“ Sisi! Look!! Here look!!” Sasi was squealing and jumping on my lap, pointing at buildings as we drove thorough the city of Seoul from the airport to my parents house. Sasi was jumping so much that I thought her baby seat belt would tear off. I try to calm my daughter down, but her excitement is just overwhelming. I turn my head and see Dara’s face blood drained, nervous and scared. She was just staring outside, but within her, she is already fighting her past demons.

I place my hand over her cold palm and give it an assuring squeeze. She looks at me with life void eyes and cuddles under the nook of my shoulder and places her head on my chest. “ I’m scared Siwon.” she whispers. It’s the first word she has said after we landed in Seoul.

“ Me too darling.” I say. Because honestly, I am. Both of us have beautiful memories here and we also have equally horrible nightmares. She exhales heavily and closes her eyes.

Within in minutes we were at my parent’s house. I am entering the compounds of the house after almost a year and a half and as my father said, I have bought their daughter-in-law and their gradn daughter home.

We stand at the doorstep. Dara holds my hand tightly and Sasi stands calmly holding on to my jeans. I ring the doorbell.

“ Oh.” My mother instantly tears up when she opens the door and sees us as a family standing.

“ Dara.” My mother hugs Dara and she tears up too. Watching all my loved ladies tear up, makes my heart break.

She cups Dara’s face and says, “ welcome home darling. Welcome.” She says and we walk in.

“ Sandara.” I heard my dad’s voice and his weak self walking towards us.

“ Sir.” Dara whispers and runs to hug him. My dad hugs her like he hugs his daughter, if he had one.

“ I’m sorry.” She whispered in-between her sobs.

“ No darling. We are sorry. Welcome home. Please don’t cry. Please. You are our daughter. Please.” My father lifted Dara’s chin and wiped her tears.

“ Welcome home Siwon. Welcome home.” My father says. My mother just hugs me.

“ Now, now Dara.” My mother goes to console her. “ Now sweety” my mother wipes Dara’s tears and wipes her own, “ will you introduce us to our grand daughter or what?” my mother teases.

“ Oh, how rude of me. “ Dara said and turns to me. Sasi is hiding behind me hugging my leg in one hand and her doll in her other. “ Sasi… come here baby.” Dara opened her hand out inviting Sasi. Sasi hides further behind my leg. “ Come on Sasi, go meet your grandparents.” I urge Sasi from behind me.

“ Come here darling.” My mother kneeled down on the floor and opens her arms for our daughter. Sasi after a minute of thinking slowly walks towards my mother. She takes baby steps towards my mother and I could hear my father’s happy sobs. Its their first grandchild.

Sasi went to my mother and asked in her baby girl voice, “ are you my grandma?”  “ yes  sweety.” My mother replies and hugs her. My mother could not control her tears. “ Now go to your grandpa. He has been waiting to meet you.” my mother directs Sasi. She took her steps towards my dad. “ Say hello to you grandpa and get his blessings Sasi.” Dara tells her. “ Are you my grandpa?” Sasi asks. “ Yes Darling. I am. You are so beautiful, just like your mother.” He says and picks Sasi up in his arms. Sasi caressed his face and said, “ grandpa, you are old.”

“ Sasi!” Dara called out in a scolding manner. “ She is definitely our family child.” My father said with a laugh.

“ Now come on, you all must be really tired. Go fresh up and come down fro lunch.” My mother instructs us. We walk up and our house help bring us our luggage to my room. My room feels new now. I am seeing it new now. Dara hugs me tight, as Sasi runs around the room. I cant believe I’m here in my room with Dara and my daughter. Life is just beautiful for me.

After an hour- refreshed we go down to the dinning room for lunch. “ Ah, come on you three, the food is getting cold.” My mother scolds us. We look at the feast laid in front of us. Dara is going to go for a spin. “ Mama, this is too much. why…”

“ Listen here young lady! I did not have the opportunity to take care of you for the past four years, so now im going to make up for all that.” My mum scolded Dara, for which Dara just smiled.

“ Sasi darling, what do you like to eat?”

“ I like cake, ice cream, strawberry and…and…”

“ Ok enough Sasi. Eat broccoli.” Dara scolded.

“ Grandma, I don’t like broccoli.” Sasi immediately complains to my mother. My father and me took the back seat to watch the show.

“ Look at her Siwon, she is already buttering up your mother.” Dara complains to me.

“ Dara, I told you, she is our family’s child she going to do very well in business. She knows her strategy” My father said as he took the seat as the head of the family.

We take our places at the dining table and proceed with our lunch. Sasi immediately makes friends with my mother and father and im very sure they are going to shower her with gifts.

