At last I was able to update! Woohoo! I'm sorry for giving only one update everyday. I'm finalizing my thesis already and it's really eating most of my time. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Take care! - CIAM24

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Happiness is the art of never holding in your mind the memory of any unpleasant thing that has passed”

I’ve never thought that I’ll be this happy after all the crappy things that happened to me and to my family these past months. I don’t know, but I think, starting anew is really the answer to our always problematic relationship. Our life now is much lighter. Less drama. Less fights. All we do is laugh and love each other.

My husband and I are working so hard for our relationship to be in a good shape. Well, it’s been a total wreck for years and it’s just now that we’ve realized that it really needed “renovation”. We are taking it step by step, little by little, and even if we still got a long way till we reach our eyed mark, we will not stop for this is going to make us much better individuals and partners as well. We have promised to each other that we’ll walk through that good path hand in hand and we’ll never let go no matter what. We’ve been through a lot and I really believe that this is a challenge that we can survive without much sweat.

“This…this…this…and…..this!” Athena keeps on throwing things in her suitcase like it’s a big trash bag.

I’m letting her pack her things and I’m telling you, we’re so much alike for we just put everything in and that’s it! We will zip it up and go “Wait…wait” G-dragon held her by the wrists and sighed heavily “This is not right” he took out all of the things in her suitcase, receiving a glare from Athena.

“Appa! Why do you have to take it all out? I’ve already arranged them!” she protested then gave out a pout.

“Aigoo…you act like me but you think so much like your mother…even the way you do things are so alike” he looked at me and I just gave him a proud smile.

“Oppa…it’s all fixed already…the clothes are folded and the other things are in the right places as well” I told him and received a nod from Athena.

He looked at us then shook his head “Yes…the clothes are folded but it’s not NEATLY folded” he started folding the clothes again and all we do is watch him.

“Come here you two” he said.

Athena and I climbed up the bed where the suitcase is and just looked at G-dragon while he’s packing everything “What are you two doing? Why are you just staring at me? Finish this!” he ordered.

My daughter and I crawled to the suitcase with smug looks on our faces and started folding the clothes “NEATLY”. “Yeah….that’s how you do it” G-dragon said with a teasing smile on his face.

We spent almost an hour and a half packing and we are so dead beat already after that. Our trip to Fiji Islands will be later this evening and the three of us are more than excited for this will be the first time that we ever went to a vacation with us only. There’ll be no managers and bodyguards. This is going to be an ultimate bonding experience for our family.

“Lunch’s ready!” I shouted from the kitchen.

Athena and G-dragon are so absorbed watching a soccer game that no matter how loud I call for them, they won’t even give a damn. This really annoys me for I’ve been working my off in the kitchen for hours and none of them are even excited to eat.

I walked in front of the television with my hands on my hips and received grunts from the two “Omma! Move! It’s almost ending” Athena stood on the couch and became a giraffe coz she keeps on extending her neck just to see what’s happening on the game “AISH!” she sat back down and crossed her arms across her chest.

“Yaaa…I’ve been calling you two non-stop for I don’t know how long already” this is really a mother thing I guess. She’s always ignored most especially when something more interesting than her food is on the line.

“Kwon Jiyong…don’t tell me you’re gonna sulk like that little girl beside you” I sounded like Omma and it’s kinda freaky.

“No ma’am…I won’t…in fact…I’m going to bring this sulking girl to the dining room now” he scooped Athena up and smiled at me.

I rolled my eyes at him and sighed “Thank you Kwon Jiyong…good boy” I said, making him giggle.

My husband is really easy to talk to. Well, sometimes he is. Seriously, Athena is getting more and more bratty as time passes by and I’m already alarmed by it.

“Munchkin…why aren’t you eating?” G-dragon asked our still sulking daughter.

I know the reason why she’s not even touching her food and I’m not giving a damn about it because if I give a damn about her, she will just push whatever she wants and she’ll have things her way again.

“Don’t mind her Oppa” I said and my husband looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

G-dragon is a disciplinarian but he’s more than a spoiler. He gives in right away and he will not even think twice. I’m always the one who says no to Athena and when it comes to him, one word from her and he will say yes right away. Actually, there’s no need to ask him anymore coz he never say no so for Athena, everything that she does is good and she will not get scolded for it.

