Chapter Text
**2017**
"I'm faster!"
"No, I'm faster!" The 4 year old girl ran as fast as her small legs allowed her, running across the playground.
"Don't run! You shouldn't run!"
Suddenly her feet got tangled together and she fell over the gravel floor, specifically on a place where the dirt underneath was more visible. Her knees and hands got scratched and stained as she attempted to stop her fall.
"Don't, you're gonna get dirt on your hands."
"It's okay darling, stand up." She stood up pouting her small lips, tapping her hands together to get the dirt off. But it hurt, she saw a stain of blood on her palms so she began to cry.
"Don't cry! Your eyes will swell up."
She walked toward her mom, who waited for her with open arms "It's okay baby, let's clean that up, okay? Maybe daddy has a band-aid we can put on, yes?" She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and nodded.
And the sadness suddenly went away the moment her dad lifted her up from behind, lifting her up high moving her side to side and making noises as if she rode a space rocket and she laughed, out loud.
"Don't laugh like that. You look like a fish, close your mouth!"
Yoona sat there, looking at her beautiful daughter and husband happily playing. Reminiscence of her past life and how everything had always been forbidden to her, how natural things like laughing and crying for a 4-year-old girl were not allowed.
And here she was, raising a daughter in the most lovingly and respectful way possible, just the normal limits a child should have.
"Are you okay my love?" Junho asked, she was smiling but she had something in mind, he could tell. She just nodded, giving him a small smile "Baby, why don't you go on the merry-go-round and see how many turns you can do without feeling dizzy?" Yoona let out a small laugh, but the kid took that as a challenge.
"I can give much much much rounds without making dizzy!" She used her arms to express how much she could do before running toward the playground again.
"She's gonna throw up." Yoona said between laughs, looking down at her hands.
Junho reached her hand to caress it, turning her sight from his daughter to his wife, his smile faded and his brows furrowed in concern "Are you alright? I know something is bothering you."
Yoona sighed, he knew her so well. "I was just thinking—" she stopped for a second, her sight lifted to catch her daughter holding both hands onto the merry-go-round, as her head was tilted back while she spun around, and she laughed, in both concern and amusement "I was just thinking that I don't know if this a great idea."
Junho sucked in his teeth "Are you embarrassed of our daughter??" He said joking, as both looked back at the small child who was now on his feet rolling her head mimicking a dizzy self. They laughed.
"No," she shook her head "It's just that I'm afraid my mother would treat her badly. I wouldn't bear with her heart to be hurt like that."
"We don't have to go if you don't want to."
"Mommy! Daddy!!" The little girl came running, stopping a second to catch some air , both Junho and Yoona giggled, their daughter was so cute and funny at the same time "What's the hour now? You said 1:30."
Yoona looked at Junho, this was the exact reason why she didn't cancel the meeting with her parents. She honestly didn't thought she'd ever see her parents again, but suddenly one day, little Ahreum asked her mom why she didn't had a grandma like all her friends? They always talked about how their grandmas always took them out to play or cooked something for them, and she wonder why she only had one grandpa.
They couldn't lie to her and Yoona told her she did had grandparents from her side, just that they lived far away. And she asked for a birthday present, that she wanted to go meet them.
And that day was today. She stayed up late at night making presents for her grandparents, and got up very early to get ready. She was so excited, which scared Yoona even more. She didn't wanted her little heart to be hurt just like hers was.
They got into the car and drove for hours until they finally arrived in Seoul.
Yoona took a deep breath as she stared at the city outside, her leg began to shake nervously and she tapped her fingers against her thigh constantly as they got closer and closer to their destination. Junho stopped at the last red light before arriving to her parents' home. He reached to grab her hand on his, trying to calm her down.
Another 15 minutes felt eternal, but they finally got into the mansion's driveway.
"Woooooooow!" They heard Ahreum gasp in awe "Mommyyyy!"
Junho let out a small laugh as he parked in front of the tall front door, Yoona still frozen nervous. The maids waiting in line, wearing their perfectly neat uniforms, their hands on their belly showing a wide smile. The huge mansion still the same: old but well maintained, it seemed like they had recently painted it, white still. The front yard now had pine-trees, the grass perfectly cut and green.
Yoona stood outside, staring at the house, Junho walked over to help Ahreum out and as soon as he pulled her out she went down on her knees over the concrete floor, she pulled her crayons out along with the drawing she had prepared and began to do some adjustments.
"Baby, what are you doing?" Junho asked, catching Yoona's attention, she looked down at her daughter.
Ahreum didn't say a thing and just focused on her drawing, after a minute she finally stood up, lifting the drawing with her "Daddy, mommy didn't told us she lived in a castle." Her cute little shocked expression made both Yoona and Junho smile "I drew a crown on both grandma and grandpa... What if she gets mad that I didn't drew her a crown?" She said worriedly pointing at the just added drawing.
Yoona bent down to hug her daughter, she gave a long relieved sigh. Her cute daughter really had calmed her down a bit.
