Her Fears

Park Hayoon thanked the man gratefully before she took Kim Hyejin with her to sit on the bench.

There was this spectacular look on Kim Hyejin's face when her mother changes her shoes for her. She kept flapping her legs like a bird as she admired the figure skates on her feet.

Park Hayoon changed her shoes as well and secured the pretty helmet on Kim Hyejin's head before saying to her, as she was ready to take her into the rink.

"Are you ready?"

Kim Hyejin had her eyes on the rink as she watched the others skate. She was the youngest person to be in their midst.

When she heard her mother's question, she glanced at her and nodded with a smile on her face.

"Let's go." Park Hayoon said as she stood to her feet, before bringing Kim Hyejin down from the bench.

"Mama, I'm going to fall!." Kim Hyejin said with fear in her voice when she tried walking with the figure skates.

"I'm holding your arms, how can you fall when I'm holding them tightly?." Park hayoon asked as she gently pulled her into the rink.

"Mama, hold me, I don't want to fall!." Kim Hyejin said, not finding the situation funny.

She didn't expect to have this feeling when she put on the figure skates. The figure skaters she watched on Tv walked, glided, and danced, but why does she feel like she is going to fall?

"You will not fall. Don't forget that we are not in the house, so call me 'Pretty sister'." Park Hayoon reminded her.

"Okay." Kim Hyejin replied without paying much attention. Her mind was going in another direction.

She was thinking of being careful so that she won't fall.

Just then, a teenager that was skating, fell when she tried doing the 'layback Ina Bauer' move.

(An Ina Bauer is a "moves in the field" element in figure skating in which a skater skates on two parallel blades. One foot is on a forward edge and the other leg is on a backward and different parallel edge. The most flexible skaters can bend over almost completely backward. When performed this way, the movie is called a layback Ina Bauer, after the layback position).

As the teenage boy lost his balance and fell, Kim Hyejin gripped her mother's arms in fear.

Park Hayoon looked so pissed off at her daughter. She was too angry to say anything, so she just took her back to sit on the bench.

"Jenny, do you think we are here to play and watch other people skate?." Park Hayoon asked in a serious tone immediately she placed her on the bench.

Kim Hyejin shook her head in a negative affirmation.

Park Hayoon looked at her and didn't know what to say again. She didn't know how to continue with the scolding because her little girl, looking pitiful. But she had to continue anyway.

This time around, she softened her stance. "Since you know that, why are staring at other people? What are you scared of?."

Kim Hyejin bowed her head as she twisted her fingers. Then she said in a soft voice, "I am scared of falling."

Park Hayoon was quiet for a while before sighing deeply. She gazed at the rink and watched other people skate with their families, and alone.

Then she glanced at her daughter who was quiet with her head bowed, she sighed again before squatting in front of her.

She placed a hand on her jaw to raise her head, only for her to see the little girl's face, stained with tears.

Park Hayoon became alarmed as she tried cleaning her tears.

"Jenny, why are you crying? I didn't hit you, I only scolded you a bit." Park Hayoon said in distress.

Kim Hyejin didn't say anything. She was quiet as more tears rolled down her cheeks.

Park Hayoon was, therefore, put in a difficult situation. She sat down on the bench, before lifting her daughter in her arms.

Kim Hyejin sat on her mother's lap as she rested her head on her shoulder.

Park Hayoon had a hand behind her to support her from falling, while she used her other hand to pat her shoulder.

"Jenny, Mama is sorry for scolding you. In a bit, Mama forgot that you are still a child, and it's your first time being in the rink, and putting on skating shoes. Forgive me, I am sorry, Okay?." Park Hayoon apologized to the little girl as she rocked her.

Kim Hyejin nodded her head in response as she laid in her mother's arms with her tear-stained face.

"Good girl! stop crying. Mama will not force you anymore." Park Hayoon promised as she wiped her tears with her palm.

So this day at this time, the mother and daughter pair sat on the bench and watched the others skate on the rink.

When they got home that day and Park Mun-Hee asked about how their trip was, Park Hayoon explained the ordeal to her with a tired look on her face.

Park Mun-Hee smiled and encouraged her. "Hyejin is just a toddler. Although she wants to do this, she needs time to adjust and understand reality. Then is she wants to continue with it, no problem. And if she doesn't want to, it's fine as well. But don't push her or force her. The only thing you can do at this stage is to encourage her.

Kim Hyejin slept with her puffy eyes. She only moved when she felt something wet touch her eyes.

Park Hayoon sighed as she pressed her daughter's eyes with the wet napkin.

"Jenny, Mama loves you." Park Hayoon confessed to the sleeping child as she kissed her forehead, before leaving the room with the bowl of water in her hand.

Later that evening, Kim Hyejin was watching a figure skating show on the Tv. She didn't just watch it to entertain herself, she watched it to get a few pointers.