Spain was almost like Korea in the fact that their dinner table was filled with small plates of food and everyone dug in family style.  While the boys enjoyed dinner out, the ladies had a nice dinner in.  HaLee wanted to show off her Spanish riding costume she'd be wearing for her party and realized the skirt was too long.  Thankfully, HaNa was able and willing to make a quick temporary hem.  "When she grows into the skirt you don't want holes poked all through it," she explained.

 - "Thanks, HaNa!"  HaLee bounced excitedly.

 - "HaYi-yah! You're going to fall off the chair!"  Ilana scolded.

 - "Or HaNa is going to poke her with the pins."  Aunty Abigail added.

 - "Yes, we don't need any broken bones as party gifts," Emily said.

 - "No, praise God, we haven't had any other broken bones...yet."  Ilana who had been sitting on the floor, putting together party favors with the GaEul, Mina, JaeKyung, and Abigail craned her neck to the direction where HaNa and her daughter were.

 - "No, my Monkey goddaughter just sprained her ankle, dislocated her arm and... what else?"

 - "Got a concussion from climbing the tree and then falling out of it and sprained her pinky, roughhousing with KyuHa,” HaEun reminded her Aunt JaeKyung.

 - "Chica...how do you not lock her in her room?"  Abigail asked, shuddering.

 - "Really, if it weren't for Juan Carlos being the hospital director and Jihoo, one of the most solicited pulmonologists at PIH, I'm sure child protective services would have been called by now," Mina laughed.

 - "Andwae!  Praise God, we avoid all the awkward questions.  Chica, she'd climb out the window if we locked her in her room.  Besides, na remember JaeWook being just as bad."

 - “Oh God!  Thankfully he grew out of it.  I seriously thought I’d have a heart attack when he climbed up on the roof and made a zip line from the roof to the tree.  I locked him in the basement or I was going to kill him.”

 - "Umma can try that with HaYi and Na can have my own room," HaEun helpfully suggested.  The personality difference between the two sisters bothered HaEun more than the age difference.

 - "Gongju...how many times have we told you, that she's your personal mission ground.  You two can learn from each other."

 - "Deh, Umma," HaEun stood up and was about to walk away when Mina called her back.

 - "AhReum-ah, make room for your Unnie.  Gongju, come here," Mina sat on the couch and patted a space next to her and her daughter.

 - "Deh, Nina," HaEun, sat next to Mina and avoided everyone's gaze.  She didn't like being the center of attention, she shouldn't have opened .  Some of her shyness melted away when HaNa was nearby.  Her chattiness was contagious.

Mina tried to engage the shy girl in conversation.  "Are you excited for you quinceañera next year?"  HaEun nodded her head without looking up.  "Do you want me to take you shopping for a dress?"  HaEun shook her head 'no'.

HaNa was done hemming the skirt and admiring her handy work, but still listening to the conversations around her.  "Mina Ajumma, I'll be designing her dress."

 - "Wau!  HaNa-yah will be a famous designer before she's eighteen," GaEul praised her.

 - "She's our number one for a reason," JaeKyung praised her daughter.  "Maja?"

 - "Majayo, Umma!"  HaNa came and sat on her Mom's lap, quickly giving her a hug.  "Na will make all nae Imo-deul gowns for their company formal events."

 - "HaNa-yah can work with Mina at ILC, we'll promote your stores and help you come up with a concept," Ilana suggested.

 - "Majayo!  You'll want to spend many nights at Dongdaemun and Namdaemun (shopping districts) to appreciate what the consumers are interested in," Mina added.

 - "Chincha?!  You'll all help me?"

 - "Guerae!"  Ilana encouraged the girl.  "If you have a diverse line, catered to every type of budget, you can reach more clients.  Hokshina Imo JanDi and na can convince JunPyo Ajussi to let you open a boutique in one of his resorts."

 - "He will if he doesn't want a kick in the ," JaeKyung kicked out her leg in demonstration.

 - "Umma..."  HaNa was getting excited about her dream.  "Can we get Appa to stop in Milan on the way back to Athens?  Na want to visit some of the fashion institutes, there."

 - "Oh, leave it to Umma, deh?"

 - "All our babies are growing up!  They're already planning their future!"  Ilana pouted.  "Park Suji is the only baby and she'll be four this year!"

 - "Speaking of the Parks," Emily stood.  "Jongie and I are going to meet them at the airport after our date for which I need to get ready for."

 - "Where are you two going?  Oppa is so resourceful, have the namja been here before?"

 - "Mollah, but there's a trendy restaurant in Barcelona he wants to check out.  So, we'll have some late-night snacks, listen to music and have a bottle of wine at El Salon and then meet them at the airport, before coming back to Girona.  Hyuna, sweetie," Emily addressed her eldest daughter.  “If anything comes up, call Auntie Mina."

 - "Deh, don't call Ajussi YoungSaeng, he won't wake up."  Mina knew her husband, well.  "Have fun, tonight!"

 - "HaEun-ah and I are babysitting AhReum and Dasom in the morning, YiHyun Imo, maja?"  HaNa confirmed.

 - "Deh...gomawo, AhReum Appa and Na want to take photographs from the hot air balloon.  He was going to charge the camera drone overnight.”

 - "HaEun-ah is always up early.  I'll make sure her alarm is set, and she is over there before 8 AM.  You girls should order room service and relax before the party."

 - "Deh, Umma."  HaEun was a lot like Ilana used to be, in that she didn't do well in crowds.

The conversation went back to HaNa.   "Algesseupnida, chincha," Ilana said.  "If it weren't for ajussi-deul and Appa all pushing me, Na would never have been able to sing again, much less open ILC-Seoul."

 - "Not just Seoul, but now Macau and Tokyo," Mina said.  They'd opened a branch in Japan and soon they would be opening one in Macau.

 - "Mwo?  Macau?  That's daeback!"  YiHyun clapped excitedly.

JaeKyung grinned, "I knew a good investment when I saw one.  The board has known about this venture for a while.  Do you know how hard it was to keep quiet?"

 - "Deh!"  The other F4 ladies, including Ilana, all agreed.  JaeKyung was terrible at keeping secrets and being quiet in general.

 - "Mollah!"  JaeKyung was immune to her friends teasing.  She didn't care, she was always grateful for the blessing of her friends.  They had made her life complete.     

Mina looked at her watch, it was almost ten P.M and past the children's bedtime.  How could she make AhReum go to sleep if her little brother was still out with their Appa?  "Yah!  Where are the namja?  They left for dinner, three hours ago."  Mina complained.

 - "Someone is missing nampyon," Ilana said.

 - "Deh!  He's been so busy with the drama, we finally get some time together and he chooses the namja over me."

 - "Gwenchana, he's with Jihoo, how much trouble can he get into?  It's Friday night and there's probably music at the pub.  How much do you want to bet, Jihoo and him have borrowed guitars and are having too much fun?”

 - "Maja," Mina said resigned.

 - "It is late for the little ones to be out," JanDi said.  "We should give them a call."

 - "I think calling the kids would be more effective.  I’ll send KyuHa a message, he always answers Umma.  HaNeul and Appa will be lost in creating music and won't see the message alert.”

Ilana knew her husband well and it was true, that he and YoungSaeng had borrowed guitars and were both entertained and entertaining the restaurant patrons and their friends.  While Koreans in Spain were not unheard of, there definitely had never been any in Girona, or at least not a noticeable number.  With ten adult males and fifteen boys in age from 6 - 15, they were quite noticeable.  Jihoo and Jaejoong both had a good handle on the Spanish language, JunPyo spoke Italian and could understand most Spanish, and even YoungSaeng could speak a little, thanks to visits with his Father-in-Law.  But one language that everyone could understand, was music.  Give Jihoo any instrument, give YoungSaeng a piano or a guitar and they would immediately begin to play.  In fact, they had been at it for more than an hour, dueling with guitars.  They weren’t playing to compete; they were just two guys strumming a guitar.  Both were skilled but Jihoo was just a little better, especially with the Spanish sounds.

KyuHa, as predicted, answered the message from his Mother.  He waited politely until his Dad’s turn was over and walked up to him.  “Appa, Mama wants to know when we’ll be back.”

 - “Omo!  What time is it?”  It was past ten and he knew some of the younger boys should have been in bed by now.  Jihoo looked around, they had all lost track of time.  JunPyo, HyungJun, and YiJeong were at the bar; Gu JunPyo talking business and HyungJun and YiJeong about their crafts.  WooBin and Jaejoong were equally engaged in making small talk with the locals and some tourists and the Yoon & Garcia-Kim boys charmed the locals with their almost perfect Spanish.  It wasn’t going to be easy to get everyone out.

YoungSaeng had stopped playing, as it was now Jihoo’s turn but his partner wasn’t paying attention.  He set the guitar down, “gwenchanayo?”

 - “Anae is wondering where we are, she messaged KyuHa.”

 - “Ah...is this because she knew you wouldn’t answer?”  Sometimes when YoungSaeng was engrossed in songwriting or choreography, Mina called Eric.  HyunJoong and YoungSaeng had joined forces a few years back, to open their own agency.  WooBin, or actually JK group, were their capital partner.  Most of their musical staff came from SuAm Foundation Conservatory.  They took on those idols that had been unfairly ousted from their companies. Mina knew there was no use calling HyunJoong as he was just as distracted as her husband.

 - “Deh,” Jihoo smiled.  “We should round up the others before all the other boys get messages from their Umma.”

It took another thirty minutes to round up everyone and another twenty to make their goodbyes, exchange business cards, and thank the restaurant owners for allowing them to enjoy their establishment with such a large group.  Before they managed to get out the door, Abigail was calling Jaejoong and JanDi for Gu JunPyo.  They were teased the entire walk twenty-minute walk back to the estate by WooBin.  KyuJong’s youngest, SeoJun, was piggybacked by HyungJun, while YoungSaeng carried his KyuHyun.  Both boys were having a good time playing with each other, and enjoying the music, that KyuJong was persuaded to leave his son behind.  They fell right to sleep halfway home and wouldn’t wake up until morning, entirely too early for InSo, who was bunking with them.

YoungSaeng and Mina tucked their kids in and KyuJong and Emily’s little ones too.  They laid on their bed; it was still early by Spain’s standards and Seoul’s.  The nightlife was just beginning.  “Did Orabeoni enjoy himself this evening?”  Mina teased his chest with her finger.

 - “Na enjoyed our siesta more,” he brought her chin up so that their lips could meet.

 - “At what time did we have a siesta?”  Mina grinned.  “If Na remember, someone attacked me while Na was in the shower.”

