Or the time Naeun felt inadequate as a mother and Taemin had to comfort her

"Yoonjae-ah, please don't tease your sister," Naeun asked her son when she heard Haneul scream out in frustration. 

She had just gotten the first batch of the laundry out and had started to clean the kitchen. With the dirty dishes from breakfast and lunch, plus the dirty ones from the night before when she and the kids baked cookies, the kitchen was a mess. While she wanted to clean the everything right after, she still had to get her two hyper kids bathed and ready for bed that night. Her husband was usually the one in charge of the bathing and bedtime stories but he had been on a work trip for a week now so everything had to fall on her shoulders. 

Not that she was complaining. She loved her kids more than life itself and she loved being a mother but she can't deny that it's a hard job. Back then, she thought being an idol and an actress was hard but being a mother, a stay at home mother at that, was definitely a tougher job. When you're a mother, you dont have dayoffs. You can't just stop being a mother even just for a second. But she gotta admit that it was the most satisfying and more fulfilling job she ever had. 

At times like this, however, times when her husband was away, were the hardest part. Call her a clingy wife but having him away was always so hard for her and she knew that it was also hard for their kids. She felt as if she had to somehow make extra efforts just so they're comforted and hoping they don't feel the same gaping hole she has inside her stomach when their father is away. So she sets up activities and distractions. She let the kids play a little longer, and even let them sleep with her in her and Taemin's room at night. As exhausting as it was, they're always kept entertained and she's always kept busy. 

This week, however, was particularly hard for her. Haneul had an ear infection and was crying day and night for two days after Taemin had left and she had to stay up with her in an effort to comfort her child. She also had to ensure her husband that she had everything under control and he shouldn't come home because she knew how important the trip was. Even if she wanted nothing but to have him beside her.

She was pulled out of her reverie when she heard something crash and then a cry from the playroom. She wiped her hands on her apron then took it off, walking towards the commotion. 

Haneul was crying on the floor and Yoonjae was seated far away from her. She looked around the room. Apart from the various toys all over the floor, parts of her daughter's doll house were also scattered. 

"What happened here?" she asked, immediately going into mom mode. 

"Eomma," Haneul cried harder upon seeing her mother, automatically reaching up her arms. 

Naeun picked her up, "It's okay, Haneul. Stop crying, please," she whispered, rubbing her back in an effort to calm her down.

The headache that she had been trying to ignore all week seemed to get stronger.

She turned to Yoonjae. 

One look from his mom was enough. "I'm sorry, Eomma. I didn't mean to. Oppa's sorry, Haneul."

"How about we go take a nap, aegi?" she asked the still crying little girl in her arms. 

She forcibly shook her head against her mother's chest. "Not sleepy, Eomma. I want my doll house. Fix my doll house, please," she said through her tears. 

Adjusting Haneul in one arm, she used her other to wipe her daughter's tears and sweat. "How bout we watch some TV? Pororo?" she asked, trying to appease her. 

Haneul shook her head again. 

"Then what do you want to do?" She tried to set down her 3 year old down but she held on tightly to her neck. 

Naeun's back was already sore from the work she had to do around the house and her shoulders were still hurting from when she had to sleep with Haneul in her arms when she had that ear infection. 

"Haneul wanna stay with Eomma," she said quietly. 

"Aegi, Eomma has a lot to do right now. I still have to do the laundry and clean the house--" 

She stopped when she felt her daughter already shaking her head. Naeun sighed. "Ahrasso. You just help Eomma with her chores, okay? Yoonjae, I want you to tidy up this room. That's your punishment for destroying your sister's toy."

She went back to the kitchen to clean while Haneul sat on one the chairs, happily munching on some snacks while she hummed to herself. She was kicking her dangling feet to the music she was making up. 

Naeun chuckled. Their daughter was too much like her dad. She, too, had her own little world. 

Halfway through Naeun finishing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen, Haneul decided that she wanted to play again so she let her off the chair. Within minutes, Yoonjae was already chasing her happily in the living room. 

She could hear their screams as they went to the playroom then saw as they ran towards the living room. As much as she wanted them to play happily and carefreely, she knew how clumsy both were, especially Haneul. All thanks to her. 

She could feel that sharp pain in her head again and the exhaustion was starting to take its toll on her body. She can't afford to have any more things to clean or any of her babies being hurt again. 

"Kids, please behave," Naeun said, almost desperately through the chaos. And just as she said it, she heard a loud shatter. 

She looked up and saw pieces of ceramic on the floor. Both kids backed away from the broken vase, their faces full of guilt.

"Sorry, Eomma," they both said. 

Naeun's face fell. It was the vase her mom made for her the first time she moved in with Taemin. She could feel all of her bottled up frustration for the whole week seem to reach its limit. She tried to breathe in to calm herself down but she could already feel tears in her eyes. 

She was just so exhausted.

"Eomma, sorry," Yoonjae started to step towards the broken pieces but Naeun stopped him just in time. 

"Step away, Yoonjae," Naeun whispered. "Eomma has to clean this up." Her voice was already cracking and she sniffed while she bent down to start to sweep the broken pieces of vase. 

The kids looked at each other then back at their mom. 

"Eomma, don't cry," Haneul said, her own face starting to scrunch up. "Haneul is sorry." 

Naeun didn't realize that her tears were already streaming down her face. She quickly wiped them away as she got up to throw the last of it in the trash can. 

She sniffed again and looked up, mentally slapping herself for breaking down in front of her kids. She tried to smile, "No, it's okay. Eomma's okay," she assured them, touching both of their cheeks sweetly. "But can you two do Eomma a favor and go play in there for a minute so that I can tidy up the house a little?" she asked gently. "Appa's gonna be home in a few hours." 

Yoonjae nodded, taking his sister's hand. 

"Yoonjae, no fighting please, okay?" Naeun reminded. 

"Yes, Eomma," her son replied, leading Haneul back to play in their room. 

With a heavy heart, Naeun continued to clean the house but the tears didn't stop. 

"Appa!" both his kids screamed out and ran to him excitedly when he entered their house. 

He set aside his luggage. "Ahh, there are my babies," he grinned as knelt down to catch both of them in his arms. "I missed you," he