⸎⸎⸎⸎⸎

They made love that night. Making up for the days spent apart. Hungrily expressing the love they possessed for each other. To touch and be closer. Whispering words of endearment as they become one again.

Come the beginning of the week and they split up for work again. A kiss, a bid of farewell along with a promise to see each other later they took their own cars.

Sehun received condolences from his coworkers when he saw them in the morning. The news having gotten to them when he took leave for a family funeral. He accepted their words kindly. Then that was the end of it. Everyone dispersed to their desks to resume their tasks. Focus on what they needed to focus on. Life moving on like that.

No matter what kind of turmoil a person experienced the world continued to shift. A person still needed to make a living regardless how much everything hurt.

It was a cruel system.

That afternoon he caught Seol at her desk. Noticing his presence, she glanced up from her computer and smiled. Shaking the bag of lunch, he asked, “Lunch? It’s on me.”

Sitting down in the lounge he spread out the generous amount of food he’d ordered. Figuring it would be awkward for her, he first spoke. “I saw the paper. Thank you, for the article.”

Genuinely smiling, Seol explained, “So that was him? I worried I might have gotten the wrong guy. I’m glad.” The smile eased off her face. “I’m sorry, Sehun, about what happened to your sister.”

“Yea,” he quietly said, “me, too.”

There would always be a part of him that regretted not doing more. Being faster at saving her. For waiting so long to see the signs.

That was all he would ever have left.

“But hey, if you ever need someone to talk to, there’s me as a friend.” Seol kindly offered. “And I’ll still babysit for you.”

He grinned. “I’ll still think about that.”

He hadn’t yet breached the topic of marriage to Namjoo, but he felt she wouldn’t say no to him.

After work he raced off to see her at the restaurant. Catching her smiling prettily his way when she finally spotted him with Kihoon. He patiently waited for her to close up before they returned home together. This becoming a regular routine for them. Would always be one.

Once they sent Kihoon off to bed they settled down at her table to wind down and relax before going to bed. Namjoo brewed him a fresh cup of tea before joining him. Their shoulders brushed when she sat. Sehun closed the gap by easing closer until their arms were touching.

“I haven’t talked with my parents.” Namjoo leaned on his shoulder. “I may not talk to them for a while.”

“Are you holding a grudge?” Sehun asked.

“Perhaps.” She nonchalantly answered.

“Don’t hold it too long,” Sehun advised. “They’re probably hurting as much as you are.”

“I want them to apologize to you first.”

“I’m ok, Namjoo.” Sehun assured. Lifting her head up she shot him a stricken stare. Touching her head, he planted her back against his shoulder. “Although I would like it,” he sneakily grinned, “it’s ok.” Becoming somber, he expressed, “They were just thinking of the best for you.”

His hand slipped down to her shoulder to hold her. Thinking about his parents who neither made the move to come see him nor call him. Plead with him to retract his decision about remarriage. Maybe he didn’t even matter to them anymore.

The thought of abandonment hurt him more than he expected.

“Are you ok?” Namjoo glanced at him.

“In comparison,” Sehun said, “I think you’re very lucky. Your parents still want to see you.”

Removing her head from his shoulder she peered up at him. Softly tracing her fingers over his face before pulling him into a comforting hug.

“As much as I’d like for them to apologize to you, I know they won’t. It makes me really angry even if I want to forgive them.” he buried his face into her hair.

“I guess…I can’t say it’s ok,” Namjoo murmured, “but I still want Kihoon to have his grandparents in his life. I didn’t grow up knowing mine, so I want him to at least experience it.”

His heart ached when he said, “He won’t have an aunt anymore.”

“He has Eunkyung and Junhee,” Namjoo said, “even if they’re not related.”

“Yea?” he smiled. Then his brain did a spin and he straightened. Cheered up by her he said, “And there’s one more.”

“There is?” she frowned.

“Lets go on a date this weekend and I’ll introduce you,” Sehun grinned.

