After a long day of work, I’m back here on my bed alone, just peacefully reading and reviewing the progress report of our company.  A soft knock on the door caught my attention and I couldn’t help but smile at the view;  my little daughter sleepily rubbing her eyes with her right hand and tightly holding on to her pink teddy bear with the other hand.

 

“Mommy” She mumbled softly.

 

I tidied my bed, ridding off the papers scattered papers around the bed.  I spread my arms motioning for her to come over.

 

As soon as she reached the bed, she pounced on me, hugging me tightly nuzzling her nose on my neck.

 

“Can’t sleep?”  She shook her head on my neck as she snuggled closer to me.

 

I pulled her face away so I could look at her.

 

“You want to sleep with mommy?”

 

She nodded her head and I gave her a kiss on the forehead.

 

“Alright. Get in!” I said patting my side on the bed and lifting the cover up.

 

I pulled her in to my arms and her hair while humming random sound.  

 

“Mommy. I cannot sleep.”  She said lifting her head to look at me.  

 

“What’s wrong sweetheart?”  I sat down and opened the lamp to look at her, my worry intensified the moment I saw her eyes with b tears

 

“I miss umma.”  She said before pouting.  I release a sigh of relief, oh my gosh my daughter is so cute.  I stopped myself from laughing and kissed her pouting lips.

 

“But mommy is here.”  I said fighting the urge to just squeeze this little one in my arms.

 

“But Umma is not.”  She argued and pouted her lips once again.

 

“Umma will be back soon, don’t be sad okay sweetie?”  

 

“You don’t miss umma, mommy?” she asked innocently which caused me to smile.  Seriously though, when will I ever get used to this cuteness.

 

“I do miss her, but she has important things to do sweetie.”

 

“Why didn’t we go with her?”

 

“Because she will be back in few days, umma doesn’t want you to get tired.”

 

“But I miss her.”

 

“Alright, we’ll call her tomorrow, okay?”

 

“No no mommy, call her now.”

 

“But umma might be busy right now.”  

 

“No please mommy?”  She pleaded with that cute pout and puppy eyes of hers.  

 

“Here mommy!” she excitedly said taking my phone from the night stand and handing it to me.

 

I tried calling her silently hoping that her lunch meeting is over.  After few rings, she finally picked up.

 

“You busy, babe?”

 

“Umma!! Mommy give me give me..please” my daughter excitedly exclaimed pulling my arm to get my cellphone.

 

“You’re on speaker babe.”  

 

“Kwon Yumiiii!”  

 

“I miss you umma!”  She immediately said as I put the speaker on.

 

“I miss you and mommy too.  Why are you still awake?  Didn’t mommy tuck you in?”

 

“I already did 30 minutes ago Kwon Yuri”

 

“So why are you still up sweetheart?”

 

“I cannot sleep, I miss you umma.”

 

I can only smile, why is our daughter this adorable and sweet?

 

“I miss you too sweetheart, but you need to sleep.  Umma will come back soon, okay?”

 

“But umma, I want to go there!”

 

“You can’t sweetie, umma will be back soon with many toys for you, okay?”

 

Her eyes twinkled at the sound of “toys”, I couldn’t help but smile.

 

“Promise umma?”

 

“Yes, I promise but promise me you’ll behave and listen to mommy.  And sleep now!”

 

“Yes umma, I promise!”  She said cheerfully. “Good night mommy, I love you!”  She then gave me a kiss and went back under the covers and snuggled close to me.

 

“Good night too sweetie, say bye bye to umma” I said kissing her forehead.

 

“Goodnight umma, I love you.”

 

We can only laugh at her cuteness.

 

“That’s my girl, good night sweetie!”

 

I turned off the speaker and put the phone back to my ear.

 

“I’m sorry, she wouldn’t sleep, I hope I didn’t disturb your meeting.”

 

“It’s fine, she’s not even here yet and it’s not a meeting.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Auntie just wanted to meet me for lunch just to catch up.  She said she reviewed the contract and no necessary changes.  The signing is scheduled tomorrow anyway, so, we’re just here to have a casual lunch.”

 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there with you.  And please tell her that I’m sorry for not being able to meet her.”

 

“No I AM sorry for having you deal all those things by yourself.”

 

“It’s fine, I’m fine. Don’t worry.  Everything’s okay.  I just miss you though.”

 

“I miss you too, I love you.  Go to sleep already.”

 

“Okay.  I love you too! Take care.”

 

“I will, you too.”

 

I hung up with a huge sigh, oh how I miss my beautiful wife and daughter.  This is the first time we are apart, usually I’d take them both if I have a meeting overseas then take a few days off to enjoy some time with them, but right now, me and my wife both have hectic schedules.  I pretty much have to go back home because I have few more meetings waiting for me, that’s why I didn’t want to bring my daughter in an exhausting trip.  

 

I saw a familiar face approaching my table and gave her a smile and a bow as I she stopped infront of our table.

 

“How are you doing, Mrs. Watson?”  I asked her formally.

 

“Shush it!” she then went near me and gave me a motherly hug. “Auntie, Yuri-yah, we’re not in a meeting, call me auntie! How many times do I have to tell you that?!”  She told me firmly after we parted.