As for Dara, and me we are just pleased to see them like this. I mean, our daughter is getting something that I feared, that Dara feared that she would not get.

We have finished our wonderful lunch and all of us are stuffed. Even Sasi ate so well that she dozed off the minute we got to Siwon’s room. Both father and daughter are napping. I lay down beside Sionw, but I did not feel like sleeping. A visit to mama’s room is a must now. I rummage through my baggage to give her something I should not have with me in the first place.

*knock knock “ come in.” I hear Mama’s voice.

“ Hey” I whisper and enter the room. “ Come in Dara.” She calls for me and taps the seat beside her on the couch where she was sitting with her book.

“ I hope I am not disturbing you.”

“ Oh not at all Dara! In fact I wanted to call you out and discuss our shopping trips and the stuff you and Sasi like. But i assumed that you may be tired.” She says with excitement.

“ Well, yeah, I feel tired, but m not able to sleep.” I say and fold my legs under me.

“ That’s fine darling. I guess its the time difference and all that stuff people say.”

“ Yeah…Mama, I actually came to give this back to you.” I say and pick out a small silver box from my pocket. Mama puts her book down and takes the box from me. “ What is it Dara?”

“ Open it.” she does and she gasps.

“ I’m not really worth to keep this with me mama. I know how much this was worth for you and I think you should keep it.” I say. I have returned the Choi Family brooch. It hurts a ton to retune it, but it’s the fair thing to do.

“ Dara, I gave this to you and its yours. I will never take it back.” she says.

“ But mama, im not worth to keep such a priced procession. Besides, you almost lost it. I know how you must have felt when I just left overnight. I’m sure you must have thought I’m a thief who stole your family’s most priced jewelry.” I bow my head.

“ Dara look at me.” she said and I did. “ A Choi family’s lady never, Never bows her head down, even in front of her husband. Dara, when you left, I prayed for you. I prayed that the gods be with you and one day you will return. My prayers are answered now. I never really thought about the jewelry.” She picks up the brooch in her hand, very tenderly. “ If you look at the brooch Dara, its just a piece of metal and mere stones from the earth, that have gone through heat and polishes. That’s all. But you Dara, are a human being. A good person and the world needs good people like you. We lost you and I prayed that God will keep you safe.”

“ But Mama…” I open my mouth

“ No Dara. No matter if Siwon has put a ring on you or not, you are our Daughter in law and Sasi is our grand daughter. This brooch now belongs to you and next it will belong to Sasi. So keep it.”

“ But keep it with you. I mean, it’s safer with you.” I protest.

“ Dara tell me, when you were in Dubai, did you believe you will be sitting with me and having this talk?”

“ No”

“ But you are here, correct?” I nod.

“ And yet, you kept this brooch safely because you felt responsible for it and you wanted to keep it safe. This belongs to you sweety.” She says and places the brooch back in the silver box nad gives it to me. but I give it back to her asking her to just keep it in the vault. It would safer in the vault rather than in my suitcase.

I then gave her the gift I bought for her – a pure silk scarf with Swarovski crystals. She as delighted to see it. She immediate tried it on and tried different clothes to wear it. Then I also gave her the watch we bought for Mr. Choi.

“ Thank you so much darling. Its beautiful, but you should not have bought it for us.”

“ Its ok mama…its just a small piece of our love.” She cups my face in her palm.

“ So tell me about Sasi.” Mama asks and we start our girl talks, which goes on for hours.

Siwon’s bedroom: 10.00pm

“ So looks like you and your mother in law had a good talk?” Sown asks me as we brush our teeth, getting ready for bed.

“ Yeah…it was nice to talk to her. We are going shopping tomorrow. She wants to get something for Sasi and all that. Are you coming along?” Siwon gargles and spits the water out.

“ Oh dear lord no! You want to torture me?” I laugh at his instant back up.

“ I’ll just be with my dad. He said he wanted to talk to me about something.” I nod in acceptance.

Siwon exits the bathroom before I do and when I get out, I notice Siown sitting on the edge of the bed. “ Is Sasi not coming?”

“ Nope, she is sleeping with her newly found friends- your mum and dad.” I roll my eyes and Siwon laughs. He pulls me to his lap and I sit.

“ Thank you.” he whispers into my ear. “ For what?”

“ For coming here…for staying here… for everything.”

“ Siwon please. I’m just happy and I have to thank you for that.”  Say and kiss his forehead.

“ Also, I wanted to ask you something. I hope you mind going back a little.” I frown.

“ The name of your company, SImple WONders…you named it after me.”

“ How did you know?”

