The warm hand that slid up my torso was immediately slapped away. I smiled when I heard a low grunt from behind me. The hand attempted once again and got the same treatment. This time a deep whine was heard instead.

“Are you really going to act like this?” my husband asked. I could picture eyes as he glared at my back. Even if he looked cute when he did that, I was still upset with him.

“Yes. Don't touch me.” I retorted with an attitude. Wu Fan groaned loudly behind me and I heard him stomp his feet like a child. I turned off the faucet and dried my hands with a small towel nearby. The dishes were done, and the rest of the kitchen was cleaned as well. I was thoroughly satisfied with the clean house. Only one thing was bothering me now. And the man standing behind me was a big part to it. I heard him approach me again.

“Go away Wu Fan. I hate you.” I growled. But I couldn't stop myself form smiling when he whined and hung his head on my shoulder.

“Minseok I said I was sorry! What more do you want?” he cried and s his arms around my waist. I shrugged him off with out a thought and headed in to the living room just to make him follow me. He did exactly that, tugging at my shirt and crying that I stop ignoring him and be a good husband already. I proceeded to ignore this and sit on the couch. I let him lay his head in my lap but I didn't touch him any way.

“Minseok, I'm sorry. I really am. I promise I'll never do it again.” Wu Fan's hand were running the length of my chest gingerly. He nuzzled his face in to my stomach and growled at me.

“You owe me.” I said and his head popped up with excitement.

“Of course, I know that.” he nodded eagerly. I scowled, “You are the worst husband ever. You know that right?” I questioned. He grimaced and shook his head. I scoffed at his denial.

He'd once again bought me a pumpkin pie, and then eaten it all.

He knew I loved pumpkin pie, and yet still he proceeded to eat it all and then act like I couldn't be upset. I was ignoring him for the whole day until he came in whining and begging me talk to him again.

“I know my love. I'll do better I promise.” he smiled. He puckered his lips in expectation, and really how was I supposed to deny him a kiss?

“You better buy me new pie by this weekend.” I warned and planted sweet pecks over his lips and face. He chuckled and pulled my face closer by my neck. He easily deepened the kiss and soon enough I was lying on top of him. His hands traveled to my backside, he not so subtly began to me. I pushed off his chest and glared at him.

“No till I get a pie.” I smirked and got up off of him. I could hear him groaning in annoyance all the way to the kitchen. But even though I said that, when night time came I still ended up beneath him and his name.

And in the morning I'd found two fresh pies in perfect containers on top of the counter.

Things had gotten better to say the least. The day after I'd returned home there was a sense of renewal. It was like having a dirty closet packed with the worst things. The dirty closet had been cleaned out, it was fresh and nice to look at. My life with Wu Fan had been cleaned, our relationship was stronger and better. I'm not sure how long it had been since our small falling out, but I knew I trusted him more. He had worked his hardest to earn my trust again, telling me every little thing I wanted to know. And he even supplied information I had no clue about, but it was all about being honest.

Like that fact that Tao had been sending him letters.

He told me that a few months back Tao had began to send him letters in small envelopes. When I'd asked him what they were about, he shrugged because he didn't know. He hadn't opened them. He showed me them, there were four in total, and sure enough they were sealed.

He told me he didn't want to know, he didn't care. I was his focus now, he didn't want the past to interfere with our marriage.

But the reason I really knew I could trust him again was after I'd asked him a rather difficult question.

“If Tao came back, and she needed your help, what would you do?” I asked him one night as we laid together. He had his head on my chest, he was tracing patterns over my pelvis as we relaxed together.

“It depends. But honestly, I would help her.” he sighed, and moved up to kiss my nose and lay his head next to mine.

“I'd help her, but I'd only give her exactly what she needed and nothing more. If she came back and asked me for money I'd tell her where she could get a job, if she came back and said she was homeless I'd tell her where the nearest motel was. If she came back and told me she loved me I'd pull you close to my side.” he intertwined our fingers.

