Yoogeun yawned as soon as he got into the bed. He just came out of the bathroom after being washed by his mother. Soeun, on the other hand, was left to clean up and wash herself as well.

For Yoogeun, it was a very tiring but a happy day. Finally, he got to meet his father and be with him for the first time. They ate a lot together and even went to a park after that, though Yoogeun thought it would be more fun if they were with his omma as well.

“Omma...” Yoogeun called out as soon as his mother went out of the bathroom. “Can we call my appa?” Soeun stopped and looked at her child. “Please?”

“He must be sleeping right now, Yoogeun-ah... You can call him tomorrow morning.” She said as he approached him on the bed and took the blanket to cover him up. “You must be tired. Come on, let's sleep.” She said.

“Omma... where is appa?” He asked.

“In his house, baby. Why?”

“Why is he not with us? I thought omma, appa, and baby sleep together?” He said enumarating those three with his fingers. “But where is he sleeping?”

She sighed and lied down beside his son, placing her arm under Yoogeun's head so as to make it her son's pillow. Yoogeun enclosed himself in his mother's arm for a warm embrace.

“Your appa won't sleep with us.” She said – but knew for sure that she wouldn't be able to explain properly why to him.

“Why?” Soeun's expected question from Yoogeun came out immediately. She had to think for a while before saying something. She knew Yoogeun was intelligent enough, but too young to understand the situation.

“Omma will explain to you once you grow up.” She said.

“But I'm a big boy now, omma...” He insisted and looked up to his mother with his innocent and curious face. “I can know.”

She smiled and gently caressed her son's hair several times, wondering what will happen in the future, or how Yoogeun will feel in this situation. Above everybody, she would never want to see Yoogeun hurt and in confusion. While he was growing up, Soeun wants Yoogeun to have a very happy life, but she needed to fight so hard for that.

“Omma.. Are you mad at appa?” She shook her head and smiled. She wasn't really mad at him. She understood, but though she knew how he felt, she couldn't just let him have Yoogeun. Her son needed her, and not anyone else.

“I'm not.” She answered shortly.

“Is appa mad at you?” He asked again, but this time, she wasn't able to answer immediately. “Is he?”

“I don't know.”

“Omma and Appa should not fight, the TV said.” Yoogeun looked at his omma and nodded. “That's bad.”

“Aigoo~” Soeun hugged her son tightly and giggled, “My son watches TV so much! Hmm!” She kissed him playfully and Yoogeun protested because she was doing it so much. She stopped, “Babe, what if your appa tells you to live with him instead.”

“With you?” Yoogeun said and she shook his head. “That can't be. I'll ask appa to live with us. He can lie beside me when we sleep.”

“You won't leave omma?”

“No!” Yoogeun said surely. “I love omma tthiiiiissssss much!” He gestured a big circle with his arms. Soeun smiled and he reached out to her mother and kissed her on the lips. “Saranghaeyo, omma~”

“Nado Saranghaee~ ttthhhiiiiiiiisssss much!” She said and copied what Yoogeun did. Both of them chuckled and after a while, fell asleep with Yoogeun still in his mother's arms – hugging tightly.

*** *** ***

Yeojin closed the door of their room after finishing something outside. She saw Jonghyun lying on the bed with an arm on his forehead as he looked up the ceiling – obviously thinking of something so seriously. She even doubted that Jonghyun noticed her coming in.

As she went into the bed, she heard Jonghyun sigh. “Are you alright?” Pulling a blanket to cover herself, Jonghyun turn on his side to face her. She did the same and now, they were facing each other while lying.

“Did you tell him?” Jonghyun nodded. “What did he say?”

Jonghyun took her hands and slightly played with her fingers while thinking. “He hugged me, and told me he understood.”

“He didn't say he hates you?” Jonghyun shook his head and she smiled. “Wow. He's a good kid. His mother probably raised him well.”

“I'm going to sue her.” Jonghyun announced. It was a decision he made alone, and now he's informing Yeojin about it.

“What?!” Yeojin's surprised expression was expected. The main reason why he was supposed not to tell her because he knew there's a great possibility that she won't agree.

“Parent alienation.” Jonghyun said and looked at Yeojin. “She hid Yoogeun from me on purpose, and she didn't have any intention of telling me about it until I caught her. And the thing is, she never mentioned me to Yoogeun, causing the child to be clueless of me.”

“But that is too much.” Yeojin told him. “Don't give yourself a hard time, and Yoogeun. For sure he won't like it.”

“She did the same to me.”

“So this isn't about getting Yoogeun to be your son.” Yeojin uttered with a serious expression. “This is about you taking revenge against her.” She sighed and shook her head.

“Yeojin, try to understand. I am doing this because I want to have the right for Yoogeun. I want him to know me and to acknowledge me as a father.”

“But the process of you getting that right is too much. I mean... you don't have to file a case against his mother. Now that you met Yoogeun, told him that you're his father, and learned that he was not mad at you, what else do you still want? See his mother suffer? See her in pain because after bringing her son up for five years, someone's just gonna take him away from her? “I know and I can understand how you feel, but as a woman... Gosh, this is too much.”

“Please, Yeojin... I want Yoogeun.”

“Yoogeun needs a mother. He needs his mother.”

“You.” Jonghyun answered and looked at her in the eyes. “You can be Yoogeun's mother, right?”

“I am not his mother, and even you win that case for so many times, I will never be his real mother, just as how though Minho and Soeun were married, he can't still be Yoogeun's father.”

“I'm sorry you have to be involved with this.”

“Don't be sorry. I'm your wife, of course I'm involved. Though I told you I won't meddle with any of your decisions coz I don't even have a right over Yoogeun, still I hope you consider what I said and try to think of something better than filing a case.”

“Like?”

“Like agreeing with Soeun and Minho that once in a while, you need to be with Yoogeun alone. Or if you want, he can sleep here with us sometimes, and... let's go for a date together. If Minho ssi became a substitute appa for him, then, I can be a sub mother while he's with you.” She smiled and gently kissed his lips. “Just approach things lightly and everything will be more fine, okay?”

“I'm the luckiest man in the world to have someone like you.” Jonghyun pulled Yeojin on a hug and cuddled with her before falling asleep with her on his arm.

Chapter 22 - As a Woman

P.S: Yes, Yeojin is not aware that Soeun and Minho are not really married.