640 FIVE YEARS AGO (2)
“YOU’RE NEOMA, aren’t you?”
Neoma smiled and nodded while holding Areum eomma’s hands. “It’s me, eomma.”
She was glad that her eomma recognized her right away.
In this timeline, Neoma was already in her twenties. But right now, she was only thirteen years old. And yet, her eomma recognized her without difficulties.
[Eomma doesn’t look surprised, though.]
And she knew why.
If she remembered correctly, Gavin/Won-shik appa told the truth about his real identity to Areum eomma. Moreover, Areum eomma already knew from the beginning that her real “daughter” died, and Neoma’s soul used the baby as a vessel.
“What does this mean, baby?” Areum eomma asked, confused. “If you’re here in that body, then does it mean…”
Her eomma stopped talking and turned to Nabi who was still in a comatose state.
.....
[Eomma is probably thinking that my old physical body is already dead.]
“She’s still alive, eomma.”
Areum eomma turned to her with a shocked look on her face. “What do you mean by that?”
“Nabi didn’t die,” Neoma said carefully. “Someone saved her soul and brought it somewhere safe. And now, Nabi is back.”
Her eomma remained silent as if she was still processing everything.
“Eomma, your real daughter is back,” Neoma said, smiling at her eomma. “Nabi knows everything. And she can’t wait to meet you.”
To be honest, there was a very TINY part in Neoma’s heart that refused to share Areum eomma with Nabi.
She didn’t have a decent mother figure in her first life. Duchess Amber Quinzel may have adopted her back then and showered her with expensive stuff. But the duchess never really treated her like her own daughter.
In fact, Duchess Amber made her live like her dead daughter Hanna (since Hanna died early in the first timeline).
The first mother figure that gave her unconditional love was Areum eomma.
[To think that eomma loved me even though she knew I wasn’t her real daughter…]
“Neoma, baby, why are you crying?” Areum eomma asked worriedly, then her eomma brushed away her tears with her hands. “Are you hurt? Is everything okay?”
She didn’t even notice that she was crying.
[Dammit.]
“Eomma, I’m being greedy,” Neoma confessed between sobs. “In the life I’m currently living, I already have a happy family. I get along well with my twin brother, and my parents are good to me. But I still want to be your daughter, eomma. I know that it’s unfair to Nabi, but I still want to call you ‘eomma.'”
As expected of her fucking bloodline.
[I’m as greedy and selfish as any other de Moonasterio.]
Although she already had Mama Boss and Papa Boss as her parents, she still couldn’t let go of Areum eomma and Gavin/Won-shik appa.
[They’re my first loving parents, after all.]
‘Neoma Version 2.0′ was born because of Areum eomma and Gavin/Won-shik appa. If her eomma and appa didn’t love her, then she wouldn’t learn how to love herself. And because she loved herself, she gained the confidence that made her the person that she was today.
[I can’t let go of my eomma and appa…]
“Neoma, why are you asking me that?” Areum eomma asked, and she sounded really concerned. “Of course, you will still be my baby– OUR baby. You’re the precious child that your appa and I raised for more than twenty years.”
“But Nabi…”
“Sweetheart, a mother doesn’t divide her love among her children– a mother multiplies it,” Areum eomma said softly. “You and Nabi are both my children. I haven’t met Nabi yet, but I’m sure I will love her as much as I love you.”
Okay, that made her sob harder.
She knew it– her Areum eomma really had a big heart.
[I’m sure eomma has a lot of questions, and yet here she is– comforting me.]
“Eomma, I missed you so much.”
Areum eomma smiled, then she pulled Neoma for a warm and tight hug. “I missed you, too, baby,” she said softly. “Welcome home, our precious Neoma.”
Aww.
Neoma hugged her eomma and closed her eyes. “I’m back, eomma.”
***
[WE REALLY look alike…]
Mona was in the room next to the room where Neoma and Go Areum were talking.
She was with Nikolai and Nichole (and the twins were bickering).
On the other hand, Dominic and Trevor were in the room where Gavin Quinzel was confined earlier. Dominic was healing Gavin Quinzel while Trevor was dealing with the hospital staff and other witnesses who saw Gavin Quinzel run after waking up from a coma.
Mona couldn’t focus on thinking because of the twins’ bickering.
“Can’t you fix that nasty temper of yours?” Nichole scolded Nikolai. “You’re no longer a child, Nikolai. Why would you pick a fight as soon as you saw Gavin Quinzel?”
“You know what Gavin Quinzel did to my family, Nichole,” Nikolai growled at his twin sister. “Why did you even take his side, huh?”
“Was I supposed to take your side then?” Nichole retorted. “We’re not in the kind of relationship where I would WANT to take your side just because you’re my younger brother.”
