“And who are you?” the woman asked with a cocked eyebrow and a sickly sweet smile as she took in the sight of Eeteuk with Ryeowook clutching to his front.

“You heard him. I’m his umma,” Eeteuk all but growled, trying to keep the shiver from his voice while Ryeowook still clung to him with his tiny fists, now hiding his head in Eeteuk’s neck. He felt more and more sure that the woman he was standing in front of was-

“That’s funny, I clearly remember giving birth to him,” the woman, Sora, replied, her voice laced with the same sickly sweetness her smile held.

“If you were a proper umma, don’t you think he would remember you?” Eeteuk ground out, the anger bubbling up inside him as she took a step forward, her hand outstretched as if to touch the hiding toddler. Eeteuk turned, feeling the ancient instinct of a parent to protect what was dearest to him, so Ryeowook was out of reach. Sora grinned widely at his response.

“Apparently Youngwoon lost all good taste when I left. Say hi to him from me,” Sora purred before turning, whipping her long black hair to her back, her heels clacking loudly as she walked away from a stunned Eeteuk. Eeteuk only stood still long enough to make sure she was actually gone before he bolted to the stroller. Ryeowook was clearly upset about the whole situation but Eeteuk couldn’t be sure if the toddler actually recognised his real umma or if he was just angry that someone had said Eeteuk wasn’t his umma. Eeteuk quickly placed the toddler in the stroller along with Kiki who was clutched safely to Ryeowook’s chest before he began going home, almost jogging as he pulled out his phone from his pocket. His heart was beating a million miles a minute and he felt almost as scared as he had the night Ryeowook had stopped breathing. He quickly dialled Kangin’s number while steering the stroller with one hand, almost hitting an older lady in his panic as the dial tone rang and the phone went to voice mail.

“Youngwoon, you have to come home! Why are you not answering your phone, damn it? No one is hurt, but I am freaking out and you really have to come home and I can’t tell you why because Wook is in the stroller but you have to come home as soon as you hear this!” he frantically yelled at the recorder in the other end before ending the call. He felt tears begin to roll down his cheeks as he dialled the number for the Han-Kim house, not knowing who of the adults were going to be home today; he just knew that he needed to not be alone with this right now.

“Eeteuk, where are you? Are you alright?” Hangeng yelled through the house as he entered, worried out of his mind from the call he had received. Eeteuk hadn’t told him what was up, simply that he needed someone there. It had been clear to Hangeng that the younger male had been completely in panic, so he had quickly gotten Minnie dressed and headed to the Kim house.

“In here!” Eeteuk yelled from the kitchen as a wail sounded through the house.

“NO! Umma no leave! No leave Wookie! Umma stay! No like lady, no go away umma!” Ryeowook yelled as fat tears rolled down his eyes and he held onto every bit of Eeteuk he could, his tiny nails boring into Eeteuk’s neck in his desperation. Eeteuk sat in the sofa, holding back his own tears as he tried to calm the toddler down again. Ryeowook had dosed off when they had walked home but when Eeteuk had taken him out of the stroller, the toddler had had a panic attack. Eeteuk had barely managed to calm him down before Hangeng’s yell set another panic attack into motion as the young boy thought his umma was going to leave.

“I’m not leaving, Wookie. I’m never leaving you, I promise,” Eeteuk chanted as he rocked the toddler gently from side to side, trying to calm him down and make him relax again. Hangeng hurried into the kitchen with Sungmin on his hip, witnessing the panicking toddler who kept whimpering.

“Umma stay Wookie. Umma stay. Wookie no ‘lone. Umma stay,” the toddler whimpered over and over again, tears still rolling down his cheeks. Hangeng hoisted Sungmin further up on his hip and walked over to the sofa.

“You’re not alone, Wookie. Umma is right here,” Eeteuk assured, kissing the toddler on the top of his head just as his own tears started to fall as his eyes were unable to hold more water. Hangeng dragged a chair over in front of Eeteuk and sat down with a quiet Sungmin on his lap.

“Don’t sad Wookie,” Sungmin tried to comfort his friend with wide sad eyes as he looked at the younger. Ryeowook just shook his head and buried his face in Eeteuk’s neck, still holding onto his umma for dear life.

“What happened?” Hangeng asked, worry washing over him as he took in the sight of his panicked nephew and Eeteuk’s tears.

“She’s back. She took Wookie while I looked away. She’s back,” Eeteuk explained in a hushed voice, trying not to make Ryeowook more upset. “I called Youngwoon, he’s not picking up and – Oh god, the boys! I have to pick