That was where they went. To the fairgrounds at the indoor mall. Where children and babies screamed for the rides. The tickets as expensive as a combo burger at a fast food restaurant. The colored flooring trembled at their feet as if some earthquake was about to destruct earth. Kihoon’s jaws reached ground as his head tilted back to take in all the dizzying rides available.

“Mommy! Mommy!” he instantly pulled her hand. “I want that!” He pointed to a bus ride that went up and down in circular motion. Already, Namjoo heard herself mentally . Wondering what had been in Sehun’s head when he woke her up earlier than usual to get dressed.

“Do you know how expensive the tickets are?” she chided.

He proudly patted his wallet. “I’m not asking you to pay.”

Namjoo rolled her eyes. Obviously, she always had something with him throwing his money around for Kihoon. He expected she would never stop yapping about it.

There was so much activity around them he held onto Kihoon’s hand for fear the son might fly off in search of his own adventure, because mom and dad were too slow. Through this crowd it would be a hell of a search for a four-year-old kid. The whole town seemed to be here this Saturday morning.

They were barely at the doors and Kihoon was already impatient. A whoosh overhead distracted him.

“Look at that!” Sehun exclaimed. Sharing excitement with Kihoon as they watched the overhead train pass by sending a blast of wind over them. From the corner of his eyes he saw Namjoo rolling her eyes.

“Kihoon!” Someone screamed.

Both Sehun and his son searched for the source of voice. Eyes scrolling right then back left to see someone pushing her way out from the crowd. A hand atop her hat to keep it from flying off as she dashed toward them.

“Hi, Kihoon!” Seol ecstatically greeted running up to Kihoon slightly bending down to meet his height.

His tiny hand gripped Sehun’s with strength then looked up at him for guidance. “Say hi to auntie Seol.”

“Hullo,” Kihoon nodded his head.

Reaffirming him by patting his head, Sehun pulled out his wallet to hand over some cash. “My treat. Snacks are on you though.”

“So stingy,” Seol muttered taking the money from him. Smiling she looked at Namjoo with a kind of wink, “Hi, Namjoo. Heard today’s a special day.”

Sehun looked elsewhere to avoid Namjoo’s questioning eyes. He was going to pop the question today and it was supposed to be a secret. He sent Seol a sneer.

“You want to go on rides?” Seol avoided his scorning gaze. Holding her hand out to Kihoon, she said, “Aunty will take you to everything you want to go on today.”

Kihoon looked up at him then without saying a word let go of his hand and happily bounded toward Seol. Already telling her, “I wanna ride that.”

“That’s ok?” Namjoo asked. “You’re going to let him go off like that?”

“We can trust her,” Sehun turned to her. “You don’t?”

“No, it’s…” she mumbled flustered.

“Seol’s a good friend.” Sehun grabbed her hand. “Right now, you’re with me, so don’t think about anybody else.”

He pulled her off toward one of the ticket booths. Namjoo poked at him as he waited to pay, “Why are we going on a ride when we could’ve just taken Kihoon?”

Ignoring her, Sehun thanked the clerk as they exchanged cash for tickets. Spinning around he took her hand and led her through the crowd. Namjoo sighed but went along with him. Asking midway, “Where are we going?”

They passed a court of spinning tea cups and airplanes that simultaneously went up and down. Through a line of children eagerly waiting their turns. Finally halting when they stopped in front of a galaxy of lovers. The magnificent Ferris Wheel.

“Serious?” Namjoo asked kind of bored, unimpressed. “This is a children’s ride.”

A couple of heads turned to look at her. He hushed her, “Don’t ruin it for others.”

“Lets just go look for Kihoon,” Namjoo said trying to walk away.

“No,” he tugged her back by the hand. “We’re going on this.”

Sighing, Namjoo’s eyes did another roll. It took a good six minutes for them to finally get into their green carriage. The machine shifted them up a cube bringing them further from ground, into the air and a more private space. Just as he planned.

“You paid seven dollars for this?” Namjoo peered out the open window.

