"Baby shark do-"
"If you sing that one more time, I'm going to turn us around and go home. I'm not kidding."
Kyujin was a great kid, she really was. But Yunjin was about ready to feed her to the sharks if she got Eunchae to sing baby shark with her one more time. First time it was cute, second time was a bit annoying, now on their- what were they on? Seven? Eight? Honestly she didn't care anymore, they just needed to stop.
Seeing fish day, as Eunchae has coined it, was upon them. And to say Eunchae was ecstatic the entire morning would be the understatement of the century. She woke up before both Yunjin (not unusual) and Chaewon(highly unusual), bouncing around about how excited she was to see the fish. They did have one set back of Eunchae wanting to wear her shark costume, which Yunjin shot down, instead compromising Eunchae was allowed to wear her sweatshirt she got for Christmas that had various fish stitched into the sleeves and she could bring Peng. The swung by Kyujin's house and picked the girl up, which might have been a mistake because she started singing Baby Shark and Yunjin wanted to throw her out onto the highway.
This was going to be a nice little break. Their wedding was literally in five days, and while Yunjin spent a good portion of her time freaking out about that, she needed time to relax as well. Everything was ready. Chaewon's parents were flying in, the music, the cake, the dresses, decorations, it was all set. It wasn't going to be something big, just a small little gathering with all their friends. Just the way Yunjin liked it.
The aquarium they were at today was bigger than the one Eunchae and Yunjin went to last time, a personal favorite of the detective. While Eunchae seemed slightly bummed that they were going to a different one, she didn't seem to care that much as soon as she walked in. Tugging Yunjin along as she looked up at multicolored fish.
"Kyujin look!" Eunchae pointed at a tank that was taller than her, her eyes just reaching the bottom of it, "It's Nemo."
"Eunchae's excited." Chaewon hummed, intertwining her fingers with Yunjin's.
"Yeah. She had a great time when we came to one of these last time."
"That was almost a year ago now?"
Holy shit. She was right. Where had the time gone? Almost a year. Yunjin found Eunchae near the end of March, and now the first week of March was approaching again. That was insane. How could so much change in such a small amount of time?
"Eunchae," Yunjin called, holding out her hand, "You need to stay with us."
While the kindergartener did walk over close to them, she didn't grab Yunjin's hand. Instead she grabbed Kyujin's. Sorry, was Yunjin's hand not good enough for her? But Kyujin looked happy, letting Eunchae tug her along as they started walking through the aquarium pointing out fish that Eunchae liked. Chaewon must've saw Yunjin pouting at being rejected, because she playfully bumped her. "Stop it."
"What am I doing?"
"Let her have fun with her friend."
"I am!"
"Look! They're feeding the fish!" Eunchae shouted, while Yunjin probably should have reminded her about her volume but she looked so excited looking at a big tank full of various sea life that had a few feeder fish dumped into it. Eunchae turned around suddenly, looking at Chaewon and Yunjin, her eyes scrunched up and her gums showing, "Kyujin and I are going to live together when we're older." Eunchae announced, "She's going to be a puppy doctor and I'm going to be a fish doctor and we're going to have puppies and fish in our house."
"Mhm." Kyujin hummed in agreement, "Four puppies and a whole big tank of fish!"
Um no. Eunchae was going to stay little and in Yunjin's house forever. She wasn't allowed to grow up. Oh no, she was going to get big and start having an attitude. Could she deal with grumpy monster teenage Eunchae? Then adult Eunchae, and- married, Mom Eunchae. That very thought made her want to shudder. She looked down at the kindergarten who was looking around at all the fish decorations, "Why don't you just live with us forever?"
"No," Eunchae laughed, "It's okay. I'll still come over and eat dinner with you guys though."
"Wow. Thanks."
