"Natalie!" Seunghyun called out into the night, turning down yet another street. He was many blocks away from her house by now, and still no sign of her or Niko. At the end of the street, he finally saw someone sitting on a bench. "Natalie?" He jogged over to her, "Natalie, it's freezing out and you didn't even bring a jacket."

She sniffed, hugging Niko tightly against her sweater, trying to keep him warm. "I found him," she said quietly. Niko's paws were all wet, and traces of powdery snow clung to his fur and whiskers.

Seunghyun looked at her worriedly. "Come on, let's get you home," he took off his jacket, wrapping it around her and Niko.

When they made it back home, Natalie brought Niko to her room. He settled down in his favorite spot on her bed, still shivering slightly. He sneezed, and Natalie did as well.

Seunghyun chuckled, "Looks like the two of you went and got yourselves sick."

Natalie was quiet as she sat cross-legged on her bed, staring into her lap. A tear drop rolled down her cheek, and Seunghyun lost the smile from his face. He pulled her into his arms, and immediately she began to sob. He gently her cheek as she cried on his shoulder.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," she choked on her words, "This was supposed to be the perfect Christmas, but now everything is just falling apart."

He didn't know what to say. He could see it as clearly as the next person; it was a matter of professional commitments getting in the way of a once strong relationship. An ambitious man had finally managed to grasp the success for which he had strived through so much of his life, but soon being the head of a company became a more prominent aspect of his life than being the head of his own family. And the woman left behind to hold their relationship together was too busy taking care of others with her job as a nurse to even take care of herself or the loved ones around her. Caught up in the whole mess was a young girl, left alone and uncertain, trying to find her way as she began a new chapter of her life at university, all without the support of her parents there to properly guide her. What this family needed most was simply each other, but circumstances were tearing them apart.

"You know, I didn't think much of it after my dad had that business deal last summer, and his company really had a breakthrough," Natalie wiped her eyes, "But things just aren't the same anymore; he's...changed."

She sniffed, her nose just as red as her tired eyes.

"You should get some rest," Seunghyun said, pulling the covers over her, "I can make you some soup. You're probably going to be sick in bed tomorrow."

"Stay here," she said simply, pulling his body closer to hers. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, and Seun