 - “Oh?”  He rolled his wife under him, making her scream.  He quickly covered .  “Yah!  Jagi will wake the kids.”  The kid’s rooms were situated across the hall from the adults.  “Gueron...how did someone attack nae jagi?”  His wife was trying to dislodge him.  She was strong but after all these years, he knew her weak spots.  “Did someone do this?”  He swirled the tip of his tongue just under her ear a few times.  She shook her head ‘no’, but she stopped fighting.  “Did someone do this?”  He trailed damp kisses from her neck to collarbone and then gently blew his warm breath over her skin, making her shiver.  He released , only to cover it again with his lips, while his hand naughtily brought down the spaghetti straps of the sleep romper.

 - “O-orabeoni, hajiman…” Mina tried not to succumb to her husband’s naughty demands.  “We’re babysitting, what if they wake up?”

 - “They’ve hardly slept in the last twenty-four hours; they played a hard game of soccer and ate enough food to last them the rest of winter.  Na... don’t...think...they’ll wake...anytime soon.  And besides, they still have to call or knock.”  YoungSaeng kissed the swells of each and dipped his tongue into the V in between, yet didn’t do more, making her crave his touch.

 - “Famous last words,” she arched her back, unable to resist the tingling pleasure of his touch.  “Every time we think there’s no need to be discreet, one of the kids wakes up for water or the bathroom.”

 - “Makes it more exciting, deh?”  He was ready to yank the romper off her any second, but instead, he satisfied this initial hunger with her lips, while his hand was fighting her and the romper.

Mina ended the kiss first.  “Pyuntae (ert)!”  She smacked his arm.  “Is that all you ever think about?”

He didn’t move or say anything as if thinking.  “Mollahyo,” he said, with his Otter smirk.  “If na was allowed only to think of this,” he ran his hand over his wife’s hip and thighs, trapping her leg between his.  “Na think we’d have more than two kids.”

 - “Aigoo, na can’t win with you,” Mina reached for his face, giving him a slow and needy kiss.

YoungSaeng cupped her face and stared at it lovingly.  She was a gorgeous handful and all his.  His only regret was not noticing her sooner, but at the same time, could they have done anything differently?  He had to work while he was still in demand.  Time is an idol’s enemy.  An idol must keep evolving, yet not lose sight of who he truly is.  You should keep your originality while changing things up every now and keep your audience wondering what to expect.

 - “Wae?”  Mina reached up and took his face in his hands.  He’d been staring at her for too long; she could almost see a hint of sadness in his eyes.  She knew this brooding Otter very well and left alone he’d take all the world’s problems onto his shoulders.  When he continued to say nothing, she counted to three.  “HaNa...dol... set...spill it, or Orabeoni can sleep with the kids.”

This got him smiling again.  She was good at breaking into his defenses.  “Mianhae,” he laid back on the pillow and turned her to face him.

 - “Wae?!”  He was running his fingers, gently through her hair, so she began to do the same.  “Will we just stare at each other all night and comb each other’s hair?”

YoungSaeng grinned, “deh, wae anieyo?”

 - “Pabo!”  She would have kicked him, but he knew his wife well.  He locked her leg securely between his.  His hair was still his crown of glory and she knew this fact.  Grabbing a nice handful of hair, she pulled.  “Yah!  I’ll pluck you like a chicken if you don’t talk.”

 - “Yah!  Let go!  Na won’t say a word until you let go of my hair!”  They were both stubborn, it was just a matter of who would cave first.

 - “If I let go, Orabeoni will try to get out of talking.”  He was good at distracting her and he brought his hand from her face, trailing it down her side.  “That’s not going to work, this time.”  Mina pulled the clump of hair, harder.

 - “Yyyyah!”

 - “Talk!”

 - “Let go!”

Breathing heavily, they stared at each other for a bit; both being stubborn was nothing knew, within seconds they were laughing.  Mina took advantage and used all her weight against him, straddling him.  “Arraso, now Orabeoni is na prisoner.  Orabeoni can look, but not touch until he’s told me what he’s thinking.”  She pinned his hands to the side of his head.

 - “Jagi is cruel, not thought she was an angel,” her chest hovering just above him made him want to stop this game and make love to her until she forgot she was wondering what was on his mind.

 - “Deh...Orabeoni gets the best of both worlds, remember?  Spicy and sweet?”

Groaning, he broke free and sat up, trapping her on top of him.  “How can na forget?”  He indulged in the softness of her lips, unexpectedly gentle.  This gave him all the control, making her be nice, to get what she wanted.  Continuing his soft and gentle kisses, He didn’t give in to her.  Instead, he kissed her forehead and eyes and came back to her lips.  “Saranghae,” he kissed her again.  “Nae...career made it difficult for us in the beginning, mian.”  Their first year of marriage he was on tour for four months, even when he was in the country, it meant late night practices.  Though they hoped to conceive before their one-year anniversary, it didn’t happen until just before.  He was scheduled to be on several duet competition variety shows, and he had to meet his partner regularly and practice.  He’d be home late at night or until just before dawn.  Love making went out the window as they hardly saw each other.  Mina wasn’t willing to make him nervous and didn’t even inform him about the pregnancy until his run on the show was over, three months later.  He cried like a baby.  The following year he was promoting both a Korean album and Japanese album.  He was out of the house more than he was in.  They made KyuHyun when he surprised her by coming home for her birthday.  When she picked AhReum up from the daycare, that evening, he was waiting for her.  He stayed a few days; AhReum still went to daycare, while Umma and Appa had two blissful days to themselves.  Even when KhyHyun was born. he was again in Japan for a few months to participate in another musical.  He was gone during a good chunk of her pregnancy.  There wasn’t a year that he wasn’t busy.  At last, he was able to slow down just a little, once he and HyunJoong opened their own agency.  HyunJoong concentrated on work in Japan while YoungSaeng in Korea.  The year of its establishment she saw him home more often and more times than she probably wanted, HyunJoong came with him.  HyunJoong became the ‘office wife’ and at times, irrational jealousy took over her brain.

 - “Anieyo!”  She pushed him back down and snuggled against his chest.  “I knew what I was getting into, deh?  Na promised Eommonim to be your support, deh?  Na even allowed you to bring your office wife to the house.”

YoungSaeng grinned.  “Jagi was irritated a few times, deh?”

 - “Jeogumyo,” she kissed his cheek.  “Someone never told me he was coming over.  Na expected to have nampyon all to ourselves,” she gave him a pout and poked his abs.  With AhReum, she’d learned to do ‘aegyo’ for him.  Not too much, but every now and then.  Mother and daughter could time it just right and they would easily get their way.

 - “Mian,” he gave her nibbling kisses from her lips to her jaw and ending with an affectionate bite to her earlobe.  “We’ll ban Sunbae from the house.”

 - “Gwenchana, he can come watch the kids and we’ll go to a motel.”

 - “Choah jagi’s ideas.  Hajiman...we wouldn’t have a house to come home to.”

 - “Deh...na almost forgot who we were talking about.  Na would never change a thing.  Haengbohkae, chincha.  We’ve been married twelve years and have two beautiful children, sometimes we don’t agree, and sometimes we argue but then we make up,” she gave him a quick kiss.  “Argue and make up again,” she kissed him again.  “And again…and again...and again.”

 - “Choah making up.”  This woman made him smile from ear to ear.

Sighing, she sat up.  “Ja,” she gave him another kiss.  “Playtime is over,” about to get off the bed to climb under the blankets, he trapped her in his arms.

 - “Who said playtime was over?” While his lips kissed the sensitive spot on her neck, his hands were already smoothing off the strap of her romper to reach their prize.

 - “Orabeoni doesn’t play fair!”  He’d trapped her with his legs and her traitorous body was already responding to him.

 - “If jagi knows this, then there’s not a problem.  Saranghae…” he turned her face to his and kissed her demandingly, her romper now lay scrunched at her waist and her upper body fair game to his wandering hands.  “It’s already morning in Seoul, jagi.  Let’s just stay up a little longer.”  He pushed them back onto the bed, Mina was already removing his shirt.  That was the only response that was needed.

Saturday afternoon

Cumpleaños feliz

Cumpleaños feliz

Te deseamos a ti

Cumpleaños feliz

 - “HaYi, baby girl, make a wish!”  Her Godmother, JaeKyung cheered her on.

 - “I’ve got my wish ready!”  HaLee blew her seven candles out with no problems and received the cheers of all her siblings and friends, including her new friends.

HaLee's party was in full swing.  Being the most sociable and outgoing of all the Yoon children, she dragged KyuHa (the only sibling patient with her) around to the various estates and the town, inviting kids her age to come.

After JaeKyung cut a giant slice for HaLee, Ilana and Abigail began cutting normal slices for the rest of the children and adults.

 - “Mor-di-da, mor-di-da!”  Nana began and was soon followed by many of the children.  It was tradition for the birthday person to take the first bite of cake without fork or fingers.

 - “Hajima!  One more pic of our Maknae with her Umma and Appa before she gets cake all over her face!”  HyungJun had already snapped at least twenty pictures of HaLee and her parents in their traditional Spanish costumes.  That was all HaLee’s idea, of course.  “HaNa...Dol... Set!  Choah!  Now, HaYi-ah, big bite deh!”

 - “Ahh!!”  HaLee showed off how wide she could open and then bent to take a bite of her vanilla and red velvet cake.  “Mmm!!!  Yummy!!!”

HaLee had bits of cake and filling all over , nose, and cheeks.  Ilana was ready with a damp napkin.  HaEun shook her head at her undignified little sister, but secretly thought she looked cute and funny covered in cake.  Kids and adults devoured their cake and then destroyed two horse piñatas.

.

Taking their loot of clementine oranges, candy, and mini toys, kids began to scatter all over the property.  JungMin, disappointed there wasn’t any carrot cake, consoled himself with his third bowl of paella.  Nana had added slivers of carrot, just for him.  "Masheesuhyo, Nana!!”  He gave her cheek a kiss.  “Bogoshipo your cooking!  Yeobo, I think we need to move back home."  Nana laughed, ruffled his long hair and walked away.

 - "Guerae...we'll just kick Brendon Oppa and Sierra Unnie out of the cottage," Suzy said sarcastically.

 - "Maja!  They're away at Oklahoma for a race."

 - “Yah, Mal!"  Suzy swung her legs out and kicked him in the shin.

 - "What you guys need to do is move back home to Seoul.  It'd be easier for you to produce good music for us."  YoungSaeng couldn't help throwing it out there again.  He and HyunJoong tried to convince him but the boss (aka Suzy) didn't want to leave California.

 - "Oppa..."  Suzy looked YoungSaeng straight with an irritated look.  "Don't try to cause any trouble."

 - "Anieyo!  Tch!"  He rolled his eyes.

