In the original Chinese myth, it's tied around both parties' ankles, in Korean culture, the red thread is thought to be tied around the little finger of both parties. This is a multi chaptered story about the pair chosen by fate to be together through all the ups and downs.

This story is in response to the monthly Genre challenge on The Artist Zone forum. the artistzone(dot com) /index/clubs/17-monthly-genre-challenge/

The name plate on the desk said Robert Chang. Under the tight uniform script four simplified Chinese characters spelled out the lawyer's name.

Beth didn't read Chinese. Mastering the Korean language enough to teach English to Korean speakers was as far as her language skills went. She spent a year in a tiny apartment in Seoul and returned to the United States with a greater appreciation of homeland. It was funny while in Korea she didn't have much reason for dating. But once she got back to the States, she had met Joon.

Joon was everything she wanted in a husband and it only took six months for them to figure out they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Eight wonderful years later the only thing they were missing was a beautiful baby to round out their family.

They had gone through all the test and everything was working the way it was supposed to be. There was no medical reason Beth couldn't get pregnant.

Beth took it personally. At first, she railed against god demanding to know why she wasn't allowed a child. But when her conscience got the better of her, she begged forgiveness. Then she thought maybe the universe didn't think she deserved one.

During the process Joon watched his wife who when they married was vibrant, joyful and full of life become a shell of herself. She had lost so much weight he was fearful. She threw herself into one health craze after another trying to make her body fit for creating another life. But all it was doing was destroying her.

He tried everything to get her to understand that there was a child in their future. They just had to be patient and Buddha would give. It was actually his mother was able to get through to his wife. While he was always the dutiful son, he now did it with gratitude. She reminded Beth that selfishly wanting a child was against both of their faiths. A child was a gift not something that could be demanded. Too many children arrived, and their parents turned their backs on them.

It was after this Beth and Joon decided to adopt. There were too many girl children who were abandoned just because they weren't sons. Beth accepted that maybe she wasn't supposed to have children of her own so she could give these girls a home.

That was why they were sitting in the office of Robert Chang. He was a friend of Joon's and while not an adoption attorney he could help them with all the legal naturalization documents now that the adoption was finalized, and they had brought their daughter back from Korea.

"Joon, Beth I have filed the amended birth certificate with the judge. We will be able to get her a social…"

Robert was interrupted by a knock on the door. Using his most stern voice he answered, "I am with a client."

"I know Robert and normally I wouldn't interrupt but I need to you to take Michael. The hospital called me in. There as an emergency." A brunette Asian woman in her mid-twenties pushed past the lawyer's secretary carrying an infant car seat.

Robert stood from his desk and tried to me his wife midway before she got further into the room. "Can't you tell them that you have no childcare?"

Xia bent over and placed the carrier on the floor and rubbed her forehead with two fingers. Having a child this early in their careers was wearing on both. But to be filial to both of their parents they were obedient. "I would love to Robert. But it was a twenty-car pileup on the interstate and all residents and interns were called in."

"I can watch him. He looks like he is sleeping. Joon and your husband can finish taking care of the paperwork for Tina while I watch after them. It is the least we can do for your husband making the adoption run as smoothly as it did."

To say the Asian community was tightknit in Lima was an understatement. But still Xia wasn't comfortable leaving her son in the care of a stranger. She looked at Robert hoping the man would come to his senses and ask for a continuance or what ever legal term there was for taking a short break.

Robert nodded to her. Patting her on the back and taking the baby bag from her shoulder he ushered her out the door with assurances he would take care of it. When he was sure his wife was gone, he handed the bag with his sons supplies to the woman.

She carried the sleeping infants in their carriers over to the couch Mr. Chang had in his office for talking to clients. For now, she would let sleeping children lay. But if they got fussy, she would take them out and let them play together.