Four Years Later ~~
The morning sun streamed in through the sheer curtains of their bedroom, painting golden streaks across the soft white sheets. A small lump squirmed between Mina and Chaeyoung, letting out a tiny, sleepy groan.
“Mmmm... Mommy…” came the muffled voice of their son, Sehun, as he rolled over and smacked a small hand against Chaeyoung’s cheek.
“Ugh— Sehun, baby, that’s Mommy’s face, not a pillow,” Chaeyoung murmured groggily.
Mina, already half-awake, chuckled quietly. “He’s practicing his martial arts in his sleep again.”
“Or just exacting revenge for last night’s bedtime,” Chaeyoung grumbled.
The night before had been a struggle — three bedtime stories, two cups of water, a meltdown over a missing dinosaur plushie that had been under his bed the entire time, and then finally, the request: "Can I sleep with you and Mama tonight? Just one more time, please?"
They never could say no.
Now, Sehun blinked open his eyes, a sleepy but triumphant smile on his lips. “Good morning, Mama… Mommy…”
Mina pressed a kiss to his temple. “Good morning, my love.”
Chaeyoung reached over him to peck Mina’s lips gently. “Good morning to the love of my life.”
“Mmh—” Sehun squirmed. “You always kiss in the morning!”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Mina teased.
“It is when I’m stuck in the middle,” he mumbled. “I’m squished.”
The two women laughed, and Mina ruffled his hair. “You’re the one who insisted on sleeping between us.”
“Because it’s warm,” he reasoned with a pout.
“And you love us too much,” Chaeyoung added, tickling his side lightly.
He squealed, kicking his little legs under the blanket. “Stop! I’ll pee!”
“Okay, okay!” Mina laughed, pulling him into her arms. “Let’s get up. I’ll make your favorite—pancakes with banana slices.”
“And whipped cream?” he asked with wide, hopeful eyes.
Mina raised a brow. “Hmm… only if you brush your teeth without running away this time.”
Sehun groaned dramatically. “That’s so hard.”
Chaeyoung stretched and sat up. “Being four is hard, huh?”
“It’s soooo hard,” he whined, letting his head fall dramatically on Mina’s shoulder. “I have to clean up, and not scream, and wear clothes, and go to preschool!”
“You’re a warrior,” Mina said solemnly. “Bravest boy we know.”
He smiled proudly.
---
Later that morning
The kitchen smelled like vanilla and banana, the soft hiss of pancakes meeting the pan filling the cozy air. Sehun sat on a booster seat at the table, munching on apple slices while Chaeyoung flipped pancakes with practiced ease.
Mina walked in, now dressed in a cream blouse and soft jeans, holding Sehun’s small school bag. “Did you remember to pack his toy dinosaur?”
“Yes,” Chaeyoung said without looking up. “And the emergency gummy stash.”
Mina raised a brow. “You’re enabling him.”
“I’m bonding with him,” Chaeyoung countered.
Sehun raised his hand like he was in class. “I like Mommy Chaeyoung’s bonding.”
Mina sighed, but smiled as she leaned over and kissed the top of his head. “Of course you do, my little traitor.”
“I love both my mommies!” he declared suddenly, making both of them pause.
Their hearts melted in an instant.
“We love you more, baby,” Chaeyoung said, flipping the last pancake onto his plate.
Sehun munched happily while Mina and Chaeyoung sat on either side of him, sipping coffee and occasionally stealing bites from his plate when he wasn’t looking. The scene was so domestic, so full of warmth, that even the silence between them was comforting.
After breakfast, they took Sehun to the park before preschool — a little tradition they started every Friday. He ran ahead with a big grin, waving at the swings.
Chaeyoung reached for Mina’s hand. “Can you believe it’s been four years?”
Mina leaned her head on her shoulder. “Feels like yesterday I was waddling around the house with him kicking me like crazy.”
Chaeyoung kissed her temple. “And now he’s kicking us awake.”
They both laughed.
Sehun, on the swings now, suddenly shouted, “Look! I’m flying!”
“You’re doing amazing, baby!” Mina called out.
“You’re the coolest kid in the whole park!” Chaeyoung added.
Another little boy near Sehun leaned toward him and whispered something. Sehun frowned.
Mina and Chaeyoung watched curiously as Sehun hopped off the swing and marched back toward them.
“What happened?” Mina asked, crouching down.
Sehun crossed his arms. “That boy said I have two mommies.”
Chaeyoung’s face froze for a second. “And what did you say?”
“I said, ‘Yeah! And they love me double!’” he puffed up his chest. “And I don’t want a daddy. Daddies don’t make pancakes like Mommy Chaeyoung!”
Chaeyoung blinked. “Did I just… win against all dads?”
Mina teared up a little, pulling Sehun into a hug. “We’re so proud of you.”
“Don’t cry, Mama,” he whispered. “You’ll make me cry too.”
That evening, they snuggled on the couch, Sehun asleep on Chaeyoung’s chest as Mina rested against her side.
Their home was quiet. Peaceful.
Full of laughter. Of shared glances. Of love.
And in that small living room, with a child breathing softly between them, and hands entwined in the hush of the night — Mina and Chaeyoung knew:
They had everything.
___________
YOU ARE READING
Forced Marriage
De TodoA Short Story. "I promise you that you will be the only one I will love until my last breath." "I will not promise anything to you, because I was just forced to love and marry you." how long will you wait to be loved by the Woman you love?
