NEVER ENDING CYCLE

“Sunhee what did you do?” Jongdae gaped.

The girl just flushed and beamed as she pressed the button bringing the mechanism to a halt.

“She spent the last eight weeks fixing it up and getting it running,” Minseok said.

“I did the paint job though. Carriage four is my favorite,” Sehun said smugly.

Sunhee rolled her eyes at the youngest staff member, who wasn't exactly invited to the day’s events. “Yes Sehun helped. So what do you think?” she asked turning to Jongdae who was holding a tightly bundled Minhwan on his hip.

The Ferris Wheel Garage was so named because of the mini Ferris wheel behind the building. Before her uncle had the garage itself built the lot was an old park that was closed down due to safety issues. Her uncle kept the Ferris Wheel around to entertain clients' kids while they talked business, but as the years went on the wheel broke down and her uncle just didn't have the time to fix it with the garage's increase in work. Now, when Sunhee learned that Minhwan's birthday was January fourth she spent all her efforts into giving her nephew the best present she could.

Jongdae stood in the chilly afternoon air staring at the now still Ferris Wheel with a dropped jaw and wide eyes. Minhwan baby babbling happily in his snow suit, cheeks rosy and bright. The boy seemed to like looking at the brightly colored ride which made Sunhee more than happy.

“Why do all this?” Jongdae asked still flabbergasted.

“Because I wanted to. I like a good project and Minhwan spends a good bit of time here so why not make it more kid friendly,” she explained with a nonchalant shrug. Her hip leaning against the control box for the wheel as she waited for Jongdae's response.

He didn't say anything though which was making the girl nervous, her stomach flip flopping and her heart rate increasing uncomfortably.

From behind Minseok stepped over to his friend and patted him firmly on the shoulder with a smirk on his face. “Just say you like it already. Minhwan clearly does,” he chuckled. “He already wants a ride.”

Minseok was right, Minhwan had started whining and reaching towards the Ferris Wheel. Jongdae was struggling to keep a hold of the wiggling child.

“I do like it,” Jongdae finally said. “It's just . . . A lot, and after Christmas,” he sighed.

“You told me nothing expensive for Christmas, and I didn't. I only got him clothes,” Sunhee said slightly defensively.

“A lot of clothes,” Jongdae muttered.

“I'm a girl,” she pouted. “I have a problem when it comes to clothes shopping.”

From the opened garage door where it was warmer came Sehun's annoying cackle. “You a girl? Now that's funny Boss,” he laughed. “Ouch!”

Junmyeon smacked the boy in the back of the head. “Shut up Sehun.”

Turning back to Jongdae with puffed out cheeks Sunhee kicked at the snow speckled ground. “If it makes you feel better Sehun and Minseok were the first two children to ride it,” she said still scuffing her boot on the ground absently.

All at once Jongdae snorted in amusement while Minseok and Sehun yelled, “Hey!”

“I'm on your side here,” Minseok continued stepping around Jongdae.

Sunhee smirked before laughing at the older guys flushed face. She wasn't suppose to tell Jongdae about his test ride, but he should have known better, Sunhee told Jongdae everything (well almost everything).

“Please tell me you have pictures?” Jongdae chuckled.

“Pictures and video. I locked Minseok at the top and wouldn't let him down,” Sunhee snickered devilishly.

“Excellent,” Jongdae said.

As she moved to pull out her phone to show her flatmate his friend's embarrassment Minseok said, “Oh no you don't.” He stepped over to her and pulled her over his shoulder.

Sunhee squealed at the action, sputtering a laugh as he squeezed her sides while moving to take her somewhere. Minseok didn't get four paces away before the air was cut with an ear piercing shriek of 'mama' that brought him to a dead halt and all the laughing to cease. Sunhee went rigid as wails and cries filled the yard that she had come to know so well. Then she was beating on Minseok desperately to get free, she had to get down.

“Mama! Mama, no!” Minhwan was screaming.

“Put me down,” Sunhee hissed.

Snapping out of his shock Minseok placed her on her feet and Sunhee whirled around to see Jongdae struggling to keep Minhwan in his arms as the boy clawed desperately in her direction. His chubby face was completely red as large tears trailed down his cheeks. The child looked terrified like something horrible had just happened and he now wanted his mother.

“Mamamama,” the child's words bled together as he continued to fight and cry.

Sunhee's heart felt like it was breaking as she looked at the baby boy. She couldn't stop herself from dashing the small space between them and cup Minhwan's round cheeks, wiping the tears away with her thumbs.

“Sh, it's okay. It's okay. Minhwan, sh,” she murmured to the boy soothingly.

The boy clung to her jacket sleeve with his mitten clad hands as he continued to cry and whine. Sunhee looked up to Jongdae with a silent question which he nodded to as he passed her his son. Sunhee held the boy close as she rocked back and forth, patting his back and gently shushing him with promises that everything was okay.

While Sunhee consoled the baby Sehun stepped out of the garage doorway with crossed arms. “What the hell was that?” he demanded incredulously.

“Mouth,” Sunhee hissed a warning before returning her attention to Minhwan. Three months with the guy and all Sunhee had managed to do was get him to stop using '' regularly and start referring to her as Boss instead of ma'am, which had really annoyed Sunhee.

Sehun rolled his eyes as he stopped next to Minseok who still seemed shaken by the boy's explosion. “Seriously though, what just happened? It was like a car alarm going off,” he grumbled.