Hi Stranger? | Seulrene

Chapter XVIII

Irene's POV

"Mama." I felt Selene waking me up. "Wake up." I slowly opened my eyes and look at her. I pulled her to me and hug her. I closed my eyes back "Auntie Jimin said to wake you up already. Let's get up now." She started shaking her way off my hug.

"Let me hug you more." I said that made her stop moving. I couldn't help but smile.

"Mama." She called softly. I hummed in response. "You won't leave for work today too?"

A few days have passed now. Yerim went back to Boston already and I decided to stay here. Yeri just keeps me up with what's going on there. So far, there's really not that much work to do for me there that's why I'm still here.

"I won't." I kissed her head.

"Mama, do you know Sluggi?" That made me still. Is that a name of someone or what?

"Sluggi?" I asked her.

"Hmm" she nodded her head. "Sluggi. The pretty girl Auntie Jimin and Grandma is talking to." Huh? I opened my eyes in shock. I met the eyes of my curious daughter. "She's looking for you Mama." There's no way.

"Is she downstairs now?" I ask and my little girl just nodded. "Did you meet her?"

"Hmm!" She nodded again with a huge smile on her face. Don't smile too much. I reach for her cheek.

"Okay. Can you do something for Mama?" I said and I again recieve a nod. "You'll go back there and tell them you couldn't wake me up, that I'm still asleep." Her smile then drop as I said those words.

"That's lying Mama. It's bad." She said seriously to me. Forcing her to lie a little will not make me a bad mother, right? Oh! Who am I kidding!

"Can you tell them that I'm not going down, instead?" She blinked a few times and just stare at me.

"Do you not like her Mama?" She innocently asks.

"No baby, it's not that." How am I going to explain this...

"Unnie." I heard Jimin's voice calling. I look at her direction. I can sense the hesitation in her, scared of what my reaction will be if she said what she meant to say. I sighed and sat up.

"Can you tell her to wait?" I said, my way of telling her I already know who is waiting downstairs. Jimin nodded.

"Selene, baby, come noe. Breakfast is ready." Jimin called and here comes my daughter running to her direction.

The two left the room. I deeply sighed. I got up and went to the bathroom. I look at myself in the mirror. She found me.

After a few minutes I went downstairs. I wasn't able to see anyone at the living room. I went to the dining and there I saw them four.

"Mama, come eat now!" Selene called as soon as she saw me. With that, they all look at me.

The last person my eyes landed on was on her. I give her a smile.

"Good morning." I said and avoided her stare to look at Mom and Jimin.

I then went beside my daughter in the table. That made me sit just across her. Not long later my Mom stand up and that made me look at her.

"I still have to go to work." Oh, right! I nod before facing my sister. She smiled.

"Uni..." it's been like this for the passed days, so who am I kidding?

The both of them brought their plates ato the kitchen.

"Hey Miss Sluggi." My little girl suddenly spoke.

"It's Seulgi, baby. Her name name is Seulgi." I corrected her.

"Seulgi?" She said looking up at me.

"Hmm." I nodded and give her a smile, which she returned. She then face the her.

"Miss Seulgi, why do you want to talk to my Mama?" This kid...

"Baby it's about work." I said to her.

"Don't be defensive unnie. Selene can sense you." Jimin entered the kitchen. I look at my daughter, who is looking at me accusingly. This is still a little kid, right?

"It's bad to lie Mama." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." I said. She smiled at me.

"Selene. Do you want to go to Auntie Tiff's house, while your Mama is still talking to her visitor?" Mom came in.

"Can I?" She look up to me. "You will not go anywhere, just here Mama, right?"

"I'll just be here. I'll fetch you there once we're done talking" She went down the chair and give me a hug.

"Okay." She said kissing my cheek.

Next thing I know we were left alone in the dining already.

"Hyun..." she started.

"Didn't you read my letter?" I asked.

"I did." She said.

"Then why are you here Seulgi?" Not gonna lie I expected this already.

"I want to be with you."

"Seulgi..."

"Hyun, I can protect her." This time I look up to her. "I can protect you."

"It isn't as easy as you think it will be, Seulgi." It's still her family we're talking about here.

"Can you please trust me now?" She said while looking down. Her voice sounds like she's begging. "Nothing bad will happen to you or to her, I promise. I won't let anything bad happen. Just give me a chance to be with you again.

"Seulgi, its been years..."

"And it's still you Hyun. It's still you." I look at her as her voice starts to tremble already. "No matter how much I think about the space you're asking, I just can't do it. I barely even survive those years, searching for you. I don't want a life without you Hyun. Even if it'll cost me everything I have now, I'll be willing to give it all up for you."

"Seulgi, you can't say that..."

"But it's the truth." She looks up and I saw the tears falling from her eyes. That's my weakness...

"Where does my daughter stands in this?" I saw how her expression changes, when I said that. I hope I'm making the right decision. "Would you accept her?" She wipe her tears, smiling, and nodded.

"Gladly." She reach for my hand across the table. "Like I said, I'll be willing to protect her. I can protect her."

The hope I just gave her, can be seen clearly in her eyes. I squeeze her hand. I've hurt her many times already and she's still here.

"I'm sorry." I stand up from my seat and leaned on to her. I reach her face with my free hand and kissed those tears away. "I'm so sorry for everything." I pulled away a little and met her eyes.

"It's not your fault--"

"I hurt you and I know I did it again, when I left Jeju a few days ago. I'm so sorry for that, my love." I carress her cheek. "I'm so sorry for always leaving you behind. I'm so sorry if that's always what I do when I can't take the situation anymore." That's just because I can't bare saying Goodbye to her.

"I understand." I let out a smile. Why is she like this?

"I love you." I confessed. "I still love you, Seulgi."

Her eyes closed, that let another set of tears fall, just because she smiled so much. Oh Seulgi.

"Me too. I love you." She said that made me smile. "And I will love Selene as much." I just stare at her as she said those. I felt her hand on my face. "Only if you let me in again..."

I leaned in to her again but this time it's to kiss her.

Maybe this time I can choose what my heart wants already. I can't keep hiding and running away. I've got a personthat can love and protect not only me, why am I still scared of what might happen?