"Mommy, thank you for dinner!" Yuri exclaims.

"You've gotta thank Mr. Kim too Yuri, he helped mommy cook." I instruct.

"Thank you Mr. Kim! Spaghetti is my favorite!"

"Is it now?" He utters teasingly, leaning forward in his chair and addressing Yuri in a friendly manner.

"Mhm!" She exclaims before proceeding to stuff her face.

She manages to get most of it in her mouth, though not all, and chews merrily, wiggling side to side with excitement.

"But you know, I feel like Mr. Kim is far too formal! We're friends now, right?"

I chuckle as he leans in even closer, tie pooling upon the table as he regards Yuri with a lopsided grin. That dark corner of my heart that I've walled up, that lonely, angry part left behind by my ex-husband, is suddenly alight with tender, soothing affection.

"So what do I call you?" Her brows rise in confusion, and her little mouth forms a tiny pout.

Well, you can call me Jin, " he supplies, once more leaning back properly in his seat to look at me. "Of course, that's only if it's okay with your mommy."

They both look at me expectantly, and I am jarred.

I'd felt like I was watching something beautiful, but my eyes had been those of an outsider's. But as they look at me know, I feel as if I am suddenly a part of the scene before me. It comes as easy as breathing, this friendship, and we fall into it as if we'd been friends for all of our lives.

Smiling brightly, I regard the both of them fondly. And when, as a result, they smile back, I speak.

"I suppose that'll work."

I wink conspiratorially at Yuri for no reason at all, and can't help but to chortle lightly as I watch her attempt to wink as well.

Unable to shut only one eye, she continues to open and close both eyes semi-alternatively while her petite button nose wriggles from side to side, along with her O-shaped pout.

"Yuri bug!" Jin exclaims, leaning over the table again in order to look at Yuri, eye to eye. "This is how it's done, watch me!'

He tilts his head to the side, smiling charmingly as he winks one eye.

Yuri's eyes twinkle like little twin stars, clearly as enamored with Jin as I am, maybe even more so.

Dinner seems to fly by, and before I realize it, it's time for Yuri to go to bed.

I sigh ruefully, rising from my seat despite the sudden wave of exhaustion that surges from my limbs. Gathering the dishes from the table, I then place them in the sink.

Yuri waits excitedly for me beside the bathroom door, and the second my arms are free, we commence our nightly ritual.

Together, we brush our teeth, and our hair. And while I wash my face, Yuri changes into her pajamas. Cute, just like her, and pink, her pajama's are rabbit themed.

We exit the bathroom, me chasing after her with my arms outstretched, fingers wriggling in a gesture of ticking and making me look like some kind of a crone. Yuri giggles excitedly, rushing to her bedroom door to proclaim loudly, "I'm safe! I touched the door!"

"You think the door will save you from my tickles?" I exclaim, extra loud, much to her delight. "I'm the mommy monster! You can't escape from my tickles!"

She squeals excitedly, giggling up a storm as I chase her all over the apartment. I don't even notice the way Jin is watching us fondly, having all but forgotten about his existence for the time being.

I let Yuri evade me for a few minutes, but eventually, my energy starts to wane, and so, I scoop her up as effortlessly as ever, and carry her to her room.

Her mountain of stuffed animals greet us with chipper faces, one and all, as I get her tucked into her bed. She yawns, eyes barely staying open as the warmth of her blankets, combined with the soothing way my hand runs slowly through her silky hair, eases her into restfulness.

I read her favorite bedtime book for her, but she is fast asleep before I've even finished.

I lean over, placing a kiss upon her forehead before quietly tiptoeing out of her room. Jin awaits me in the living room with a wide smile, and for a moment I am startled.

"That was beautiful, " he tells me softly. "You're a really great mom."

I preen just a little under his warm gaze, and smile brightly as I reply.

"Thank you. I try." My smile fades as I think about all the ways that I feel like I am failing her, and then I sigh mournfully. "It isn't always easy. I wish her father wasn't such an ass, it isn't fair to her."

He frowns thoughtfully, and I curse inwardly. Probably not the best thing to mention to a new beau, your ex-husband.

"Is it okay? If I ask about him? About what happened?"

His question takes me off guard.

It was a quiet one, and his demeanor is so calm. But he also seems to have gone so incredibly stiff that I wonder if I have made him uncomfortable.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, " he adds thoughtfully, fingers laced together upon his knees as he speaks. "It's just that the two of you are important to me now, and if I know the situation, maybe I can help."

I stiffen slightly.

"Well, there really isn't any helping the situation, " I inform him, "but I don't mind telling you about him if you really want to know."

He watches with patient, sympathetic eyes as I take a deep breath and contemplate where to start.

"I was blissfully married for three years, " I say, deciding to go for the short version, "then, I got pregnant with Yuri, and he cheated on me. I came home from a pediatric visit that he'd opted not to go to, of course claiming work as the reason, only to find him with another woman in our bed. He didn't even try to stop me from leaving, and two weeks after the divorce was finalized he married the bitch. I later found out he'd knocked her up around the same time as me, and only because I ran into her at the doctors office. Shortly after that, she began working as a teacher and now I am forced to deal with her every day."

"That sounds rough, " he sympathizes.

He takes me hand, and we sit upon the couch side by side.

"It is, " I concede, leaning my head against his shoulder wearily. "Her kid shares classes with Yuri, and both mother and child bully her mercilessly. It's bullshit, and entirely unprofessional, but no one does anything about it either."

I frown, recalling the way I'd threatened her and wondering whether or not I actually made matters better or worse.

"What's her name?" He asks, voice rumbling in his chest, and therefore I feel the vibrations upon my ear.

I might be imagining things, but his body feels as if it has tensed considerably.

"Lina Lee, " I confess, my own body tensing as I think of the evil woman.

I snuggle into his side even further, pressing my body to his in an unconscious bid for comfort. His lean arm wraps around me, holding me to him without even missing a beat. He even rubs slow circles into my back, sweetly, and I immediately break into tears.