A/N: Warning for sensitive content, mention of a disease I wish doesn't exist.

-

I COULDN’T UTTER MY LOVE WHEN IT COUNTED
AH, BUT I’M SINGING LIKE A BIRD ‘BOUT IT NOW
AND I COULDN’T WHISPER WHEN YOU NEEDED IT SHOUTED
AH, BUT I’M SINGING LIKE A BIRD ‘BOUT IT NOW

-

If pacing back and forth would bore a hole on the floor, Moonbyul’s kitchen would have a sink hole. The blonde’s eyes travelled on her refrigerator door. Plastered on the appliance were numerous polaroid pictures of Yongsun and her. Her stomach dropped thinking about Wheein’s reaction. Moonbyul only wished Wheein didn’t get the wrong idea.

The door creaked open vomiting a sweaty Kim Yongsun. The older woman rushed to where the blonde was.

“Byul-ah,” Yongsun started, “What happened?”

Moonbyul slowly turned and faced Yongsun, “She saw our pictures and heard me said your name. She apologized and then ran off.”

“Sounds like something she’d do,” Yongsun eyed the Polaroid pictures.

“Unnie, I think she got the wrong impression.” 

Yongsun nodded, “I guess so too.”

-

Wheein shook Eric’s hand but this time it felt different.

“Daddy,” The Jungs attention was caught by a child’s voice. The little girl wore a pink Sunday dress and held a worn out bunny on the other hand. She ran inside the room and clung to Eric’s leg.

Eric smiled at the kid and picked her up, “Hannah, this is Auntie Wheein.” The child petulantly hid herself on the crook of her father’s neck. “Sorry, she’s a bit shy with strangers,” Eric soothed his daughter’s hair.

“We know someone who’s the same,” Josie Jung put her arm on Wheein’s shoulder.

“We thought we had to home school Wheein,” The Jung patriarch chimed, “Josie and I had to sit throughout the whole kindergarten.”

“Mom, dad, please don’t expose me like that, I was a kid back then,” Wheein tried to cover her growing embarrassment.

“But Wheein-ah, when you started high school you-” Wheein snapped her head at her mother and widened her eyes. The older woman chuckled.

Wheein poked gently Hannah’s shoulder, the little kid turned to look at her. “Hi, Hannah, my name is Wheein,” she introduced herself.

“Mommy?” The kid looked at Wheein.

“No baby, she is Auntie,” Eric corrected the child. “Sorry, Hannah has the tendency to call every woman Mommy.” A faint trace of sadness washed over Eric’s face, “My wife passed away during childbirth.”

The Jungs gasped. 

“We’re sorry to hear that, it must have been hard raising a child alone,” Josie said sympathetically.

“It was at the beginning. I was still learning how to be a husband and to be a parent by my own was whole different kind of challenge. Luckily Hannah is a good girl. Right, baby?” Hannah nodded and smiled. Dimples on both cheeks of the child appeared.

Amused by the similarities the older Jungs tried to make the child smile again.

“Hannah, do you like chocolates?” Wheein’s father asked. The little kid’s ear perked up.

“Do you wanna come with grandpa?” Victor looked at Eric as if asking for permission in which the latter nodded in approval. The child wiggled herself on her father’s arm asking to be put down.

“We will leave you two alone,” Josie softly said. “I’ll ask Chan Woo to bring snacks.”

“Thank you,” Eric smiled. “Hannah, be nice to grandpa and gradma, ok?”

“Yes, daddy!” Hannah held both of Josie and Victor’s hand gleefully.

Eric turned to a beaming Wheein, “I hope that’s okay, Wheein-ah?”

“Of course oppa. It’s been a long time since I’d seen them that happy,” Wheein sat on the couch and gestured Eric to do the same.

Eric smiled, “Actually, is it okay if we take a walk? You have an impressive garden. I could use some fresh air.”

-

BITES ON ABOVE
BUT NEVER WOULD FORM
LIKE A CRY AT THE FINAL BREATH THAT IS DRAWN
REMEMBER ME LOVE WHEN I’M REBORN
AS THE SHRIKE TO YOUR SHARP AND GLORIOUS THORN

-

The swift smell of fresh cut green grass enveloped the siblings as they stepped out in the courtyard. Wheein loved their garden, her mother kept it personally despite having their own staff. Wheein led her brother to the Victorian gazebo.

“Wheein-ah,” Eric started. “I’m sorry to drag you back here. Your parents told me that you haven’t been home for five years?”

“It’s okay.” The younger woman sniffed a jasmine hanging from the gazebo, “I guess it’s time to come home too.”

“Your parents are very kind, no wonder you grew up just like them,” Eric touched the hanging magnolia and smiled to himself. “Irene adored magnolias.”

“The Jungs treated me like their own, I never doubt their love.” Wheein faced her brother. A somber smile painted on the man’s lips. “The Nams brought you up decently as well."

Eric’s smile grew at the mention of his late adoptive parents, “That they did. I owe them everything.”

“Wheein-ah, I didn’t come here to mess up your life. Believe me, I have no intention of any sort. I didn’t even know I have a sister until recently,” The man sat down on the bench and patted the space beside him. Wheein followed.

“I was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease two years ago.”

Wheein’s stomach dropped.

“I’ve always known I’m adopted, the Nams were honest about that and they never treated me differently. I had numerous counseling about Huntington’s, you know how dominant it is right?”

Wheein nodded.

“Last week, I visited the orphanage that took us in to know more about my family history, if there’s any information at all, that’s when they discovered the mixed up paper work,” Eric breathed out.

“Our biological father suffered HD. He was in the late stage of the disease when our house caught on fire that claimed both of our parents’ lives. I made a copy of all the information I gathered so far. It’s yours if you want it.”

Wheein’s head started to throb again, all the events of yesterday completely forgotten. Her history unfolding in front of her made her heart clenched. It never occured to her to look for her root