Crash Landing On You - These Are The Days

Ri Jeong Hyeok As A Baseball Dad

It happened to smack dab in the middle of the summer. At least, that was what Se Ri's taken to calling it. The summer where she could just barely make it home for bedtime most nights, let alone show up for the myriad of things Jeong Hyeok signed Da Eun up for.

Honestly, Jeong Hyeok, Da Eun and the boys were pretty great about it. In part, it was because Jeong Hyeok didn't travel as much as Se Ri and he was a quite the doting dad. He joined PTA, took the kids to the park every Saturday, and he was surprisingly really invested on Da Eun's baseball game. He really was an amazing dad.

Jeong Hyeok has a thing about picking Da Eun up from school and then there' s baseball or swimming or private music lesson with Appa. Honestly, Se Ri was starting to wonder if maybe Jeong Hyeok was living out an active childhood through their daughter. But since Da Eun didn't complain, Se Ri didn't really think much of it.

Se Ri loved being a mother. She really did.

But sometimes being Yoon Se Ri, Ri Jeong Hyeok's wife, and a mother was hard. There were times when she felt like she had just missed another new big milestone because she needed to attend a fashion week in New York or Milan or wherever it was.

Da Eun understood. She was the sweetest and Se Ri couldn't be more grateful. She didn't give her a snub or punishment towards her mother when Mama was away for a few days. When Mama was working from the office, well, as long as Mama's home for bedtime, Da Eun was pretty content to let Appa drive her anywhere and everywhere.

And the boys...

Well, they were too young to understand. Se Ri tried to always face time her children before bedtime when she was away. Every time the boys saw Se Ri's face on their dad's phone, they were so happy and would be more than willing to take a good nap. She loved being a mother of two two-year-old boys, it was like a being a movie star without critics.

But smack dab in the middle of that summer, Jeong Hyeok got a call. He had to go out of the country to accompany his students again and it left Se Ri and the kids to fend for themselves.

Not that it was a bad thing. To be honest, it was a bit of privilege for them. Jeong Hyeok had been on a huge health kick, especially with Da Eun, and so with Jeong Hyeok gone, Se Ri and Da Eun took the advantage.

Se Ri got Mary to pick Da Eun up at school and drove her to the office. Then, when Daa Eun got bored, they venture out into the city to see what new food truck they can discover.

And they discover many.

It took Se Ri a few days to realize Da Eun was bouncing around a little more than usual, that after her baseball games, her shoulders weren't around her ears when Se Ri tucked her in.

At first, she felt guilty. Had she been putting all this pressure on Da Eun? Had she made Da Eun think that maybe she wasn't good enough for Mama anymore, that work was more important than her daughter?

The idea hunted her for a good three days. Then, with her head lulling against the seat on the home after baseball, Da Eun said,

"I am glad you're taking me to baseball, Mama."

Se Ri glanced back into the rearview. "Oh?"

Da Eun sighed, this big gusty thing that sounded more like a put upon teenager than a little girl. "Appa yells at the umpire."

Yes, that didn't surprise her. "Appa takes baseball very seriously."

"I know, but Mama. This isn't real baseball."

And Da Eun knew 'real' baseball.

"No," Se Ri carefully agreed, in a tone, she knew her daughter understood as 'tell me more'.