Because Luhan was so warm and comfortable, it only seemed realistic that he’d have trouble waking up, even amidst the sounds of Youri playing loudly and Sehun’s laughing.

He was so warm and comfortable that none of that even seemed to matter, not when he was exhausted, settled from the first full meal he’d been able to keep down in weeks, and cushioned by a soft blanket placed on top of spring colored grass. No one in their right mind would want to get up, Luhan included, at least not until he heard Sehun fumbling for his phone, which probably indicated Youri was doing something worth watching.

Or just that Sehun was being an obsessive father. It was hard to tell some days. But with Youri clear of her terrible twos, something that had brought nothing but frustration and tantrums, Luhan was more inclined to believe that a mellowed three year old Youri was probably doing something cute.

Cracking open his eyes everything was bright. Too bright. Luhan fought the urge to duck his head under the blanket and go back to sleep.

But then Sehun was there, leaning over him and blocking out the light, and grinning wildly as he said, “Hi there, beautiful. Have a nice nap?” Sehun kissed him gently, fingers down Luhan’s stomach. “Feeling better?”

“Actually, yes,” Luhan said, sitting up fully. The sun caught his wedding ring and blinded him for a second, and that told him how long he’d been sleeping. When he curled up for a self proclaimed five minutes of rest, the tree they’d been picnicking under had provided ample shade. Now the sun had moved significantly. “Where’s Youri?”

Sehun laughed and pointed, reaching once more for his phone a second later to snap a picture. “She’s determined to catch that butterfly.”

Luhan’s eyes focused and he quickly found Youri dashing through the grass and flowers, chasing after a fluttering butterfly that was just out of her reach.

“Video,” Luhan said, nudging Sehun. “Get some video. We’ll send it to Suho to encourage him to get on having kids.” Suho, who’d ended up loving America and relocating permanently, had recently been sending them pictures of a green eyed, brown haired American girl that he looked to be utterly in love with. Luhan had a good deal of money riding on the assumption that Suho would marry her before the year was done.

“Got it,” Sehun said, and followed her movements diligently with his phone as Youri pleaded for the butterfly to hold still. And then demanded it.

Luhan lugged himself up to his knees, seeing that Sehun had already put away all of their picnic items, and the cleanup was finished. “If that butterfly knows what’s good for it, it’ll stop and let her catch it.”

Sehun lowered his phone and leaned over for another kiss from Luhan. “I really hope she doesn’t catch it,” Sehun said, wincing as Youri took a tumble. But then Sehun looked nothing but proud when she got right up, dusted off her knees, and kept going. “Because you know if she catches that butterfly, she’s going to want to bring it home, and that’s not going to happen.”

“I think she’s giving up,” Luhan said, grinning a bit madly as Youri shouted angrily at the butterfly about its rudeness before turning on heel and charging back towards them.

When she reached the blanket she threw herself down on it and remarked in her pitchy, young voice, “That butterfly is rude.”

Luhan smoothed down her bangs and told her comfortingly, “Some things are meant to be free, Youri. Some things are only beautiful when they are. And you wouldn’t have been able to keep the butterfly anyway. Do you understand?”

“No,” Youri said with a frown, then she rolled over onto her back and asked him. “Why did you sleep, baba? Are you tired?”

Luhan kissed her forehead and asked back, “Are you tired?”

Recognition appeared on her face and Youri declared, “I don’t need a nap!” Then she was off running, tumbling through the grass, jumping around as if to prove her point.

“She needs a nap,” Sehun said with a laugh as he tipped Luhan’s head back to kiss him, and with the kind of fervor that teenagers usually only had. “But I think she’ll sleep in the car.”

Luhan felt Sehun’s hand on his stomach warm and protective, and suggested between kisses, “We could tell her why I’m tired all the time. She asked me if I had the flu last week, you know, and then insisted I wear a mask around her.”

Sehun smiled another kiss against Luhan’s lips. “We can tell her later tonight, if you want. But god knows how she’ll take no long being our only baby.”

