Final Chapter:

Mimi sat next to her mother on the couch and eyed the man sitting across from them suspiciously. Meanwhile Jiyong couldn’t stop staring at Mimi, nor could he explain the overwhelming amount of love he felt for her from the moment she had lain eyes on him outside and frowned. She certainly had her mother’s expressions, especially the pout, and Jiyong was dying to hold her. But Mimi wouldn’t allow it. She had held onto her mother tight and looked at Jiyong questionably. Dara had suppressed a giggle as she looked at Jiyong with an apology in her eyes for her daughter's stubborness.

“Do you want to say hi?” Dara asked Mimi.

Mimi shook her head.

Dara looked across at Jiyong, encouraging him silently to approach.

Jiyong never felt so nervous but he got up and went in front of Dara and Mimi and he sat down on the floor at her feet. He wracked his brain to find something to say. Finally he held out his hand, smiled at her, and said quietly, “Anyong haseyo.”

The little girl stared at him, unmoving. Then looked up at her mother.

Dara smiled gently at Mimi and nodded as she looked at Jiyong’s outstretched hand. Mimi followed her gaze, looking at Jiyong, and then down at his hand. Slowly she raised her small hand and placed it in Jiyong’s and greeted him back.

Jiyong beamed at her.

“Would you like to go to the playground” Dara asked Mimi. The little girl’s face immediately lit up and she nodded excitedly towards her mother.

‘She has Dara’s smile,’ Jiyong thought, his heart warming further.

Jiyong stood up while Dara and Mimi did the same. “Do you want a piggy back ride?” he asked her, trying not to reveal how desperately he hoped she would say yes.

Mimi looked at her mother, then back at Jiyong, and a smile broke out on her face. The first that she offered him. She nodded her head up and down, her suspicion forgotten.

Jiyong held out his arms and when she came willingly to him he nearly wept. He hugged her, his eyes shutting tight, his heart aching. Dara reached over and lay her hand on his arm. She knew he was overwhelmed. Jiyong took a deep breath, composed himself, and then with help from Dara shifted Mimi onto his back. “Hold on, baby,” he said, his heart overflowing with love and protectiveness.

Dara called out to the housekeeper that they would be back and that they were heading to the playground for a bit. It was a short walk from the house. As soon as they reached there Mimi excitedly pointed to the swings. Jiyong took her over and was about to help her up when she said, “I can do it.”

He smiled and looked over at Dara who was sitting on the grass a few feet away. Mimi had her mother’s independence he noted. In the next hour he spent precious time playing with Mimi and building a bond with her. He loved the sound of her laughter, the way she threw her head back and how her eyes lit up. He played make pretend with her, running around with their arms outstretched like an airplane, circling around Dara who laughed at their silliness. By the end of the hour Mimi held on comfortably to both her parents hands as they walked back home.

Jiyong stayed on to have lunch with them. He watched quietly as Dara bathed her and got her ready for a nap. He read her a story as Mimi sat on his lap. And he placed a lingering kiss on her forehead as she sleepily closed her eyes. After Mimi had fallen asleep he turned into Dara’s arms, unable to speak, and cried.

Epilogue:

“Appa!” Mimi held her arms out to her father as he swept her up into the air and caught her again, much to Mimi’s delight. Jiyong laughed as he kissed her brow, her cheeks, and last of all her lips. Nearby Dara shook her head and smiled affectionately. They were back in Korea now and had just finished their wedding. It was a small affair with just their immediate families and close friends.

After their reunion in the Philippines Dara and Jiyong sat down and had a long heart to heart talk. They shared everything that they had to say. And in the end they held one another and healed all the hurt and misunderstanding that had stood between them.

Jiyong didn’t want to be parted from Dara and Mimi a moment longer. They discussed it and decided that Dara and Mimi would move back to Japan with him because he still had a year left to the contract he had signed. Then afterwards they would move back home. Dara went in to see Nene to thank her for everything that she had done for her. The older woman was happy to see Dara work things out with Mimi’s father and she wished her well. “You always have a place here if you want to come back to visit,” she told her.

Jiyong took an extra week off from work while he helped Dara to pack up their things. They discussed selling the house but Dara had fallen in love with the Philippines and Jiyong could see that this place had become her home as well. It was where their daughter was born and held precious memories for Dara. So instead he bought the house from her parents and kept it as a vacation home for him and Dara and Mimi so that they could return whenever they wanted.

Dara’s family was a little hesitant about accepting Jiyong back into Dara’s life. But as always they acknowledged that the choice was ultimately Dara’s. And they could see by the look in both their faces and in how happy Mimi was that the three belonged together as a family.

A small private wedding was planned because both Dara and Jiyong didn’t want to take away from the preparations that were already in the works for Bom and Seunghyun’s wedding which was to take place at the end of the year. Byul and Seven were already married and had a two year old son. Teddy was there with his girlfriend. He had made up with Jiyong but still felt it important to warn his new brother in law that if he made Dara cry from sadness ever again he’d tell her to kick his .

Jiyong met up with Seunghyun on the side and thanked him. “I owe you my life.”

“Just keep your wife happy,” Seunghyun told him with a smile. If Dara was happy then his Bommie was happy, and that was what he wanted.

Jiyong’s family, his parents and sister, were overjoyed to learn of Mimi’s existence and they loved and spoiled her as much as Dara’s family did. Mimi was their first grandchild and they let it be known to Dara and Jiyong that they wanted more as soon as possible.

CL, Youngbae, Daesung, and Seungri were there. And Dara and Jiyong both nearly fainted when they found out CL and Seungri were dating.

Jiyong set Mimi down on the ground and she ran off to play. He turned to Dara and pulled her into his embrace. She protested half-heartedly, reminding him that there were people present.

“I don’t care,” he whispered, closing his eyes as he held her. They stopped when they heard Youngbae’s voice and turned to see him on the stage, smiling at them as he announced a dedication for his best friend and his lovely bride, and then he began to sing for them.

Jiyong smiled as he brought Dara back in his arms and danced with her. His lips were close to her ear as he whispered, “I love you.”

Dara smiled contently and leaned against him, telling Jiyong that she loved him too. They’d come a long way, not all of it easy or pretty. But one thing for sure she knew was that here in Jiyong’s arms was where she wanted to be and where she would stay.

Finis ~