Chapter 7
Baby, We'll Be AlrightBeing around kids in America brought me to an understanding: there are different kinds of love. I was confused for a long time about my parents since I could only see moms and dads. There are different kinds of normal for everyone. This is just my kind of normal.
Hyukjae and Donghae heard the school bell ring, signaling the end of Eunhae’s classes. Kids flooded the doors, and the two looked around eagerly for their daughter. Children talked among themselves in English, laughing and pushing each other around. The couple scanned each face, until they saw Eunhae’s head, and her backpack that had bunny ears. She walked among her classmates, her eyes trained on the ground.
“Lee Eunhaek!” Hyukjae called.
Eunhae’s face immediately lights up, and she runs up to her dads. The two receives their daughter into their arms and hugged her tightly.
“Let’s go get ice cream!” Eunhae exclaims.
Donghae meets Hyukjae’s eyes, and the two debated silently. They still have to tell Eunhae something important.
“Okay,” Hyukjae finally said. “Let’s go.”
Donghae and Hyukjae held both of Eunhae’s hands as they head towards the nearest ice cream shop. Their daughter skipped between them, her long hair bouncing behind her.
“Baby, slow down, you might trip,” Donghae warns. Hyukjae looks left and right before they cross the street.
A few nights ago, when they couldn’t sleep, Donghae suddenly revealed what he has been doing the past days. Hyukjae wasn’t surprised since he was actually thinking of the same thing.
“Yeah, I don’t want her to grow up alone,” Hyukjae agrees. “And she’s almost seven.”
“I met these three-year-old twins,” Donghae begins. “I really want to adopt them.”
“You want to adopt every child you meet,” Hyukjae teases.
Donghae smacks his stomach. “Don’t be like that.”
Hyukjae laughs. “So, does this mean we need to legalize our marriage?”
“Yeah, I just really feel like they’re meant to be with us,” Donghae replies. When he met the twins, his heart just felt this pull, like he wants to hug and protect them no matter what. “I know we’re tight on money right now, but I know we can always pull through.”
Donghae watches Eunhae’s face as she talked animatedly with the ice cream shop owner. Hyukjae lifted her up to give her a better view of all the flavors.
“That one!” Eunhae points at the chocolate tub.
Hyukjae sets his daughter down and went up to the counter to order her ice cream.
“Dad?” Eunhae calls. She suddenly hugs him around the waist, burying her face against his stomach.
Donghae looks down, realizing that he was spacing out. “Hm?”
“You seem sad,” Eunhae tilts her head up, and smiles.
Donghae reaches out and pinches Eunhae’s cute nose, which she also got from Hyukja
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