Mina rubbed his back and leaned her head on his shoulder, soothing the ruffled feathers.  "Orabeoni just misses JungMin."

 - "Andwae!"

 - "Ara...everyone is left dejected and lonely when I leave."

 - "Jagi, I'm going to go be sick, now."  YoungSaeng stood from the table.

Mina and Suzy looked at each other and laughed.  "Orabeoni...Anjayo-anjayo.  Orabeoni knows JungMin likes to get under our skin."  Mina had finally developed a thicker skin when it came to JungMin's joking.  Perhaps it was because she saw him less as he now only worked part-time.

 - "Anieyo, let's go see what the kids are doing."

 - "Orabeoni, na guarantee they are busy having fun."

 - "Then we can go have our own fun," he whispered in her ear.

 - "Orabeoni!!"

 - "If you two are going to be like that, go back to the inn," JungMin said.

 - "Arraso," YoungSaeng began to run, dragging his wife.

 - "Those two...kyopta!"  Suzy wrapped her arm around her husband.  “Yeobo, if you keep eating you’re going to get fat,” she squeezed his middle.

Other than scooting a little further away from his wife, JungMin was determined to finish his food.  “Mokda,” he spoon fed her a shrimp.

 - “Masheesuhyo,” she chewed.  She couldn’t deny it was delicious.  “Palli, na want to dance.”  Nana and the housekeeper were showing the little girls how to dance flamenco.

 - “We should go with adul.  We can set up a race amongst the boys.”

 - “Ilana would kill you.  Those aren’t raceing horses.”

Her husband laughed at the outrage on his wife’s face.  “I’m kidding.  Kaja, we can show the girls how it’s done.”

 - “Guerae!”  On their way to the patio, they stopped to where GaEul and JeongHee were face painting.  “Gwenchana?”  Suzy asked.  “Can I bring GaEul-ssi water or something to eat?”

 - “Anieyo gwenchanayo,” GaEul responded.

 - “Choah the goat cheese and beetroot tart.  Gwenchanyo, I’ll get it!”  JeongHee quickly wiped her hands and ran off.

 - “JeongHee takes after her Abeoji?”  Suzy asked.

 - “Dtal prefers painting to pottery.  She and her Abeoji have collaborated on a few pieces.  Na youngest doesn’t have the patience for it, she can’t sit still long enough.”

 - “Not everyone will have the same passion for it.  KangMinnie hasn’t shown a passion for music like his Abeoji.  Hajiman...he might have a future with HaNeul at ILC.  He enjoys going with his Abeoji when he meets clients.”

 - “Deh, nae eldest is anxious to learn all he can from the masters and begin having exhibitions like his Abeoji.  All the kids are still young and discovering their talents each day.”

 - “Deh!  One day KangMin wants to be a horse jockey, while KangDae will want to be an idol one day and a Doctor the next.”  The two Mom’s enjoyed a chuckle at their kid’s actions.  JungMin had left Suzy’s side and was already dancing.  “Unnie, let’s dance.  We should get your nampyeon.”

 - “He’s busy with WooBin, leading soccer drills with the little boys.”

 - “Ah, deh...na see two of my own over there.”

 - “Na can use a break, kaja.”

All the girls were enjoying their dance lessons.  When Suzy and GaEul joined the group, Nana and HaLee were demonstrating their impressive talent.  Nana was surprisingly agile for her age and HaLee, just turning seven and having no formal training, was very skilled.

 - “Ilana-yah, she’s daeback!”  GaEul said.

 - “Deh...this is where all her brain cells go instead of her books.”

 - “She has the blood of the F4 in her,” JanDi said.  “She doesn’t have to study and gets passing grades.  When they began to apply themselves, JunPyo took over Shinhwa’s chairman position, Jihoo sunbae finished his medical degree, a year early, YiJung came back with pottery skills far more superior than when he left.”

 - “And Unnie sang again and took ILC to new markets,” Suzy jumped in.

 - “Yah...I’m not F4!”  Ilana protested.

Jihoo wrapped his arms around her, “Most importantly, is that you became Nae anae,” he whispered in her ear.  Ilana leaned back against him in acknowledgment of his praise. “Does Anae want to walk with me?”

 - “Guerae.”

They were walking hand in hand around the property’s edge, not wanting to get hit by a stray soccer ball or trampled by a runaway horse.  Abigail and Jaejoong were helping the kids who wanted to ride a horse but didn’t know how; so far there had been no accidents.  The older boys were over by the river bank, trying to fish but the breeze had picked up and the river was running too swiftly for the line to stay still.  That didn’t stop them from having a good time.

 - “Yah, InSo-ah, Na dare you to jump in,” Kim JaeWook was as mischievous as his Father and as good a swimmer like his Mother.  He loved the Korean countryside in the summer and all its natural watering holes.

 - “Hyeong, michyeoseo?!  Look how fast the river is running?”

 - “You’re captain of your swim team at Shinhwa, deh?”

 - “Do it, JanDi Imo will appreciate having to resuscitate her adul and his chingu,” HaNeul was younger than both boys and through they all only saw each other a few times a year, he knew them well.  JaeWook may still be the reckless one but InSo wouldn’t risk his Umma’s wrath.InSo shuddered at the thought of his mother’s scolding.  HaNeul stood from where he was seated.

“A-andwaeyo!”

 - “Scared?”

 - “Andwaeyo!  Na will race you anytime, just not right now.”

 - “JaeWook Hyeong wants to impress a yeoja.”

 - “A-ani!  Na... Just want to have a little fun.”

 - “Mollayo,”

 - “Yah!  You’re only thirteen what do you know?”

 - “Maja...hajiman, even a thirteen-year-old has eyes to see you’ve been falling over your feet trying to impress a yeoja all day.”

 - “Yah!  Hyeong better stay away from na chingu,” InSo stood, worried about whom his friend had eyes on.

 - “Wae…?  Is there someone you like?”

HaNeul rolled his eyes at the two.  “Like our parents will let us date any time before we graduate High School?”

 - “Maja…” JaeWook’s face fell.  “It can’t hurt to look.”

 - “Na see Umma and Abeoji.”  HaNeul spotted his parents, though he didn’t want to intrude on their lovey-dovey time, he was tired of his friends at the moment.  “You two pabo-deul can stay here and mope.”

Jihoo and Ilana were wandering aimlessly when their oldest son came running up to them.  “Umma, Abeoji, may I walk with you for a little while?”

It wasn’t like they would say no, but they figured something was up.  “Hmm...Na was once your Appa’s excuse, now we’re yours?”  Ilana asked.

HaNeul grinned.  The kids could never completely hide their thoughts from them.  “Na don’t want trouble with JanDi Imo or Tia Abigail because of those two.”

 - “Adul is smart,” Jihoo said.

Ilana wrapped her arm around HaNeul’s shoulders.  “Ay...they’re not that bad, try being a little more patient,” she grinned.  HaNeul was patient, but even he had his limits.

 - “Umma, any more patient and I’d be dead.”

Jihoo was grinning, how many times had he thought the same about the F4.  “Were yeoja part of the conversation?”  HaNeul looked at him in shock.  “Adul forgets Na grew up with their Abeoji-deul.”  That made sense to HaNeul.

 - “Yah!  You guys are too young to be serious about yeoja.”

 - “Umma, that’s what I said!”

 - “JaeWook was bothering HaNa this morning, not that she let him get away with it.  InSo…,” Jihoo tried to think if InSo had an obvious interest.  He had been hovering around HaEun... “Ani...he’s always around all the yeoja.”

 - “Sarang?  What about InSo?”

 - “Ani...Na can’t think of a yeoja he might be Interested in.”  As a Father, he wasn’t ready to make that conclusion, nor worry his wife over it.  They were only fourteen, way too young to think about romance outside of books and dramas.

 - “He and Noona are always talking.  She only ever confides in him when she’s upset.

 - “They’re just chingu like Ajussi Heo was to Umma.  Before Na met Appa, he was always there to listen to me whenever I needed a comforting ear.  He was just Oppa, nothing more.”  Jihoo remained quiet and took his wife by the waist.  He thought her example was not very reassuring as YoungSaeng had developed feelings for her.  It took him two years and Mina to finally let go of those feelings.

 - “Umma!  Na see JaeHyeon and KangMin, I’m going to go with them.”  HaNeul had spotted two of his friends not that far from them.

 - “Tch...me vas a dejar plantada por irte con tus amigos (You’re going to dump me to go with your friends)?”

 - “Umma, mianhaeyo, Abeoji will keep you company.”

Ilana pouted when he ran off.  “Yah!  At least KyuHa would’ve given me a kiss!”

Jihoo bent his head, giving her a kiss on the cheek.  “Choah?”

 - “Annchoah!  HaNeul Abeoji can kiss better than that.”

 - “Should I?”  His wife nodded grinning and he captured her lips and very slowly released them.  They didn’t know they were about to get an audience.  HaEun, Song HaNa, and So JeongHee stopped to stare on the way toward the house for HaEun’s sweater.  "Noná and Nonós sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g!"

Jihoo and Ilana came apart, grinning.  "Song HaNa shouldn't elders," Jihoo said.

 - "Umma and Appa are always like that," HaEun ran up to her Appa, giving him a hug.

 - "Deh, nae appa and Umma are the same," So JeongHee shrugged.

 - "They are all just as guilty.  In Athens, you see a lot of couples kissing and holding hands but not as much in Korea," HaNa observed.

 - "It's much different now, from when we were younger," Jihoo explained.  "Public displays of affection between a man and woman in public used to be frowned upon."

 - "Chinchayo?!"  The three girls would never believe it from the way their parents all acted around them.

 - "Deh!  Times have changed but not all things are for the best."  Ilana cringed at some of the things she'd seen in the U.S.  "An agassi should always value her modesty.  That hasn't changed, but even more precious for its rarity."

 - "Deh!  Anyoung hee gyeseyo (Goodbye when you're leaving)!"  The girls giggled and ran off to their mission.

 - "Lord, protect them," Ilana said.

 - "We just have to keep reminding them, Sarang, and pray they'll remember our words when the time comes."

 - "Deh, Sarang," she took his arm again.  "Should we walk some more?"

 - "Mmm."

They walked the grounds, silently praying for all the kids, especially the teens.  Kids grew up so fast these days, they were mini-adults by the time they turned ten.  Ilana still told her story at Church events and events for the foundation.  As soon as HaEun turned thirteen, Ilana gave her testimony to the new group of Junior High kids at Church.  She remembered the anguished look on her sweet and sensitive daughter's face.  Silent tears streamed down her face as Ilana recounted the horrifying events, her depression, and finally her redemption.  When she had finished sharing, she sat next to HaEun and held her as she began to sob.

