“Kyuna-ah, want to play the piano while you wait for your daddy?” Sooyoung placed her hand gently atop of the toddler’s head, her heart aching as she saw the yearning in the five years old gaze watching her friend leave the childcare center with their parents.

At her touch, Kyuna’s expression turned to that of eagerness. Sooyoung knew that for a child so young, Kyuna wasn’t supposed to know what longing and disappointment feels like. But life wasn’t always fair when the child lost her mother to cancer two years ago and had to spend half her day with Sooyoung at the childcare centre watching other children boast about their family without being able to contribute much. What pains Sooyoung most was that in the two years that she’d Kyuna with her, the young child would always have to watch everyone leave before her while she stayed back long into the night with Sooyoung.

Guiding the little girl to the piano, Sooyoung settled herself on the bench before lifting Kyuna up onto her lap.

“Do you still remember the tune to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?” Sooyoung asked, though she wouldn’t have needed to.

Kyuna was a natural at playing piano, a fact that was perhaps inherited from her father.

Kyuna nodded enthusiastically, a wide smile lighting up her small face. It was times like this that Sooyoung would yearn to cuddle the small girl in her arm and reassure her that everything is going to be ok. Giving in to the urge, Sooyoung hugged Kyuna tight, breathing in the baby powdered scent that was unique to young kids.

Soon, the nostalgic melody filled the room as Kyuna expertly handled the various notes, the sparkle in her eyes never failed to bring a sense of satisfaction to Sooyoung. Had Sooyoung not pushed Kyuna to try out playing the piano, the small bundle in her arms would have remained the eerily silent and isolated kid. Playing the piano had been the alternative to taking the pain of not having her father constantly around her away, which was why Kyuna would hungrily absorb every new tune Sooyoung taught her like a dried sponge to water.

As Kyuna finished the last note, the clapping drew both of their gazes from the black and white keys to the male standing by the door.

“Daddy!” Wriggling to get down, Kyuna launched herself at the male she loved most in the entire world with the force of a small dynamite.

“You’re early today.” Sooyoung smiled at the newcomer, gently shutting the lid of the piano.

“I’ve rushed through my cases for the day. I’ve been late for the past 2 weeks, it’s time I spend more time with my daughter.” Kyuhyun carried his daughter up in his arms, nuzzling her soft neck, eliciting a joyous laughter from her.

“What do you say we have pizza for dinner, Kyuna? With Sooyoung seongsaengnim? It’s been years since we last ate together.” Instantly, the girl’s face brighten at the prospect of dinner with her the only adult female that’s like a mother to her while the elder scowled at Kyuhyun.

“Watch it, Kyu. I’m not that old. I can practically be her sister!” Sooyoung huffed.

“Yeah, tell me about it. A sister who’s older by twenty of years. Who’re you kidding, seongsaengnim? You can practically be Kyuna’s mom!” The moment the last sentence left his mouth, Kyuhyun wanted to punch himself on the spot as the hurt seeped into Sooyoung’s face, any traces of humor fading.

“Appa! Sooyounggie is not old! She’s only 25. 25 isn’t old, is it, Sooyounggie?” Kyuna, innocent enough not to sense the awkward tension asked, snapping Sooyoung away from her emotions.

“That’s right, cutie pie. Your appa is the one that’s old. He’s just jealous.” Sooyoung leaned in to kiss Kyuna on the nose before motioning for them to move out, switching the lights off behind her before making her way to her office.

Promising to meet them after organizing her stuff, Sooyoung finally took a much needed breath after the mention about her being Kyuna’s mom. How she’d wished… But the choice was taken away from her when—

Not the time to think of that Choi Sooyoung. You got people waiting for you outside. You’re only here to calm down. Grab your purse and exit. Leave whatever memories there is behind once you shut the door.

“Sorry for the wait.” Sooyoung muttered, turning to lock up the centre before making her way to the car, where Kyuna was already strapped into her child seat.

Kyuhyun made a move to open the passenger door for her before going over to his own side.

“All strapped in?” Kyuhyun asked before starting up the car.

“Kyuna, don’t you think your daddy is still in his cop mode?” Sooyoung teased, determined to forget about their past. The girl giggled from her seat before breaking into the song about a cop and his strict rules.

“Tell me you aren’t the one that taught her that.” Kyuhyun deadpanned.