His pregnancy was a good thing. That was what Luhan found the most comfort in. He’d always wanted more kids with Sehun. And Youri was old enough to be a big sister now. After two and a half years of marriage to Sehun, and the learning curve that was Youri, they were ready for another. This baby, unlike Youri, had been planned. Luhan and Sehun had purposely gone off birth control months ago, and had fully expected to get pregnant.

Luhan had no reservations about being pregnant again. Sure, this time around his morning sickness as fiercer than he’d known it could be, dizziness tended to keep him off his feet most of the day, and his heightened sense of smell was making food the enemy, but Luhan was happy. He was more than happy. He certainly felt blessed that he and Sehun could expand their family once more.

But Youri? She absolutely delighted in being the focus of their attention. How she’d handle a new baby was anyone’s guess, but Luhan was certain she wouldn’t be overly thrilled in the beginning.

“I suspect,” Luhan said, wrapping an arm around the back of Sehun’s neck to keep him in place, “she won’t like it.” Youri most certainly suffered from only child syndrome. And now that Luhan thought about it, a little brother or sister would be good for her. A sibling would teach her patience and sharing, and would probably prevent Luhan and Sehun from spoiling her too much.

“She’ll get over it,” Sehun said, his fingers slipping under Luhan’s shirt to dip at his skin.

“Baba!” Youri called out, running back to their side. “Daddy!” She raced to tell them about the ladybug she’d seen, mixing Chinese and Korean so easily that Luhan wasn’t certain if he should be worried or impressed.

“All right,” Sehun said, heaving off Luhan to scoop Youri up. She shrieked in delight as Sehun dumped her upside down securely and spun her around. “Are you ready to go, princess?”

Luhan laughed at them as he lifted himself to his feet. He brushed off his clothing and then reached down for the picnic basket.

“I don’t think so,” Sehun said, swooping in, lifting it for him. “You carry the blanket, okay?”

Youri was set gently down on the ground and she set off towards the car as Luhan folded up the blanket. “Don’t let her get too far ahead,” Luhan said. On most days Luhan loved Youri’s adventurous nature. He loved that she wasn’t shy in the least bit, and was happy to take risks, experience new things, and seemingly held no fear of the world around her. But she was three now, with fast feet and far more mobility that Luhan had expected her to have just yet. It was scary how easily she could slip away.

“Don’t worry,” Sehun said, holding Luhan’s hand as they walked back to the car. “You know I won’t let anything happen to her.”

They piled into the car after that and made the half hour drive to their final destination of the day.

When they arrived Luhan exited the car with a sigh of relief, and Sehun lifted a sleepy Youri from her toddler seat. She wasn’t quite asleep just yet, but she was getting there.

“Ready?” Sehun asked.

Luhan nodded, and then together they climbed towards the big tree in the distance.

“Jae’s parents have been here recently,” Sehun observed as they approached the grave. There were fresh flowers displayed in front of the grave, bunches of them, in all sorts of colors and variations.

Luhan regretted not bringing flowers of their own, but the act had slipped his mind. Technically, it was called pregnancy brain—the normal forgetfulness that came with being pregnant. But that was Luhan’s excuse. He liked to tease Sehun that he had no such excuse.

Sehun set Youri down on her feet and put an arm around Luhan’s shoulders as he addressed the grave, “Jae. Sorry it’s been so long since we came to pay our respects.”

They tried to come every couple of months. Unfortunately, Jae’s grave was set far out of Seoul, and a lengthy drive to get to. It shouldn’t have been an excuse, but with Luhan barely out of his first trimester, Youri unable to sit for long amounts of time in the car without fussing, and Sehun pulling extra shifts at his job after a recent promotion, it had been too long since they’d come out.

The first time Luhan had come to visit Jae’s grave, months after Youri had been born, he’d felt intimidated. He knew he was standing in front of the grave marker for the first man Sehun had ever truly loved, and the one who’d done everything in his power to give Sehun a family. It was intimidating to think that he might not live up to Jae, or even need to.

