Kai looked at the picture of him and his wife that he was holding in his hand. “I love you my darling” he whispered as his fingers traced the glass of the frame. He was looking at their wedding photo of 5 years ago. It was the summer of 2019 when they got married on 25 July. It was hot, sunny day and the sun never shone so bright that day. They were together for 10 years since they were 20 and he proposed to his other half on their 5th anniversary. That big smile of hers when he got on his knee and got out the ring in the middle of their favourite restaurant, was one of the most beautiful and mesmerizing things he ever saw. She must have said “I do” 10 times, half crying before kissing him hard.

Tears sprung in his eyes as he recalled every memory. Every memory, from the happiest day of his life.  This wasn’t fair. “Why her?” kept going through his mind. She should be here with him, where she belongs. They had both their lives ahead of them, with their three beautiful baby girls. The girls were only 5 years old. Three gorgeous daughters, who were a perfect reflection of their sweet loving mother. Tears were streaming down his face and he dropped to the floor with the wedding photo in his hands. Kai’s mother heard her son cry from the kitchen and immediately rushed to the living room to find him. “Oh Kai” she whispered as she took him into her arms. Her heart ached, seeing her son like that, sobbing like a little child. He didn’t deserve this pain and this grief, no one did. “Sshh, it’s okay baby. It’ll get better soon, I promise” she comforted him while his hair. “No it’s not okay!” he yelled. “How can you say it’s okay and that everything will be fine when it won’t!! The girls need their mom! Shin-hye would have taken care of them so much better than I did!” he added. “Do not say such things Kai, you’re a great father and you would do anything for them. You have to be strong darling, for them, they need you” his mom replied with a soft voice.

*

Kai was waiting at the gate of the Namsan International Kindergarten to pick up his girls at 3 PM. “Appa, appa!!” Mi-Hyun, Mi-Yung and Mi-Yun squealed, running into their dad’s arms. “How was school, girls?” he asked, hugging them. “Great! Ms Lee told us to make a drawing of our family!” Mi-Yung said. “You can show me at home okay?” Kai said, smiling at her. After a 15-minute drive, the car pulled up in the driveway and his girls got out, waiting for him at the front door. Suddenly, the front door swung open and they were looking at loving eyes of their grandmother. “Nana!” all three of them yelled. She got down on her knees and hugged them very tight. “I’m so happy to see you darlings! Come on in then” she happily said. She helped them out of their jackets and hung them up the coat rack. She gave each of them a glass of milk when they settled down on the couch. “What did you do today at school girls?” she asked. “We made drawings, look Nana!” Mi-Hyun said, handing her drawing to her grandmother. “Why don’t we wait for your dad yeah?” she replied.

By now, Kai entered the living room and sat down next to his mother. “Look at our drawing we made appa!” Mi-Hyun said. “This is Mi-Yung, Mi-Yun and me. And that is grandma with granddad, and here is you with mommy. Do you like it?” she asked with shining eyes. “It’s great girls” he said with a smile on his face. He put the drawing on the table and suddenly went to the kitchen. “Girls, why don’t you go upstairs and play okay?” their grandmother said. They nodded and went upstairs. She went to the kitchen and saw her son looking outside, at the raindrops splashing in the window. Kai suddenly felt his mother’s hand on his shoulder. “I’m fine mom” h