If you want to know me,
                  Look inside your heart.

                                               _Lao Tzu

Bai Qian quiet the restlessness in her mind. She contemplated where she should start. She purposely glanced around not meeting his gaze, but she knew that his gaze are fixed on her.

"Mo Yuan."

"Hmm."

"Thank you for coming to see me."

She paused and stole a glance at him. An interested glow shown in his eyes and a wicked smile on his lips.

"Mo Yuan, I truly did not know that you had sent me a respondent divorce paper. That night that you mentioned it, it was the first time I became aware of it."

He cast a skeptical look at her. He studied her with unwavering attention.

"Qian Qian, for five years I've been asking myself one question over and over again. Do you want to know what that question is?"

Bai Qian sighed as she looked at Mo Yuan. She's not sure where they're going with this. It seems whatever speech she had planned and prepared, the conversation is now being steered by him.
Bai Qian nodded her head.

"Why did you left me?"

Why did I left you? Shouldn't you know this better than me?

Bai Qian clearly was confused by this question. But if there was a chance to come clean and put everything on the table, now was her chance to do so.

"Mo Yuan, do you remembered the night that you took me to meet Mr. & Mrs. Wang?"

What do they have to do with you leaving me?

Seeing that he didn't answer her, she nervously continues.

"That night when I excused myself to used the bathroom. I overheard two ladies spoke about you in the ladies' bathroom. One of them was Stacy, your girlfriend.
Then later as we left the restaurant I saw....I saw the both of you intimately entwined."

So she did seen them that night. No wondered there was a coldness about her.

Mo Yuan closed his eyes with frustration.

Five years....five years they're apart due to misunderstanding. Five years that can't be replaced no matter what.

"So without asking me, you sentenced me to death!" His eyes darken with pain.

Without asking him? Shouldn't he be the one explaining to her?

"I....Mo Yuan you can't blamed me fully. We both made mistakes and that's why I'm here today. I want to talk about your divorce respondent proposal. Do you still want what's written on it?"

Bai Qian regretted the moment her eyes met his. There's a pain in those deep dark eyes that anchored her attention to them.

"Are you willing to give in to my request?"

This man is frustrating! Why does he always answered with a question?

"If you still want to go forward with it then I also have my request."

"Oh? Do you think you still have an option to do so?"

"My request is simple. I want you to allow me three wishes."

"Three wishes? Isn't that too much to asked? After all I wasn't the one that ran away."

Mo Yuan, your attempted sarcasm did not go amiss on me....

"I promised you that my request won't be anything that's far fetch or unreasonable. If you promise me that, then I will agree to your request."

"Far fetch and unreasonable? Shouldn't I be the one to determine that? After all I'm the one that will be yielding to those requests."

Mo Yuan stared at her full of interest. She's no longer the timid, shy person that he knew from five years before. He find that he like to banter with her, it excites him.
Everything from the way she held herself, to the way she spoke, to the look of confidence in her eyes, makes her more attractive in his eyes. He really like this new side of her.

Mo Yuan has been quiet far too long. It may seems only seconds but every second felt like an hour to her.
The longer he stared quietly at her, the more her walls seems to slowly gave way.

"Yes." His soft voice barely could be heard.

Yes? Did she heard him correctly?

"I promised to give you your three wishes but it will be on my term."

His term? Which means he might not agree with whatever request she might have in the future.
Oh no, what to do? If she pushes him further, she knows that the result will not be favorable for her.

"Alright but before we both agree to this, I want you to meet someone....actually two. You have to promise me no matter what you won't be upset and will let me explain."

"Okay."

Bai Qian was shocked by his quick reply. Finally she found her voice.....

"Let's go. I want to take you somewhere."

Why is she being so secretive and mysterious?

He studied her face, the more he look he realized it wasn't enough. He wanted more, but now is not the time to give into the temptation. There was a glow in his eyes as his face broke out into a smile.

"Alright only if you'll allow me to be your chauffeur."

Bai Qian nodded her head. She was too nervous to be driving anyways.

Why is he being so agreeable? She prepared herself fully in case he resisted but it all went too smoothly.

She reach for the door handle and their hands touched as a tingling sensation traveled up her arm. She retracted her hand quickly. He smile at her action.
He proceeded to open the passenger door for her, she climbed in and sat down. She reach for the seatbelt, then his scent hits her nose.

Near, he's so near. She can feel his warmth.

"What...what are you doing?" She asked breathlessly.

Her eyes closed slowly as he move closer to her.

"What are you expecting Qian Qian?" His breath near her ear, sending goosebumps all over her body.

Mo Yuan's body is brushing against hers, his scent filled the air, then she heard a click. He pulled back slightly and gave her a knowing smile.

"I'm just helping you with your seat belt." He whispered softly.

This!!

_____

Park.....

The park covered a wide expansive area. There were benches for people to sit and jogging tracks weave around well manicured trees. The sweet floral fragrance from the many varieties of flowers gently drifts in the air.

Entering the playground, the beams of sunlight blindingly reflecting the metals on the monkey bars....causing his vision a moment of blindness. The colorful swings, swung back and forth accompanied by pint size humans with radiant smiles that stretch from ear to ear.