“If she needed protection, I would protect her. Keep her from harm. But after the problem was dealt with I'd send her on her way.” he carelessly shrugged. And I couldn't find any fault in his answer. I knew he would feel obligated to help her of course. He was a good person, helping her would be the right thing to do. But he would do it in a way to respect me as well.

With this answer I just knew, that his love was only for me. That he wasn't hiding anything from me anymore. That I could trust him with my heart. I felt comforted to know that my husband, the man I loved so much would be willing to help out his ex-wife even when she was an evil snake. Because the man I loved did the right thing.

Although maybe the right thing meant not eating my pumpkin pie. In which case he did the wrong thing every single time. But even then, he always made up for it with bouquets of plumeria. Asking for forgiveness while confessing his love to me again and again.

Months went by, I'm not sure how many. I didn't really feel the need to count the days so much. I was just thankful to wake up next to Wu Fan, to spend the day working side by side with him and with my friends. I enjoyed smiling and laughing freely, I liked being able to be open about my feelings later at night when we had our little meetings.

I got lost quite honestly, lost in love. However cheesy that may sound it's true. Not only was I lost in love with Wu Fan, I was in love with my family; I didn't think I could find better friends than the trio. They were supportive, fun, I was always comfortable with them. Ani was my new mother. I'd gotten in to the habit of visiting her whenever I just felt like talking about nothing. We talked about my family, her days as a slave, she told me folk stories, and my favorite was when she taught me to cook hawaiian dishes. I was in love with my home; the river was my meditation site, the mountains always took my breath away in the morning. I got used to the everlasting heat and I embraced it. I enjoyed the warm nights, even when it rained the air never turned too cold. I would spend many weekends in the forest, laying in the roots of trees next to Wu Fan, letting the humidity melt me down and letting time wind down so I could enjoy a moment. I was just in love with my life. And at the time I couldn't picture it getting any better.

But then my little gem came along. And things got a lot better.

The rain had been pouring for weeks with no end. Wu Fan had warned me over and over again to not go down to the river, it was rising rapidly and the current was too strong for anyone to swim in. I thought he was being a little dramatic, but Luhan graciously reminded me of how his little sister had passed.

“Seriously Minseok, I don't want to lose you too. That current can rip you from you feet in seconds.” he told me with large eyes. I nodded with understanding and promised all of them that I wouldn't go anywhere near the river.

With the rain pouring down twice as hard, the harvest had become more difficult. They weren’t able to plant any of the sugarcane since the soil had turned to sloshy mud. Only the rice paddies were fine as they were, the only problem was that they couldn't drain the fields completely. I decided that I didn't like the rain during those weeks, it made it difficult to walk around, I could barely stay dry. And even though Wu Fan looked incredibly y with wet hair, it caused him to get sick. I had to take care of him for a few days as he laid in bed with a fever.

Just when I thought the rain would never end, one day it stopped. For one whole day it stopped, the sun came out and for 24 hours we had peace.

But the very next day the gray clouds returned, and heavens cried once more.

It was on this exact day that I woke up with a sense of dread.

It ripped through me so fast, it was overwhelming and it yanked me out of my sleep.

I didn't know what it was, but I woke up in a panic. I was gasping frantically as I looked around. I couldn't remember having a bad dream and I knew where I was. So why was my stomach uneasy? I laid in bed, trying to will myself back to sleep for a bit, but something inside of me kept me awake. Not only awake but very alert. I was aware of everything, and yet I didn't know anything.

When Wu Fan woke up he asked if I was okay, I seemed off. That was exactly how I felt. My senses were off because they were hyper aware of everything. The anxiety in my gut was killing me. I asked him if he was okay, did he feel sick, was he hurt? Maybe this was the reason I couldn't sit still? But he was fine, he didn't have a cold and he had not dangerous bruises or cuts to speak of.

