late…”

Norma had absolutely nothing to say after that.

“We know…you were the closest to her…we know how much…abnormally you loved her. It was more than sisterhood…but…let us just pray.”   Narsha calmly said after seeing Norma quiet.

Norma just looked down while the rest noticed the little boy. They knew who he was…

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“Where is your mama?”  one of the kids asked Jihoon who was playing with the other kids.

“Thee id thleeping…(she is sleeping).”

All of them were sitting around the dining table and looked at the boy…

“What happened? How did this happen?”    Narsha asked.

Granny sighed and looked at devastated Norma. She was looking at Jihoon so observantly as if she was watching Jessica all over again.

“This is actually quite long…Jessica told me that…after she left, he took her to a place where three teenagers lived. Hyungjoon told her that until she was old enough to live independently, she could stay there for free. But…she didn’t tell Hyungjoon that she had to clean the house for the three girls.”

“Why not?”   Sunny asked

“Because she thought it would burden him. When she turned 17, Hyungjoon invited her to his place, separate place…where they had….”

“Without protection?”   Hyuna asked this time. Granny nodded…

“Three weeks later, she found out she was pregnant…and she was happy and she thought he would be happy too but…”

“That bastard denied didn’t he?”   Jangwoo guessed.

“He told her…that she should abort it…because he never did love her…not her heart at least…but her body. She was just like the three of them…his playmates with whom he still had s with…this broke her heart…although he didn’t ask her to get out…he just didn’t want the baby also that his family wouldn’t accept it.  so she left…but after giving birth…she found that she had blood cancer; she didn’t have very long to live…”

“Why didn’t she come to us then?”    Taeyeon asked looking devastated.

“She couldn’t…not after what she did…”

“We could have taken care of her…if she just asked.”   Kevin softly said.

“Would we? We didn’t even come after hearing she was sick until we heard she died…”   Ga-in muttered bitterly.

“She went to Hyungjoon to tell him but…when she arrived there…she saw Hyungjoon’s funeral.”

“What? How?”     Tiffany exclaimed.

“She asked…and one of the maids told her that…he was drunk driving and…crashed. He lived for a few days then…died.”

“Then?”     Norma asked for the first time looking at granny.

“She took odd jobs to survive until her last breath…that’s all.”    Granny ended.

“She could have showed a medical certificate to prove that the boy was their son, an heir to Kim company. Or else why would she go to see that man?”   Ga-in muttered.

“ She went there…to tell him, not about the boy…or her conditions…but to see him for one last time.”

“And she did…”   Norma mumbled.

Ga-in looked at the boy who was now looking at the adults with big doe eyes…irresistible. But Ga-in was a tough one unlike others.

“What is your name?”   Ga-in asked standing up.

“Dihoon (Jihoon).”     He answered while she came closer.

“And where are your mommy and daddy?”    she stood close to him and sat in front of him.

 “Mama’th thlepping and baba ith thleeping too (mama’s sleeping and baba is sleeping too)”

“What if they don’t wake up?”    Ga-in asked even thought it was harsh towards a two year old.

“Ga-in leave it!”   Narsha warned

“No I wanna see why Norma or any of us should keep the boy.”   Ga-in argued back and looked at Jihoon.

“Then I will go to tchool and thudy and gow up to be a dood boy duth like mama thaid(then I will go to school and study and grow up to be a good boy just like mama said).”

Ga-in couldn’t help but stare at him…then she suddenly smiled and embraced him. How could she not like such an angelic baby?

“You will be a good boy and your parents will be proud of you.”    Ga-in whispered; then pulled away and looked at Norma.        “Don’t give up on him even if someone better in money comes and claim him. Don’t you dare…”   Ga-in warned Norma who only looked at her desperately.

“I…cant…I wont.”    Norma stood up and sat beside Ga-in and looked at Jihoon.    “I have been lying to you…your parents have gone too far away and can never come back…they’re…dead.”

“Theath?(dead?)”

“Yes…and I am your mother now…because your mother wants me to be your new mother…and I promise you…I will do everything, everything to fulfill your needs…just…obey only one thing…”

“Whathh ith itt?(what is it?)”    the boy understood her tone of request.