"Qian Qian, I didn't know you want for us to play at the park. Was this one of your wish?" He teased her.

Her mind was a jumble of what he would think of her, would he be upset? She stare at him closely to determined his mood, too nervous to react to his innuendo.

Good....he seems to be in a good mood by his teasing comment.

Mo Yuan reached out and gently pinched her cheek. His lips involuntary curved into a sweet smile, which made him appear more appealing.

She shyly stepped back and put a safe distance between them.

She pulled her phone out from her purse and dial a number.

"Hello?"

"Chou Xi, I'm here. Where are you?"

"The boys and I are by the pond looking at the ducks."

"Alright, I will be there shortly."

Chou Xi hung up the phone and crouched down at the boys' level.

"Xiao-Ming, Yue-Ming mommy is here and she brought someone to meet you."

"Really?" Two heads look up and twirl slowly back and forth, while eyes scanning the surroundings.

Bai Qian lead Mo Yuan to the pond. With each step forward, her heart threatening to burst forth from her ribcage.

Mo Yuan look over at Bai Qian. She seems to be lost in thoughts. Her eyes are looking ahead but the focus are not there.

Why does she look so nervous?

"Mommy, mommy..."

Mo Yuan's head turn when he heard a child's voice calling mommy. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Bai Qian's face broke out into a big smile, erasing all the nervousness that he saw earlier.

Mother? She's a mother to a child? She have a child with another man?

Mo Yuan didn't realized the shock had made him stood stock still. Bai Qian was a few steps ahead of him with her arms spread wide as she bend over to hug two boys. He can't see their faces because they buried their heads in the curve of her neck.

The boy on the left of him look up. His little eyes sizing up Mo Yuan, then recognition can be seen in them.
The bright sun hits Mo Yuan's face, making it hard for him to see clearly.

"Daddy!" Xiao-Ming scream excitedly as he struggle out of his mother's arm.

Daddy? Their dad's here?

"Yue-Ming, daddy is here."

Mo Yuan turn his body sideway to look behind him, but there was no one there.

The boys surprised Bai Qian by recognizing Mo Yuan as their father. Although she had shown them his pictures but she doesn't talk about him much.

That's because she doesn't know much about him....

They struggled out of their mother's arms and two set of feet ran as fast as it could towards their father.

Two little arms wrapped around each of his leg as their little face upturned. They scream excitedly.

"Daddy."

"Daddy, you're finally here to see us."

Daddy? They just called him daddy?

Mo Yuan knelt down. He blinked as his eyes adjusted. Their happy little faces became clear.

Twins, they're identical twins. They are exactly alike, that it's like looking into a mirror and seeing your reflection.

Then a thought entered his mind.

There's no denying who the father is. They look exactly like him when he was at this age. Realization hits him....

Mo Yuan's eyes became misty as their warm bodies hugged him. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared at them transfixed. His arms slowly, hesitantly came up and wrap around their bodies.

Bai Qian notice that hands that was hugging herself are pinching into her skin. She quickly dropped her hands, but can't figure out what to do with them. Instead they clasp and unclasp each other as if in reassurance.
Silence lingers in the air.....

"Daddy, why haven't you come see us?"

"Daddy, are you here to play with us?"

Mo Yuan's big hands move up and cup each of their faces. Silent tears fell down his face slowly.

"Daddy, why are you crying?"

"Daddy, why are you sad?"

Crying? When did his tears fell....

Mo Yuan wiped his tears away without taking his eyes off them. He doesn't know how he found his voice but he did.

"Daddy is happy and these tears are happy tears." His voice sound hoarse to his ears.

"Happy tears? How can tears be happy?" Xiao Ming wonder aloud.

"Daddy, you're silly!"

"Tell me what your names are."

The boy to the left answers first. His chubby full cheeks begging to be pinch.

"I'm Yue-Ming."

Without missing a beat as if their minds are connected as one, the boy to the right quickly reply.

"I'm Xiao-Ming and I'm older by two minutes." He stated proudly.

Finally the day that she dreaded is here and she can't help but feel a great burden have lifted off her shoulders. Her brain is actively searching for any sign that he's alright.
This sunny day would either see the dawn of their new life or snap the already fragile bond into two.
She felt like she had aged a decade in the past three hours.

Slowly, his senses started to send reports back to his brain. His mind hurt, but his chest was the worst.
In those brief moments she was looking his way he was struck by how tensed and worried she'd looked. This beautiful woman in front of him has touched his life in so many ways. He knew he should be extremely mad at her but the joy of seeing what they have created override his anger.

There eyes locked in a shared understanding.

Bai Qian.....
My heart is weak, my soul is deep with words I can't speak.
But, would you listen, understand, or even believe?

Mo Yuan....
Stunning and beautiful not a flower nor a tree,
More breathtaking than those and only I can see,
My heart beats your name right down to the core.

                                NOTES

-Bai Qian's italic thoughts/quotes is by Ankul Chandra.
-Mo Yuan's italic thoughts/quotes is by Eric Pribyl