“Ashley! Come back here!” Lindsay shouted at the top of her lungs chasing her sister out onto the front porch where a black sedan Audi and a red Porsche was parked.

Ashley was already in the Porsche and igniting the engine. And when her sister caught up with her, she was driving out of the opening auto stainless steel gates and laughing like a hyena with the car windows down.

“,” Lindsay muttered. Just then she felt something tugging on her black slacks.

“Where is Ashley going? Is she going to make trouble for Aunt Lindy again?” a boy with the age only about 3 years pouted cutely looking up at her as he held onto her leg.

“I don’t know, Yoogeun.” She sighed and scooped him up and carried him into the big courtyard house. “And Yoogeun, you’re not supposed to call your mom by her name. That’s rude.” Lindsay said placed her nose against his.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized fiddling with the teddy he was holding onto when he ran out of the house to see what big commotion his mother had done for his beloved aunt.

“You’re forgiven,” she smiled kindly at him and placed him on the dining baby stool. For such a young kid, he knew how to heave a sigh. Lindsay couldn’t help but chuckle at her nephew’s cute behavior.

“I’ll boil the water for your milk now.” she said and smiled again. When her back was finally facing Yoogeun, her smile fell and tears were emerging from her eyes as she furrowed them, preventing them to fall.

She had to be strong. To be strong for an innocent child who doesn’t know who he’s father is and having a mother whose brain couldn’t function how a normal person could.

The sound of the water boiling interrupted her thoughts. She switched the kettle off and wiped an escaping tear with the back of her hand. Pouring the hot water into a bottle filled with quarter full of milk powder, she closed the cap and shake it and roll it between her palms.

Putting on a big smile, she gave the bottle to her adorable nephew, who grinned appreciatively and gulped it down even with his aunt’s protest of how hot it is.

“Ah, finish!” he exclaimed happily and gave the bottle back to his aunt. She could only just smile at his cuteness and tousled a little with his hair.

“Aunt Lindy?” he asked out of the blue while Lindsay was making a cup of Espresso for herself this time.

“Hmm?” she hummed in reply.

“Can I go play in the garden with Woody and Buzzlighther?” Yoogeun asked with his big round eyes.

“Sure, I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner.”

“Thank you!” he said happily and ran upstairs to get his toys and ran down again and with a wave he disappeared out into the garden.

Lindsay could only smile at his actions but when soon he was gone, everything was the same. She felt lonely and suffocated. She choked up the loneliness as one tear escape and the other until it flowed like a river. Just like the day when she arrived back from New York to come back to Busan in South Korea, never one day did she not cried.

*****

I walked along the quiet road residences. To my left was a park where a few kids were chasing around and some were on the swing being pushed by their older brother or sisters. A smile played across face.

Kids are innocent and fun.

I continued to walk knowing that they weren’t the ones I came for. Well, at least that’s what my instincts told. I kicked a pebble with my worn out converse sneakers that was in front of me, it hit a bicycle’s tire causing the young man who was riding it turned his head around to look for who was the one playing an annoying game with him. I stood there watching his every move but he saw nobody around. He scratched his head and continued paddling his two-wheel vehicle. I chuckled and waved as he rode off although I knew he wouldn’t wave back.

I walked and met a forked road. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, the road on the right glowed. I smirked and continued my way on the right. The houses now on this street were bigger but they were older as well. And then I spotted a house glowing brighter than the rest. I skipped closer to it and from the opposite I saw a small boy sitting on the grass playing with… is that Woody? I grinned looking at the kid played with my favorite toy too.

“Hey!” I said as I crossed the street and waved at him enthusiastically.

The small boy looked up and saw me just outside the fence of his beautiful old house.

“Hi!” he grinned and waved. He got up and walked towards the fence, closing the distance between us. Now it was only the wooden fence that’s between us.

“Is that Woody?” I asked with my usual goofy grin.

“Yup! Would you like to play with me?” the boy asked pouting. Immediately I felt his loneliness.

“Of course! But… I’m on the other side of the fence and I can’t get in…” I said looking around frowning. The street was super quiet like it was dead.

“I can open the door!” he offered and got up to open a small manual gate instead of the big auto one.

“Thanks,” I thanked and followed his lead to where he was playing just now and sat down.

We played and talked happily. But something was wrong, he didn’t glow.

“Do you have friends?” I asked while onto Buzz lighter.

“No but now I have one!” he said smiling, showing off his small set of milk teeth.

“Good to hear,” I chuckled at the innocence and the brightness of the boy in front of me. “What’s your name, lad?”

“Yoogeun. Yoogeun Lee.” He smiled proudly. “What’s yours?”

“Cho Kyuhyun. But call me Kyuhyun and don’t take me in as your hyung just because I’m older.” I smiled mischievously.

“Okay, Kyu—“Yoogeun giggled but was interrupted by a sweet feminine call. We both turned to look at a beautiful and elegant young lady standing at the doorway.

“Who’s she?” I whispered.

“That’s Aunt Lindy.” Yoogeun whispered back

“Yoogeun, dinner’s ready.” The lady called out again, louder.

“Okay, Aunt Lindy!” Yoogeun shouted back in reply. The lady smiled and turned to go back into the house.

Woah.

“Let’s have dinner!” Yoogeun got up and started tugging me to come along.

But I was too stunned to move or mutter even a word.

Yoogeun didn’t glow…

But…  Aunt Lindy glowed…

“Kyuhyun!” Yoogeun finally shouted, making me landing back on earth.

I a smile and said, “My tummy’s growling.”

“What are you waiting for then?” Yoogeun asked and tugged me one last time and I finally got up and followed his lead into the house from the 18^th century.