Prompt: "I love you 3000" (Avengers Endgame)
***
I love you, too
Three year old Jin-Ae looked at her work book and studied her numbers. "Appa?"
Jeong Hyeok, who was currently preparing his daughter's snack in the kitchen, turned when Jin-Ae called out to him. "Yes, Sweetheart?"
"My book says two is more than one," the little girl stated.
Jeong Hyeok nodded proudly. Jin-Ae could already read simple words and full sentences at her age and it made Jeong Hyeok immensely happy when she would tell him about something she discovered while reading her book of choice for the day. "That's right, Jin-Ae. Very good."
"It means Eomma loves us more? Because she always says I love you two?" Jin-Ae asked, frowning as she tried to understand.
For a second, Jeong Hyeok pondered if it was too early to tell her about homonyms but then he decided that even he was confused with the explanation he thought of so he went with, "Two and too are different words... but I think we all love each other equally."
"Do you love Eomma more?"
Alright, so that explanation failed, he thought. "I love Eomma and Eomma loves me and we love you."
Jin-Ae beamed at him and hugged him tightly. "I love you three, Appa."
"I love you, too."
Jin-Ae pulled back. "Maybe five?"
Jeong Hyeok chuckled. "I love you five, then. How about Eomma?"
"Oh I love her ten! Because she has a baby in her tummy!"
*
I love you 100.
Since that conversation, Jin-Ae was determined to spread love around and make sure that people knew it, especially her mother and the baby in her tummy. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you...," she took a deep breath before continuing the numerous I love you's she was chanting to her mother's belly. Then, she looked up, "How many was that, Eomma?"
"I think you're up to 100 already, my love," Se-ri told Jin-Ae. "Baby knows that big sister loves baby even if you don't keep repeating it, you know?"
"But, Eomma! Appa says to always tell you we love you and it's important to hear. I want baby to know I love her," Jin-Ae declared.
'Her'. Jin-Ae had been certain that she was having a little sister ever since Jeong Hyeok and Se-ri sat her down to tell her there was another baby coming along.
They hadn't had the ultrasound yet but Se-ri felt like her daughter was right. Still, they wanted to keep the gender of the baby quiet until they were certain and wanted to make sure that Jin-Ae would love her sibling even if they had a boy.
"Jin-ah, I told you we don't know yet. What if you're given a brother?" Se-ri asked gently.
Jin-Ae frowned, thinking of her mother's question. Se-ri smiled at her daughter's expression. Even if Jin-Ae looked so much like Se-ri, her expressions were very much taken from her father. "Okay, Eomma." Turning back to Se-ri's belly, Jin-Ae said, "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you... what's after 100, Eomma?"
"I think you're already at 104," Se-ri answered, trying to stifle a laugh. "You're wonderful, you know that? You'll be a great big sister."
*
I love you 1000
Jeong Hyeok quickly found that it was a good way to teach Jin-Ae her numbers.
