Love is free .....

For what seemed like an eternity, they finally arrived and can see her parent's house from the highway. Her mother and her kids are waiting outside waving back at her, "They're all grown up now," she told herself. "Olivia, Emma, Jacob, Michael!!!!!" she called all of them out one by one and they all ran toward her. "Ma, you're finally home!" Olivia hugged her tightly. "Yes, my child," said teary-eyed Amor.

Looking at the stockpot waiting for the water to boil, after spending a week with her children Amor went down memory lane. "My children are all grown up now," she thought. "Ma," upon hearing her now 10-year-old daughter Emma it brought her back to where she is now.

"You're all grown up now my daughter," she told Emma.

"Not really ma, I still don't know a lot of things."

After having their breakfast Henry, Olivia and Emma set off to do their usual chores while her 2 younger children are still asleep. "If only life remains as simple as this," she told herself.

At around 10 am while preparing for lunch Michael has woken up looking for Amor in the kitchen, "Mama I'm hungry."

"Oh..... there's still food left from breakfast my son you can eat it, I'm still preparing for lunch."

"Are we not visiting father?" asked Jacob.

"Uhm..... you can all stay at your father's place next week. I'll let him know that you're coming so that he can prepare then I'll bring you there, okay?"

While feeding her now 3-year-old son Michael, she saw a group of people nearby chatting excitedly with each other.

"Pppppssssttt Riza," Amor called her out.

"Amor, you're here," she then motioned to Amor's side.

"What's the fuss all about?" queried Amor.

"Ah..... I'm not sure I'll ask around?"

After awhile Riza got back with news for Amor, "Oh..... Mila is bragging about her regular position as a secretary and that the company has renewed her contract including the scholarship of her daughter," answered Riza.

"Uhm..... I see."

"Your contract was also extended, right?"

"Ah..... yes, it was an offer I cannot refuse."

"Good for you, Theo seems to have no plan at all in getting back to work."

"Oh..... I have already accepted that fact."

"The scholarship is also good for Henry."

"Uhm..... of course, it is a lot better but it also means being away from his siblings."

"Yes but not all employers will offer a scholarship for their employee's children."

"Ah.....if I only have a choice, I will no longer extend my contract."

"You will not extend your contract because you don't want to be away from your children anymore."

Amor can only roll her eyes in response. "Uhm..... I'll get back inside now and spend time with my children while I'm here, I'll see you around."

Seeing Amor leave like that, Riza can only shake her head since she knows Amor deserves better than what she has right now.

"Ma, kuya (older brother) Henry and ate (older sister) Olivia and Emma are already home," said the now 7-year-old Jacob.

"Ah..... I see, we'll prepare dinner now for them okay?"

Amor placed Michael on a chair in the kitchen and he obediently sat staring blankly at his mother busy preparing for dinner.

"I'll be the one to help you prepare for dinner instead ma," offered her now 12-year-old daughter Olivia who just came out from their room.

"Yes, thank you, my child. Oh..... after our dinner we'll have a family meeting okay?"

"What are we going to talk about, ma?"

"Uhm..... it's better if we have all of your brothers and sister later."

Knowing how close her children are to their father, Amor knows they will be happy to stay at their father's house for a while.

Anxiously waiting for her children to finish their dinner Amor gave the announcement, "Ah..... kids we will have a family meeting after dinner okay?"

"What is it all about ma?" asked Emma.

"Oh..... we'll talk about it in a while, enjoy your dinner first then help me out with the dishes later okay?"

After dinner, Amor called her children's attention, "Uhm..... kids, thank you for helping me out with the dishes. Can I have your attention now?"

Seeing her children looking up to what she was about to say the words seemed to get in the way, "It's now or never," she thought.

"Ah..... do you want to stay at your father's place for a while?"

"Are you staying there also?" asked Henry.

"Oh..... it's about that matter that we need to discuss, if only it is still possible for me to stay at your father's house also then I will but it's no longer possible since your aunt Evelyn is now staying there."

Upon hearing the news Olivia joined in the conversation, "You just arrived and you want us to stay with father."

Amor knows what she should say but she is definitely not emotionally prepared to see her kids hopping from one house to another, "Uhm..... I won't leave right away, I'll still be here for a few more weeks."

"I guess that would be fine, kuya (older brother) Henry can take good care of us."

"Ah..... that's right and you can all spend time with kuya (older brother) Henry before he leaves for the city with me again."

"Ma do you really need to bring kuya (older brother) with you again?" asked Emma.

"Oh..... if only it's possible not to leave at all then we won't but I need to work and a scholarship is a good opportunity for your brother."

"Okay, but will you be renewing again after 3 years?"

"Uhm..... let's wait and see but let's pray also that we won't have to renew after 3 years okay?"

"When will you come back and visit us again?"

"Ah..... my contract has been extended for 3 years but I'll make sure this time to come and visit you every so often."

In Amor's mind, she can only hope that this will be the last extension she will need to accept from Do Yun but she doesn't know what tomorrow brings to her and her children.

South Korea 13th of May 2025 Tuesday 5:59 am.

Seoul questions a North Korean man who crossed the armed border.

Kim and Lee's family have been leading the continents both in Asia and Antarctica in the electronics and automotive industry since they married off their children Do Yun and Ae Cha. Now that they have successfully expanded in Asia, they need to take in another partner company which means looking for a good candidate to marry off their children especially their now 12-year-old daughter Chaewon. Both companies have now bounced back and are now setting up a feasibility study eyeing the telecommunications industry led by the Park family who happens to have a 13-year-old son named Min-jun. Do Yun and Ae Cha's success can be credited to their commitment, dedication, and teamwork not as a couple but as business people. Both Kim and Park's family have agreed to an arranged marriage for business purposes. Although the children are still young the parental pre-screening process has already been scheduled and as expected all went well in the meeting and since this is a merging of two companies there is much less of a chance of family opposition to the marriage. Now that they intended to stay for another 4 years in the Philippines, they transferred to another highrise condominium in Cebu this time with 3 bedroom units each.

We spend half of our lives looking for reasons that things must change.