i. chapter one

“Alright Bomi, it's time to go to bed.” I ordered as I picked her up from her feet and placed her gently onto the bed. She pouted as she let out a huge huff of her breath. I chuckled, grabbing her picture book out of her hands and placing it onto our bedside table. “You really like that book, don't you?”

“Yes, umma.” She mumbled, batting her eyelashes at me. I grinned, she was just like me, a bookworm. Bomi is only 6 years old and has been reading tons of books, which surprises me. She's way too young to read a 12 year old novel, but I guess, it's a good sign? “I can't wait to go back to the library and get more books!”

I laughed, shaking my head and ruffling her hair. She slowly closed her eyes, and a moment later, she quickly dozed off into dreamland. I stared at her, pursing my lips into a line. I kissed her forehead and tapped her nose, “Goodnight, kiddo.”

No one really thought that I would be Bomi's mother, they'd assume as if I were her older sister. But that's not the case, Bomi and I don't look alike. Sometimes people would assume as if I were her babysitter too. But as the days pass by, the more students at my school find out about Bomi. I fear that Bomi will get hurt, knowing that rumours will spiral up about me being a mother at such a young age. But you don't know the truth; they don't know the truth at all.

-Flashback-

“Sujin, where are you? It's almost eight in the evening and the dinner's getting cold!” Mom scolded me as I hurriedly headed back home. It wasn't my fault that I got lost, it was just my first day at school and I thought that I knew my way back home. But I didn't. I just moved in two days ago, and I had no idea where I was going or where I was headed.

“Sorry, I got lost. I'll be home soon, don't worry.” I reassured her, as I quickly hung up and began to get back onto track and find my way home safely. I think this was the alley that I walked through from home, right?

I quickly walked through the alley, a group of street kids chasing each other like there was no tomorrow. I passed by a garbage dump, and threw out the remains of my lunch, there was no point on finishing it anyway. As I tossed it out, I heard a few wails and cries. I looked around, trying to find where the wailing came from, and I found myself standing in front of an abandoned duffle bag a few metres away from the garbage dump.

Another wail escaped from the duffle bag, and I began to contemplate as to whether to open the bag or not. What if it was a baby raccoon? I hesitated, but I bent down to its level and slowly opened the bag, and it revealed a baby. I gasped, covering my mouth at the sight of the baby, crying loudly. I picked the baby up, and hushed it.

“Let's get you home, who would leave you out here in the cold?” I mumbled as I headed back home.

And this was the day where I made the toughest decision that could change my life forever. I adopted the baby, and named her Bomi. It wouldn't be the best move to let my mother adopt her, because she was getting old, and I'd have to take care of Bomi either way when she passes. Bomi was an abandoned child, and she never deserved to be abandoned at such a young age. Now, my mother was pretty hesitant to take the child into our lives, but she had a sudden change of heart. It took her two seconds and she completely fell in love with the child.