Sooyoung simply whistled along with the tune, her gaze stubbornly glued to the passing scenery.  In under 5 minutes, they reached their destination and was seated before the dinner crowd. Looking through the menu, Kyuhyun was slightly shocked when, instead of consulting the menu herself, Sooyoung shared hers with Kyuna while consulting the choice of food with his daughter.

When he thought to ask Sooyoung about her action, Kyuhyun noticed the excited look on Kyuna’s face, the way she pointed out what she wanted, what she didn’t like and what was foreign to her with Sooyoung clarifying her questions and choosing the appropriate food for them both. Sooyoung was making sure that Kyuna has a say in things, despite her young age.

So this is why they say that a child should always have her mother with her. Having Sooyoung around, Kyuhyun noticed his own flaw in caring for his child. Usually, he would never consult Kyuna about the choice of food, instead choosing what he felt was best for her. Well, not that he wanted to shift the blame to someone else, but Kyuna never once oppose to his choice of food, clearing her plate during mealtime.

“We’ll have a goguma cheese pizza! What about your choice, oppa?” Sooyoung and Kyuna finally unglued their head from the menu to look at him.

So caught up in his own observation, he’d forgotten to make his own selection as Kyuhyun quickly scanned through the list before settling on spicy chicken with bacon strips pizza. Giving their order, Kyuhyun settled back against his seat to watch the interaction between the females. Sooyoung always had a way with kids, seemingly to draw them in so easily when he knew how tough it is to handle just one kid. She makes it seem so simple. A smile, a word and the kid is wrapped around her delicate fingers.

“Kyuna, want to tell Daddy what you learned today?” Sooyoung sensed how far Kyuhyun has drifted away from them, bringing him into the fold.

“Banmal! And piano. Sooyounggie let us make our own cookies to eat for breaktime!” His daughter enthused, looking at Sooyoung as though she was an angel sent from above.

“What? You mean you ate them all? What about Daddy’s share?” Kyuhyun gave a mock pout, watching as his daughter covered in shock.

“Sorry daddy! I’ll make some for you another time.” Kyuna said just as their order arrived.

Again, Kyuhyun noticed how Sooyoung attended to Kyuna first before herself, cutting the slice of pizza into smaller pieces for the ease of his daughter. Sooyoung would be a great mother in the future. The thought came unbidden, catching him offguard. Mother? Especially when the image that came was of her pregnant with his child. Didn’t he shove that idea aside already?!

Focus Cho. Eat! You don’t want to scare her off with those visuals.

Dinner ended without any hiccups and as Sooyoung polished off her desert with Kyuna, Kyuhyun indicated for the bill.

“I’ll pay half of it.” Sooyoung’s wallet was already out before Kyuhyun’s hand reach out to stop her. The contact had them both freezing  for a while before Kyuhyun pulled back quickly.

“It’s ok. You’ve been taking care of Kyuna way past the official time too much that I could suffocate with the guilt. Let me appease myself.”

“I don’t consider taking care of Kyuna a hassle. She’s such a wonderful angel that work doesn’t feel like one.” As she complimented his daughter, Sooyoung reached out to tickle the girl beside her, who’s giddy  laughter rang cheerfully in the small
diner just as the waiter arrive with their bill.

“You have a wonderful family, sir. Both mother and daughter are so close in their relationship. It’s rare to see this nowadays. Plus, your wife looks beautiful.” With a wink, the waiter left as the atmosphere reverted back to how it was a few hours ago.

“Daddy, did that uncle just said Sooyounggie was my mommy? But she isn’t, right? Even though I’d like her to be.” The last sentence caught both the adult off-guard.

Deciding that the situation was odd enough, Kyuhyun suggested for them to leave, forgoing the change. As they reached the car, Kyuhyun was about to open the passenger door for Sooyoung when she indicated to sit behind with Kyuna.

Dammit.

He didn’t want these weird feelings between them. Although he’d silently did a victory dance when the waiter had call them a family, he was sure Sooyoung wouldn’t want anything like that. Far from it.

Silence stretched in the car until Kyuna turned to look at Sooyoung. “Won’t you be my mommy, Sooyounggie?”  Stunned, Sooyoung could only stare at the little girl beside her until a jerk of the car had her returning to her senses.

“Honey, you looked tired. Why don’t you go to sleep? We’ve reached my house already, so I’ll see you tomorrow alright?” Giving the girl a quick peck on the forehead, Sooyoung made her quick escape from the child, but no luck with the father.

“Soo!” Before she could get six feet away from the car, Kyuhyun’s hand clamped down on her arm.

