BABY MAMA | pjm

LXXIV

ACT XV | SCENE LXXIV

❝NURSERY RHYME❞

WITH BATED BREATH, jangmi stood, waiting for whoever it was to walk in, gut telling her it was jimin. hearing the small, yet too loud voice saying, "mhm, i missed mummy," made her break down in tears and move towards the sound of her daughter's voice.

rosalie looked shocked and confused when she entered the living room in her father's arms only to see her mother crying. she instantly lurched forward, trying to reach her. "mummy! why is mummy crying?" she glanced at jimin who had his lips pressed in a sad smile. jangmi reached for the girl, holding her tight to her torso once she had her arms wrapped around her. "mummy why are you crying?" rosalie sounded like she was about to start crying as well, words slurring with impending tears.

jangmi just held on to her, grip firm as though she would slip through her fingers if she loosened her hold just the slightest bit. she breathe in the scent of her child, making sure that this was real and not just a hallucination, not a cruel trick that her mind was playing on her.

sniffling, she pulled back slightly so she could see her daughter's face. "they're happy tears." she slicked back the girl's hair from her face, kissing her forehead. "mummy is happy crying because she's so glad to see you." she assured, giving the girl a big smile so she wouldn't shed tears of her own. "did you miss me?" she asked softly. "mhm," rosalie bobbed her head in a nod. "this much!" she stretched her arms out as wide as she could, trusting her mother's hold on her.

jangmi grinned, feeling so grateful that the little girl was unaffected by the incident that had kept her up and worried the entire night. "mummy missed you even more." she whispered, kissing her on the forehead again. rosalie let out little giggles of delight before she turned to the side and her big eyes rounded. "mamie soo!" she squealed, reaching for the woman, hands clenching and unclenching enthusiastically. "hey, little one." the cute dimpled smile hoseok had inherited graced her lips as she took the girl into her arms.

jangmi smiled, watching the two interact for a short while before turning to jimin. his eyes were sad even as he smiled at her. "she's fine. she was very happy even when detective min found her." he gestured behind him and that was when jangmi noticed the other body in the room.

the man – who was just about the same height as jimin – was dressed casually in a black bomber jacket over a black t-shirt and blue jeans. his floppy black hair fell over slightly sleepy eyes in soft beach waves. she thought he looked nothing like a detective, if anything she could oddly picture him hunched over a desk writing the lyrics to the next hit song in korean pop, pencil tapping against his writing pad at one am.

she extended a hand towards him. "thank you for finding my baby, detective." she gave him a soft smile. he took her outstretched hand in his, shaking his head as his lips pulled up in a gummy smile. "you don't have to thank me, it's my job." he replied, voice low with a mild rasp. he glanced at rosalie who was chatting animatedly with sooyoung. "she's a bright girl. i'm just glad to be able to bring her back to you."

jangmi found herself smiling at the attractive man again. "well, i'm still really grateful." she responded softly, glancing at jimin. "we both are." she tucked strands of long brown hair that brushed against her cheek behind her ear. "well, if you don't mind, i'll be taking my leave." he dipped his head in a small bow and she did the same. "i'll walk you out." jimin offered, turning around to leave with the man.

jangmi moved her gaze to nari then and sent the woman a genuine smile. "thank you so much, nari. i really appreciate everything." she said gratefully. nari's lips pulled up in a small, awkward smile, head shaking. "i just did what i thought was the right thing. um, i'm really glad you've been reunited with your daughter." she glanced at the cute child who was trying to teach sooyoung a nursery rhyme she had learned from hoseok. "i should get going."

jimin reappeared then, pulling the attention of both women to him. he slowed, glancing between them and feeling a bit awkward as though he had walked into a tense atmosphere. "jimin will escort you." jangmi offered. his brows dipped together, wondering what he had just been offered up for without his knowledge. "huh?" he shifted his gaze to her. "nari's going home, why don't you make sure she gets back safely?"

"b-" he started to say but stopped with the look she shot him. "come on, nari, let's get you home." his gaze lingered on jangmi for a moment before moving to the woman he was actually talking to. "thank you but you don't have to. you should spend time with your daughter." nari shook her head. "no, i insist. i can always come back. it's the least i can do." he countered quietly, glancing at jangmi from the corner of his eye again. "um, okay. thank you." nari finally conceded. her gaze went back to the woman who stood next to her. "i'm glad you found rosalie. goodbye."

"thank you for everything. goodbye, nari." jangmi gave her an earnest smile. nari nodded before following jimin who urged her towards the front door carefully.

taking a deep breath, jangmi turned back to her daughter and the woman she thought of as a mother with a big grin on her face. "rosalie, heejun is coming over soon!" she announced, watching her daughter's animated expression. "really?" the little girl gasped. "mhm," jangmi nodded, running a hand over the girl's hair, lovingly. rosalie clapped her hands in excitement, brown eyes glinting. "i'm going to teach him the song too!"

☀️☀️☀️

min genius is here! and dw, this isn't the only time he'll pop up in the story. lmao and guys, nari isn't a bad person, and it's okay to like her. i like her.
on an important note, i'll be going on a hiatus soon because my law school finals are coming up and i've been slacking a lot lately. i'm sorry i won't be able to update often as i'll only check in a couple of times and see if i can find time to update in between. once my exams are over, i'll be free as a bird and maybe spam with like ten updates! i hope you understand.