𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚! ; 𝙝𝙨𝙬 ✔️

𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝙎𝙪𝙣

The next morning, Haru woke us all up before sunrise. Seungwoo had the idea of going down to the beach to watch the sunrise. He stopped at a diner and ordered us scrambled eggs and pancakes to go.

I lay stretched out on a blanket next to Haru, feeding him bits of pancake. He loved it; a boy after my own heart.

Seungwoo held Haneul's small hand in his own as the two of them made their way down to the edge of the water.

"Ooh, it's cold!" Haneul squealed and jumped back when the water touched her toes.

"It's not cold! That's so silly." Seungwoo grinned down. "You wanna go swimming with me?"

"I want to go swimming!" I called.

"Let's eat first." Haneul decided.

The sun rose over the horizon as we sat together, Haneul on my lap and Haru on Seungwoo's.

"Mama, is your favourite food pancakes?"

"Yup. And Daddy's kimchi bokkeumbap."

Haneul nodded excitedly. "I love Daddy's cookin'! It tastes so good in my mouth."

Seungwoo beamed. "I love cooking for my girls. And pretty soon Haru, too." He gestured to his son, who had crammed a half pancake in his mouth. "Boy loves his food."

"He's doing really well. Oh, my little baby. Growing up so fast." I wiped an imaginary tear from my eye.

Seungwoo winked at me. "About time to have another one."

"Maybe."

He leaned in and kissed my cheek, then gently turned my head and kissed my mouth.

Haneul tugged on Seungwoo's shirt. "Daddy, are we gonna go swimming?"

"Well," Seungwoo began, sneaking a glance at me, "I would say no because it's October, but I don't think Mama would like that."

She settled back against my chest with a happy sigh. "Good. I love swimming."

"Me too." I agreed.

"I'm just gonna be a fish."

"I'll catch you if you're a fish." Seungwoo said. "And keep you on a bowl in the living room."

"But Daddy! How can you take me from the big ocean and keep me in a tiny bowl? I'll be sad."

"I'll miss you if you're gone." He tugged on one of her pigtails.

"I'll come back and visit. I can come wherever there's water."

"I don't think that's how it works." I interjected.

Haneul pouted at me. "Mama, you be a fish, too."

"What! And leave Haru and me all alone?" Seungwoo demanded. "How rude."

"Mama and I will become mermaids."

Seungwoo's lower lip stuck out in a pout. "Haneul, I'll miss you and Mama. Can't Haru and I just come with you?"

"No!"

I held up a hand. "I'm giving Daddy special powers to become a merman when he wants to. It'll be me and you under the sea, Haneul, but Daddy and Haru can visit whenever they want."

Seungwoo grinned and kissed my cheek. "See! Mama loves me."

I let out a yawn and languidly stretched my arms above my head. "Of course, I do, baby. Now! Let's go swimming."

Later on, Seungwoo and I laid out on the blanket with Haru in between us while Haneul built a sand castle, close to the waves.