It’s nearing my birthday again, which means my mother’s getting pushier with the Christmas present for all of the little kids at school. I don’t think she even cares about me anymore. She only thinks about other kids, and not me. I want her to show some recognition toward me. I want to be reassured she still thinks of me as her only child, her baby girl.

I’ve never told you all about what happened to my dad, did I? Well, when I was five, he left us. My mom went into a depressed state, and she ignored me completely. She denied that I was her daughter once when we were in a store, and I got lost from her. A lady found me and asked me if my mom was there with me. I lead her to my mom, but Mom just… brushed me away like I was nothing. I was only a little girl. I interpreted it as a mistake that she said I wasn’t her daughter. In the end, I went with her anyway, so it didn’t matter to me.

So you see? She doesn’t really care too much for me, and my father never really cared for either of us. That’s why I’m so clingy to Minwoo. I don’t want him to leave like my father did, and I don’t want his feelings to falter like my mom’s. If I lose him in anyway, I’ll be seriously scarred for my life. I don’t think it’s possible for me to take such a loss.

My mom and I are going to go to the store to buy all the little children presents. She brings me along because she doesn’t know what to get them. She’s too much of an adult to think like a kid, and I’m apparently “still a child,” as she puts it. If only she knew about Minwoo and me… Then I’d be able to tell her about what we did almost a whole year ago. She’d probably call me bad words, but hey, they’re her opinion.

“Eun-young, hurry up or we won’t be able to get it all done!” my mom calls from the living room. I shout from my cold room, “I can’t find any socks!”

“Just wear some flip-flops!”

“It’s freezing outside! My toes will fall off if I wear those things!” I leave my room to go look in the laundry room. I run into my mother as I’m rushing to get there, and she doesn’t look happy. “What’s wrong?” I ask. What I’m not expecting is a slap to my face. I back away, gripping my throbbing cheek. “W-what was that for?”

“You’re an ungrateful girl!” she yells in my face. She approaches at a slow pace. “You care more about your own well-being than the children’s presents for Christmas! Can you think about them for once? Be a kind girl and try to be considerate for others’ feelings! Now put your shoes on and get in the car; we’re going to leave in a few minutes.” She walks away.

I can’t describe this feeling that’s rising inside of me. I want to hit her, slap her, make her bleed. The way she treats me is unacceptable now, but I guess it always has been. It has gone too far this time, though. A low growl emits from the back of my throat, and I approach her with words I’ve never used with her before. “You’re a terrible mother! You don’t care about me, and only care about what I do in school! You think I don’t think about anybody but myself, but how would you know? You only keep tabs on my school life. I actually have a certain boy on my mind constantly, and you know who that is? No Minwoo, Mom. The boy I’m always sneaking out of the house for to meet secretly. We’ve been dating for almost two years now, and you haven’t even noticed! I come home with a smile on my face, and you just blow me off like I’m nothing important. You know what? I am important! I’m kind, considerate, and most of all, I’m not like you.” With those words, I brush past her and get out the door. I need fresh air right now. I just blew up on my mom and revealed the secret I tried to desperately to keep, and I just gave it away. At least I won’t have any problems with lying to her anymore.

I slam the door shut and run to Minwoo’s with bare feet, but face being stung by the falling snow. I’m starting to lose feeling in my toes, but I’ve got to make it to Minwoo’s house. I’ve got a feeling that if I don’t see him, I’m going to go insane. I just can’t live without him. Besides… I don’t plan on ever going back to my mother’s house again.

I knock on the door, and am greeted with a smiling Minwoo. “Eun-youngie, what brings you here?” He sees my state, and gasps. “Where are your shoes?”

“I left my mom’s house in a hurry. I’m not going back either, so don’t try convincing me.” I step inside without asking. He doesn’t care, and I’m sure his mom doesn’t either; she loves me. She says I’m the sweetest girl she’s ever met. If only my mom could see that.

I walk to his room. He follows, humming some tunes. He closes the door as I hop onto the bed. He follows willingly. He sits down next to me, smiling. “So, what do you want to do?”

I shrug. “I just wanted to get away from that demon I call my mother.”