- "Mian, gongju.  Mian, Umma had to tell you about this.  Hajiman, Yesu saved Umma so that she could keep other girls from falling into the same lies."

Ilana knew the day Jihoo had told HaNeul.  Jihoo took him on a motorcycle ride through Seoul.  Ilana had gone to the office, needing to help brainstorm a proposal for a new high-end client.  HaNeul ran into her office, surprising her with back hug while she sat at her desk.

 - "HaNeul-ah, gwenchana?  Where’s Abeoji?"  Jihoo was giving his son a minute of privacy to do or say what he needed to.

 - "Eommoni, kansamnida," he tried not to cry, or sound upset, but his voice shook a little, anyway.  "Kansamnida for listening to Yesu and marrying Abeoji and having us.  Kansamnida," he hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.  "Saranghamnida."

HaNeul ran off as quickly as he came and Jihoo stepped in.  He smiled at her, looking a little drained and she just knew they'd had 'the talk'.  He cleared his throat, "we just wanted to tempt you into coming to lunch with us."  That was all he said.

Ilana stopped walking again.  "Anjayo."  Twilight was fading, and the night was quickly taking over.  The property was well lit, especially around the walkways and in the trees.

 - "Arraso, just for a little.  With the night, the coastal breeze picks up," he sat on the grass with his wife.  "Na think HaYi and all the kids enjoyed themselves."

 - "Mmm...almost all the food is gone, but we have reserve just in case."

Jihoo removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders.  "Na don't want Sarang getting cold."

 - "Gomawo...gomawo for listening to Yesu, for marrying me and having four wonderful children with me," she gave him a gentle kiss.  A mother always remembered her kids’ words, they were stamped in her heart with permanent ink.

 - "Gwenchana?"

 - "Mmm.  Just remembering.”

 - "If it weren't for our HaYi, na would like to forget this week, seven years ago."

 - "Mian, we really did give you grey hair, deh?"

 - "Jeongmal!  Na discovered a few, not long after HaYi's birth."

The pregnancy had been difficult from the beginning.  She'd begun to be nauseous since just prior to her period being due.  Since it came and went, it was obviously not related to Jihoo's flu a few weeks prior.  Nausea and dehydration had been so severe, she passed out at her desk at the office.  It was Antonio who discovered her and immediately called for the paramedics.

Ilana woke up alone, in a hospital room, not knowing how she'd arrived, where she was, and barely who she was.  "S-sarang?  Sarang!!"  She panicked, trying to get out of bed and was about to pull the IV out.  Antonio ran in, with a nurse right behind him.

 - "Ilana, you need to stay calm for the baby."

 - "My baby?"  She cradled her stomach that was hardly showing yet.  "Why-why are you here?  Where's Jihoo?"

 - "You passed out at the office.  Jihoo's on the way up.  He just pulled into the parking lot."

By the time Jihoo ran into her room, the nurse had coaxed her back into bed.  Ilana was still very agitated, and her heart rate was accelerating rapidly.  As soon as he sat on the bed and wrapped her in his arms, her panicking stopped, and her heart rate slowly went back to normal.

After that incident, Jihoo forbade her to go to the office and she wasn't allowed to go anywhere without Brendon.  Though problematic, continuing nausea wasn't too much of a concern the first trimester.  Once it continued in the second trimester and she wasn't gaining enough weight, then it was a risk for both her and the baby.  There were times she couldn't get out of bed without throwing up.

 - "We also left poor Brendon traumatized."  She had nearly passed out during HaEun's ballet class, one day.  If Brendon wasn't sticking to her like glue, she would have.  He helped her back to the car and went back in for a panicked HaEun, crying for her Umma.

 - "Brendon was traumatized way before the kids were born."

 - "Yah!"  Ilana gave him a playful shove.

"After raising Miss Ilana, I don't need my own kids."  Brendon once said.  His wife, Sierra came from a large family and never had a desire to have kids.  All she had to do was borrow one of fifteen nieces and nephews and now some of those nieces and nephews began to have their own kids.  She paid extra attention to HaLee, since she was just a little different than her older siblings and it was obvious she didn't quite fit in.

Jihoo brought her head down to his lap.  The tree next to them was blocking the wind and it wasn't too cold.  The kids wouldn't stop playing anytime soon, but his wife would be getting cold in another fifteen minutes.  "Na aged five years, at least, each time you were hospitalized."  Including the birth, she was hospitalized at least four different times during the pregnancy."

 - "You'd think she'd be a picky eater, deh?  She didn't let me eat anything!"

 - "Deh, she's eats just about everything, perhaps it was due to her malnourishment while Sarang was pregnant."  Each time Ilana was hospitalized for at least twenty-four hours until she could keep food down.  Like with HaEun, by six months, she was almost severely anemic, and her blood pressure was constantly high, making her legs and hands swell up, sometimes painfully.  She didn't stop working but worked the part of the day that she felt well enough, which was usually 9AM to 2PM.  After that she would elevate her legs in a massage chair, Jihoo had bought her, making her drowsy.  After the massage, she would nap, and only then would she be able to function for the rest of the day without feeling dizzy.  HaEun became her shadow, always worried that something might happen to her Umma.  Suzy, Gloria, Sarah, and even Sierra distracted her, taking her out of the house, as often as possible.  "Na was never more frightened in my life, then when you were recovering from the flu and went into labor early.  Sarang, na couldn't have lived without you.  Sarang is never allowed to leave me."

 - "Yah...ara it was frightening," she held the hand that was caressing her face.  "Hajiman...we got through it."

When nausea had finally subsided to a few times of day, she was still underweight but could manage at least a few small meals a day.  One day, right around the thirty-fifth week, she was back to not being able to keep anything down.  Jihoo was already on his way home and would arrive any minute.  Nana wanted to call him earlier, but Ilana forbade her.  He had also been too busy to call her and only sent a quick message to check on her.

 - "Umma, Appa waseyo," HaEun came to her office.  She and HaNeul would track his progress through their phone.  'Appa is home', usually meant that he'd just turned into their street.

 Ilana had dozed off in the massage chair and was immediately dizzy and nauseous when she tried to get up.  "Stall Appa!"  She shouted, running to the bathroom.

Jihoo pulled into the driveway and was suddenly surrounded by his 7, 5 and 4-year-old.  "Appa!!"  HaEun clung to his leg, while HaNeul climbed into the car, and KyuHa was just being cute, wanting Papi to lift him up.

 - "Papi, wanna ride on your shoulders!  Peeesssshhhh!!"

 - "Aigoo, when you're so cute, how can Na say no."  The kids bombarding him distracted him for a second.  He crouched down for KyuHa and noticed his wife missing.  "Yah, where's Umma?"

Nana stepped out to take his bags, trying not to show her worried face.  "Ahorita viene mi niña, deja y le meto las bolsas (My girl will be here soon, let me take your bags)."

 - "Nana...algo no dice (you're not saying something)!"

 - "Regaña a su esposa, no a mi (Scold your wife, ¡not me)!"  She turned and walked back in the house, with his medical bag.

 - "Appa!  Na... want to show you the seeds seongsanim planted with us today.  Kaja..." she was tugging his shirt, while HaNeul began honking the car horn.

 - "Yah, HaNeul-ah!"

 - "Appa?"  HaEun saw he was no longer following her.

Jihoo glared at the kids, "Where's Umma?"  HaEun was nervous, HaNeul deliberately distracting, and KyuHa wanted a piggyback ride all at the same time.  Even if she allowed the kids to 'beat' her outside, she would have shown up by now.  He crouched back down and dislodged KyuHa.  “HaEun-ah, take your dongsaeng-deul.”  Jihoo ran inside the house.

 - "En el baño (In the bathroom)," Nana said, stepping out of the office.

He found her trembling at the sink, trying to steady herself long enough to brush her teeth.  "Sarang!"  He held onto her as she brushed her teeth in between gagging.  They'd gone through brand after brand of toothpaste to find one that wouldn't make her throw up.  "Gwenchana?"  He rubbed her back.

Ilana nodded, "meogri appayo (headache) and my throat hurts.  Na think it's just laryngitis again or from throwing up."

 - "Kaja, upstairs."  Even if it was laryngitis, the only way she ever got rid of it was by resting.

 - "Shiro!"  Tears began to fall.  Too often she had skipped family meals, because she wasn't feeling well.

 - "We'll have the kids come to our room after they finish eating."  KyuHa had been sick less than a week ago, he hoped his wife hadn't come down with the same virus.  After treating her headache, she was only half awake when Jihoo brought the kids in to watch a movie before bedtime.  HaEun, HaNeul and Joy all stuck to Ilana, while their four-year-old, happily played on the floor.

Jihoo woke when he felt a soft tapping on his arm.  Ready to scold the cat, he soon realized it was his wife that was trembling, quietly.  "Sarang, what is it?"

        "Mian...I'm so cold.  Did the kids...get into the temperature settings?"  They had no idea how HaNeul had once gotten into the house lighting, cooling, and heating program.

 - "Sarang..." she was warm.  He wanted to take her temperature, he wanted to call Suzy or the Obstetrician but there wasn't time to do any of those things.

 - "I need to throw up!"  She couldn't move fast enough to the bathroom, she was light headed.  He gave her one the special bags they kept on the bedside tables for such an emergency.

The trembling had gotten worse, after that.  Jihoo spooned her against him and folded another blanket on top of her.  The fever wasn't high, but it didn't go away, either.  He had patients to see and couldn't stay home with her.  Nana had an iron-clad immune system, but he didn't want to risk her getting sick.  While he left his wife, sleeping, he got up to make her porridge, leaving it in a thermos on the table next to her and another thermos for tea.  He'd come home during the lunch break to check on her.  He spoon fed her small bits of porridge and tea until she felt like throwing up again.  Thankfully, this wasn't as severe as the flu she had many years ago, but she was pregnant and just as risky.

Suzy had just had her fourth son just over a week prior and KangIl was already keeping her and KangKeun company as she picked up their older brothers from school and took them out for a treat.  Nana had yet to meet KangIl and she stopped by with the boys, not knowing that Ilana was ill.  She found her friend, coughing and slightly disoriented.  "Suzy-ah, why are you here so early?  Did Jihoo leave for work already?"  Ilana had come from the bathroom, having thrown up the water she'd just drank.

 - "Unnie, eeliwah, lay back down.  Hyeongbu should be home any minute now.  Mollah you were sick, Na would have come earlier."

 - "What time is it?"  Ilana began coughing, she reached for her water and just let it moisten , afraid to throw up again.  Suzy tucked her back in.  "You shouldn't be here."