“Call me mama from now on…”

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Jihoon had food with the other kids and with a full stomach he fell asleep again. Norma was Juhoon’s hair while the rest were sitting everywhere else.

“Norma, you just started your job and just got a place. If you take him in now you might have to skip work to give time to Jihoon. Kids at his age are very energetic and he will tire you.”    Narsha said.

“What are you suggesting then?”   Norma silently asked

“I say you keep the boy here until you are  established enough, then you can adopt him.”

“That might take me upto 3 to 4 years and till them he’ll understand everything. I don’t want him to understand that he was an orphan till his age.”   Norma pointed out.

“That maybe true.”    Ga-in agreed.

“Then maybe you keep him here only when you have work. This will be like his daycare centre; when you finish your work you can take him home. Till then he can also make friends here.”   Hyuna suggested.

“That might be a good idea actually…”   Ga-in agreed again looking at granny.

“I think it will be the best until Jihoon gets into school.”   Granny said.

“Then its settled then eh Norma? Congrats…you’re a mommy…at 19.”   Ga-in smirked.

“You and your pie hole…”   Narsha smirked as well. She was the only one who had enough courage to argue with Ga-in.

Norma looked at her dear friends whom she adored so much. They actually relieve her, the innocent boys and the hot headed girls. She kept Jihoon’s hair while thinking while the rest were gossiping; Jihoon didn’t seem to be bothered by their chattering or else he would have woken up.

“There is also another point I didn’t mention…”   Norma said.

“What is it?”    Ga-in asked along with stares of others.

“Jessica…told me to…find my mother…”

“What? Why?”   Narsha asked.

“I don’t know…”   Norma mumbled.

“But you cant Norma…unlike the rest of us; your mother abandoned you calling you a burden. You possibly cant search for the one who doesn’t need you or care about you. Why bother wasting your time and energy?”     Taeyeon said clenching her teeth. None of them liked Norma’s mother because she was the only one abandoned voluntarily.

“I think…Jessica met her mother. Maybe she saw her…or maybe she just wants her to know her mother just like we knew ours…except Norma.”   Ga-in mumbled. She always had a point.

Norma looked away…it was true everyone knew their mothers because they all somehow died leaving them in Granny’s care, but Norma…she was merely left being called a burden; also…she somehow figured…she was illegitimate or else, why would a married woman would leave a baby here…she was definitely illegitimate; so was Jihoon.

“Where should I start?”   Norma mumbled without any emotions.

“How about…with face? Or name? what about your surname? Its Jin, we could start with that…”    Ga-in suggested.

“You would do that?”    Norma asked.

“I have the power and money to do it. if you want me then I will…”   Gain held her head high.

“High and mighty lady Ga-in…”   Narsha teased.

“Thank you Ga-in but only if you have time…I know how much burden you take everyday.”   Norma said knowing what she did now. Right now being the heir of the sponsoring company Son was a big burden. Norma could see she had not enough sleep.

“You should get a husband already…”   Granny smiled looking at Ga-in

“You should advise that to Narsha…the oldest one.”    Ga-in smirked causing Narsha to sink low in her chair. She didn’t want to get married yet.                        “Then we settle here. Jung Jihoon now becomes legitimate son of Jin Norma and she becomes his legal guardian. Taeyeon I need you to prepare the documents required for adoption.”      She added looking at Teyeon who was a family lawyer. Taeyeon nodded smiling, determined to do her work.

“Then…this is it. by the way, I think you all should know this..”      Granny said.

“What is it?”    Norma looked at Granny.

“3 years after she left, a man came to this place asking for Jessica. He said he knew her and he was looking for her, he also gave me this card.”      She stood up and went to her room. Norma and the rest looked at each other waiting to know who would look for Jessica. Granny came down with a sleek black card and handed it to Norma.

“Kwon Jiyoung employee of the Kim corp and his number. He’s an employee of the Kim family! What did you say?”    Norma asked bewildered that the Kims were actually looking for Jessica.

“I said if I find anything I would let them know but if they do first…I told them to inform me.”

“So they never found out…pity…”    Ga-in sighed.

“Yes…but Jessica said not to contact them…which means I have to be careful in hiding Jihoon.”    Norma said looking at Jihoon. She had to protect him from that family. She broke the card into two and threw it away.         “Now…they’ll never know.”

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