Chaewon snorted at that, pulling Yunjin along as Eunchae led them into the jellyfish exhibit. Honestly, Yunjin was a bit nervous that Kyujin was going to be afraid of all the water around them, but she seemed to be just as engaged as Eunchae audibly gasping when she saw the Jellyfish floating around their tank, all lit up.
"You know jellyfish are probably my least favorite sea creature." Yunjin hummed.
Chaewon chuckled with amusement, "Yeah?"
"Yeah. There is this one jellyfish that has the brain size of an almond but is essentially immortal." Back in highschool she learned that, laying between rows of books with her backpack as a makeshift pillow. It was pouring outside so she had snuck into the library to sleep, and stumbled upon a few books about marine life. She may have stolen those books, but hey they helped keep her sane for a while. Whatever works. "So it basically makes a clone of itself and passes on its three brain cells. I don't get it. I could literally just squish the thing and end its whole career."
"You have so much useless knowledge," Chaewon laughed, "I love that about you."
"Thanks." She looked over at the kids, both pressed up against the glass looking at the jellyfish that swam by. "Hey guys, did you know Jellyfish don't have a brain?"
"They don't? How do they think?" Eunchae gasped, looking up at Yunjin.
"They don't. They just float there being useless." The detective grumbled.
"Kyujin did you hear that? They can't think."
"What?"
Eunchae pulled on Kyujin's hand throughout the rest of the exhibit, pointing out anything interesting she saw. So basically everything.
"Sharks!" Eunchae shouted, breaking off from Kyujin and running over to the tank, pressing her fingers against the glass as she stared up at all the sharks. She turned around, jumping up and down when the rest of them caught up, pointing up, "Look! Look!"
"We see Chae!" Chaewon smiled, reaching down to pick her up, tucking her on her hip as they both looked up.
"Please don't sing the song."
Instead Eunchae put her hand over her head, like a fin wriggling a bit. That caused Yunjin to break out in laughter, again. What a dork. This wasn't the first time she did this, the first time was on their first trip to the aquarium, but she would randomly do it sometimes, always causing Yunjin to burst out laughing because it was so random. Yunjin fished her phone out of her pocket and opened her arms, which Kyujin quickly climbed up on and smiled when Yunjin held up the camera. Nice, that one was definitely going to be her new wallpaper. They set the girls down and decided to take a picture of just the two of them, Chaewon kissing Yunjin's cheek as the detective smiled.
Out of the corner of Yunjin's eye she saw it, Eunchae puckering her lips and leaning in kyujin's direction. Wait! With almost i humans speed she slipped out of Chaewon's embrace and inserted herself between them. "What are you doing!"
"Huh?" Eunchae looked back up at her, furrowing her eyebrows.
"I said thirty!"
"Babe-" Chaewon cut in, shaking her head and laughing, "Chill."
"I was just doing what you did." Eunchae pouted. Goddamnit, Yunjin hates when she pouted. No, no way. Kyujin was about to be banned from their house, their street, hell, planet earth.
"No." Yunjin grumbled, placing Eunchae on one side of her, and Kyujin on the other. She pretended she didn't hear Chaewon's giggles.
They continued like that for the rest of the way up to the food court. Surprisingly enough it wasn't the kids who wanted to eat, but it was Yunjin, whining that she was hungry and wanted some fries. They ordered three small containers of chicken tenders and fries and set it on the table happily eating. Yunjin was nervous, Chaewon could tell. The detective didn't go to sleep until late the following night, worrying about how Eunchae was going to react when they finally asked her. Chaewon herself was a bit concerned, but honestly she didn't think Eunchae would refuse. She kicked the detective under the table, making Yunjin go into action.
Yunjin took the Manila folder out of her bag and placed it down on the table, opening it up and placing the papers on top of it. She slid it over to Eunchae who just looked at it with confused eyes, munching on a fry. "What's this?"
Chaewon watched as Yunjin tried to figure out what she wanted to say. The detective opened and closed her mouth a few times, before a small smile grew across her face, "We want to adopt you."