 - "That's why I'm wearing gloves and a mask.  Besides, HaEun is worried sick, no one lets her come up."

 - "I'll go down."

 - "Andwaeyo!!"  Ilana couldn't get up anyway, she began to feel short of breath and dizzy again.  "Nana said Hyeongbu canceled his last few appointments and is on his way.  Ara you've been dozing all day hajiman is HaYi's movement the same or less?"

Ilana tried to think what was happening in her stomach, outside of her nausea and couldn't.  HaLee was even more active in her tummy than KyuHa.  HaEun and HaNeul were very calm babies.  "Mollah, chincha..."  Ilana placed her hand on her tummy, "HaYi-ah, are you awake?  Chiquita?"  Ilana thought she felt a faint movement.  "Mian...chiquita, is it too warm in there for you?"  Ilana felt her forehead; she didn't think her fever was very high, just enough to make her and HaLee miserable.  "Suzy, help me take a bath before Jihoo gets here."

 - "Let me just feel around, before we do that, deh?"

While Ilana was still in the bath, Jihoo had come home.  Suzy, removing her gloves and applying hand sanitizer, dragged Jihoo from the room before Ilana could see or hear him.  "Na don't have my instruments with me.  Hyeongbu should call the office in the morning and take her.  Unnie's heart rate is faster than her normal; she already has all her other complications.  I'm afraid of HaYi going into distress; her movement has decreased some, we need to monitor her."

 - "Arraseo, Na will call the exchange and advise them to reschedule my patients.”

The bath had relieved the fever for a little while and she was even able to keep down about a half cup of porridge.  The relief was short lived and by midnight the fever along with the vomiting had returned.   Jihoo didn't wait and drove her to the hospital.

 - "Those next few days, na ranted at Yesu like never before," Jihoo said.

 - "Mian, Sarang...when KyuHa was sick Na couldn't stay away from him when he wanted Umma so badly.  Even now, Na would always choose to comfort my baby, if Na was physically capable of it.  Na didn't even have the strength to comfort HaEun when she was so worried about me."

 - "Ara, Sarang.  Na couldn't even comfort her.  Na could only tell her to believe that HaYi and Umma would be fine and pray that her Abeoji wouldn't be a liar."

 - "Sarang..." Ilana sat up; they both had tears in their eyes.  Kissing his eyes, his cheeks and finally his lips, she then moved to sit in between his legs.  She wrapped his arms around her waist and she leaned back against him.  "HaYi is our sun and our strength.  She pulls us out of our comfort zone."  There was a high risk that she could lose the baby, both were weak from the illness.  The antiviral medication took effect quickly, easing the flu symptoms, but her water broke a few days later.

The Doctor and Jihoo knew she didn't have the strength to deliver naturally, but Ilana insisted.  Suzy also insisted on being at her side.  She was in labor for over twenty-four hours; because of her blood pressure being dangerously high, her Doctor insisted on an epidural.  It only lowered her blood pressure just under the heart attack range, but now Ilana couldn't rely on her body to help HaLee be born.

 - "Na kept reminding myself of Harabeoji's favorite Bible verse.  I can do all thing through Christ that strengthens me.  He named her God's strength for a reason.  Either Na clung to that promise and deliver her, or Na might as well call Yesu and Harabeoji a liar.  Whatever happened to me, she would be your strength.  At best, na would survive to spend many more years with nampyeon and four beautiful children."

 - "Sarang, na strength left me when you began to hemorrhage.  Na wouldn't be able to pick between you two; Na couldn't lose you either.  As Na watched everyone spring into action as your blood pressure began to drop, na was suddenly back here, after you ran away.”

 - "Wae?!!  Yesu gave her to me to love and I did!  I do!!  Wae couldn't I hold on to her?  What did na do wrong?"      

 - "Na didn't tell you how he answered me?"

 - "Deh?"  There was always something new to remember at this time of year.  Always something to praise God for.

 - "Na was being shoved out of the way and my phone dropped.  Not only did your song begin to play, but it picked up at the chorus."

"To every scared and broken heart

You're not alone where you are

Remember me"

 - "Then Na remembered how he took care of us while we were apart.  How he led us right to each other at that refugee camp.  Na remembered how I trusted him."

Ilana began to sing her favorite song:

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find You in the mystery

In oceans deep

My faith will stand

 - "Even though we're just flesh and blood, while the waves were crashing around us, we kept our eyes on him.  Love covered your unbelief.  Because you loved me, you had to have faith, deh?"

 - "Knowing our dtal, na think she orchestrated it all, just to come out four weeks early," he joked.

 - "Maja!  She didn't even spend all four weeks in the NICU!  Deh, you both were released two weeks later."

 - "Sarang...na have a confession to make."

 - "Wae?"

 - "Na was so scared to get pregnant again, Na used every excuse to keep you away after Uissa said we could resume...you know."

He laughed.  "Deh, ara.  Ara you were stalling, na just gave you the space you needed and prayed.  Na prayed that we would never get pregnant again."

 - "Chincha?"

 - "Mmm, we promised Yesu that we would trust him.  So, at first, Na made sure it wasn't your ovulating week before making love to you.  Na continued to pray and eventually, Na really began to have faith that we wouldn't get pregnant again."

 - "Sarang....na think I was able to finally overcome my fear because of Harabeoji."

 - "Mwo?"

 - "Na picked up his Bible from your nightstand one day and realized he only had four names written:  HaEun, HaNeul, KyuHa, and HaYi.  He left us with God's Mercy, Heaven, the standard of God and God's strength.  Na think we'd be too greedy to ask for more, deh?"

Jihoo laughed and hugged her tight, kissing her cheeks.  "Saranghae, nomu saranghae."  Jihoo leaned to the side, taking her with him.

 - "Yah!  The kids are still wandering around."

 - "Exactly, they're not paying attention to us.  Na just want to hold you like this for a little while."

She couldn't resist and reached for his face, giving him four quick kisses.  One for each child.  "Nado nomu saranghae."

HaLee had picked out her yearling and was showing her friends, Park KangIl, Kim JungSoo and her little brother, SeoJun.  "Choah this one the best, Na think I'll name him Sky, like HaNeul Oppa," she giggled.

KyuJong and Emily hadn't seen their youngest pair in a while and began calling out to them.  They were confident that they weren't in any harm, but it didn't hurt to know exactly where their kids were.  "JungSoo-ah!"  KyuJong called out in the direction of the locator on their clothes.

 - "SeoJun-ah!"  Emily called.

 - "Oh!  It's your parents," KangIl said.

 - "Deh, HaYi-ah, we better go," JungSoo told her friend.

 - "Imo and Ajussi will let you stay out a little longer, just tell them you're with me," HaLee didn't want to go in yet.  She wanted to keep giving Sky treats.

 - "Deh!"

JungSoo, SeoJun, and KangIl all began to walk toward KyuJong and Emily.  SeoJun realized HaLee wasn't with them and went back.  She was giving Sky a carrot.

 - "Maybe I should name you Jung or Min like Ajussi.  He likes carrots too.  Bleh!"  HaLee made a gagging noise.  Carrots weren't her favorite.

SeoJun smiled.  "HaYi..."

 - "SeoJun-ah?"  HaLee turned to see him standing right next to her.

He acted before he could think.  "Kyopta," he kissed her cheek and ran out to greet his parents.

 - "Ah?"  HaLee cupped her cheek that was flushing red like a pink apple.  "Yah!!  What was that about?!"  She shouted but otherwise didn't move.  Having forgotten about the carrot in her hand, Sky plucked it right out of her hold, making her giggle still thinking of SeoJun.

Kids were scattered between two properties, they came and went freely. HaEun had decided she was too cold to go back outside and she, Song HaNa, and So JeongHee had gone up to the room she was sharing with HaLee.  The room was perfectly antique with a country blue quilt covering the trundle bed, the shelves and window panes were walnut and the curtains, blue and white floral.  “What an adorable room!”  JeongHee, a hopeless romantic, loved it.

HaNa was a more of a modern girl and preferred her lavender bedroom with a loft bed above her closet.  “Kyopta, if you like this kind of thing.”

 - “Arrayo HaNa Unnie doesn’t.”  HaEun pouted at her friend.

HaNa wrapped her friend in a hug.  “Who cares what I think, you love it and that’s all the matters.”

 - “Actually, my favorite room is in California and then Seoul.”

 - “Yah, we both have three bedrooms.  Daeback!” HaNa realized.  “My bedroom in Seoul, at Ha Halmoeni’s house in New York, and in Athens.”

 - “Choah, my room,” JeongHee said.  “Na don’t want another one.”

HaNa spotted HaEun’s violin in the corner of the room.  “Oooh!  Your violin is out, will you play for us, juseyo?”  HaNa rubbed her palms together.  “Appa says Nonos is a virtuoso.”

HaEun smiled, she adored her Father and was in awe of his talent.  “Na can only hope to be as good as appa or even Umma.”

 - “Aigooo!!  They’re your parents!”  JeongHee rolled her eyes.  “You probably are as talented, if not more!”  JeongHee didn’t have the passion for pottery, but her skill in painting was impressive.

HaEun blushed at their praise.  They were the bestest friends she could ever have, they always challenged her and pulled her out of her shell.  But still, she only played for her family and the kids at Church.  “Anieyo…”

 - “What good is paint without a canvas to be seen on and what good is an instrument, if it’s playing is not heard.”  JeongHee admonished her friend.

 - “Deh!  What The artist just said,” HaNa laughed.

HaEun sighed, cheeks beginning to flush with embarrassment.  She didn’t know how she’d ever play for strangers when it came time for her to study at the conservatory.

 - "Ara you play at Church,” JeongHee said.

 - “Only for the little kids!”

 - “Gueron, pretend we’re the little kids at Church.  No more excuses!”  HaNa ordered.

There was no winning with those two.  “Arrasso...hajiman, we’ll go to the chapel.  The acoustics are daeback!”

Once in the chapel, HaEun chose a piece that she enjoyed very much and thought that perhaps her friends would too.  “If you get bored, please tell me.”  Her friends rolled their eyes.  “This is called ‘Lark Ascending’.  The Lark is a bird found in old world Europe,” she explained.  “It’s about fifteen minutes, gwenchana?”

HaNa and JeongHee smiled at each other, they both thought their friend was dorky but sweet and cute and wouldn’t have her change at all.  “Guerae!  Pretend you’re at Carnegie Hall with all the best violinists in the world,” HaNa teased.

 - “Unnie!”

 - “Just shut up and play!”