“ Dara, come on, give me some credit. Its got my name on it… well just split up, but its there.”

“ I did not want to be away from you Siwon. I hated you and even cursed you that you have to die, but deep down, I loved you even when I thought you did not. When you die, I wanted to die with you. I missed you everyday. It was hell. I could not stand anyone calling me Dara, because I did not want anyone call me with the name you called me. I wanted you to be with me and I searched for way to do that. My company name was perfect. A place I love to and I spend a majority of my time there. Then there is Sasi.”

“ Well about Sasi’s name I knew. But Dara, I…..i should have told you all this way before, but I did not. Now suddenly I’m my childhood room, I don’t know, I felt like tell you, I know how much you loved me.” I place a finger across his lips.

“ I love you Siwon, I will love you forever. What I did is nothing compared to what you did for me and I don’t know how I can even….” He cups my face.

“ Just love me forever, even when I’m a nasty and a rogue.” I smile.

“ What to do Mr. Siwon? I love you over the top when you are a nasty rogue.” I give him a wink.

“ Ah, really miss Day?”

“ Really Mr. Choi.”

“ So, how about I be a very bad rouge to you in my childhood room tonight?” He said with a devilish grin.

“ No, I want you be my gentle lover in the childhood room of yours.”

“ Very well Miss Day, your wish is my command.” He says and pulls my nightgown over my head and my s get hard at the touch of the cold room air.

“ aren’t you a work of art Miss Day?”

“ I’m not Mr Choi, not till you put your hands on me.” and with that out passionate love making start in a room filled with childhood memories. It may sound a bit weird, but hey we are talking about Siown and me. so yeah…

“ Go, I love that bite of yours on my lip.” Siwon says as I release his lips from the grip of my teeth and he gets out of me. he rolls on his back and I roll to my side placing my hand on his steadying chest.

“When will you be back tomorrow?” he asks me a few minutes after.

“.hmmm..not sure. But from the way your mother was talking, it looks like late evening. Why do you ask me?” I draw patterns around his chest and s

“ I wanted to take you out somewhere.”

“ Where?” my fingers keep drawing.

“ Just a few places.”

“ Okay…can we do this the day after? We have an entire week.”

“ Sure darling.” He kisses me on my crown. “Dad also wanted to talk to us about something.” my fingers explore his belly button. It’s really cute.

“ What is It he wants to talk about?”

“ Choi Industries… Neon Lights.” my fingers stop their exploration and I look up.

“ If you are not ready, Dara, I’ll tell him. its your wish.” I see his sincerity.

“ Siwon, im a grown woman and I can face my past. Lets talk. Besides, its what we came here for. Lets hear what e has to say.”

“ ok…but think about it again and tell me tomorrow morning.”

“ Oh Mr. Choi, you are being so adamant. Now kiss me and make me come- again.”

“ No.”

“ No? Are you rejecting me?” I get up on my elbow. Siwon smiles and his eyes…Oh. My. God.

“ I’m not rejecting you, but you need your sleep. I know you did not sleep in the afternoon too and tomorrow you are gong to have long day. So sleep now.”

“ No. I want to have with you. NOW.”

“ Dara, be a good kitten.” Ok I can’t stand it. He cant reject me. if I don’t get what I want, I take it. I get on top of him and kiss his neck as he protests that I need my sleep. Yes I do need my sleep, but making love in his childhood room and with his parents room that is just a couple of doors away is way too exciting than anything else.

I kiss his weak spot and his desires poke me on my entrance. “ Looks like someone is ready and needy.”

“ Finish off what you started woman.” He growls.

“ That’s my man.” I say and envelop his manhood inside me.

Finally we both sleep at 4.00am and both are truly exhausted. Shopping day may need to be cancelled.

The next day, our girls day out started late…like very late. I was able to open my eyes only at 10.30am and we had planned to be at the mall at 10.30. Anyways, after getting teased and scolded by my daughter and mother-in-law (future) we finally started out at noon. We headed out to the mall. With Sasi on her grandmother’s lap, she was having the best time of her life. Anything she points out, her grand mother just bought it, without a question. My future mom-in-law did not seem to stop with Sasi, but she went to the extent of showing me stuff that I did not want in the first place.

We finish lunch at some super expensive restaurant and finally return home late evening. The men seem to have caught up on their men talk too.

As we enter the living room, Mr. Choi says, “ welcome ladies. I hope all of you had a wonderful shopping time. Dara, if you don’t mind, may I please talk with you and Siown tomorrow in my office?” before I could answer, Mama, interrupts. “ Not so soon honey. They have just arrived.”

“ The sooner the better.” He cuts. I understand this is serious.

