A/N: This will honestly be the last story in the series, which I will now refer to (as a collective) as the 'Album Series'. This third installment will also exclusively be in Tiffany's POV. Please enjoy the final piece of this series and of these characters.

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{Foreword}

Her blonde hair might as well have been a homing beacon. I zoned in on her figure, her back turned to me. It’s been a while. The past four years after the breakup had been hard, the constant moving and working and practicing kept my mind running past my relationship. I could barely process it, but I always remembered when I laid in my bed at the dorm and reminisced in the first and only time my ex-girlfriend visited. But I couldn’t remember what it felt like to be held by Taeyeon, even if I wanted to. I could only vaguely remember her voice. My gut twisted the closer I got to the blonde. I should’ve talked to Taeyeon. I should’ve texted or called. Ex or not, scandal or not, she was my best friend. I loved her. “Tiffany, you okay?” I dropped my bags and hugged her, sighing, trying to let go of the ache. “I missed you too,” she patted my back, ignoring the cameras around us.

“Jessie, did I do the right thing?” Was I asking about the past or the present? I couldn’t tell. There were too many doubts from both. Was it okay that I stopped trying to change Taeyeon’s mind? Was it okay that I didn’t want marriage or kids? Was it okay that a dozen successful songs were those of heartbreak? Was it okay that I left the idol life? But the woman leaned away and smiled a little. The pressure on my chest eased.

“I think you did the best thing for you in your current situation,” she insisted and I let out a deep breath. It was something I needed to hear. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

I fell down on the couch and sighed as the soft suede touched my face. My body felt like jelly and my brain pounded against my eyes. “I haven’t come over from Korea for a long time,” I groaned and stretched my limbs, popping a few bones.

“Aren’t you supposed to be a master of traveling?” Jessica threw my legs up and sat down on the end.

“I haven’t gone this far for a while, it’s mostly been Japan and other Asian countries,” I mumbled and flopped over onto my back. I stared at the smooth ceiling, letting the wall and ceiling blur together until it felt suffocating. She has a nice place. I wonder if Tae still lives in her apartment. I my lips. “That’s the part I won’t miss, traveling, I mean,” I mumbled and felt the other woman staring at me, trying to read my mind. My heart thumped a little quicker. She was always intimidating.

“Why didn’t you renew your contract as a singer? You never really gave hints about leaving.” I fumbled with the hem of my shirt. Leaving by my early thirties was something I always thought about, but it did look weird when someone knew about Taeyeon. And while it’s always been a thought, I did recall the words Taeyeon told me; the ones where she wanted me to quit after a few more years and not another seven.

“I’m just done with that life. I’ve lived my dream for over 10 years, if I stayed I would’ve just been outshined by the teenagers. I’m fine with being behind the scenes, I can go anywhere and still have a job, at least, until my contract runs out again,” I hummed. I moved to put my arm over my head but froze at the sight of my tattoo. Tae…

“Well, get some sleep. I’m pretty sure you’re also missing that aspect of life.” I hummed and the blonde stood back up. Not many people know I’m back home. I sat up.

“Um, Jess?” she looked at me and I couldn’t stop now. “How’s Taeyeon?” Questions floated behind my eyes at 60 miles per hour, unable to maintain my curiosity. Jessica smiled a bit, but I wasn’t sure what that meant.

“I don’t know; I haven’t talked to her in a long time. She’s busy as , that much I know.” But what is she doing? Is she done with her residency? Is she saving lives? Does she still think of me? Is she in another relationship? I bit my lip, keeping in the word vomit. “Go to sleep, you’ll think clearer by dinner.” I needed sleep.

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My drowsy brain struggled to wake up as the sun bathed my eyes in orange. I managed to sit up and leaned back to steady my wobbling head. I hadn’t slept so deeply in months. It made me feel drowsy, but the happy kind of drowsy. I glanced at the window and sighed. The skyline was beautiful. Orange, red, yellow, blue, it all melted together as the sun set under the mountains. I looked away and felt my mind go blank. Why am I back? The truth squirmed in my stomach and I flinched a little. “God don’t say it,” I grumbled to myself and jumped off the bed. I needed food to get rid of all of the beautiful things on my mind. “Jess?”

“Table!” she called and I walked over, rubbing my eyes as I did.

“Damn, I can’t remember the last time I ate pizza,” I grinned and picked up a slice, taking a bite out of it. “, this is better than .”