HaEun soon got lost in her music and it was just her and the violin in a world of her own.  The boys, Kim JaeWook and JaeHyeong, Gu InSo, Park KangMin and Yoon HaNeul were ‘hunting’ with an interactive type game on their mobile devices.  It was JaeWook that spotted them.  “Hey, let’s go see what the girls are up to?”

 - “They’re just going to the chapel,” HaNeul shrugged.  “What interesting things could they be doing there?”

 - “Let’s find out,” JaeWook just wanted to spy on HaNa.

 - “Let’s just humor him,” InSo said.  The younger three had no choice but to follow.  Peer pressure still existed in the year 2030.

As quietly as possible, they hovered by the chapel door.  “It’s just Noona, playing,” HaNeul shrugged.  As he predicted, there was nothing of interest to see.

 - “Let’s go back and play,” KangMin complained.  He had been close to getting his ‘prize deer’ when JaeWook interrupted their game.

 - “Hey, she’s good,” JaeWook was pretty impressed as far as a teenaged boy could be impressed by classical violin music.

 - “Deh…”  InSo was practically HaEun’s twin and he’d never even heard her play.

 - “Hyeong, kaja.  Hyeong InSo knows how shy she is.  Mollah how HaNa Noona convinced her to play.”  HaNeul tried to get the boys to move before she died from her shyness.  The older boys just ignored him.  “If you make Noona cry, I’m going to beat you up,” he whispered.  “I’m leaving first, I don’t want to get blamed for bringing you guys.”  HaNeul turned to leave and JaeHyeong and KangMin followed. 

 - “JaeWook Hyeong, if you get in trouble, you’re on your own,” JaeHyeong admonished his older brother.  Generally, they all got in trouble for their older brother’s schemes (JaeWook for plotting and the younger ones for following).  Their Mama wasn’t afraid to smack them with the back of wooden spoon or shoe, even now.

While JaeWook only had eyes for HaNa, whose profile could be seen from the door, InSo was seeing his favorite dongsaeng in a new and interesting way.  Though HaEun’s eyes were closed, InSo thought he could almost see what her eyes were seeing.  He knew she played, but it wasn’t like he was a musician; he liked K-pop groups and American rock bands like other boys his age.  He’d never spared a thought about classical music.  The sound of her instrument filled the little chapel; it was almost like the notes bounced off the walls and ceiling.  Like when they played their PC games with 3D sound.  He never thought about her smile, she was always smiling.  Right now, she looked so cute as if smiling at a picture only she could see.

JaeWook had been so busy staring at the bouncy HaNa shifting from sitting on one leg, then the other.  He liked the way her hair bounced with her and wasn’t just stick-straight like many Korean girls he knew; it had a soft wave to it.  Girl’s usually said he was a flirt, but he didn’t understand why.  If there was a pretty girl that caught his eye, he’d be extra nice to her.  At almost 15 ½ He was too young to be serious about girls and it was really embarrassing to be getting ‘the talk’ from your Dad on a yearly basis.  For HaNa, he just might make an exception.

It was JeongHee that caught the two boys with their heads in the door, wearing dorky grins on their face.  “Unnie,” she whispered to HaNa and pointed to the door.  HaNa removed her shoes and quietly got up to scowl at the boys.  JaeWook broke out of his daydream to see the subject of that dream scowling, right in front of him.  Opening and closing his mouth, like a fish, he decided running was the best option.

HaNa ran after him.  “Yah!”  She hollered, still barefoot.

JeongHee gave InSo an inquiring look.  He shrugged and put his index finger to his lips, asking her to keep quiet.  Trying to decide what to do, JeongHee looked to HaEun, then InSo and then the door.  Decision made, she figured HaEun was safe with InSo, but they didn’t know Kim JaeWook at all; HaNa needed her.  “Stay here,” she mouthed and pointed to HaEun.  JeongHee was wearing sneakers, so she tiptoed out the door of the chapel and tried to join the chase.  By the time she found them, HaNa already apprehended the criminal, whom for some reason, had forgotten he was a first-degree black belt.  HaNa had already grabbed his hand, trapped his leg with hers and twisted his shoulder.

 - “Yah!  Number One, that hurts!!  I wasn’t doing anything!  Chincha!  You understand English, right?”  She twisted his arm more.

 - “Omo!  Unnie!”  JeongHee was out of breath.  “Na tracked you with nae mobile.”

 - “So, JeongHee-ssi, help, juseyo?”

 - “Waeyo?”

 - “It’s...it’s dark...nae dongsaeng and I were...going to you, girls, back to the inn.”

 - “Wae should we believe you?”  JeongHee asked.

 - “Because...because...yah, number one, I’m a first-degree black belt, I can take you down if I wanted too.”

The girls both laughed.  “Unnie is a second-degree black belt.”

 - “Ajussi, we can spar, and I might let you off with just a dislocated shoulder or you can stop calling me that.”

 - “It’s cute!  Girls like nick naaaaa…” she was pulling his arm out of his socket.  He had to spar with girls in the competitions, but this wasn’t how he wanted to get to know her.  “Wae…?”

 - “It’s cute?  Kyopta?”  HaNa laughed.  “Omo!  Are you flirting with me?”  She let go of him, finally.

 - “I was just being friendly,” he massaged his shoulder.

 - “Friendly, flirting...same difference.”  She swept his figure from head to toe.  The lights on the tree gave her enough light to see him.  “Tall, fashionable, good figure, exotic eyes, cute nose...lips...passable.  Not love at first sight but I’m willing to give you a chance.  I lost my shoes, piggyback me to the inn.”  She immediately hopped on his back.

 - “Yah...”

JeongHee laughed.  “Unnie, I’ll see if I can find your shoes.  Annyeong!”

JaeWook was at a loss for words, for once, and obediently walked toward the inn.  Fortunately, HaNa was never at a loss for words.  “Will you be going to Shinhwa or staying in New York?”

 - “Staying in New York, wae?”

 - “Amogotdoyo, that’s good to know,” perhaps she would need to consider New York fashion schools instead of Milan.  They remained silent for the rest of the walk.

JaeWook was about to let her down as soon as they got inside the inn.

 - “We have arrived, miss,” he said playfully.

 - “Does, Ajussi recall, I’m not wearing shoes?  The tile floor is very cold.”

JaeWook was about to protest being called, ‘Ajussi’.  “Yah, number one...”

 - “Ajussi,” HaNa gave her best, high tone.  “...may take me to my door.”

 - “Michin-ah?!  To the second floor?”

 - “Ajussi wanted to me back.  And it’s the third floor,” HaNa grinned as he mumbled about falling for a cute face.  HaNa grinned, he hadn’t even remembered she’d been running after him, barefoot, in the cold grass.

JaeWook was in the height of his teens, more man than child.  He was in Tae Kwon Do, Soccer, and Track; they climbed the three flights of stairs and though slightly winded, he’d not even broken a sweat.  “Arraseo, number one, agassi,” he changed it up a little.  “This is your door I believe?”

 - “Deh, Kansamnida.  See you around?”

 - “Guerae, number one,” JaeWook gave her his best smile.

HaNa’s eyes twinkled with mischief.  “Oppa, jaljayo.”  She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, a normal greeting for her friends in Athens but definitely not in Korea.  JaeWook was American with Korean and Mexican blood.  A kiss or hug were common greetings on his Mom's side of the family.  He knew nothing about her, other than she was Korean.  This type of greeting wasn't common in Korea, he knew that much.  Before he could react, she quickly opened her door and threw herself on the bed, giggling.

JaeWook grinned as he slowly walked away from the door.  His room was on the bottom floor.  Yes, not love at first sight but definitely willing to see where it leads.  Perhaps he could find a summer study program in Athens?  He ran down the stairs to his room, ready to do research.

HaEun finished her mini-recital and opened her eyes.  “Brava!!!”  InSo clapped and whistled.  “Brava!!!”

HaEun was stunned; HaNa and JeongHee were nowhere in sight, but InSo was.  After the color drained from her face, two bright red spots appeared on her cheeks and she looked down at the instrument in her hands.

 - “Areumdan!”  He was already standing and walked over to her.  “Yah!  Wae?”  He laughed at her sudden shyness.  “Yah, Oppa is going to be angry, wae have you never played for me?  HaNa and JeongHee Noona are worthy of listening but not Oppa?”

 - “A-a-anieyo!”  HaEun wanted to bite her tongue, why was it suddenly tied up in knots?  InSo laughed, he always thought her shyness was cute.  He knew it wasn’t an act which made her even cuter.  “O-oppa, where’s Unnie?”

 - "Guerae, Oppa knows now.  I’m not worthy of HaEun’s playing,” he turned to leave.

 - “Anieyo!!”  HaEun reached out to grab his hand.  “Kkkajima!  Don’t be angry!”

 - “Arraso…arraso!  Aish, HaEun-ah is so sensitive.”  Immediately, she let go his hand, as if scalded by hot water.  Her face couldn’t get any redder and he knew if he kept teasing her, she’d burst into tears.  Her eyes were already on that verge.  “Yah, how are you going to lead SuAm foundation orchestra one day if you’re afraid to play for Oppa?”

HaEun’s eyes went as round as her face.  She’d only ever told her Appa that she wanted her playing to be perfect so that Harabeoji wouldn’t have to worry about the conservatory, she would lead it.  “Ooppa?  How-how did you know that…that’s my dream?”

 - “Paboya,” he flicked her forehead, making her scowl at him.  “You told me.”  HaEun looked at him in disbelief.  “Jeongmal!  We were ten, I’m sure of it...”

HaEun wasn’t in the F4 classroom; even HaNeul didn’t know where she was and was worried.  InSo found her in tears, with some music crumpled in her hand.  “HaEun-ah…wae aren’t you in class?”  She didn’t answer, so he crouched in front of her.  “Yah?!  Did someone push you?”  She was too shy to say something and always got jostled around.

HaEun shook her head ‘no’.

 - “Are you in trouble?”  This time she nodded.

 - “Tell me?”

 - “Oppa!  I can’t play this!  I’ve been playing for five years and I can’t play this!”  She wailed.

He wasn’t musically inclined, and the notes just looked like scribbles to him.  “Gueron, just practice,” that seemed a reasonable response.

 - “Hajiman Appa said he was playing this piece already when he was younger!”

 - “Ajussi wouldn’t say that to punish you!”  He knew his uncle wasn’t like that.  His Uncle and Aunt taught HaEun themselves; not making her go to a school or even making her perform.  He’d never heard her play, but he’d heard his uncle say she was great and was proud of her.

 - “Ara, hajiman…what if I let him down!  How can I take over the SuAm conservatory if I’m not as good as he is?”

Again, he didn’t think her parents were forcing her into anything.  His Abeoji was always trying to push them in a certain direction, as Shinhwa heirs but Umma would get angry at him.  “Did Ajussi say you had to take over the foundation?”