“Come on, Eun-young. You’ve got to forgive her sometime. She tries, I’m sure of it.”

“No she doesn’t, Minwoo. You don’t have to live with her every day. You don’t deal with her as much as I do. You don’t know how moody she can get when it’s that time of the month. I’m just so frustrated.” I bury my face in my hands. I’m getting a headache. Do you know how un-fun these things are? I feel like I want to pass out whenever I get them. It makes me see stars—not the good kind.

Minwoo wraps his arms around me. I haven’t realized how cold I am. He’s so warm. “I’m sorry, Eun-young. You know that I can’t get to know her fully; she doesn’t know about us yet.”

I laugh without emotion. “I might’ve blurted it out when I was yelling at her. She now knows everything, but I don’t know what she thought about it; I didn’t stay long enough to hear what she thought. It’s not like it matters, anyway.”

“Eun-young,” Minwoo states. He picks me up by the hips and sets me on his lap. I look at him in the eyes. “She’s your mother. She gave life to you. You should be grateful you’re here. Life is a wonderful thing to celebrate. Be happy and smile, Eun-young. Every time you do, I fall for you more and more.”

I smile and rest my head on his shoulder. “You always know how to make me feel better, Oppa.”

I can hear the smile in his voice. “That’s my job.”

We stay like that for a while. I hear his steady breathing, and look at him. He’s sleeping. This is what I like to see. He’s so innocent when he sleeps, and he looks like a baby. I just want to kiss his lips and snuggle with him because of how soft he looks. He reminds me of a big teddy bear. I kiss his cheek before getting up. “Sleep well, Minwoo oppa.”

I travel to the kitchen. I’m getting kind of hungry. What do I get though? I could eat cereal, make peanut butter and jelly, cook a grilled cheese sandwich—there are so many options! But I’m craving for pizza. I should call the pizza man, then. The question is, will he deliver on a snowy day like this?

Someone wraps his arms around me, and whispers in my ear, “Looking for food?”

“Yes. I’m starving. I was just about to call the pizza man.”

“Not without me. He might just hit on you, seeing your beauty and the way you smile. I’ll have to protect you from him.”

I smile and turn around in his arms. “Why must you be so corny, Oppa?”

“Because I want to see that blush on your face. It’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen, right next to you.”

I tighten my grip on him and place a small peck on his lips. “If I’m so cute, then feed me; I’m hungry.”

He chuckles. “I’ll make you a Christmas lunch.”

Minwoo, you’re the best.

Lunch is good. Minwoo made me a turkey and provolone sandwich, then went on to cook Christmas cookies, some with Santa Claus on the front, some with candy canes. Either, way, he cooked amazingly.

Minwoo sits back, still watching me eat my last cookie. “You eat so adorably, Eun-young.”

“Do I? You should eat, too, you know.” I hold the last bite of cookie out for him. He takes it in between his teeth, but doesn’t eat the rest. He just tilts forward. I’m not sure what he wants me to do until he touches my lips with the end of the cookie. I blush and smile lightly. I open my mouth to take the other half into my mouth. I bite it off, but before I’m able to get away. Minwoo steals a sweet kiss. I laugh. He can be too cute sometimes.

The front door opens. In steps Minwoo’s mother with a surprised look on her face. “Hello, Eun-young! What are you doing here?”

“My mom made me mad, so I yelled at her and ran here. I don’t want to go back.” I trust Minwoo’s mom with my personal information (like the fact that I gave my ity to Minwoo almost a whole year ago—yes, I told her, and she was all cool with it). She acts more like a mother to me than my own.

“You should talk to her, Eun-young. She’s your mother.”

“Mom, don’t even try. I already attempted lecturing her, but it didn’t work,” Minwoo warns.

“Well, I guess you’ll just have to stay here, now won’t you?” She smiles at me, and sets her groceries down on the table. Minwoo gets up and starts to unload them for her as she goes to sit down in a chair. With a sigh, she plunks herself on the large cough. “Ah, it’s been a long day.”

I nod. I get up to sit next to her. She welcomes me warmly by scooting over so I have room to sit next to her. “How so?” I ask.

