Shu Hwa quickly washed up and got dressed in her night gown. After that, she brought a warm wet towel to clean her children. She had also carefully changed their clothes and tucked them under the soft duvet.
She let out a small sigh of relief after she had finished taking care of her children. She kissed their foreheads before proceeding to sneak under the duvet as well.
However, before she even got a chance to lay down, she heard a calm soft voice sounded beside her, "Mom, you know we're okay, right?"
Shu Hwa was startled when she found Min Hyuk awake and was now staring at her with his clear eyes. "Why haven't you slept yet, baby?"
Yet, Min Hyuk disregarded his mother's question and declared, "Min Jun and I are fine. We don't need a father."
Shu Hwa was surprised to hear these words coming from her older son. All this time, she had thought he was the one who was eagerly waiting for a father figure in his life because he used to ask a lot about his father. And every time they went to the park, he would look at a father and a child with longing eyes. But now, he said the opposite thing.
Shu Hwa hoisted herself up into a sitting position and patiently probed the child. "Why do you say that?"
Min Hyuk lowered his head. He bit his lip and said with a worried tone, "I don't want you to get hurt, Mom. I only want you to be happy and besides, we're already happy now. We have everything. It's already enough, right?"
Shu Hwa glanced at her baby and gently cradled his face with her hands. She touched the lip that he was biting on. Then, she rubbed it tenderly and bent forwards to give his chubby cheek a smooch.
She observed him, looking at those small features which resembled Min Jae so much and asked, "Is this because you have met your dad?"
Shock flashed through those brown orbs as he dumbfoundedly asked, "How did you know?"
"Well, mommy saw it." Shu Hwa smiled as she lifted him up from the covers and placed him on her lap.
To be honest, when she had seen her boys meeting Min Jae and Eun Hye, she had very much wanted to rush and hide them away from their prying eyes. But then, she had thought that the kids deserved to know their father even if they didn't know the truth and only met him. Hence, she had remained quiet and let their meeting unfolded.
Her heart had ached terribly when she had seen Min Jae crouched down to their level and talked with her youngest son. She wondered how he would feel when he one day realized that they were actually his children.
Our children. The labor of our love.
Shu Hwa glanced at the mini version of Min Jae on her lap who had his lips pursed. She put his head on her chest. She looked up at the ceiling and said, "You know... your dad is a wonderful person."
Min Hyuk snorted derisively. "Wonderful person who couldn't even identify mommy? I can only see how stupid he is that he can easily be tricked."
Shu Hwa laughed when she heard him.
"True! He is an idiot, isn't he?" Shu Hwa looked down at her son and acted as if she was truly disappointed.
Min Hyuk nodded his head seriously. "I don't have a stupid father and I don't want one."
Shu Hwa pinched his cheeks. Her son was so damn cute. How could he be this cute?
"Well, he's not that bad though. There were circumstances which led this to happen. Mommy is partially at fault too. Mommy failed to protect daddy's love."
Min Hyuk looked into his mother's eyes and grumbled stubbornly, "Daddy is at fault! He wasn't there when you had to go through those painful nine months, he wasn't there to help you out when that stupid geezer tried to assault you, he wasn't there to support you and lessen your trouble. He is not my daddy!"
Shu Hwa was surprised. She didn't expect her older son to bear a grudge towards Min Jae.
"But baby, daddy didn't know it was me. That's why he wasn't there. He's a good guy. He's just caught in a trap. We need to free him, okay?"
Min Hyuk looked at his pretty mommy who was smiling at him. He hugged her neck as he said, "Mommy, do you love daddy?"
'If it's for Mommy, I can try to accommodate to Daddy.'
Shu Hwa sighed dreamily as she said, "There is no other person who can take a place in my heart other than your daddy. Do you know why?"
Min Hyuk shook his head adorably to which she kissed him and said, "Because Daddy gave me two beautiful angels and they protect me when he's absent."
Min Hyuk blushed. She chuckled and tapped on his little nose.
"So, what do you think about your daddy? Did you like him?"
Min Hyuk declared cutely, " Mommy, I love you more!"
"Me too!" a sleepy voice joined in as a pair of chubby hands wrapped around Shu Hwa's waist.
Shu Hwa laughed when she saw her younger son rubbed his eyes sleepily. He woke up just to declare his love for her. She didn't know how to feel about that. They should be sleeping but now here they were snuggling against each other.
Shu Hwa chuckled. She wrapped her arm around Min Jun and hugged both of her precious treasures tightly in her arms. She nodded her head blissfully. "Mm. I love my babies more too."
She kissed them on their cheeks and then they cradled inside each other's warmth to sleep. The night had never been more beautiful then.