Sweet Night (18+) || kth ||

Six Years Later...

I once thought that airports are like New York in that it never sleeps. Well, amusement parks are also like New York in that there's always something happening. It was just so loud. Crazy rides, music, laughter, screaming kids, crying kids, and somewhere far off, that little bell that goes ding-ding-ding! as someone just won the grand prize at a game. All going off at the same time making your head spin.

"Appa, let's go," Taejoon whined, tugging at my sleeves. "It's about to start!"

"I know, I know, but we have to wait for Mom because Sunny doesn't like it," I told him as I frantically bounced a crying Sunny around. "Where is your mom?" I asked, looking around in panic. Then, I saw her making a beeline for us, her purse flying by her side. Eomma was right behind her, huffing as she ran.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said, catching her breath. "Crazy line at the bathroom."

"Here, quick, take Sunny," I told her, gently handing the baby over. Sujin immediately made crooning noises as Sunny latched onto her. I paused for a brief second, admiring at the way mother and daughter resembled each other. And the fact that Sunny stopped crying almost immediately.

"Appa!" Taejoon cried.

"Go," Sujin told me, taking her turn bouncing Sunny around. She didn't like the merry-go-round, but Taejoon does. And so, we made a run for it, scooping up my son as we ran. Taejoon gave a squeal and we laughed as we dashed towards the ticket booth. We got in just in time and I strapped him onto one of the horses.

"Appa, why does Sunny hate horses?" he asked as I buckled him down.

"She just doesn't understand what's going on yet," I explained. "But when she gets older, she'll like them. Now, hold onto this," I said, indicating the stirrups. "And don't stand up when the ride is moving. Last time you did, you nearly fell off and your mother gave me hell afterwards."

"How?" he asked.

"We'll also never speak of this conversation again, okay?" I told him ruffling his hair. "It'll be our little man secret."

Taejoon giggled. "Little man," he repeated. I ruffled his hair once more and kissed him on the forehead. He might look at me, but he got his mother's brains. Only six years old but already so inquisitive. Sujin said that we had to be careful around the house with him as he's asking questions about the weird noises coming from our room at nights.

The lights went on and the peppy music played. Taejoon's horse began its traditional gallop and the merry-go-around began to spin. I stepped back and watched as my son pretended to be a knight going off into battle, whooping with laughter as the mechanical horse rose up and down. Every time we made a turn and passed by Sujin and Sunny, Taejoon would wave frantically at them, shouting out his sister's name. But Sunny was more interested in drinking her milk than watching her brother. Only Sujin waved back.

Afterwards, Taejoon made a beeline for his mother, screaming, "Eomma, eomma, did you see me? Did you see me?" People stared at him in amusement, until they recognized just whose son he was. Then their eyes would land on me.

Taejoon finally reached his mother, but he grabbed for Sunny's foot and kissed it. Sunny gave a little giggle. I wondered if this was what the other Sunny looked like at two.

"Sunny," Taejoon called his sister. She reached down for him but couldn't touch him because of her bottle. So, she popped it out of her mouth and Sujin took it.

"Oppa!" Sunny cried, making Taejoon hop in excitement.

"Eomma, can we go to the swing?" Taejoon asked. "Please? I want to show grandma what I can do there!"

Sujin glanced at her mother behind her, who nodded her head. "Okay, sweetie, but don't give your grandma a hard time, all right?" Sujin said.

Taejoon took her grandmother's hand and led her away. But they hadn't gone far when Sunny cried and pointed at her brother.

"I'll take her with us," eomma said, holding out for Sunny. "Then you two can spend some time together."

Sujin hesitated for a heartbeat but handed Sunny over to her mother. I put my arm around Sujin as we watched the three go off to the playground.

"They'll be fine," I told Sujin. "Eomma won't let anything happen to them."

"I know," she said, but I stopped her hand from twisting the straps of her bag. "They're just growing up so fast. It'll be Sunny's birthday soon. Why can't they just stay babies forever?"

"Well, you know the answer to that," I said, leaning in and whispered in her ear. "Have more babies."

She rolled her eyes at me and hit me playfully on the arm. I always wanted a big family. Three sons and a daughter. But after Sunny was born, Sujin said that if I wanted more, I was going to have to do it on my own.

"What?" I asked. "You're the one who said you wanted babies. I'm just all too willing to make it come true."

"I said I wanted them to remain as babies. I didn't say I wanted more."

"Same banana to me. And if I'm not mistaken, you like bananas, right?"

She laughed. I love it when she laughs. We walked around the park leisurely. Today was supposed to be a playdate between Jimin's kid and mine, but Aya got sick and had to cancel. She was a year older than Taejoon and prefers dolls over toy cars, but the two get along so well. Also, she dotes on Sunny as though they were real sisters. We often teased Jimin and Erin to get a move on already to catch up.

"I've stopped dreaming of her," Sujin said after some time.

"Hm? Sunny?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah," she answered, looking far off into the distance. "I didn't notice it that much with two kids to take care of. But I think it stopped just around the time my Sunny was born." She gave a smile. "She's in a better place now."

We arrived outside the playground and was in time to see Taejoon slid down the slide to a laughing Sunny below. I noticed something was off, then realized that she wasn't holding onto her doll Summer. That was the reason why she was upset the whole day, because we left Summer back at home. And Sunny was never without Summer.

"No, she's back," I said. "She's finally made it back."

Sujin reached for my hand. We stood there, holding onto each other, watching our children in the park. It was stupid of me to think that life was meaningless all those years ago. Meaningless to the point of taking it all away.

"Honey," I said softly.

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

Sujin looked at me. "For what?" she asked.

I bent down and kissed her. Softly, tenderly, passionately. I didn't care that other people might see us, nor about what Mr. Cho said about public displays of affection. Fuck 'em all, I'm in love with my wife, why should I be ashamed of telling the world about it?

"Oppa," Sujin said, looking around her shyly. "Mr. Cho will be pissed at us at again."

"Screw him," I told her. "After all, didn't this all start because we broke one rule?"

Sujin grinned up at me, snorting. "Stop getting me in trouble," she pointed out. "Otherwise, I'll be pregnant again before you know it."

"Wouldn't that be something."

I kissed her on the nose, then turned back to our kids. Another kid. Taemin if it's a boy. Sulin if it's a girl. Or maybe Winter. Gaeul, maybe?

But then again, how could I have ever known that my life would turn out this way? How could I know that one I'd wake up a father to two amazing children and a husband to the most loving wife a man could ever hope for? But like what that old monk once told me, sometimes you don't need an answer.

Sometimes, it just is.