She shrugs. “Christmas, grocery, and winter clothes shopping, things to do in the office at work, and lots of struggles, basically.”

She’s like my real mother, you know? She takes better care of me than my own mom, honestly. So who’s it going to hurt to offer a bit of help? “I could help you with some stuff, if you want me to.”

“Would you?” she asks, smiling happily.

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I help my boyfriend’s mother?”

She loses the smile and sits up straight, looking at me very seriously. She places a hand on my shoulder, and it kind of scares me. What does she plan on doing…?

“Eun-young, just call me your mother; we both know it’s going to happen someday.”

From the kitchen, Minwoo whines. “Mom~”

Mom (this is going to take some time to get used to) laughs and leans back on the couch, smiling again. “Ah, I can’t wait until you two get married. I’ll have tons of grandkids to spoil!”

This time, Minwoo comes into sight. He’s holding an egg carton and a package of cheese. His expression is what makes it even funnier. “Mom, please! Sure I’m going to marry her someday, but who says we’re going to have a lot of kids?”

Now it’s my turn to joke. “I did! I want… at least ten!”

He almost drops the eggs. “Ten? Okay, don’t you think that’s a little overboard?”

I look at Mom. We take a moment to have a stare-down before bursting out in laughter. This is the most I’ve laughed lately, since I haven’t been able to see Minwoo in a while. This is also why I love Mom. She’s fun and knows how to take a joke, unlike my biological mother. “Oppa, I’m just kidding. We’ll have at least three. If they’re too much for you, then we’ll stop there, okay?”

His shoulders slump and he walks back into the kitchen, muttering, “What’s wrong with wanting four or five? I’m good with that many.”

I yell to let him know I can hear him. “Alright, then we’ll have SIX!”

He makes an embarrassed whining sound in the back of his throat. Mom and I giggled together. I’m glad to know I’ll be able to spend time with her in the near future since I plan on coming here more often. I decide to ask her a question I’ve wanted to know. “Mom, when you said I could stay here, what did you mean? Like, stay here for a few days until my mom boils down, or actually live here with you…?”

Her eyebrows shoot up, but she doesn’t shake her head. “Do you want to live here?”

I bite my lip with hesitation. Of course I want to live here, especially since Minwoo’s here, but what if I invade their space? I’d get in the way of most things, and I don’t want to do that. “I wouldn’t mind…”

“YES! STAY HERE! LIVE WITH ME!” Minwoo screams. I jump in fright, and Mom looks at him, now with nothing in his hands, but with the most hysterical face this world has seen. “LET HER LIVE HERE WITH US, MOM!”

I look back at her.

“Well… You’ll have to ask your mom first.”

“But she’ll say—”

“Tell her that it’s for a school project you have to do.”

I’m astonished. I’ve never heard a mother tell a child to lie before, especially when it’s to their very own mother. “Are you serious?”

“Heck yeah! If know that she’ll say no if you tell her straight out why, so tell her a little fib. It won’t hurt anything, will it?” She smile slyly and gives me a little wink to reassure me. This is the coolest freaking mom anybody could have. I’m jealous of Minwoo.

“YES!!!!!!” Minwoo runs up to me. He attacks me in a bear hug, and I laugh at how cute he is. He kisses my cheek sweetly and says in my ear, “You’re going to be my personal pillow. I’m going to sleep by you every night, and whenever I need comfort, I’m going to hug you to feel better.”

I blush and roll my eyes. This love-sick boy is going to drive me crazy before the day’s over.

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A/N: Okay, my darling Cupcakes! This is the second to last chapter :3 If you don't understand the concept of it: Eun-young is tired of being rejected by her mom, so she runs over to Minwoo's. They spend some time together, then Minwoo's caring and understanding mom comes home suddenly, and Eun-young blurts out what she's feeling towards her mom. Since Minwoo's mom is so awesome, she forms an awesome plan to get Eun-young out of her mother's house once and for all, so in the next chapter, she's going to be living with Minwoo and "Mom." ^^ Make sense?

And the next chapter is the biggest of all! (Not in length, but it is when it comes to events. XD) So anticipate! Yes, anticipate, subscribe, and comment :3