HaEun shook her head ‘no’.  “I want to!  I want to make Harabeoji happy.  Appa is so busy with all of the foundation; he can’t lead the orchestra and needs others to help him run the conservatory.  Na want to help him when I get bigger.”  Her face began to light up as she expressed herself.  "I can take more classes in High School and in the pre-college program.  In college I’ll have to take business classes.  I need to learn all about music before that.”

That was the most she’d ever spoken at once; he was shocked.  He also knew that music came to her as effortlessly as breathing.  She only needed to listen to a piece a few times before playing it.  “HaEun-ah, when did Ajussi ask you to play this?”

 - “He didn’t…we were listening to the SuAm Orchestra play it.”

- “Paboya!  This is the hardest music you’ve ever tried…?”

HaEun bit her nails shyly, as the memory came back to her.  Because she hadn’t mastered the piece immediately, she thought herself doomed to failure.  “Hajiman Oppa remembers?”

 - “Greomyo!  HaEun-ah makes me pull the words out of .  You let HaNa and JeongHee talk for you all the time.  Whatever you tell me voluntarily is worth remembering, deh?”

A happy warmth spread over her at his words.  They were all true.  HaEun bit her unpolished fingernails in embarrassment.  Everything he said was true.  “Gomawo, Oppa.”  She couldn’t express herself in words, only in music.  HaNa and JeongHee already knew what she’d say and always answered for her.  InSo too could read her like a book but tried to challenge her to let go of her shyness.  She caught on after a few years that he deliberately played dumb for her to talk.  If he didn’t understand what she needed, she’d have to explain herself.  “You’re always at my side.”

 - “HaEun-ah makes me be nice.  HaNeul will beat me up if I’m not nice to his Noona.”

HaEun couldn’t look at him for some reason, her cheeks were warm.  Why?  She wasn’t as shy with InSo; she trusted him as much as she trusted her younger brother.  They were easy to talk to and patient when the words wouldn’t go from her brain to .  “It-it’s late, deh?  Oppa probably wants to go back with the namja.”

 - “Gwenchana…let’s take your instrument to the house.”  He didn’t let her put the instrument away but did it for her.  “Maybe there’s still cake left over?”

InSo had a sweet tooth and that was always his way of comforting her.  While in Seoul, ice cream from the cafeteria was usually offered as a bribe to make her smile.  Her question was burning at the back of her head.  She only had seven months to ask him.

InSo also sensed something was up; she wasn’t usually this reserved with him.  She didn’t talk much but didn’t stammer and blush, either.  “Is there a place you’ll be comfortable talking?”  Again, the eyes widened, making him laugh.  “Yoon HaEun-ah I know you almost better than myself.”

 - “Majayo,” he always got her to talk.  “Wi…," she swallowed before trying again.  “Will...Oppa wa-walk with me?”

 - “Greomyo.”

She led him behind the chapel and toward the opposite edge of both properties amongst the trees.  The boys had projected a movie onto one of the patio walls, some of the parents might be strolling along the lane, her sister was probably still at the stable, and the other girls were probably in their room by now.  Plus, there was little to no light in that corner.  He wouldn’t be able to see her blushing.

 - “Gwenchana?  HaEun isn’t cold?”

 - “Jeogumyo, Oppa," HaNa had distracted her and forgot all about grabbing her sweater.  "Gwechana, my blouse is thick cotton.”

 - “Nae dongsaeng is nomu yippeun, today.”  He was only a week older, but he liked playing the ‘Oppa’ roll with her.

 - “Anieyo!  It was HaYi’s dumb idea to have us dress in traditional costumes.”

 - “Mollah, nae dongsaeng is still yippeun.  Traditional clothes suit you, maybe reincarnation really exists.”

 - “Oppa!”

He laughed at the scandalized look on her face.  “Amogotdo (never mind).  Jeongmal, Oppa forbids you to wear all that eye makeup at Shinhwa.”  She only ever wore a little lip-gloss and that’s all she needed.

 - “Ara! It’s horrible!  JeongHee Unnie did our makeup,” she clasped her hands at her forehead in embarrassment.

 - “Deh, it’s horrible, Na will have to beat up all the namja who try to get close to you.”

 - “Hajimaseyo, Oppa!”

InSo became quiet as he wondered about the dreaded first boyfriend.  They were such close friends and he was used to always being next to her as her friend and protector.  He wasn’t sure he’d be able to relinquish that position.  He shook his head to clear it.  If their parents could hear his thoughts, they’d be trying to match make.

HaEun saw him flinch.  “Oppa?  Gwenchana?  No one is coming.  Let’s just duck into those trees.”

 - “Deh, gwenchana.”

Using their mobile devices as flashlights, they navigated through the trees.  Once in the middle, they stopped.  “Yah, na thought you were a scaredy cat.”

 - “Deh, hajiman during the day, it’s quiet in here.  Na brought my violin and played.”

 - “Na don’t want you coming in here alone, at night or even the day.  CCTV probably doesn’t reach inside here.”

 - “Oppa...now you’re scaring me.”

 - “Mian...nae yeodongsaeng makes me overprotective.  While we’re at it, if Na ever find out you brought a namja in here, I’ll-I’ll, never talk to you again.”  He couldn’t think of a suitable punishment.

 - “Oppa...you’re being weird,” she had to call him weird, because she couldn’t tell him, he was making her blush.  “Wae would I need to bring a namja in here?”

 - “Kisseu, of course.”

HaEun gasped.  “Oppa!”

 - “Choah!  Your scandalized face tells me you’ll never consider such a thing.”

 - “You know, Umma and Appa didn’t kiss until they were engaged.”

 - “HaEun will not get engaged just to get a kiss.”

 - “Oppa!  There’s no talking to you, right now.”

He got her laughing or annoyed and then all her shyness went away.  “Arraso, arraso, let’s bring this meeting to order.  Yoon HaEun has a petition for the board, HaEun-ssi, reveal your petition, juseyo.”  She doubled over, giggling.  “HaEun-ssi, we are waiting.  You’ll have to forfeit your turn if you’re not ready.”

 - “Anieyo!!  It’s just, what if Oppa thinks it dumb…?”

 - “We’ll consider HaEun-ssi’s request, but we need to know what it is, first.”  He gave her his Father’s ‘irritated’ look.

She took a deep breath and turned to look away from him.  “Will-Oppa-be-my-partner-for-my-quinceañera-next-year?”  She didn’t pause for breath and it almost sounded like she was singing.

 - “Mwo?  Partner?  For what?”  She was walking away, and he grabbed her wrist.  “Partner for what?”  He repeated.

 - “For my fifteenth birthday party.  Oppa just needs to dance once with me, that’s it.  Or maybe not even that, amogotodoyo.”

She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her.  “Paboya, wae anieyo?  Just tell me a little more about it, deh?”

 - “Chinchayo?”

 - “Chinchayo.”

 - “Omo, Oppa, you’re daeback!”  Forgetting herself she hugged him and then yelped in surprise when he hugged her back.

 - “Aigoo, what is Oppa going to do with you?”  He laughed.

 - “Na... Na will go tell HaNa Unnie,” she began to run.

 - “A gongju doesn’t run!”  He caught up to her.  “We’ll walk together.”  HaEun giggled and smiled as they walked out of the clump of trees.  “Is our gongju haengbohkae?”  Knowing his dongsaeng, she had been agonizing over asking him.

 - “Mmm.”

 - “Choah!  Anything to make our gongju haengbohkae.”

HaEun giggled.  “Oppa...never calls me gongjo?  Wae now?”  ‘Princess’ was what all the elders called her, but InSo always called her by her name or ‘dongsaeng’.

 - “Mollah?  Wae?  Oppa isn’t allowed?”

HaEun shrugged, her heart raced suddenly.  She assumed it was the excitement of having her best friend as her partner for her party.  HaEun could almost hear HaNa and JeongHee telling her it was the ‘way’ he called her gongju.  She giggled at the thought.

 - “Yah...wanna let Oppa in on the joke?”

 - “A-amogotodoyo!”  Her voice squeaked.  After clearing it, she ignored his question and began to run out of the tree cluster.  ”Palli!  Appa and Umma will worry!”

 - “Yah!!”  InSo ran after her.

Throwing birthday parties and reminiscing emotional times was tiring work.  Jihoo used his arm as a pillow, while Ilana used his chest as one.  Any second now, she’d be asleep.  “A few more months and our gongju will be fifteen.  I’m not ready.”  Ilana smiled but let her husband continue.  “We told the kids no dating until they are eighteen...hajiman...you don’t think there’s a namja already in the picture?”  Again, Ilana just smiled.  The overprotective (and sometimes overindulgent) F4 fathers knew what kind of troublemakers they were in High School.  Praise God for the F4 Mothers who made sure their children grew up in a loving family with the God of Love, not of money, surrounding them.  Yes, they were expected to participate in the family business but never forced.  If they found a different path that would be okay too.  “Sarang?”  Jihoo finally realized she wasn’t responding.  “Our kids are probably still scattered all over the property and Sarang fell asleep?”  He lifted her head and could see her trying not to smile.  “Na expect I’ll have to carry anae back inside like I did on our Honeymoon.”  His wife nodded.  “Ah?!  Anae isn’t sleeping at all.”  He rolled her off him as she returned to her ‘sleeping’.  He began to tickle her until he had her laughing and all pretend sleep was done.

They both lay back on the grass still chuckling to themselves.  Jihoo abruptly hovered over her and kissed her gently.  “Sarang…” she cupped his face.  Sometimes she didn’t need words; just calling him ‘Love’ was enough.

 - “Ara, nae sarang,” he gave her another little kiss and helped her to stand.  “Sarang…all these years…gomawo for your deep love, for being at nae side.”

 - “Anieyo…Na have just been obedient to our marriage verse.  ‘Above all, keep loving one another earnestly…”

 - “Deh, nae anae is very obedient,” his wife couldn’t keep a straight face, and neither could he.  “Kaja, Sarang,” without warning, he scooped her into his arms.

 - “Yah!!”  Ilana squealed.

 - “Sarang’s skirt is meant for side saddle…” he explained, nonchalantly making her roll her eyes.

 - “Sarang never fails to make me laugh, KyuHa took after you.”

 - “That’s our mission, to keep Umma’s beautiful smile on her face.”

They’d finally come close to the house when they saw InSo and HaEun coming from behind the stable area.  Jihoo’s Father radar detected something odd.  “HaEun and Gu InSo are over there,” Jihoo tried to sound normal.

 - “Oh?  Sarang, put me down; InSo will think we’re strange.”

 - “Sarang does know who his Abeoji is, deh?”

