One

7

"Mommy?" Minseo climbed up onto her lap, the young mother smiled and pat her thigh.

"What's wrong? How was school?" She asked gently, kissing her dark hair.

"Mommy, What's divorce?" She asks mindlessly as she picks from her mothers cake that sat on the table beside them.

"Why do you ask?" Jiwoo asks stiffly. She's rigid, her core cold with anticipation.

"I said I don't have a dad, and Dan from school patted my-"

"Pat."

"-pat my back and said it was okay and that his parents were divorced too. Is that what happen?"

Jiwoo pauses for a moment, thinking to herself before slowly nodding.

"Sometimes, people fall out of love. Me and your daddy was the same."

"Will you fall out of love with me?"

"Never. You're my -"

"-daughter."

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that again?" Minseo asks into the phone, hands trembling. She must have heard the wrong!

"Are you adopted? We compared blood and it shows that not only were you not acceptable as a blood donor, but that you two aren't related. Are you sure that you're her daughter?" The doctor spoke into the phone, tone careful as it seemed like a sensitive subject.

"I-I-... I'll have a talk with my grandfather. I'm pretty sure that she's my mom b-but... Can you run that test again?"

"We ran it on all vials, Miss Min. I'm sorry to inform you, but you two are not related."

The first tear falls, shock still riding her body.

"A-Alright. Thank you for uhm.. This. I have to get to work, but I'll talk to my grandfather tonight. Goodbye."

She hangs up without another word. Her hands push upwards on her bangs, pupils shaking as tears stayed at bay.

This was crazy.

There's no way-

The dreams.

It faintly pops in her head, and she curses her brain for the suggestion.

"N-no."

She calls the ballet studio and calls in for her class to teach children ballet. She then calls her grandfather.

"Grandpa?" She says into the phone.

"Sweetheart? You sound shaken up. Are you alright? Where's miss-"

"Grandpa, the hospital called." She whispers into the phone. She sits on the bed, her eyes zoning out as she sits in shock.

"What's wrong? Is something wrong with your mother-"

"Is She my biological mother?"

Silence.

That's all there is.

And it's enough to answer the question.

"Am I a-adopted?" She whimpers our, eyes filling with tears.

"Sweetheart, you can't tell your mom that you know. It'll break her soul." His voice cracks and shakes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier but your mother begged me not to. She said that you were her child. Not anyone else's. She wanted you to live by that too."

"I understand but-... I deserved to know." Her voice was low and raspy with hurt, breathing out in stutters.

"I-I know, butterfly. I know." He whispers out and sighs.

"But, please remember that we're your family. We love you, Minseo."

She hasn't heard that name in years. Her mother hated it. Maybe it was because she didn't get to name her.

"Love you too, Pops." Right after that, she breaks. A sob erupting from her chest as her eyes shut closed in a desperate attempt to keep her tears in.

"I know, sweetheart. We'll have a day out together okay? Save Saturday open for me okay? We'll go shopping and get ice cream." He said quietly and she could feel his guilt over his phone.

"O-okay."

They say their last goodbyes and she puts her phone down. Her eyes trail up to the bear she's had since a kid. She didn't know where she got it from but she's had it since forever.

She gently takes it into her hands, and watch her tears decorate the fur.

She pressed the button to hear the song that always calmed her in her worst times.

"If you were falling, then I would catch you." She whimpered, eyes shutting again.

"If you need light, I'd find a match." She mouthed the words, rocking in her seat as she clutched the bear to her chest. She repeated it over and over and over again, as she sobbed feeling like she's lost something she never even had.