Junho bent down to lift the crayons and put them back inside the backpack "Let's go inside." He said helping her daughter to wear the backpack. Holding onto Yoona's hand, she hopped excited inside the mansion. Wow-ing at everything she saw.
The door opened, and right there awaiting them; Yoonhan and Nayoung, he smiled, she deadpan.
"Welcome my daughter!" Yoonhan said brightly, walking forward to wrap his arms around his daughter.
Ahreum looked up at him and then at Nayoung and back again a Yoonhan when he bent down in front of her "And who we have here? Who are you cutie?"
She smiled shyly, placing her hands over her stomach she bowed down "Hello, I am Lee Ahreum, I'm 4 years old!" She replied, lifting her free hand to show 4 fingers.
Yoonhan laughed "He is my father Ahreum, your grandfather, Im Yoonhan." Yoona said.
Ahreum was smiling beautifully in awe "I'm your grandfather, can I give you a hug?" He asked and Ahreum nodded her head wrapping her small arms around his neck, he hugged her tight lifting her up in the air "You are so cute my lovely granddaughter!!" He said after she placed a kiss on his cheek "Here Ahreumie, she is your grandma." Yoonhan walked toward Nayoung and placed Ahreum back on the floor so she could greet her.
And she repeated the same: hands on belly, bowing, lifting 4 fingers "Hello, I am Lee Ahreum, I'm 4 years old!"
"Sure, hello." Nayoung replied, her expression hard to read, her tone of voice unknown. Yoona took her hand to her mouth, biting nervously on her nail, but still ready to grab her daughter and take her away the moment her mother did something rudely to her.
"You are my grandma?" Ahreum excitedly asked, Nayoung nodded, she smiled holding the drawing with both hands to give it to her "I made you this present." She proudly said. Nayoung stopped for a second, staring at the drawing then at Ahreum.
Yoona was about to step in when her father held her hand "Wait." He mouthed. She was worried, she didn't wanted her daughter to be hurt.
But then Nayoung bent down, grabbing both of Ahreum hands "What is that?" Her voice soothes, her expressions softener. Yoona could swear she never saw her mother acting this way in her entire life.
"This is you and grandpa and this is your house—that is small because mommy didn't told me you lived in a castle." She was using her finger to point at everything and her brows furrowed in a shameful state when she talked about the house, making Nayoung giggle and then she continued "And I draw you a crown and also a crown for grandpa— I draw it on the floor outside." Her shoulders shrugged as if she had got caught guilty and Nayoung giggled again.
"This is so cute. Thank you. Can I give you a hug?" Her eyes damped as Ahreum wrapped her arms around her neck.
Yoona tensed shoulders relaxed and she let out the long sigh of relief trapped on her throat. And she stared as Nayoung stood up and walked closer to her "Can I...give you a hug too?" Her arms wrapped around her, she rested her chin on her shoulders and closed her eyes as tears began to form.
She didn't remember the last time she felt the warmth of her mother's embrace, the last time she saw her eyes in tears, when she heard her voice so soft and calm. It felt like a completely new person, but a new person that she had always wanted to have.
"My daughter," Nayoung lovingly called out, wiping her daughter's tears away.
"I'm sorry." Yoona quickly apologized, by inertia in response to her crying.
"It's okay to cry." Nayoung's words hit deep into her heart and the tears came out fast, leaving forward to hug her mother again "I'm sorry." She said caressing Yoona's back "I know I cannot rewind time and do everything again, but I want you to give me a chance to do it again. This time with my granddaughter. Would you let me?" She sincerely asked her once they parted.
She could see the sincerity in her eyes and could hear it in her voice. She seemed honest, but it scared her even more the thought that she suddenly went back to the one she knew one day and hurt her daughter. But also, people deserve second chances, no? whether they do right or wrong with it, it was their problem. Was she willing to take the chance?
"Yes." She said.
Why did her life have to repeat on her daughter? Just because of her fears she wouldn't bereave her daughter to have grandparents, to enjoy them, because that's what she wanted. If she were to forbid her, she was going to be the one initiating the pattern she wanted so hard to avoid.
So she chose to trust, to believe everything was going to be different from now on.
"Grandma can you show me your crowns. I've never seen one in real life." The little girl's comment made everyone laugh. Nayoung reached down to carry her in her arms and she walked upstairs with her, telling her stories she didn't knew she had.
"I'm glad you came back my daughter."
"Thank you dad."
"And you too son-in-law, we'll have a very long chatting after dinner."
"For sure." Yoonhan excused himself to go up to play with her granddaughter before dinner. Leaving Junho and Yoona there holding hands.
"Are you okay?" He asked, holding onto the side of her face, she closed her eyes and nodded "Everything went well, I told you."
"What if it goes wrong later?" She asked, still a prickle on her heart of worries.
"You have me," he proudly smiled "I will always save you and our daughter."
She smiled, resting her head on his chest as he hugged her tightly "I will never tire of telling you," she lifted her face to look at him and smile "Thank you for saving me."