 

“I’m sorry, auntie.” I grinned at her sheepishly.

 

She chuckled at my silliness and motioned me to sit back.

 

“Were you on the phone with Tiffany?”

 

“Yeah. Sort of.”

 

“Are they in the hotel?  Why didn’t you bring them with you? I want to see Yumi.”  

 

“Well, they kinda didn’t go with me.”  I mumbled softly waiting for the wrath to be unleashed.  She specifically asked for Yumi to come along, to her she was like her very own granddaughter.

 

“What?! Why?”

 

“Well I didn’t wanna tire her out and jetlag’s going to be a pain.  I’ll be going back right after our signing tomorrow cause I have a meeting back home the next day.” 

 

“I was hoping you could stay here for a few days.”

 

“I’m sorry auntie, our schedules are packed the past weeks I don’t even know how that happened.”

 

“Let me guess, you’re planning a long vacation hence your packed schedules, huh?”  She asked me knowingly.

 

“You saw the interview then?”

 

“That! And you’ve been doing that every year since Yumi was born so I kinda expected that. By the way, that magazine interview, why wasn’t Yumi in there?”  Me and my wife finally accepted an interview and a photoshoot for a magazine interview.

 

“Oh Auntie you know we don’t want unnecessary attention on her.  She’s still young and all we want her to be just like any other 4 year olds out there.”

 

“You’re good parents, it also shows in that interview.”  She smiled at me proudly. “How’s Tiffany then?”

 

“Thank you.”  I blushed at the compliment. “She’s been great sort of busy juggling the expansion of the café’ and restaurant and she’s currently working on another deal with the French investors and on top of that, taking care of the hyper active Yumi.  She says she’s sorry she can’t meet you though.”  I smiled in admiration.  

 

How lucky can I get?  I have a loving, caring, gorgeous, hot, y wife.  What more could I ask for?  I got my self a super wife.

 

“No no, it’s fine tell her that.  Or I’ll just give her a call later. She’s one heck of a woman, huh?”

 

“Yeah! I don’t even know how she manages to do all those without losing the time to spend with me and my daughter.” I chuckled.

 

“She just knows her priority and how to balance things, and so are you.  And I’m proud that your daughter, your family, is actually your priority.”

 

We grew into a comfortable silence, only the clicking of the utensils is heard.

 

“I have a question though, are you okay about this? I know I haven’t asked you this before but I’m just curious, don’t get me wrong auntie”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well, me and Tiffany in general.  A lot of people seem to not like the fact that we’re together.”

She shrugged nonchalantly.

 

"I'd be honest with you. You know how close I am with both of your parents’ right?" I gave her a nod urging her to continue. 

 

"I was skeptical at first. I thought it was just another of their business stunt or whatsoever. You know how big both of your parents companies are and to merge these two, it's like owning half of Seoul, alone. I told them not to use you two but they were so persistent.  I scolded them but they kept on persisting that it wasn’t one of their strategies or stunts, and it wasn’t for the company.  The happiness and pride I saw in them when they were talking about your wedding was not "business like" it was fatherly, it was like the one I saw in them when you both graduated top of your class, they were so happy. So I thought, why not give it a try and see.  Remember that dinner we had before your wedding? wasn't I hostile? Now you figure.   You both are like a daughter to me, me and my husband care about you, especially Miyoung. But when I sat down with you seeing the glow in your eyes, the smile you have, the way you look at each other, it was something I never saw in two of you before. I saw happiness in those eyes, and that's when I get what your parents were talking about. And look at you both, happy, successful and together.  Miyoung’s mother would’ve been proud of what her daughter has become.” She said with a smile on her face. It was a motherly smile. I couldn't help but be touched. 

 

"Thank you auntie" 

 

"And I am not partnering up with you just because you are like family to me. You know business is business to me, Yuri." 

 

"But why did you decide to sign with us? People doubt us." 

 

"You of all should know I am skeptical when it comes to business. You two are amazing women, business women. I wouldn't just give you my name if you're not worth it. I know how hardworking and dedicated you both are. It actually shows, look just how successful Kwon Hwang enterprise is. You exceeded expectations. Heck you're even better than your parents. You do know how I think of them as business geniuses but you exceeded them. You are not where you are right now just because of your names. You are here because of your talents."

 

“They still seem to doubt our decision making since we decided to marry each other, same .”  I said with a hint of bitterness. Personally, I couldn’t care less what they are saying, they don’t know us and we’re happy about our decision but professionally, they are affecting our business.  

 

“And you continue to prove them that they’re wrong about you.  That magazine cover you did last month is a slap on their faces.  They basically named you number one entrepreneurs. And it’s not just you or Tiffany alone, Yuri, it’s the both of you. That is how big Kwon Hwang enterprise has become, one genius in a company is enough but to have both of you in it is beyond great.  There are not as many doubters now compared before, you’ve proven that you can handle this.  Those who are against you now are just those few close minded people who are threatened by your power. They’re just afraid of you, afraid of what your shared intelligence can do to them, to their business.”  She said with a smile on my face.

 

“So don’t worry about okay?”  She continued. “We’re partners n