our crossed paths | jww.

epilogue.

A few years later...

The household was a flurry of activity as Ahrin's sixth birthday approached, and preparations for her enchanted fairytale-themed party were in full swing. Jiwoo sat cross-legged on the living room rug, scrolling through her phone to finalize details while Ahrin hovered beside her, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Ahrin-ah, which theme do you want for your birthday?" Jiwoo asked, holding out the screen to show her a selection of party ideas.

The little girl's eyes lit up as she pointed enthusiastically. "I like this one! Fairytale!"

Jiwoo grinned and tapped on the option. "Okay then, fairies it is."

"Can I invite all my friends from school? All of them?" Ahrin asked, her voice bubbling with excitement.

"Yes, sweetie, ALL of them," Jiwoo replied with a soft laugh, ruffling Ahrin's hair.

As Ahrin's birthday approached, Jiwoo and Wonwoo were excited to celebrate it in a way she'd never experienced before—a proper birthday party, complete with friends from school, games, and everything she could possibly want.

As the party planning intensified, Jiwoo's phone buzzed with constant updates. Cake flavors, color themes, goodie bag ideas, and venue setups—it seemed like every decision needed her input.

"Where should we put the bouncy castle?" she murmured to herself, looking at the venue layout on her tablet. Lost in thought, she walked straight into a solid wall of warmth.

"Love, watch where you're going," Wonwoo's familiar voice teased, his arms steadying her.

Startled, Jiwoo looked up, her frown dissolving into a smile. "Won, you're back," she said, leaning up to give him a quick peck.

"How's it going? Looks like a war zone in here," he joked, gesturing at the living room cluttered with party supplies.

Jiwoo let out a dramatic sigh. "I never knew planning a party was this hard. It's exhausting!"

Wonwoo chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "I told you to hire an event planner. Why stress yourself out?"

"No way," Jiwoo said, shaking her head adamantly. "This is Ahrin's first real birthday celebration. I want it to be perfect. I want her to remember this forever. Plus, I want to be a great mom."

Wonwoo softened at her words, kissing the top of her head. "Baby, you already are a great mom. Party or not, Ahrin knows that."

Jiwoo propped her chin on his chest, gazing up at him. "I just want the best for her, you know?"

"I know," he said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "But you're tiring yourself. Look at yourself, have you even eaten while I was away?"

"Is it too noticeable? I pulled an all-nighter yesterday, after so long," she said, waving him off with a giggle.

"My heart hurts knowing you haven't taken care of yourself while I was filming, I might as well not film then," Wonwoo pouts.

"Aww how cute, but even if I turn into a monster from all this stress, you're stuck with me forever. Then by then, you can't even go to film even if you want to," Jiwoo teased back.

"Monster or not, I love you still," Wonwoo replied, leaning down to kiss her.

Their tender moment was interrupted by Ahrin running in. "Mom, Dad, there's a delivery man outside!"