"Life is about give and take; you know this better than anyone; the deal is clear, either you take an in, or war it shall be.
"It's indeed give and take, so why do I feel like the only one who gives without receiving anything in return?"
"Because th...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Seven years later.
"I drank some juice and smudged my lipstick. Could you please reapply it for me?"
You squatted down to be at eye level with the small figure who spoke words larger than her height and smiled: "It's waterproof. It won't smudge even if you drink ten glasses of juice, Clara."
"Nah! I don't believe it is." She shrugged her shoulders. "Mrs. Baek said I should look good to make Dad proud. So please adjust my lipstick and dress, too, mom."
When Mrs. Baek found out you were pregnant, she agreed to stay with you. Taehyung had told her when your morning sickness started. You had told him about your relationship with her and how you thought of her more as your own mother. So he figured if the real grandmother couldn't be with his child, then a similar figure would do.
You fetched inside your clutch for your lipstick with a smile of pleasurable defeat. The little girl had you wrapped around her little finger. You couldn't say no when her daddy hadn't gotten her used to nothing, but yes. You weren't a fan of putting cosmetics on children, as a doctor you knew that most of these products contained ingredients that weren't particularly suitable for children, but the occasion called for it. This was also the reason why you wore the same outfit, with the size being the only difference. It was a beautiful black sleeveless dress with a princess cut on the skirt. Clara loved it. She twirled around just to see the skirt flowing around her, comparing herself to all the Disney princesses she loved. Not wanting to dampen her joy, you put on her lipstick in the middle of the gallery, oblivious to the guests moving around, analyzing each painting in depth and reveling in the beauty of each piece.
"Thank you, Mommy."
Clara's small hand circled around yours as you watched the guests' positive reaction. It was fulfilling. A proud feeling that filled your heart with joy. Clara was a well-behaved child for her age. She did have a lot of questions every time she saw something new, like the gallery she was in now- but her questions were so endearing that you couldn't let them go unanswered, even if you were a little nervous about how the event would go. You wanted everything to be perfect. You had planned months in advance with the best curators and art exhibition experts to make sure everything went perfectly. And now that you saw the result of your hard work, you wanted nothing more than to see the same satisfaction on his face too.
"Clara!" Jungkook shouted. He really didn't need to. You saw him enter the gallery with Seokjin, as did Clara. But just as the years haven't changed Jungkook's looks, they haven't changed his antics. You've gotten used to them. Would feel pretty uncomfortable if he was less dramatic. Seokjin sighed in exasperation as he watched Jungkook walk towards Clara, not caring about the ethics of the place he was in, and with much more reluctance, he walked towards you. "I can't believe he finally made it."
"He did." You looked around the gallery again proudly. The paintings were beautifully hung and each one was illuminated by a small spot of light on the floor, casting light on the portrayals. God, he was really good at this. The way he depicted each scene with a hinge of sadness and hope. It was mesmerizing. If someone heard your inner thoughts and assessments, they would think you were biased, but the fact that the gallery was full and half the pieces were already sold said otherwise. He was talented. Period. "He waited so long for this."