I know that I’m being a strict mother, but can you blame me? This is my job. I have to straighten my child’s mind even in a young age for if not, she will surely be like any rich kids out there; who is y and thinks that the whole world is in their hands.

All Athena did is play with her food. My patience level is almost drained and I’m about to explode already “If you don’t want to eat…put your plate on the sink and go to your room already…BUT…don’t you dare watch television” I told her and she just stared at me with watery eyes.

“Aigoo…you girls are on it again…stop it” G-dragon wrapped his arm around our daughter’s shoulders and her head gently.

Here he is again “Oppa…she’s acting like a brat once again…and here you are….going with it…c’mon! She needs to know her limitations” I told him and he sighed heavily.

“Go to your room first…alright?” he whispered to Athena and she obeyed right away.

Being a parent is not easy and we both know that so well. G-dragon and I are trying to push boundaries and cross limits for we don’t want to be your typical strict parents. But then again, when things are already out of proportion, we have to be like any ordinary parents out there for we are not talking about a random child here, we are talking about our own child and we don’t want her to grow up in a wrong way.

“Oppa…how many times do I have to tell you…don’t spoil her…don’t go to her side always...look at what’s happening…she’s sulking over a simple matter and she’s rebelling in one way or another by not eating” I told him.

He stopped eating then stared at me “Baby…I know …but…you don’t have to snap like that…you’re scaring her” his voice is calmer than the sea.

“Huh? I’m scaring her? Oppa….if I’m going to talk to her using that calm tone of yours….she will just take it as a big joke…trust me…she won’t even listen to you” I defended myself and he scratched his head.

“We need to be parents more than friends to her…I’m good with spoiling her…but the moment she crossed that line…we have to do something about it already…Oppa…scolding her is not a big sin…it is normal…and I know so well that you know that coz Omma and Appa have scolded you so many times in the past too…we have to let her know that there’s a fine line between being friends and acting cool with us and us being a parent to her...I hope you understand that” I reached for his hand and held it tightly.

He sighed then gave a nod “You’re right…we really have to let her know her limitations” he said and sighed.

This really for our day is a bit ruined by what just happened. Oh well, I’m sure that Athena and I are gonna patch things up before we leave. I’m sure we will, for I don’t want our vacation to be a cold war between me and my daughter.

An hour passed by and Athena hasn’t come out of her room yet. G-dragon told me that we should just wait for her to come to us instead of us approaching her.

“Omma” Athena called, her head sticking out the door.

“Oh?” I sat up and gave a small smile.

“Come in Munchkin” G-dragon who is in front of his computer said and our daughter walked in carefully, with her head bowed down.

“Aigoo” I got out of bed went to her.

I bend down to meet eye level and she automatically wrapped her arms around my shoulders “I’m sorry Omma…I know that what I’ve done is wrong” she’s crying her heart our and I can feel her sincerity.

I pulled out from the hug and cupped her face with both hands “Beautiful…Omma scolded you because you did something wrong…you have to know that things are not always going your way…and you always have to listen to Omma and Appa…when we say stop watching TV and eat first…you should obey…and you don’t have to sulk over those things as well…coz you can always come back to watching television after you finish your food…aigoo...this kid” I pulled her for a hug and next thing I know it, G-dragon joined in as well.

“I love this” he said, making Athena and I giggle.

“I can’t breathe! You two are squeezing me so tight” Athena said while wriggling.

“I think we deserve a kiss Munchkin” G-dragon said and I nod in agreement.

My husband and I received a wet kiss from our daughter and I’m telling you, I feel like I’m in heaven. These are the moments where I can say that our family is really one of a kind.

Of course, we cannot change Athena right away, but I know so well and I’m so sure that once we work hard for it, we will get good results. All G-dragon and I have to do is lead her to the right path and not let her forget to always have her foot flat on the ground.

“Are we all set?” G-dragon looked at the car’s compartment and counted the suitcases again.

“Athena Hera?” I peeked in the car and she rolled down the window “Do you have everything that you need with you?” I asked and she looked at her bag that is full of toys.

“They’re all in h