“Oh yeah and you’d definitely know.” I choked and she laughed. Being back home made me forget that I wasn’t in a relationship.

“Hey, stuff stresses me out, okay? It was either get a random one night stand or take a break,” I insisted, feeling my limbs grow heavy again. “I couldn’t take a break. Taeyeon would just overload my senses.”

“So you cut down on the time you talked?” Jessica asked and I tapped my fingers a little. The nerves bounced back.

“I never contacted Taeyeon after I visited her 6 months after our breakup…” I flinched as her eyes widened.

“Never? What?! You’re not talking, like, at all?” We weren’t talking at all. For some reason hearing it out loud only dampened my mood, even if it was true that I made no effort, that she made no effort. After the biggest Taeyeon scare my company had, reaching out for my ex seemed too risky. Pushing my feelings for her aside, idols’ phones started getting hacked and I was too afraid to use the ‘Dr. T’ contact. “What the Hell? So she doesn’t know you’re here? Aren’t you guys supposed to be best friends before exes?” We were supposed to be best friends before exes. I let out a shaky breath and set down the pizza slice. Everything was coming at me so fast, it hurt.

“I couldn’t handle my emotions. Whenever I even had the urge to just have a simple talk with her, I wanted to tell her how much I loved her, how much I missed her. And what good would that do? She wants marriage and she wants kids while I…I….” It wouldn’t work. It couldn’t work. “I want her to be happy, even if it’s not with me.” It was draining to just say those words. It was such a dirty feeling, it was on my hands, on my neck, all over me. It felt so disgusting.

“So, what about now?” I took a deep breath.

“She’s probably dating by now—.”

“No I meant with you.” I looked at her. “Do you want marriage? Do you want kids?” Don’t ask me things like that, Jessica. I bit my lip. I once thought I would do anything for Taeyeon. I would’ve had a child with her, I would’ve married her, but the doubt still hugged me.

“I don’t know,” I managed to say and Jessica shrugged.

“I’m not sure what Taeng’s up to. Worst case scenario is that she is in another relationship with someone who wants those things and is ready to get married and have kids with her.” I let out a whimper. Oh my God. That was embarrassing. “That was a funny sound but I’m not done yet. Do you want Taeyeon or do you want a life with her? Wanting her is not enough, it was never enough, she thinks far ahead. Do you even want to be with her in the future?” I leaned back and sighed, burning from my chest. I could barely breathe. But I opened my eyes and all of a sudden I could see Taeyeon, holding a child with her dimple, smiling at me like she was still in love with me. .

“.” I spent months trying to cope with the fact Taeyeon and I didn’t want the same things, tying my heart together to try and get over her but it was too hard. She was my life, my teenage years, my trainee days, the height of my career. I couldn’t erase the feelings I had for her. And now, all of a sudden, I want a family with Taeyeon? “Maybe? I don’t know.” But who wouldn’t be able to love a child with a smile like hers? “Of course I want to be in her future, I love her, but I can’t even be certain if I want what she wants. I can’t even understand if I want marriage or children or if I’m just missing her so badly that I’d do anything. She wouldn’t believe me anyway and then I’d just make her miserable.” My own anxiety was starting to get to me.

“Then don’t get back together,” Jessica shrugged. I hummed. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t be friends. She wants to see you too, I’m sure of it.”

“She never contacted me…I always pulled her down and I can’t do that to her again,” I shook my head.

“Tiffany, it’s been three and a half years since you two have heard from each other. Taeyeon needs to see you.”

Just knock on the door, it’s fine. You’re fine, just knock. I wasn’t sure what would be better, seeing Taeyeon behind the door or hearing that she moved. My mind was a mess and my body ached but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face her. She broke my heart when she denied me. It made perfect sense that she did but it was painful, nonetheless. But I miss her and I need her, and I can only hope that fifteen years was a long enough relationship to make her miss me too. I rang the doorbell and almost screamed. My heart pounded against my ribs, remembering the daydream I had of Taeyeon and our imaginary child. Is it too late to dream? I let out a deep breath as the door opened. Wait. I froze. The stranger in front of me also froze. The child she was holding also froze, mid squeal. Before I could ask if Taeyeon moved, I noticed the red and black flannels she wore. Tae’s PJ’s. A sluggish body walked into view, dressed in a sweater and shorts far too short for me to breathe. “Minnie? Who’s at the door?” Taeyeon looked up and met my eyes. My knees felt weak. This was her girl, her child. “T-Tiffany?”