The feeling had passed a little over time, but not completely.

“Things have been busy,” Luhan said, watching Youri toddle towards the grave.

Sehun agreed, “We’ll be much better about coming to visit. But hey, we’re trying to make up for it by bringing good news.” His hand curved around the side of Luhan’s stomach in indication. “Be happy for us, please.”

“He would be,” Luhan said, squeezing Sehun’s hand. “You know that.”

“Yeah,” Sehun agreed with a grin. “You’re right.”

Luhan sighed when he when he turned back to the grave marker to see Youri reaching for some of the flowers, her eyes obvious caught by the blooms of pink and purple and blue.

“Youri,” he called out, maybe a little too sharply. “Do not touch your sister’s flowers.”

Youri’s hand drew back instantly and she mumbled, “Sorry, baba.”

Luhan beckoned her over and said gently in Chinese, “Come here, Daiyu. Those aren’t for you.” He hoped the use of her Chinese name and the language would give a clear indication that he wasn’t angry with her, simply unmovable on the subject.

When she was pressed to his legs, uncertainty on her face, Sehun put a hand on her head and said firmly, “You have to be very respectful, okay sweetheart?”

Luhan added, “Your big sister is watching over you and protecting you. So be careful with the things that are meant to honor and remember her.”

“Sorry,” Youri said again, her face pressing into the material of Luhan’s pants.

Luhan dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “It’s okay, baby. Now, go give your sister a bow and a few kind words.”

Youri took confident steps forward to the grave then knelt in the way Sehun and Luhan had showed her. She pressed her forehead to the ground in a deeply respectful bow. Luhan couldn’t hear what she was saying, but the words didn’t seem to be the important part at the moment.

Sehun moved forward after that, kneeling next to Youri to reach out and touch the marker, head bowing as he spoke his appreciation and admiration.

Luhan put a comforting hand on Sehun’s back and together they paid their respects.

Two hours later the sun was low in the horizon, Youri was snoring quietly in her booster seat as they drove back into the heart of Seoul, and Luhan was sleepy with happiness.

“Good day,” Sehun said quietly, his fingers locked around Luhan’s wrist.

Luhan turned to look at him. “Every day is a good day for me with you and Youri.”

Cheekily, Sehun asked, “Even when Youri is throwing tantrums and I’m being unmanageable?”

The amount of love Luhan felt for his family almost made him feel shaky.

“Yes,” he replied, turning slightly so he could see Youri as well as Sehun. “Even then. Because those moments, as trying as they might be, make these moments all the better. But no matter what, I love the both of you very much. We are a family. We have come through the worst of the worst, and we have survived.”

“Because we’re strong,” Sehun said with certainty.

Luhan corrected, “Because we’re unbreakable.”

Sehun hummed his approval a second later, and restated, “Good day.”

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As this is the end, I’d just like to take the time to give a great heartfelt thank you of appreciation to the readers. I’ve truly been overwhelmed by the positive response to this story, and the amount of people willing to dedicate time and emotion to it. Reading about grief and people struggling with it isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but I tried to make it worthwhile in this story, and I hope it felt like that in the end.

As always, I never ask my readers to comment, except for when we finally get to the end. So just this once, please leave a comment. To those of you who comment every chapter, or frequently enough, thank you, thank you. But for my lovely lurkers, this is the time. Speak up. Tell me what you thought overall. All the readers have a full and complete picture of this story now, so tell me, do you like what you see? Was the angst and drama worth pushing through to get to the end?

Seriously, when you readers support my stories, you humble me. This isn’t my job. I’m certainly not getting paid for this. I just write for fun and for myself. So getting a positive response, reading touching comments, and knowing that there are people invested in my characters, means everything. Thank you all so much, and for those of you interested, I’ll be dabbling in Bangtan the next time a story goes up. Look for it soon, and I’ve appreciated every second of this story with my wonderful readers.