"What's that?"
"We want to be your mommies for real." Chaewon offered. That was probably the simplest way she could explain it and Eunchae would still understand. "Right now Yunjin is your foster Mom, you know that right?" She waited for Eunchae to shake her head, "That means Yunjin is incharge of taking care of you, but it's only for a little while. You remember Mr.Lee right? The man that Yunjin and I talk to sometimes and he came when you first left your mom? If he decides, he could take you away from us."
"What?" Eunchae seemed really upset by that. Maybe that wasn't the best way to describe it to a six year old-
"Not that he will! You're very safe right now and Yunjin has all her paperwork so you are staying with us forever. But we want to adopt you, so both me and Yunjin would be your Mommies."
"I'm adopted too!" Kyujin offered, sending Eunchae a smile. "You know my mommies aren't my real Mommy but it's okay because they chose me!"
Thank god Kyujin was there. That seemed to make things register a bit better in Eunchae's mind. Yunjin seemed to notice this and jumped in as well, "You know Yeri and Lucas are adopted too?"
"They are?"
"Mhm."
Eunchae was quiet for a minute looking over the piece of paper. It was clear she was thinking hard, raising her thumbnail between her teeth in a way that reminded Chaewon so hilariously like Yunjin. The detective next to her was nervous, Chaewon could tell by the way she just couldn't sit still. "What about my mom?"
"What about her?" Yunjin shot back, earning herself an elbow in the ribs from Chaewon.
"What happens to her?"
Eunchae was kind. Really painfully kind sometimes. Chaewon understood, this persistent kind of guilt where you feel like you're abandoning your parents by trying to move on ate at her too for a while. Chaewon shrugged, "Nothing. She still has to serve her sentence and she won't be able to see you until you turn eighteen."
"Eighteen?" Eunchae repeated. "That's so long."
"I thought you were mad at her?" Yunjin asked.
"I am- I just don't want her to be sad because she thinks I left her." Eunchae looked down, "It hurts to be left behind."
"I understand Chae," Chaewon stroked a hand through the kindergartener's hair, "You're not leaving her behind. You're just- you're just learning to be happy for yourself."
"She hurt you buddy." Yunjin cut in, "She doesn't deserve your love. Remember when we talked about my mom? Do you think I should be nice to my mom?"
"No. I don't like her. She made you sleep outside."
"And yours did too." Yunjin hummed, "You don't need to give us an answer right now. If you want you can take some time and think about it, we're not in a rush. I just want you to be happy, and Chaewon and I love you so much. I really want to be your Mom, Eunchae. Officially."
Lunch was quiet after that. Kyujin tried her best to interact with Eunchae, trying to get her to play with their plushies or just talk but Eunchae was quiet. She was thinking, and she needed a bit of time to do so. Yunjin grabbed the papers and tucked them back into her backpack, going to pick up the now empty food containers.
"Okay." Eunchae said all of a sudden, looking up at them with a smile, "I want to do it too. Adaption"
"Adoption buddy."
"That too." Eunchae waved her hand, grinning, "Let's go do it right now."
"Right now?"
"Yeah! We can call Auntie Sakura and the babies and go do this thing! I want you guys to be my mommies." Eunchae grabbed Kyujin's hand, tugging her to stand up, "I'm ready."
"Eunchae, I'm glad you want to, but it's going to be a few months until we can do this." Chaewon laughed, "We need to go to court again and tell the judge you want to be adopted, that's going to take a couple of months. Plus the paperwork-" She trailed off when she saw the crestfallen look on Eunchae's face, "But it won't take too long, I promise."
"Pinky promise?"
"Pinky promise." Chaewon held out her pinky, which Eunchae quickly interlocked with her own. They broke apart, but Eunchae took her by surprise, launching herself towards Chaewon holding onto her.
"I love you Chaewonnie. Thank you."
"I love you too Eunchae."