As they walked closer to the car, Jun-woo started crying again.

“Mother, I’ll feed him his bottle in the car,” Hae-in said, turning to Hye-yeon, but for some reason, Hye-yeon hesitated without answering, as if she had something she wanted to say.

“Would you perhaps like to hold him?”

Hae-in asked tentatively, and Hye-yeon’s face brightened up again.

Ah, so that was it.

Hae-in seemed to know what Hye-yeon wanted to say, the words she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

“If you’d like, would you like to try feeding him, Mother?”

“R-really? Would that be alright?”

Hye-yeon didn’t hesitate at all and readily asked back, already positioning herself to hold Jun-woo.

“Of course. Then let’s get in the car first.”

At Hae-in’s words, Hye-yeon got into the car first and then received Jun-woo. Hae-in quickly walked to the other side, got into the back seat, and handed the bottle to Hye-yeon.

Jun-woo felt uncomfortable in Hye-yeon’s unfamiliar hold and wailed.

“Oh dear. Maybe it’s just because you’re new at this, dear...”

“No, it’s just... this part here...”

Hae-in settled in beside her and placed the bottle in Hye-yeon’s hand. As soon as the nipple was in his mouth, Jun-woo quickly quieted down and started sucking diligently.

His tiny, fern-like hand reached up and firmly grasped the bottle.

“Oh my. Goodness.”

Hye-yeon looked down at Jun-woo endlessly with a look of utter wonder. Her neck must have been sore, but she didn’t lift her head even once. She seemed captivated by the way the baby’s mouth moved as he sucked on the bottle.

“Munch, munch, how can he eat so well?”

“Jun-woo has quite an appetite.”

“My goodness.”

As Jun-woo emptied the bottle in no time, Hae-in took him and patted his back to burp him.

“Thank you, Mother.”

When Hae-in greeted Hye-yeon, Hye-yeon looked quite embarrassed.

“I think I was very clumsy.”

Hye-yeon sighed lightly, pursed her lips, and then continued, looking at Hae-in.

“It’s pathetic at this age. I have no experience with babies, so I don’t know anything.”

“Please don’t say that.”

Soo-hyun had once said something like that. That he couldn’t help but resent his stepmother who had squeezed her way into his mother’s place.

What kind of life had Oh Hye-yeon lived, a victim of a arranged marriage?

She must have had no sense of belonging to a family. A life where she was rejected by both her husband and her son. Hae-in had heard that Hye-yeon couldn’t even visit her own family often because she had to be mindful of Park Yoon-hwa.

Hae-in briefly imagined Hye-yeon’s life, which she couldn’t even dare to fathom.

When she first met Hye-yeon at the arranged meeting, Hae-in had judged her based solely on her appearance. Seeing her elegant looks, different from her own mother, and her hands that were only fair, she had thought that Hye-yeon had never experienced any hardship.

She was reminded of her own early married life, when she might have seemed to have everything to others, but her insides were rotting.

Comparing it to her own seemingly similar past, buried memories also followed. She thought of her difficult life as the daughter-in-law and the days with Soo-hyun who had constantly hurt her.

Could it be that both Hye-yeon and Hae-in had simply lived difficult lives?

The person who had committed the wrongdoing was no longer in the world, and only those who had been hurt by what he had left behind remained.

“Mother, please contact me anytime you want to see Jun-woo.”

Hae-in decided to erase the trivial sentiments about someone else’s life. Could a person ever achieve a complete understanding of another? She thought that such a thing was just her own thought stemming from arrogance.

What was past was not important. Looking back at the past only accumulated regrets; what was important was how she was living now and how she would live in the future.

At Hae-in’s words, Hye-yeon hesitated and asked back.

“Would that be alright? I’m also worried that Soo-hyun might feel uncomfortable... Anyway, wouldn’t it be most awkward for you if your mother-in-law contacted you frequently?”

Oh Hye-yeon was just cautious; she didn’t seem like the type to hide her true feelings completely. Hae-in thought that Hye-yeon’s personality would suit her well.

“I’ll talk to Jun-woo’s father about it. These words just came out because I was thinking about how Mother has treated me so far. If we meet often, I might show you my shortcomings, but please take care of me.”

“Ah.”

At Hae-in’s words, tears welled up in Hye-yeon’s eyes. It was the first time she felt truly acknowledged as a member of the family. She felt a lump in her throat.

“...I’ll take care of you too.”

Hye-yeon couldn’t say much. She just wiped away the tears that were wetting her eyes and nodded.

Hae-in silently swallowed her words and looked down at Jun-woo, who had already fallen asleep in her arms.

Mother, I’ll do well too. Because we’re family now.

I’ll do well too.

The two women silently watched over the sleeping Jun-woo.

________________________________________

“When did those two get so close?”

Hye-yeon and Hae-in, who were feeding Jun-woo a bottle and checking his diaper with Jun-woo between them, worked together seamlessly.

Tae-hoon, who had invited his son and daughter-in-law to the main house for the first time in a while, sat down and tilted his head, watching his mother-in-law and daughter-in-law working together so well.

After Yeon-hee’s death anniversary, there had been many changes in the relationship between Hye-yeon and Hae-in.