I tried to let it go and relax. I got up with him and we went in to the kitchen to have breakfast. I subconsciously walked over to Yixing and looked at him sternly in the eye. He was standing at the stove like usual as he made breakfast. He gave me a peculiar look.

“Are you okay Minseok?” he asked. And really I didn't know if I was. I didn't answer him and placed a hand on his forehead. He didn't have a fever. So Yixing was perfectly fine as well. With an annoyed huff I sat next to Wu Fan and waited.

But there it was again, the pull of my nerves. Something was wrong, something was not right and it was killing me. I didn't know what it was.

When Jongdae and Luhan came in I watched them with irritation. Nothing was wrong with them either. So it wasn't my family. So what was it?

With the anxiety attack I was having I couldn't eat. My stomach was queasy and I felt like my insides had hollowed. I shook my head in anger, what was it?

I could feel every minute that ticked by, every second that passed. The more I couldn't figure out what was wrong the more I felt the urgency in me rise. Whatever was wrong it was getting worse.

By lunch I couldn't sit still or even stand. I was pacing back and forth as the hairs on my arms stood up.

“Minseok? Do you want to eat something?” Wu Fan's worried voice made me stop my walking. I felt bad for him, he didn't understand what was going on, but neither did I. Even though I still couldn't stomach anything I held my breath and sat down next to him. His arms automatically wrapped themselves protectively around me, and I tried so hard to stay still for him. But I just couldn't.

God my nerves were on fire, this panic that was running through my mind and down my body was driving me crazy.

And then finally, as we were all sitting down I heard it.

It was while Jongdae and Yixing were laughing together, Wu Fan's hand was gently running through my hair and I could see Luhan in my peripheral silently chomping on his food. It was then that I heard it. It was so faint I thought for half a second it had been apart of my imagination.

A small cry.

My head whipped up and I strained my ears. Had I heard that? Was that real?

I listened impatiently, wondering if I'd made the sound up. But Jongdae and Yixing stopped laughing for a moment and all was quiet.

There it was, a small cry. It was so distant, and yet I could hear it as if it was only coming from the next room.

And not just any cry I realized. The sound gave me chills and all my body wanted to do was charge forward. I needed to find that sound, find where it was coming from. Because god help me it sounded like a baby crying.

“Did you hear that?” I basically yelled out loud. My heat was pounding as I tried to hear it again. Never mind the four pairs of eyes that looked at me dubiously. And there was complete silence again. The small cry echoed in my ears. I sat straight up, my finger pointing the air as if the sound was visible.

“See? You hear that?” I questioned. The still stared at me. After a beat of silence they too tilted their heads to listen, but there was no sound.

“I don't hear anything.” Jongdae said first. A chorus of agreements followed. I slammed my hand down on the table in frustration and told them to be quiet and listen. This was the thing that had been making me anxious all day, what kept me on my toes, the thing that was terribly wrong.

This time I heard it loud and clear. It was a baby crying—no screaming at the top of it's lungs. My heart was drumming quickly in my chest and the anxiety came to its peak. Something was indeed very wrong. Because there was no one else out here with us, no one lived close to the river like we did. So how was there a baby crying near us? And more importantly where was it coming from?

I quickly turned to Wu Fan and begged him, “Please tell me you hear that?” but he shook his head no. He seemed like he wanted to hear it for my sake, whatever it was that I heard. I stared at them all in shock, they really didn't hear that? Had I gone crazy?

“You don't hear that?” my voice rose at them, “You don't hear that baby?” I asked. I watched their eyes bulge in disbelief at what I had just said. Yixing's mouth had fallen open, I could see him begin to question my sanity.

“A....baby? Minseok there's no babies around here, we're—” he began but I cut him off. I heard it again.

“I hear it! Listen!” I screamed. And we waited. I could hear the screaming as it began to sound more painful, it was becoming a constant noise to me, but I watched in horror as they all shook their heads. They didn't heart it. How could they not hear it?