 - “Aigoo!”  She poked his chest since she couldn’t poke his stomach or side.

His wife’s ‘scolding’s’ never did any good.  “Let’s catch up.”  Jihoo settled her more securely and began to walk as fast as possible.  “Geonju-ah!!”

InSo and HaEun were walking silently, they never did talk much.  If they did, it was InSo doing all the talking.  “Oh?  Oppa, it’s Appa.  Appa!”  She quickly went up to them.

 - “Sarang, put me down,” her husband complied, but still wrapped an arm around her waist.

 - “Umma, gwenchana?”  HaEun was suddenly worried that her Mother had hurt herself.

 - “Deh…HaEun knows her Appa.”  Her daughter nodded in acknowledgment.  Their lovey-dovey ways were commonplace.  “InSo-ah, annyeong hasseyo.”

InSo bowed.  “Annyeong hasseyo, Imo, Ajussi.”

 - “Where is everyone?  Is that HaEun’s violin case?”  Ilana asked out of curiosity, especially since HaEun mostly only played for and with her immediate family.

InSo answered, awkwardly.  “Ah…there was a situation with Song HaNa and Kim JaeWook.”

 - “Deh.  Appa, HaNa Unnie convinced me to play for her and JeongHee and when Na opened my eyes it was InSo standing in their place.”

Jihoo didn’t move and no one could ever tell what he was thinking, but Ilana could.  He tilted his head just slightly in thought; he was no longer seeing InSo as the cute baby boy his daughter used to play with.  Now he was a threat to his peace.  Ilana leaned her head against Jihoo’s shoulder, silently telling him to keep calm.

 - “Imo, Ajussi, HaEun-ah is daeback!  She’s yippeun!  I-I mean her playing!  Je can’t believe HaEun has never let me hear her play before.  Jeaga her best friend!”  He gave a mock sad face.

 - “Our gongju is yippeun!  And so is her playing,” Ilana wide-eyed daughter.

 - “InSo knows how shy our gongju is, she’s selective over who gets to see her play.”  Jihoo knew it wasn’t so much playing in front of people, it was seeing their disappointment if she made a mistake.

 - “Deh, hajiman…now that HaEun has engaged je services, she’ll have to play for me as payment.”

 - “Anieyo!”  HaEun complained.

 - “Mworago?  What services?”  Jihoo asked.

 - “Je will be her date for…”

 - “Oppa?!  Partner!  Not date!”

 - “Mollah!  Same difference.”  He said.

Jihoo noticed his daughter’s flushed face at the word ‘date’.  “Anieyo, HaEun is not allowed to date until she’s eighteen.”

 - “Appa!!”

 - “InSo-ah, partner for what?”  Ilana had to run interference.

 - “For her birthday next year.”

 - “Ahhh…arraso, HaEun-ah come inside soon, the temperature is dropping, quickly.”

 - “Deh, Umma; na promised Oppa more cake.”

 - “There’s plenty, help yourself.  Make him some hot chocolate.”  Ilana took her husband’s hand.  “Kaja, let the kids…” she emphasized ‘kids’.  “…enjoy their snack.”

 - "Imo, Ajussi, annyeonghee joomooseyo,” InSo bowed.

 - “Jalja!”  Ilana said, dragging Jihoo.  They soon heard HaEun scolding InSo.

- “Oppa is trying to get me in trouble.  Na didn’t ask you for a date!”  She turned to walk into the house.

 - “Mian…mian!!  Yah!  Imo said to make me hot chocolate,” he walked after her.

Ilana burst into laughter upon reaching their room.  “Not a word, Yoon Jihoo!!”  He allowed her to push him toward the bed.  She sat on his lap, so he wouldn’t go chasing after them and entertained his lips with a passionate kiss so that he wouldn’t complain.  “They’re just chingu…” she gave his forehead a kiss.  “Don’t look so desolate.”

 - “Na have a right to be.”

Ilana snuggled into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.  “Saranghae.  Na believe in our dtal.  Her Umma has the best nampyon and she has the best Appa; when the time comes, she won’t pick anyone, but the best.”

Jihoo grazed his lips on her forehead and sighed.  “Na suppose it’s time to start praying for their namja chingu and yeoja chingu.”

 - “Start?  Na have been praying since they were born!”

 - “Sarang is daeback.”

 - “So is nae sarang.  Bpo bpo?”

 - “Mmm…”

Ilana gave his face little kisses from his cheeks to his eyes and eyebrows, until he became impatient with her teasing and demanded the kiss that she was denying him.

Parting briefly, they went back down and checked on their kids and they were all within the house boundaries.  HaEun was in the kitchen with InSo, but HaNeul, HaLee, and Kim (KyuJong’s) JungSoon had joined them.  HaLee was giving them the specs on the yearling she planned on taking home with her.  InSo, to his credit, was the only one actually listening.

 - “Will your Abeoji let you participate in rodeos?”

 - “Deh!”

 - “Ani!”  Jihoo said.

 - “InSo-ah, don’t forget to take JungSoon with you when you go,” Ilana reminded.

 - “Deh, Imo.”

Leaving the kitchen, they headed to the patio, where KyuHa and Park KangDae were situated.  They were on the floor with a box, twigs, and bandages.  “Lovey, isn’t it cold on the floor?”

 - “Mama...KangDae is here.”  He loved being his Mama’s ‘lovey’ just not around the other namja.

 - “Mollah…” she rolled her eyes.

 - “Adul...what’s in the box?”  Jihoo knew his son.

 - “A baby hawk,” KangDae answered.  “Ajussi, can we keep it?”

 - “If your Abeoji lets you take him home, he’s all yours.”  He smiled at the scene that would occur at the customs office.

 - “Jalja...KangDae, let Gu InSo know that you are here, so you don’t walk back to the inn alone.”

 - “Deh.”

Jihoo and Ilana returned a different route to their room.  Ilana began to remove her jacket; Jihoo had discarded his earlier.  “Na will hang these up.”  While she walked to the closet, Jihoo was about to sit in a chair by the window and changed his mind.  “Sarang!”  Ilana balanced the two jackets on her arm while reaching for a hanger.  “Don’t you want to get out of those clothes?”

 - “Deh.”

 - “Aitch!”  Two arms had come out of nowhere to wrap themselves around her waist, making her drop the jackets on the floor.  “Goyanghee!  HaNeul gets that habit from you.”

Jihoo laughed, if anyone didn’t know better, they’d think the kids didn’t inherit any traits from their Mother.  “Does Sarang not want to get out of her clothes?”

 - “Ani, I’m quite comfortable.”

 - “Liar,” he began untying her skirt.

 - “Yah!  Na got myself in, Na can get myself out.”

 - “Nana and ajumma helped you girls get dressed.”

 - “Mollah…” she turned to face him.  “And however did Sarang get those pants on?”  She gave his thigh a pinch.  “They’re like a second skin.”

They continued teasing each other about their wardrobe and were now comfortably tucked under the blankets, thankfully wearing modern day night clothes.  “At least HaEun-ah won’t make us wear costumes for her birthday.”  Jihoo’s mind had already drifted back to their eldest.

 - “Na think all the kids and adults had fun today and it’s a nice vacation for all of them.”  Ilana smiled, thinking of all their friends also enjoying quiet time with their spouses.

 - “Deh…JunPyo just finished an acquisition and JanDi was looking forward to him being away from the office."

 - “GaEul was complaining YiJeong spent more time in France with JeongYul than in Seoul, with her.  Leaving her alone, to run the museum and teach her classes.”

 - “Our HaYi-ah can sometimes have good timing.” Usually, she had the worst timing.

 - “Deh, you can’t tame the sun, Sarang.”

Jihoo turned to his side, to look comfortably into his wife’s face.  “Na wouldn’t try.  All our kids are special in their own way because they each have a part of their Umma.”  He kissed her before she could argue.  “Saranghae,” he grazed her lips with his.  “Gomawo for answering nae heart.”

She cradled his hand against her chest.  “Gomawo for knocking on mine,” she gently fit her lips against his.

I started this story to share my two loves, my faith in Jesus and HJ.  Two and a half months short of four years, my labor of love is finally finished. Unfortunately, my love for Jesus took a back burner to this story.  I’m not a perfect Christian, no one is, only Jesus is perfect.  I just know who my redeemer and savior is.  I’ll take time to go back and rekindle my relationship.  If any of you doesn’t know Jesus and would like to or has any other questions regarding Ilana’s faith, please ask me.

I’m sure I can go on forever, continuing the love stories to all our couples and their adorable children, but I’m sure you’re all tired of me by now.  Chuckahae, you read 1, 198,126 words.  All I can say is kansamnida for reading and keeping with me all these years.  I’ve met some beautiful ladies through Ilana, Jihoo and the gang.  Some of you have become my sisters, even though I’ve never met you in person.  I was fortunate to meet two of my readers and Lord willing, one day I’ll get to travel to India and the Philippines and some of your other countries to meet you.  Or as I tell some of you, marry rich and come visit me.  😉 I’ve treasured each and every one of you.

To my sounding boards, MidnightOnyx, Keenie73, Madhu, and Bonbon.  thank you for all your help making sense of what’s in my head.  All of you, thank you for allowing Ilana and me into your lives, letting us get to know you.  A lot has happened to all of us, right?  Four of our boys have either come or gone to the military.  Our HJ has been through so much, SS301 happened, our Maknae is finally in the army now, my Mom fell and broke her hip twice, my Mother in law passed away and I know some of you lost loved ones also during this time.  Someone got married, someone had a baby, some of us moved, some have graduated high school, others college, some post-graduate school, and some sent their baby to college.  My baby started junior high and some started new careers.  We’ve shared a lot together.

Anyway, I will be posting a companion of sorts with youtube playlists and I’ll try and do an audio playlist that you can download, as well, but that might take a little longer.  Also, if any of you want to pick my brain with any questions that I haven’t answered.  I’d like to borrow my friend midnightonx’s idea and have you guys ask questions to any of the characters and then you’ll get a response in character.  So, PM or comment your questions.  Ah, someone please ask me why I chose 7 years because it has a lot of significance.  😃

Is that it?  I think so, if you haven’t voted, please take the time to do so.  

 (Hope to see you later)!

Ah!!  And those of you going to Anemone, I’ll be praying for you!

April 2018

Also thank you to my newest friend JHsgf82, another one of my sounding boards or wordsmiths as she says.  And our HJ is back as strong as ever with his own agency and label!  So proud of our boy.  I can’t wait for his new CD in June.

Annyeong!  I’ve been re-editing this for a year.  I’ll be going back to work on the stories of our favorite family and discovering what life has in store for the Yoon children.