Hae-in started inviting Hye-yeon over to their house more often, and thanks to that, Soo-hyun also encountered Hye-yeon more frequently at home.

At first, it was awkward, but seeing Hye-yeon sincerely caring for Jun-woo brought about many changes in Soo-hyun’s thoughts. As they started eating together more often, the relationship between Soo-hyun and Hye-yeon, who couldn’t even exchange a casual word before, became quite natural.

Hye-yeon, who used to make Jun-woo cry often because she was clumsy at first, could now soothe or put Jun-woo to sleep with considerable skill.

Every time Hye-yeon came to Hae-in’s house, she brought a lot of gifts.

At first, the shopping bags were filled with Jun-woo’s clothes and toys, but later they were filled with Hae-in’s things. Hye-yeon probably wanted to give her daughter-in-law the love she hadn’t received from her own mother-in-law.

“Tell me if you don’t like it, okay? If you start accepting things you don’t like, the person giving them might keep misunderstanding.”

Hye-yeon repeated the same words every time but never forgot to ask about Hae-in’s preferences.

Occasionally, she would go shopping at the department store with Jun-woo, and she would also invite Hae-in’s mother to have lunch with the three of them.

Perhaps Hye-yeon had longed for someone she could be close to for a long time.

Hae-in thought so. Hye-yeon was that sincere towards her and Jun-woo.

“Shouldn’t the mother-in-law understand her daughter-in-law’s heart?”

When Hye-yeon said this casually, Hae-in laughed heartily and agreed. It was only Tae-hoon who couldn’t adapt to Hye-yeon’s change, as she used to be intimidated by Tae-hoon’s every word and always watched his reactions.

Soo-hyun, Hae-in, and even Hye-yeon had already formed a natural family.

“Oh dear, something definitely happened that I don’t know about, right?”

Tae-hoon smiled, looking pleased with the changes in his family.

“Father, Mother is even making all of Jun-woo’s baby food herself. She won’t even let me help.”

Hae-in quickly said this, as if telling a secret, and Hye-yeon’s face turned red. She carefully watched Tae-hoon’s reaction, looking nervous as if she was afraid of being scolded.

“Baby food?”

To Tae-hoon’s question, Hae-in repeatedly added explanations.

“She refuses the help of the workers and does it all herself. It’s so heartfelt. Jun-woo never complains and always finishes everything, Father. I think Jun-woo is growing up so well thanks to Mother.”

“Is it that much?”

At Tae-hoon’s words that he didn’t know, Hye-yeon held Jun-woo and quietly said, “I’m just doing what I should be doing.”

“Your mother-in-law is much better than me. So what should I do for our Jun-woo?”

Tae-hoon started somewhat awkwardly but immediately continued.

“You must be going through a lot.”

At Tae-hoon’s words, Hye-yeon’s eyes glistened.

Looking at Hye-yeon looking at her husband at that moment, Tae-hoon smiled and nodded.

“Shall we hold our Jun-woo? You’re the blessing that came to our house.”

Tae-hoon held Jun-woo and smiled broadly.

“Mwa-mwa.”

Whether he understood the adults’ situation or not, Jun-woo looked up at his grandfather with a bright face and kept giggling.

“You two go ahead and eat slowly. I’ll eat a little later.”

“Oh? No, it’s alright, Father.”

Hae-in quickly stood up as Tae-hoon rose holding Jun-woo.

“I had a late lunch, that’s why. I thought I’d take Jun-woo for a walk for a bit. Eat slowly.”

“I’ll go with you.”

As if sensing an opportunity, Hye-yeon also got up from her seat, holding a burp cloth.

A little while later, Tae-hoon and Hye-yeon were visible through the glass wall of the dining room, standing in the garden. They were constantly beaming as they looked at Jun-woo, looking very happy about something.

Not long after the elders left, dinner was set on the table.

Soo-hyun picked up a steamed croaker with steam rising from it, removed the flesh, and placed it on Hae-in’s rice bowl.

“Thank you.”

Then he silently looked at Hae-in, who was smiling faintly at him.

“Hae-in-ah.”

“Yes?”

Hae-in, who had put steaming rice in her mouth, fanned her mouth with her hand and looked at Soo-hyun.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For getting along so well with Mother.”

“Oh, no. Mother is really good to me.”

Hae-in’s words were not empty. Hye-yeon, who was happy that she finally felt like a member of the family, had been lonely for a long time and truly cared for Jun-woo like her own grandchild.

That’s all it is. I think Mother was a bit lonely.

At Hae-in’s words, Soo-hyun silently removed more fish flesh and placed it on Hae-in’s rice bowl.

Did Hae-in know that if it weren’t for her and Jun-woo, these many changes would not have happened in the first place?

Hye-yeon would have ended her life lonely in her own way, and Tae-hoon would have never escaped the shadow of his deceased wife his entire life.

Most of all, Soo-hyun was certain that even if he had lived, he would have spent the rest of his life like a dead man.

So, eat well and be healthy. Stay by my side beautifully, just like now.

“You should eat too,” Hae-in said, puffing out her cheeks and covering her mouth with her hand as she smiled faintly at him. “Uh-huh,” Soo-hyun replied with a smile, pressing down on his overwhelmed heart.

It was a peaceful weekend evening.