Colors Of Warmth | Seulrene

ONE

HEARTSTRINGS

They say a mother will protect her child from pain, will guide them, and love them unconditionally. But for little Yerim, those words felt like a distant dream. Every night, as she lay in bed clutching her worn-out teddy bear, she yearned for the warmth of a mother's embrace that never came. The hollow silence of her home echoed with unspoken words and unmet needs, leaving Yeri to wonder why she was denied the love and protection that seemed to come so easily to others.

Yerim had just turned three today. Everyone was singing to her and greeting her with warm smiles and cheerful voices. The mothers and their children, who were her close friends, had been invited to her birthday celebration.

“Happy birthday, Yerim!” they chorused, their voices blending into a sweet melody.

The maids, who were always there for her, taking care of her every need and who had become her second family, joined in the celebration. Their voices filled the grand halls with joy and warmth.

“Happy birthday, Yerim!” Yerim smiled at everyone singing to her, her small face lighting up with delight.

Then she felt herself being lifted up, carried to the large cake adorned with three candles. She couldn't reach the candles herself because she was so small and still just a baby.

“Blow out the candles, Yerimie,” someone encouraged gently.

Yerim looked up at the person who was holding her. It was her Imo (Auntie) Wendy. She gave her Imo a cheeky smile before blowing out the candles with all her might. Cheers and applause erupted around her.

Imo Wendy kissed her on the cheeks but didn’t put her down. She continued to carry Yerim as she chatted with the other guests. Imo Wendy was the one who had organized the party. Yerim didn’t want to celebrate her birthday outside, so her Imo arranged for the celebration to be at home, inviting some close friends from daycare.

Yerim enjoyed the party immensely and was thankful for everyone, especially to her Imo. However, as she looked around their big house, she felt a pang of longing. There was someone she wanted to see, but not even her shadow was present. Despite the celebration, Yerim couldn't shake the sense of emptiness in her heart. The opulence of the big, rich house contrasted sharply with the void she felt inside. Her birthday felt incomplete without her mother’s presence.

In her innocent mind, Yerim wondered why her mother wasn’t always present on her birthday. She looked around at the smiling faces, the colorful decorations, and the pile of presents, but none of it could fill the absence she felt. She wanted to feel her mother’s arms around her, to hear her mother’s voice singing “Happy Birthday” along with everyone else.

Wendy noticed the change in Yerim's expression and hugged her tighter. “Are you okay, Yerimie?” she asked softly.

Yerim nodded, trying to smile. “Mommy?” she asked in a small voice.

Imo Wendy’s eyes softened with sadness. “Mommy’s busy, sweetheart. But she loves you very much.”

Wendy couldn't help but gently caress her niece, not wanting Yerim to feel sad on her birthday.

Yerim just nodded at her Imo, but the ache in her heart remained. Despite her Imo's reassurance, Yerim found it hard to believe that her mommy loved her because she couldn't feel it.

As the party continued, guests began to leave one by one. Yerim and her Imo started opening her gifts, while the maids happily looked on, their faces glowing with affection. Everyone in the house filled Yerim with love.

“And this gift, who could it be from, hmm?” Wendy cheekily asked her niece as she presented the gift she was holding.

“Don't know,” Yerim replied in her baby talk, prompting Wendy to kiss her niece's cheeks.