“ Sure no problem. Anytime tomorrow.” I agree

“ No hurries. We can all meet after breakfast.” I nod and we head off to our rooms.

Mr. Choi’s Office: 11.00 am

“ This is the reality of Neon Lights Dara.” Dara sits staring at the stack of papers my father laid in front of us. She is pale and her eyes are devoid of water. This tells me her heart is broken into pieces and those pieces are cutting her.

“ But this cant be. I made sure things will be perfect. Even after I left…” She finally whispered.

“ No Dara, after you left, Neon Lights slowly deteriorated. Siwon was not bale to go to the same place without you and that gave ‘her’ the opportunity to take over Neon Lights. Watching Siwon…umm… devastated, pulled me down and I brought down the company with me and then ‘she’ took over the entire company.” Dara sat without knowing what to say or what to do.

“ Honey, I think its better you tell her everything.”

“ Everything?” she looks up at my mother, who tries to hide her nervousness. I squeeze Dara hand to give her support.

“ She black mailed me Dara.”

“ What?”

“ Yes Dara, during my early times when I was building the company, I did some under the table business with a few people which included the Han’s. I made sure all those transactions were kept a secret. But Ga In got her dirty hands on those documents and she used it against me.”

“ How did she get those documents?”

“ That’s Ga In…” my mother said.

“ She blackmailed me saying she would go to the police with it. But the fact is, the underworks I did, were overlooked by the law because Choi Industries gave back more to the economy. By then Siwon was completely in her control and we did not know where you were and things just were complicated.”

“ She planned it very well.” Dara said.

“ That she did. She made the effort to visit me and then we went to Venice where Siwon was and we became her puppets after that. “

“ But then, guess God answered all our prayers. She got arrested. However, the damage se made is worse.” My father completed.

Dara’s eyes are dry. She is devastated. “ All of you. all. Of. You went through all of this for me? oh God.” She placed her hand on and stared down at her shoes. I moved closer to her and pulled her into my embrace.

 “ Why did you not tell me Siwon? Why?”

“ Dara, I did not want to hurt you. Besides what could you have done about it?”

“ Apologized Siwon! That’s the only thing I could have and would have done.” She immediate falls on her knees and bows her head in front of my dad. “ I’m am sorry. I did not know…all this….oh God…im so sorry.” She says making us choked and shocked.

I got ot my knees and hugged her. “ baby don’t….dont. just get up.”

“ No Siwon. this is all because of me. all of you….oh God.” I cradle her.

“ Dara I did not tell you all this because I did not want to make you guilty, but you have come home and you are part of our family. I mean, God, you have given us Sasi, our grand daughter. But I wanted you to know the truth.” She still does not have tears in her eyes. She is devastated and I still cradle her in my arms.

“ Fine.” she rubs her face in her cold palms and gets to her knees up. “ Mr. Choi, Mama please, please with my whole heart I ask for apology. Please tell me what I can do to make it right.”

“ You don’t need to apologize Dara. We all love you and that’s why we did it. to protect you. now get up please. No Choi woman bows her head down.” Dara get up on her feet and I hold her.

The next day I decide to take Dara around the city. Yesterday she had a lot of information to process and she took her time to digest them all. However, there is still some things she not able to swallow.

As a family for the first time, we went around places where me and Dara visited when we were just boyfriend and girlfriend. We don’t have a labeled status to what we are now, but we are a family. Dara, Sasi and me. if signing a few papers is what society will consider marriage, those papers have no meaning for us, because me and Dara are married in our hearts a long time ago. She Is the one for me ad I am the one for her. The evidence, that little angle jumping up and down on my lap- excited.

We visit the mall, the Han River side, the museum, my apartment- The place where I spent my time as a single guy. This place has a lot of memories for me- very precious ones.

“ Wow, its just like yesterday I was here Siwon. its….its….just the same.” Dara says as she looks around. I remember the memories coming back to her. The number of days we both spent with each other on that very couch, eating, watching TV, discussing, arguing, making out and then having steamy .

“ I know…it just feels like yesterday…” I tell her and take her to the bedroom… “ that you lost your ity on that very bed.” I whisper into her ears. She shyly smiles.

“ It was the best night of my life. I became yours.” She turns around and tells me.

“ No Dara, it’s the night, you owned me. You took possession of my heart, my soul and most of all you gave me your trust.” I say and kiss her. This apartment is just not four walls, cement and paint. It has so many memories that no one can take back. I wanted to keep those memories intact. So I bought the place. It was the company’s apartment, but I bought it. it is now, Siwon’s penthouse.

“ eewww….are you kissing?” Sasi girly voice is heard making us end our passionate kissing.

