”What happened?” Heechul asked, voice filled with worry. Hangeng was helping Yesung and Sungmin out of their shoes and fleeces while Heechul had gone straight to Leeteuk.

“Donghae had a minor meltdown and yelled at me saying that I am not his umma and then afterwards he yelled at Kangin, telling him he was not a good appa. I think Kangin and I need to talk about this sooner rather than later. Donghae seems to be struggling with me being here and he expresses it through anger. I think we need to address that as soon as possible so he can start being a happy little boy again instead of this,” Leeteuk explained seriously.

Heechul nodded. “Take your time. We can stay all day,” he assured him before heading to the kitchen. He walked directly to Kangin and hugged the man tightly. “You are not a bad father. Remember that,” he said quietly in encouragement before turning around and greeting Siwon and Ryeowook with a huge smile.

“Yesungie, I made you a drawing,” Siwon said shyly, holding out the drawing to the younger while biting his lip nervously.

“A turtle!” Yesung squealed, hugging first the drawing and then Siwon.

A soft smile spread on Kangin’s face at the sight. “I’m not sure where the twins are,” he said directed at Heechul a second before the two boys came bouncing into the room.

“Uncle Heechul!” Donghae yelled before jumping into his uncle’s arms. “Why are you here?” he asked curiously.

“Your appa and Leeteuk need some time to talk so Uncle Hannie and I are going to spoil you rotten while they do,” Heechul grinned, his explanation causing both twins to giggle.

Kangin smiled at his best friend’s antics before Leeteuk caught his eyes, subtly motioning for them to go somewhere else. They ended up in the play room, sitting beside each other on the sofa once again.

“I don’t know what we should do with him. I don’t know how to get through to him,” Kangin sighed.

“I think we just need to give him time. And make it very clear to him that he is not forced to call me umma and that I am not trying to take Sora’s place in his life,” Leeteuk replied before leaning forward, his elbows resting on his thighs and his head resting in his hands.

“We’re one big mess, aren’t we?” Kangin chuckled humourlessly.

Leeteuk laughed dryly. “Tell me about it.”

“All the same I’m very glad you are here to help me with the boys. It’s nice to have the insight of someone else who has a lot more experience than me,” Kangin admitted with a small smile.

Leeteuk looked sideways and sent a smile back. “Do you think he will ever warm up to me?” he then asked. He hoped Donghae would grow to accept him, but he didn’t know if he would. It seemed he had a lot of unresolved business with his mother, and since his mother wasn’t present in his life, Leeteuk wondered just how they were going to help him through it.

“I don’t know. I have no idea how deeply Sora leaving affected him, though it’s clear your popularity with his brothers somehow makes him more aware of her absence. He is very difficult to read because he always internalises things and doesn’t let it show. Except for his outbursts of anger, that is. We have to address them,” Kangin sighed again.

“I know. Maybe we should try to talk to him now. He might get angry again, but it’s better to try rather than just leaving it,” Leeteuk suggested.

“Yeah, I’ll go get him,” Kangin said as he stood up to go get his second youngest son.

Leeteuk remained where he was, letting his thoughts run while trying to figure out how to best explain to the distressed boy that he didn’t want to hurt him or push his umma out of the picture. It saddened him that Donghae was so hurt by Sora’s actions that his initial reaction to a present adult that was introduced after she left brought such distrust and anger with it, thought it was understandable. Some actions were hard to understand even for adults, so it was foolish to expect a child to understand, and if Donghae still believed his umma would come back one day, it wasn’t strange that he was angry at Leeteuk for taking the spot that in his opinion should be left empty for his umma.

Kangin came in again with a sulking Donghae on tow. He sat down and lifted the boy up to sit on his lap. Donghae sent Leeteuk a somewhat frightened glance as if he thought he was in trouble because of Leeteuk.

“Hae, we have noticed that you seem a bit… angry sometimes,” Kangin began. Leeteuk kept quiet for now, waiting for Kangin to ask him directly before joining the conversation. “Can I talk to you without you getting angry now?” Kangin asked, continuing when Donghae nodded hesitantly. “I did not ask your umma to leave.”

Donghae’s face fell and his eyes began to brim with tears.

“I know you miss her, Hae. I know all of you miss her and that’s okay. I would be worried if you didn’t. But I don’t think she is coming back.”

At this Donghae buried his head in Kangin’s shoulder, trying to keep his sobs in. His whole body shook with the effort and Leeteuk’s heart broke completely at the sight.

“I want her to come back,” Donghae cried into Kangin’s neck.

“I know, baby. I know.” Kangin’s eyes filled with tears at his son’s pain.

“Why doesn’t she love us anymore?” Donghae couldn’t hold his sobs in anymore. He really tried to keep faith in his umma but every day she didn’t come back it became harder and harder for him. He had come to love Leeteuk just like his brothers did but he was not ready to give up the hope of his umma coming back.

Kangin tried to fight the anger that flared up inside of him once again, directed at his ex-wife. He couldn’t say anything, he just held Donghae tighter.

“Hae, your umma loves you. She is your umma, she can’t stop loving you even if she wanted to,” Leeteuk decided to take over since Kangin seemed unable to continued at the moment.

“Why did she go, then?” Donghae sobbed, only lifting his head a little so he could cast a glance at Leeteuk.

“I don’t know, sweetie. I really don’t. But I know that it wasn’t because of anything you did. You did nothing wrong.”

Donghae clung to Kangin even more as he continued to sob. Leeteuk wanted to embrace the boy and take all of his pain away, but he didn’t want to invade his private space when he already seemed distressed.

It took several minutes before Donghae calmed down, only hiccupping and sniffling now. “I don’t hate you,” Donghae whispered, eyes on Kangin’s neck rather than on Leeteuk.

Leeteuk smiled and moved a bit closer so he could Donghae’s back. “I know, sweetie,” Leeteuk said and smiled softly at the young boy.

“And I don’t think you are a bad appa,” Donghae then continued in a tiny voice. He knew that he had hurt