Sliding forward so their knees touched he waited for her to meet his eyes. There needn’t be anything too special or outgoing. Sehun didn’t think he needed to go to extremes for Namjoo. Show off in public as he proposed. Make a show of his love for Namjoo. Hear the strangers cheer around him as they chanted for Namjoo to accept.

They’d gone through this and that already. Pushing for an extravagant wedding Namjoo never wanted. Diving into a marriage head on and growing accustomed to their new lives, which had become what they had now. Sehun wasn’t intent on throwing another bash for them to celebrate their new lives as they healed from the trauma of their previous obstacles.

“Marry me, Namjoo.” Sehun started. As her eyes sank into his, he repeated, “Lets get married again.”

Her lips pressed and thinned out into a growing smile. Butterflies beat inside his chest. He leaned over to kiss her. Then the box shifted up one causing their teeth to bump. Breaking apart they laughed.

“Come here.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her beside him. Namjoo yelped before landing next to him. She smacked his arm. Unbothered he put his arm around her.

“So, that’s it?” Namjoo asked. “What today’s special is about?”

“Lets have more children,” Sehun said. Receiving a look, he clarified, “I won’t ask you for a soccer team, but lets have enough so that our grandkids will have plenty of aunts and uncles.”

Her gaze melted into his. Understanding the heart in his wish. Pressing her face into his cheek, she hugged him, “Ok. We can do that.”

“We can start tonight.” He teased.

Namjoo loudly giggled beside him as the carriage brought them higher up, further away from the ground below.

⸎⸎⸎⸎⸎

 2 years later…

“Kihoon! Give back his toy right now!” Sehun scolded. Their oldest son screamed angrily. “I’m going to put you on time out. Come here.”

“Mommy! Mommy!” Kihoon wailed from behind her. “It’s not fair!”

A thirteen-month-old Kiwoon babbled from where he sat on the ground. Drooling heavily and rolling a plastic toy truck, what Kihoon had stolen, back and forth. Glued to the corner now, Kihoon cried out of anguish.

“Gosh, these boys,” Sehun murmured walking into the kitchen to help her.

Namjoo pushed him away when he slid a hand around her and attempted to give her a consoling peck. “Not now. I’m busy.”

She was packing lunch for Kihoon, who was now in the first grade. Attending a public school near them where he could safely ride the bus to and from school. She would pick him up at the end of the day.

Shortly after Sehun proposed to her in the Ferris Wheel they’d gone to resign their marriage certificates. No wedding. No immediate family had been invited to witness the ceremony but Seol and Junhee. Packing up happily Sehun moved in with her. Oh Kiwoon joined their family late that year.

When she sent notification that she had remarried Sehun her parents replied back that they hoped she’d made the right choice. Their relationship was still off but they had come to congratulate them without a fit when Kiwoon arrived. Fawning over the new baby and sharing small talk with Sehun.

That in itself was a small step forward. It might take a long time or never at all for the ice that had developed between them to cease. Coming to terms with the fact that her parents would forever dislike Sehun still burned her each time, but as far as she knew there were no more private meetings between mother-in-law and son-in-law.

“I think they still hate me,” Sehun had said after they left. “Your dad never looked me in the eye.”

“I noticed.” She agreed. “I guess they tried.”

On the other hand, Sehun’s parents weren’t much different. They neither cared about her nor called after Sehun often. He’d confided to her what happened between them the last time they were together. Namjoo understood his outburst. She also sympathized with the fact that losing a daughter would never be easy even after years. Yet they remained distant.

There was no message about their remarriage. They had doubted his parents were the least bit happy for them. Although she could tell Sehun had expected word from them, but became disappointed when there was none. She didn’t know how to console him.

Even through all that, his father visited just once. When she gave birth to Kiwoon in the hospital. He’d come to hold the newborn just once. Shared word with Sehun that his mother was still the same. Nothing had changed in their lives. Sehun received the usual mind your own business and just take care of yourself talk.

“I expected that,” he’d confessed that night to her.

When it came to Sehun’s family, times were always difficult and strained. His mother never called, but Namjoo believed she must hear about them whenever his father called to talk to Sehun. Something that happened rarely, but from time to time it came randomly. Sehun happily welcomed it.

