Four Hearts - 3 will be free

Three guardians

It had been six years since Yawhi had been born.
Six years full of child care, fights and lots of love. Oh and screaming, but that had been all done by Yiwha.
And it had been three years sind Leo and Kao had been born.
Which meant even more screaming, even more love and fights. But it had been small fights usually. Over how many toys the children were supposed to have. Or when enough was enough. Or how many rounds of "Ask your father" were legitimate before traumatizing a child. Or how they wanted to share their time, especially once Shin visited.

He'd promised to come at least every second weekend and often enough he was able to visit them even more. Sometimes he decided to do some home office and just went for a whole week. He was a father, after all.

It had been a bit more easy when only Yiwha had been there. Only one child to care for and they had done it together or one of them had taken over so the other two had finally some time alone. Or even time to go shopping.

With three kids ... it got more complicated. Sometimes everyone of them would take one each. Sometimes they'd take them separately. And sometimes Shin would just take them all to the city, giving them a special week as well as Neo and Miw, who spent most of their free time sleeping and cleaning and going on long walks. Or even out to eat.

It hadn't been easy for any of them. Neo and Miw especially had to fight their inner demons all the time, telling them they wouldn't make it. But they tried and they had each other, reminding them how far they had come already.

And although Miw had never thought she had any patience for children, it was especially hard for her to endure some screams or tantrums. But at the same time she taught her children to swear and to defend justice, no matter how small they were. No means No. That had been her first and most important lecture as soon as they had been able to understand anything.
But other than that ... she was butter when her children smiled at her and she loved them dearly, however hard she had to try sometimes to do the right thing. Because it wasn't easy to step out of ones shadow.

Playing was still a strange thing, because she didn't exactly know how to play soft. But watching Neo be a giant cuddling ball of fluff with their kids, was the best she could ever think of. His smile was contagious and the children loved climbing onto his back or holding onto his legs when he walked around. It didn't matter that she wasn't so good at playing with them, he was.

But Miw had to admit, the one being made for being a father, was Shin.

He was calm and patient, his smile made the kids laugh and he knew exactly how to handle them. Having them for a week over was never a problem. Bringing them to bed was also never a problem and more often than not Neo and Miw had found him in a big puddle, Yiwha holding his hand, while Leo and Kao were lying on his chest. Shin himself had been fast asleep.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

Miw shrugged: "Be such a good father. Know what you're doing."

Shin shrugged as well: "I just remember what I had wished my father had done. Then I try it and if it doesn't work, I try something else."

"I'm envious, really."

Shin laughed out loud, while pulling Miw is some side hug: "Maybe me not being a drama queen is also helpful."

"Damnit, Shin!"

But he was already running to hide behind Neo.

"Neo! He said we're drama queens!"

For a moment Neo hesitated, but then ...

"For gods sake, Neo! Put me down!"

They might be drama queens, but at least they were two drama queens!