“ Why? Im kissing my lover, what’s your problem?” Dara asks as she hugs me and I laugh.

“ Then I will also kiss my lover!” Sasi shocked us both.

“ Ok listen her young lady, no dating till you are 25!” I say in a tensed way. honestly I’m shocked.

“ Really Siwon? 25? I think I’m going to let her date when she is 18. I mean it took me so long to date for the first time, but I think Sasi should have more.”

“ But then you met the right, awesome guy. Im not taking the chances with my daughter.” I scold back. what is wrong with this woman? Dara laughs.

We walk into the living room and Sasi wanders off, skipping in joy. Honestly she is having her fun with all these new places.

I notice Dara tracing her fingers across the study table in the living room. I hug her from behind. “ Remember what we did here?”

“ How can I forget?”

“ You looked gorgeous that night. I really was pissed off my Yunho. How dare he kisses you?”

“ Oh god Siwon.”

“ And besides, I waned to get you home as soon as possible and then take my time peeling you off that shimmer dress. But you know, you were a real culprit. You kept on to that lollipop which made me hungry for you….like really hungry.” Dara giggles.

“ Then you did have your feast didn’t you?”

“ Yes I did and morning breakfast…”

“ And you father caught us red handed. Damn it, I was in your boxers.”

I laugh as I remember that scene. “ You look amazing in my boxers.”

“ You remember everything Siwon.” Dara whispers… there is sadness in them.. a content missing.

“ Those memories are the ones that kept me alive when I did not know where you were Dara. Every minute I remembered of you were the one that kept me going. The nights I could not sleep, I assumed you held me tight from behind and said you will be there for me.”

Dara teared up instantly. “ Hey…”

“ I love you Siwon. I really do.” She sobs her words out. “ I love you too baby.” We hug.

“ Come on, I want to take you to another place.” We continue our journey. As we drive Sasi fell asleep in the back of the car and we reduced the volume of the radio.

A few minutes in our car and we arrive right in front of  Choi Industries.

“ What are you doing?” Dara asks me with fear, anxiety, restlessness, dread and most of all terror.

“ I thought…you might want to see your old office?”

“ Siwon please don’t do this to me.” her words were a whisper.

“ I don’t want to hurt you Dara, but this is the place I met you for the first time. This place, just like my apartment, has amazing memories for me with you. It is the place where you showed me what I will be capable off. You showed me who I am and you did all this right here. But looking at your face tells me you are terrified. Why?”

“ Because Siwon this is the place I saw you with her…..i….baby…”

“ I understand. Im sorry. I just thought, because you decided to take the risk of coming here, I thought you would take a step further to see your old office too. But I guess it still haunts you. I understand.” To be honest, I am upset. As I said to Dara, this is the place I saw and met her. This is the place, we shared our kiss, this is the place we worked long hours, this is the place we exchanged dangerous and loving glares, this is the place, Dara made me stand up for myself and do things for me and for the company. But this is also the place she saw me with her. I understand how much it will affect her, but…I just hoped.

We drove to see her old apartment but the security told us that her apartment was rented out and there was an English couple living there now.

“ Where are my things then? The furnitures? Clothes and all that stuff?” Dara asked me as we got back into the car and decided to ehad home.

“ Its home.” I simply reply.

“ Where? In your room? storage place? I did not see them.”

“ Dara, the place we are staying is my parents home, not ours. Your things are in our home.” Yes I’m talking about the home I bought for her with the dreams of living there with my lady love and children. Guess I gave her a hint her because she looks at me with her big eyes. But I have a feeling she remembers the place.

“ Will you take me there?” she asked after a moment.

“ No…” I replied bluntly.

“ Why?” she asked surprised.

“ Because Dara, when I bought it, I wanted to spend the rest of my life there with you nad see our kids grow up there. But things changed and circumstances changed. Now if you and Sasi stand there and with me, it will be just how I imagined… and I cant…. but we have our life back in Dubai and going to the house, will just…..i don’t want to go there.” Dara stayed quiet upon my confession.

A few minutes later, when we were on the main roads as she asked me, “ who is taking care of Choi Industries now?”

“ The CEO, but we received news that he will resigning soon because our reival company has offered him a bigger package.”

“ And Neon Lights?”

“ That is taken care by CCO- Chief Commercial Officer. Even though he has no clue about fashion, he knows how to make it commercial. So he is doing exactly that.”

“ Oh god.” Dara whispers under her breath. I understand what I said killed her. She is very specific about her profession and Neon Lights was something she poured all her energy into.

We drive home in silence.

After we get out, Dara picks sleeping Sasi and I pick up the shopping bags.