As soon as they entered the columbarium, Jun-woo, who had been babbling incessantly until then, closed his mouth.

Now almost five months old, Jun-woo would murmur indecipherable words like “mwa-mwa” all day long, but inside the columbarium, he only rolled his eyes around and looked about.

“Jun-woo suddenly got quiet,” Hae-in said, looking at Jun-woo with a curious expression as she patted him in her arms. Soo-hyun took Jun-woo from Hae-in and slowly walked towards Yeon-hee’s picture, talking to Jun-woo.

“Jun-woo-yah, do you know where this is?”

“Mwa.”

“This is where the person who gave birth to your dad is.”

“Mwa.”

Every time Soo-hyun finished speaking, Jun-woo would chime in with “mwa-mwa,” as if he understood.

Soo-hyun looked down at Jun-woo’s face and barely swallowed the emotions that welled up. Jun-woo’s clear, bright eyes stared endlessly at Soo-hyun.

Dad, where’s grandma?

His eyes, which had been blinking at his dad, looked around. At his cute head tilt, Soo-hyun supported the back of Jun-woo’s neck with his hand and turned his face forward.

“Mother. I’m here. This year, I came with my family.”

As Soo-hyun finished speaking, Hae-in, who had been standing quietly behind him, stepped forward.

“Hello. It’s nice to meet you for the first time. My name is Yoon Hae-in.”

Hae-in bowed politely and placed the bouquet she had prepared in front of Yeon-hee’s picture. Yeon-hee had been only in her early forties when she died.

Kang Yeon-hee in the portrait was smiling brightly, regardless of the tragedy of her death. It was just as she had been in life, a beauty who made passersby invariably stop and look back.

Hae-in bowed her head once more, recalling the stories about Kang Yeon-hee she had heard from Chief Seok before coming here.

“Mother, I will stay by this person’s side so she won’t be lonely. I will live a long, healthy, and beautiful life.”

As she finished speaking, memories of the past flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern. Amidst the outpouring of countless emotions, Hae-in looked at Soo-hyun. Soo-hyun was looking at Hae-in with the same feelings.

While the two of them composed their trembling hearts as their eyes met, Jun-woo babbled once more.

“Mwa.”

Hae-in, whose eyes had even welled up with tears, couldn’t help but chuckle at Jun-woo’s babbling.

“It sounds like Jun-woo is telling us not to leave him out.”

“Right? This little guy probably can’t even see properly yet, what does he know?”

As Soo-hyun and Hae-in looked at Jun-woo with affection, Jun-woo shook his head again, saying “mwa-mwa.”

“He says not to ignore him, Sunbae.”

“...Jun-woo, are you really doing this on purpose?”

The two, who had been gently cooing and smiling at Jun-woo in their arms, turned their heads at the sound coming from the entrance.

“Heum.”

The person slowly walking in was Tae-hoon.

Only then did Soo-hyun realize the source of the strange feeling he had had since entering the columbarium. On the anniversary, when he came to his mother’s memorial, Tae-hoon was always there first, sobbing in front of her grave.

From the moment he entered the entrance until he walked up to his mother’s portrait, Soo-hyun had to listen to Tae-hoon’s sobs the entire time.

And Soo-hyun had found visiting the columbarium itself a torment due to Tae-hoon’s unchanging attitude over the years. This was the first time Tae-hoon had arrived here later than him.

“You came first.”

Tae-hoon gave a light hand greeting to Hae-in, who was bowing, and smiled at Jun-woo.

“Jun-woo came to say hello today. Jun-woo-yah, did you say hello to your grandma properly?”

“Mwa.”

“This little guy, he answers as if he understands.”

Tae-hoon chuckled, his expression bright. Since his father’s expression in the columbarium was always gloomy and sad, Soo-hyun thought his father’s face looked very unfamiliar.

“Father, then I’ll go outside first.”

As Soo-hyun bowed and was about to walk away, Tae-hoon called out to him.

“Soo-hyun-ah, let’s talk for a moment.”

At Tae-hoon’s words, Hae-in took Jun-woo and went outside the columbarium first.

“Soo-hyun-ah. I came with your stepmother today.”

Tae-hoon had remarried due to Park Yoon-hwa’s pressure, but he had never forgotten his first wife his entire life. So, Tae-hoon’s second wife, Oh Hye-yeon, had lived in Kang Yeon-hee’s shadow all this time.

Soo-hyun wondered what Tae-hoon’s sudden change meant and studied his father’s face.

“There’s no need to be nervous. This is enough. When I think about how much you suffered because of me, I don’t think Yeon-hee would want me to live like this anymore.”

“......”

“Wouldn’t it be that both the living and the dead have their own lives? I’m going to stop clinging to the dead now and live while looking at you, Jun-woo, and my daughter-in-law.”

Tae-hoon had said that on the night Soo-hyun remained in the burning house and closed his eyes, he had suddenly come to his senses at the thought that he might lose his only remaining son.

The long regret of not seeing Soo-hyun behind him because he was overwhelmed by his own sorrow was soaked in his calm tone.