“Don’t say anything, Cho. Nothing can happen. I don’t want you to consider me as a potential candidate just because Kyuna took a liking to me. I don’t need that.” Sooyoung hissed, trying to squirm out from his grip, thankful that Kyuna seemed to have drifted to sleep.

“Don’t insult me Choi. I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t propose to you just for my kid! Look, I’ve spent the past 2 years with you, watching as my kid opened up to you, regretting that you weren’t the one who’s carrying my child! You think I haven’t thought of you at all after we broke up?! I was an idiot for drinking and having with other girl, but it wasn’t intentional! I was drunk, Soo! Drunk and unconscious to what I was doing. But I’d never regret having Kyuna. One thing I want to make it clear to you though, is that I’ve never loved Kyuna’s mother. I married her out of responsibility, not love. That much, you have to know.” Kyuhyun pleaded, needing to clear any misunderstandings.

“Look, I’m tired. And Kyuna needs her rest. Although she’d said for me to be her ‘mommy’, you have to know that she only meant it as a word. Kids her age can’t grasp the heavy meaning behind simple words. I don’t want to ruin the relationship I have with her, Kyu.” Sooyoung expelled a heavy sigh, one that Kyuhyun knew was caused by him.

“You once asked me why I haven’t dated anyone. I’ll be frank with you. It’s because of you. I’ve never stopped loving you but it doesn’t mean we have to be together. You got a kid’s feelings to consider. Never overlook that. Even though Kyuna is young, her opinion matters. It’s late, you should go.” Sooyoung stated, easing her hand easily away from his suddenly limp grip.

“You expect me to leave just like that? After that confession? Soo, do you have any idea—“ His words were lost as he saw the anguish in her eyes.

Putting both his hands up in surrender, Kyuhyun was about to back away when he turned back to her, his action so quick, Sooyoung didn’t know what hit her until she felt her lips being claimed by a warm and firm one.

“This is just a warning, Soo. Have a good rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that, Kyuhyun started the engine and drove off. Sooyoung watched till the tail light disappeared before returning to her apartment in a daze.

It couldn’t be… Kyuhyun had also loved her all along?

The question haunted her through the night, depriving her of her sleep as Sooyoung made her way to the childcare centre with bleary eyes and a clouded mind. So deep in her own World, she’d almost not see the little girl running towards her, her little arm outstretched as she barreled her small frame at Sooyoung. Years of experience had Sooyoung react fast enough to hold herself steady as she caught the little ball of energy to her chest.

“Good morning, sunshine. What’s with this extra glow I see?” Sooyoung forced herself to act normally, pointedly avoiding the male that was closing in on her.

“Daddy told me that you’re ok with it so… Good morning, Mommy!” Though her admission was shy, it was filled with excitement.

“Wha… I mean, Honey, I think your Daddy is mistaken somewhere…” At the confused look on her face, Sooyoung give her best imitation of an angry teacher at Kyuhyun over Kyuna’s head.

“You were the one that suggested me to talk to this with Kyuna. She’s more than happy to have you as a mother. I’ve explained what it means to her... Yeobo.” Kyuhyun had the audacity to wriggle his brows suggestively at her.

“You…!”

“I’ve long ago wanted to call you Mommy. Ever since I lost mine and you came into my life, I knew that I wanted you as my Mommy. Would you marry us?” Kyuna announced, her big round eyes, so much like her father’s stared back at her.

“You know how absurd this is, right?” Sooyoung’s question was aimed at Kyuhyun even when her gaze was directed incredulously at the girl in her arms.

“Hey, you wouldn’t accept my proposal. I had to use my trump card.”

“Your… You’re asking your daughter to propose to me?!” This time, she targeted her stare at Kyuhyun, ignoring that she must be looking like an idiot now.

“If that’s what it takes, yeah. I love you, and I’ll do anything for you to be with me. Even using my daughter.” The satisfied grin on his face was silly enough to break through Sooyoung’s defense as her tinkling laughter echoed in the early morning.

“And I thought you were over your crazy antics back in high school when you got the whole cheerleading team and the  band to perform for me when you’re trying to date me!”

“Is that a yes, Daddy? Is Sooyounggie going to be my Mommy?” The hopeful look was enough to convince Sooyoung.

Despite it all being so impromptu, Sooyoung had loved those two right from the start. Encompassing the two important people that
are going to be a permanent part of her life, Sooyoung took a leap of faith and answered for Kyuhyun.

“Yes.”