“I’m not your ‘younger’ brother– we’re the same age.”
“Then stop acting like you’re ten.”
Mona suddenly burst out laughing, making Nichole and Nikolai turn to her at the same time. “I’m sorry to break it to you, but both of you are acting like a child right now,” she said while shaking her head. “You’re really twins.”
Nichole and Nikolai both blushed as if they were embarrassed.
She was suddenly reminded of how Neoma and Nero would often bicker.
Her smile slowly faded away.
[Nero… my poor Baby Pumpkin…]
Her chest tightened painfully after the bitter reminder that they abandoned Nero in the other world.
[The crows better not hurt my son.]
“Mona, are you okay?” Nikolai, who definitely noticed the change in her mood, asked right away. “I’m sorry for acting like a child.”
Nichole scoffed after hearing what Nikolai said.
Thankfully, the twins finally stopped fighting.
“Nikolai, did you see Neoma’s other mother? Go Areum, isn’t it?” Mona asked curiously. “I already know that we resemble each other. But I’m still shocked to see how she looks like me. We can pass off as twins.”
“Ah, I didn’t notice.”
“Huh?”
“I wasn’t really paying attention to her,” Nikolai said. “I’m thankful that Go Areum raised our Neoma well. But… that’s it.”
“Oh, god,” Nichole commented, scoffing. “Mona, it’s not too late to dump that boring man.”
Nikolai glared at Nichole.
Mona nudged Nikolai’s side to stop him from bickering with his twin sister again. “Nikolai, didn’t you hear Go Areum call you ‘Yoon Jung’ earlier? I think she has mistaken you as her late husband…”
“Are you worried about that?”
“I just don’t want to make Go Areum feel like I’ve stolen her family from her…”
“Don’t worry about that, Mona,” Nikolai said, gathering her in his arms to comfort her. “Go Areum knows the truth, as far as I know.”
Ah, that was right.
It made her feel relieved a little.
“I’m glad that Go Areum will finally be reunited with Nabi,” Mona said, wrapping her arms around Nikolai’s waist. “And I’m also glad that Neoma is reunited with her other mother.”
***
“HE REALLY looks like Yoon Jung.”
Neoma was surprised when Areum eomma said that. “Ah, Papa Boss,” she said. “He’s my biological father, eomma.”
“I was surprised when I saw him,” Areum eomma said with a sad look on her face. “I thought Yoon Jung came back to life. Honestly, I suddenly felt guilty.”
“Why would you feel guilty… oh, appa.”
Her eomma’s face turned even sadder.
“You did nothing wrong, eomma,” Neoma said carefully. “You loved Yoon Jung, but the two of you weren’t meant to be together for a long time. It wasn’t a crime to fall in love with another person. The person left behind also has the right to be happy– to be loved. Please don’t feel guilty for loving appa.”
.....
She saw how Areum eomma and Won-shik appa loved each other. Hence, she didn’t want her eomma to feel guilty for loving appa.
For being happy with someone else.
[I’m sorry, Mr. Yoon Jung. But my appa treated eomma well. Please don’t resent them.]
“When did my baby grow this much?” Areum eomma said, smiling. This time, her smile looked happy. “My baby is so mature now even though you’ve shrunk.”
Neoma laughed softly.
[I did “shrink” from eomma’s POV since I was already in my twenties here.]
“Thank you, baby,” Areum said, squeezing her hands gently. “Thank you for making eomma feel better.”
“Anything for you, eomma.”
Their moment was interrupted when they heard a knock on the door, and it was followed by that annoying voice.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I believe Kim Nabi needs me.”
Areum eomma looked confused.
“That’s Trevor, eomma,” Neoma said. “He’s my frenemy at the moment.”
***
NEOMA was relieved when Nabi finally opened her eyes.
A normal comatose patient who was unconscious for over a year would have difficulties moving and speaking.
But thanks to Trevor, Nabi woke up as if she just took a nap.
Moreover, the demon boy also made it so Nabi woke up fresh despite her physical body being comatose for over a year.
[The doctors would faint in shock if Trevor didn’t manipulate their minds.]
“Neoma unnie, I feel weird,” Nabi said shyly. “I suddenly became an adult…”
“What adult? You’re still a baby,” Neoma said, then her gaze fell back and forth between Nabi and Areum eomma “Nabi, this is Areum eomma.”
Nabi suddenly looked scared and shy.
Areum eomma then smiled at Nabi and held her hand gently. “Welcome home, Nabi-ya.”
Neoma smiled, realizing that ‘sharing’ Areum eomma with Nabi wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be.
[Nabi deserves to be happy, too.]
***
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