Not now, but some day she believed his father would be the first to overturn his anger and forgive his son for whatever he was angry about. It always came at a surprise that no matter how old a person was, anger was the first weapon to be wielded. Forever held against you. Petty or not.

Times would get better, eventually.

“Kihoon’s bus should be here soon,” Namjoo said. “Did you change him?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sehun said. “I’ll walk him out. Stay here.” Wheeling around he called out, “Your bus is here. Lets go. Where’s your backpack?”

Their voices faded as they disappeared out the door. Currently they were looking for a new place. For one, she was pregnant again. This time her belly was protruding even faster than the last. Just three months along and she felt like some obese ox. She couldn’t comfortably move around without bumping into something. Three times already she’d spilled and broken glasses of water. In the end, Sehun had replaced all cups with plastic.

Unlike Kiwoon this baby had not been planned for, so if Sehun did intend to build a soccer team she’d murder him before he got another try with her again. He was already in talks of another baby so their kids could couple up. Merely thinking about it made her head ache. This third one was going to be her last.

Smelling something foul Namjoo glanced Kiwoon’s direction. The baby was bopping up and down excitedly. Squealing with laughter when he looked at her.

“In a moment, baby,” Namjoo called out. She breathed relief when the door opened and Sehun returned. “Change your son’s diaper.”

“What?” he exclaimed with disbelief. “Already?” Groaning he called out, “Kiwoon!” Going to pick his son up he muttered, “Gosh. Can’t you hold it in?”

Namjoo watched them head into Kihoon’s room. Pulling out a chair she sank down. Her feet throbbed. Recently she’d hired a third employee to help run the restaurant, which gave her leniency about going in so often. With these pregnancies it made work a lot easier for her.

Once more she thought, darn Sehun.

“Need help?” he asked walking out with the baby strapped to his chest.

Without replying she held her arms out. Grabbing her hands, he helped pull her up to her feet with a grunt.

“I’ll get your shoes.” He said. When he returned, he sighed. “You should have just remained sitting.”

“So,” she asked irritably, “you want me to sit again?”

“No, no,” he hurriedly corrected himself. “Don’t.”

Grabbing onto the edge of the table he knelt down with a hand cupping Kiwoon’s head securely against his chest and helped slip her shoe on.

“Your dad is such an idiot,” Namjoo sweet talked to Kiwoon when Sehun straightened with a huff.

“Am not.” He refuted. “Don’t be all grouchy. It’s embarrassing when the doctor thinks we argued.”

“I’m not grouchy,” Namjoo argued as they walked toward the door.

“Then smile a bit,” Sehun told. “We’re finding out if we’re having another boy today.”

“It’s not a boy.”

“It’s a boy, because you’re grouchy like you were with Kiwoon.”

“I said it’s not a boy.”

***So, will they have another boy? Who knows xD I couldn't think of a perfect way to end this, so if that sounded abrupt just imagine their voices dimming as they walk out the door as the story ends. And thus, the story has come to an end! After all the tears they're still happy together at the end of the day :) It makes me very warm that despite losing his sister, their children, they made sure, will still have aunts and uncles around them; Seol, Junhee, and Eunkyung. After all the heartache, isn't this worth it?

***Some family dynamics will always remain iffy and messy, so I decided on a not so perfect ending in that aspect. Namjoo and Sehun went on to make their own decisions because it's their life, so I closed everything there. This story was truly heartfelt for me and a very unique experience. I love how everything turned out along the way. It may not be as long as previous stories, but I told everything there was I wanted to tell. As usual Hun x Joo makes everything work nicely oddly. 

***Thanks so much for tuning in and waiting for my updates!! I am so very grateful! It feels like a big accomplishment to me to be able to share my stories with you all. I never expect anything big, but I feel very honored from all your different forms of support. I've written several stories this year, so I am glad to be ending the year with this and beginning another. I'll see you all around! Happy holidays! 

***I am revamping A Thousand Miles, so if you're interested stop by :)