The playground was quiet, just the three of us playing for the past hour, breathing in the sunshine as we climbed on the fort and helped Sophia go down the slide numerous times. I was enjoying watching Tae patiently wait while she took one step at a time up the ladder, close behind her to stop her from falling then sliding behind her or coming back to catch her at the bottom. He was having as much fun as she was.

Sophia wanted a swing and she ran ahead of us as Tae reached for my hand, dangling them between us as we followed. Helping her into the swing, we stood in front and behind her, pushing her between us. Tae was looking over her head at me, grinning in between pushes and sending me suggestive expressions to which he earned eyerolls in return. He could be sassy if he wanted to and knew when to use it to try and get what he wanted. Almost all the time it worked and he knew that too.

As we all relaxed together a little boy ran up, a little bit older than Sophia. Glancing, I saw a lady had come with him, sitting on a bench nearby, on her phone. Tae looked out of the corner of his eye and pulled his hat down a little more over his face but he didn't need to bother, she wasn't paying any attention to us or her son.

"I want a turn," he demanded.

"Sure you can when we're done," I answered, continuing to push Sophia higher and higher.

"I want one now, there's only one swing here."

"I know, we won't be much longer. Why don't you go on the slide until we're done," I suggested, looking at the mum who hadn't even noticed we were talking to him.

"The slide is for babies, I want the swing."

"OK little man, in a few minutes," Tae answered this time, his voice kind but his tone firm.

"You talk funny," the little boy said and I sighed. This kid needed some manners.

"I all done Mama," Sophia said and we let the swing begin to slow, Tae reaching to put her down on her feet as he lifted her off. The little boy climbed on and used his legs to push himself off, clearly his mother was fine with him entertaining himself and we left him to it as Sophia raced back to the fort.

"Charming little boy," Tae whispered in my ear as he glanced at the mother who was still intent on her phone.

"Yes, he's delightful," I grinned and we followed, watching as Sophia climbed up and raced across the play equipment. Tae went to wrap me in his arms as we stood relaxing near the fort and then pulled back. The mother may not look like she was paying attention to us but that didn't mean she wasn't secretly snapping photos. Instead he stuck his hands in his pockets although he didn't step away from me.

"Walt, we're going soon," the mum called and the little boy whined.

"Awww mum, we just got here!"

"And we got things to do. Hurry and do what you want to do, we're leaving in five minutes."

A wind raced past us as the little boy appeared, climbing the fort ladder and running across the climbing ropes. He caught up with Sophia, rushing past her and I frowned. She hadn't stumbled but I didn't like how careless he was. Sophia was super friendly with everyone but I noticed she didn't try to engage with his child, clearly she had formed her own opinions about him too.

"Do you want to go get something to eat Sophia," I asked, thinking it was snack time and a good excuse to move away from the little whirlwind.

"OK, we have TaeTae's food?" She was coming down the rope ladder and Tae moved closer as she put her feet into the gaps to help if she needed him. She had been introduced to a lot of the snacks Tae liked and was a fan. It got me thinking that integrating her into Korean culture might not be too difficult, especially starting at a young age.

"Sure you can BugBug," he answered and then grunted as Walt came barrelling down the rope ladder next to Sophia, causing it to sway and she lost her footing right at the end as she stepped down, landing awkwardly on her hands and knees, throwing her head back and wailing.

Scooping her into his arms, he held her against his shoulder, rubbing her back and whispering into her ear as they walked over to me. Gone were the days when she only wanted me when she was sad or hurt. Tae was also able to calm her and it gave me so much relief to see how they had already bonded.

"It's OK baby," I said, meeting them halfway and giving her a kiss on her head. Tae held her while I checked her knees, brushing off the dirt and kissing the palms of her hands where they had gone red and were scratched from the impact. She was sniffling, tears drying on her cheeks as her initial hurt began to subside.

Walt careened past again very close to us and Tae frowned. "Slow down little man, you'll hurt someone again."

He was promptly ignored and his words disappeared into the retreating back of the little boy.

"Nice try, some kids are just annoying," I said and he was still frowning.

"He hurt Sophia," he said, sounding more than annoyed and looking to the mother who was still not paying any attention.

"It's probably not his fault, he needs someone to teach him to be gentle."

"I'll teach our kids to be careful of everyone, our son needs to be respectful of the girls in his life."

I just about fell over hearing him talk about 'our kids' and 'our son', blinking a few times.

"What," he asked. "Don't tell me you'd just let him get away with being rough with other kids?"

"Our hypothetical son? I'd like him to be like you. Sweet, kind, gentle with everyone you meet."

"I don't know that first big word you said."

"Ummmm, it means our son who doesn't exist."

"Oh, but I think about him. And the others as well."

"I know you've mentioned four or five before. Now that you've spent all this time with Sophia, do you still want more?"

He had moved Sophia to his hip, her head was resting on his shoulder, snuggling in close with her thumb to her teeth. He looked at her, then at me and smiled. "More than ever," he said, leaning close, brushing his lips quickly across my cheek.

"Walt, time to go," the mother said, standing up from where she hadn't previously moved and beginning to walk away as Walt ran to catch up with her. I did feel sorry for the little boy, it really wasn't his fault that he wasn't taught how to behave nicely. But I didn't want to focus on him.

Now that we were alone again in the park, I wrapped my arms around Tae's neck, encircling both Tae and Sophia in my embrace.

"You are going to be the best kind of dad," I said, connecting our mouths. When we broke away, I stared at him, heart eyes obviously evident as he spoke.

"What's the look for?"

"You were ready to jump into Papa Bear mode back there," I said with a soft smile.

"That little boy was saaghan sanlan," he said vehemently and I made a note to look it up, clearly not a word he wanted to use in front of Sophia.

"I love you."

He looked surprised at my sudden declaration. "You'll protect her," I explained.

"I'll always protect what is mine, hangsang."

We had started to walk back to the van to get Sophia snacks and clean up her knees and he opened the side door when we got there.

"You're getting very lucky tonight," I breathed into his ear as he carefully sat her down on the van couch.

Raising an eyebrow at me, he smirked. "Very lucky? How does that differ from just lucky because I already really like lucky?"

"You'll find out," I replied, my eyebrow imitating his.

"And this is because I was in Papa Bear mode? I just want to make sure so I can do it again," he grinned.

I laughed, reaching into the snack box to grab out a little bag of crackers for Sophia and opening it for her as his arms encircled my waist dragging me back against himself, his lips against the back of my ear. Moments like these still always took me by surprise and sent a thrill through my body.

"Yes Tae, that was cute."

"Cute," he asked, biting the edge of my lobe.

"Attractive," I gasped out a little as I answered.

"Attractive," he repeated, tongue coming out to trail down from my ear to the nape of my neck.

"Tae," I sighed out, closing my eyes, feeling the sensations radiating down my body. And then I turned into his arms, facing him as our lips engaged.

"Marley," he said back to me, pressing little kisses to my mouth. "You know I always want this between us, this fun, the spark."

"I love that," I answered. "But Tae, the thing about what happened with Sophia, it was because you were just being you. You keep being you and this spark will always stay because I fell for you, exactly the way you are."

"And I fell for this," he said, sweetly placing his hand on my heart and missing, landing on my breast instead. His mouth dropped open and he spluttered. "That's not what I meant! I meant your heart! Your heart! You know I did right?" His eyes were big and his expression over exaggerated anxiety.

But by now, I had dissolved into laughter and pulled him into me as his laughter joined mine. This, this is what I wanted forever and as we laughed, I moved his hair out of his eyes and returned our lips to each other.