“Isn’t my only family you now? Yeon-hee’s greatest wish isn’t for me to mourn her death, but to live while loving you... That’s what I’ve come to think.”

Soo-hyun couldn’t say anything in response to Tae-hoon’s words.

Hadn’t his father felt the same emotions towards him when he first saw Hae-in, the emotions he had felt after coming back from the dead? Soo-hyun guessed so.

His father’s few words couldn’t suddenly erase everything from the past and make it as if nothing had happened.

Still, if they both made an effort in the remaining days, many things could be recovered.

The two men looked at each other for a moment. Instead of an exchange of overwhelming emotions or a heated conversation to resolve past grievances, they looked into each other’s eyes and understood each other’s hearts.

Soo-hyun smiled faintly and nodded.

“I understand what you mean.”

“Then, I’ll go outside first.” Soo-hyun said his farewell and walked out, leaving Tae-hoon behind.

“......Yeon-hee-yah.”

Behind him, Soo-hyun heard Tae-hoon calling his wife’s name. It wasn’t the sorrowful sobbing from before, nor the despondent voice filled with gloom.

Soo-hyun felt a lump in his throat for some reason, but he felt light as he stepped away from the grave.

________________________________________

Hae-in, who had come out first holding Jun-woo, met Hye-yeon standing in front of the columbarium.

“Mother.”

As Hae-in approached holding Jun-woo, Hye-yeon, who had been standing with her back to the main gate, finally realized that Hae-in was behind her.

“Ah, Hae-in has come too.”

Hye-yeon, looking somewhat embarrassed, couldn’t approach any closer and seemed hesitant.

“Yes. This is my first time coming with Jun-woo. I wanted to say hello.”

Hae-in said one sentence and then hesitated about what else to say. She knew that Hye-yeon had come in as the second wife, but she didn’t know much beyond that.

From what Chief Seok had told her before, Oh Hye-yeon had lived a lonely life for many years, not being treated as family by either her husband Tae-hoon or her stepson Soo-hyun.

She had done whatever Park Yoon-hwa had told her to do to protect her position, but it was said that it was clearly not her intention. Thanks to that, she had become estranged from Soo-hyun.

While the two women stood in awkward silence for a moment, Jun-woo babbled “mwa-mwa” and then suddenly burst into a loud cry.

“Uh-uh? Jun-woo-yah, what’s wrong? Are you hungry?”

“Euaaaahng.”

“Are you sleepy? Jun-woo, did you maybe pee?”

Hae-in, flustered as she tried to soothe Jun-woo’s cries, looked around Jun-woo, and Hye-yeon hurriedly approached.

“Could Jun-woo be hungry?”

“It seems so. It’s about time for him to eat. I did bring his bottle, but it’s in the car.”

“Then hurry and go get it. I’ll follow with Jun-woo.”

“Ah.”

She couldn’t just run with Jun-woo in her arms. The area in front of the columbarium was unusually quiet, so Jun-woo’s crying echoed around them louder than usual.

It would definitely be heard by Soo-hyun and Tae-hoon inside. Without hesitation, Hae-in handed Jun-woo to Hye-yeon.

“Mother, then I’ll quickly go to the car.”

Hae-in hurriedly ran to the car. Thinking it was fortunate that she had worn flat shoes, she quickly ran to the car and took out the bag containing the bottle.

Then she ran back the way she had come.

However, when Hae-in spotted Hye-yeon in the distance, she stopped running. It was because Hye-yeon’s expression as she held Jun-woo was unfamiliar.

Hye-yeon had her face buried in the baby’s neck and was walking slowly with a blissful expression.

She kept rubbing her face against the baby’s neck, embracing the baby with her whole body, and speaking in a gentle voice.

Our Jun-woo will grow up healthy and upright and live happily. He will meet someone he loves and live safely. He will live to his heart’s content doing what he wants to do.

Even when Hae-in got close, Hye-yeon was so engrossed in Jun-woo that she didn’t notice Hae-in approaching. Hae-in suddenly remembered that Hye-yeon hadn’t held Jun-woo much.

Perhaps because of her position or because Soo-hyun was difficult, Hye-yeon never contacted Hae-in personally. Therefore, the only times Hae-in and Jun-woo met Hye-yeon were at meals with her husband Tae-hoon.

She only ever saw the baby from across the dining table, and even then, she would only hold him briefly and hand him back, so Hae-in had secretly wondered if Hye-yeon disliked the baby.

“Mother.”

When Hye-yeon came right up to her, Hae-in called out to let Hye-yeon know she was nearby. Only then did Hye-yeon lift her face and give an awkward smile.

“Oh, you’re back so quickly.”

Jun-woo, who had been crying so much just a moment ago, was quietly nestled in Hye-yeon’s arms.

“Jun-woo isn’t crying? I hurried because I was worried he would be too loud.”

But Hye-yeon carefully handed Jun-woo back to Hae-in, looking rather embarrassed.

“I was worried about making the baby cry too much, so I told him all sorts of stories. I wonder if he liked them. I don’t have any experience with babies...”

Hae-in felt like she finally understood that all of it had been a misunderstanding.