I desperately turned to my husband, I shook his arm, “Wu Fan! Please tell me you heart this?” I begged. But he looked lost and confused.

And then the more horrifying moment hit me as I turned my head back and forth.

I realized where the sound was coming from, which direction it was at. I couldn't believe it, that was horrible, impossible. I had listened to their sentences and thought that I would never have to witness this. Tears formed in my eyes and I couldn't breath.

“Well...I'm just saying, if you ever happen to come across an abandoned one like in the river, I'm just letting you know I wouldn't be opposed to it.”

“After their babies were born, the women had no choice but to wrap them up tightly and leave them by the river.”

Oh please no.

A harsh cry left my mouth. My fingers were tightening in to fists.

The sound was coming from the direction of the river. It was echoing as if it was surrounded by the boulders next to the water. But it had rained for weeks now, that river was flooding. There was no way. My feet carried me forward, my thoughts only trained on that sound.

“Minseok? Where are you going?” I heard Wu Fan's voice but I didn't have time to explain. I could hear the cries growing harsher, cracking with anger and pain. I couldn't control the lump in my throat as I made my way out of the house. The pouring rain pounded in to the ground loudly and repetitively, but I could still hear that sound through it.

It had gotten louder, I was right I wasn't crazy. But that made it all the more scarier.

Wu Fan's hand was on my shoulder, trying to get me to explain what was wrong. The crying sounded desperate and distraught, my anxiety erupted and I began jogging forward. I needed to get to the river. I needed to get there

“Take me to the river.” I demanded as I went. I heard him following me but he tried to hold me back.

“What? Minseok it's too dangerous!” he told me but that wasn't important couldn't he hear that?

But wait...my heart dropped in my stomach.

The sound was getting weaker. I could barely hear it now. His hand gripped my arm and I tore away from him.

And I was running, I was running so fast and the trees were flying by me. My heart pounded as the noise got louder. All I could hear was that crying, all I wanted to do was find that sound.

I was running so fast I almost fell over the cliff and straight in to the river below. My eyes hastily scanned it, I was breathing hard and my eardrums pounded loudly.

And then I saw it. The basket. It was placed on a flat boulder far out towards the middle. But it was there, and the sound that was coming from it pulled me. All I wanted to do was get to that basket.

A wailing cry pierced my ears, and my body shot forward.

I was roughly pulled back, I heard myself screaming for him to let me go, I needed to get down there.

“Minseok! Don't you dare—oh my god.” Wu Fan had of course followed me.

And now he could see, he could see what I saw.

“Minseok. Do not go down there. I'm getting Yixing. Don't go down there!” Wu Fan's voice was fading away, and I was left there, watching as the water rose with every drop of rain.

My muscles itched to lunge forward. My senses had been so aware of every little thing, and now they were freaking out inside of me. They wanted—no they commanded me to go forward. To jump in the water and get to that basket.

But Wu Fan had said he'd get Yixing, that he'd get help. Why was he taking so long? The water was rising and it wasn't stopping. And the more it rose, the more the basket wasn't safely placed in the middle of that rock. The water pushed it, pulled it. And I couldn't stand it.

I found myself climbing down, slipping and falling down the boulders that created the natural staircase. When I was mid-way down the trio and Wu Fan finally arrived. Even though Wu Fan was screaming at me to come back, I couldn't. That wasn't an option. The closer I got to the water the louder the scream from that basket got. Like the baby knew I was coming and it was begging me to save it. And I was going to, I had to.

If that meant I was to be pulled under the roaring rapids afterward, that's what it meant.

I reached the boulder that touched the water, the liquid was rushing by me in great foams. I couldn't see the bottom of the river anymore, it was deep and blue and endless. You really could drown in this.

Yixing's voice called to me and I briefly turned around. He was climbing down after me, Jongdae right on his heels. I felt a small spark of hope then. They were both stronger than me, they would work together to get to the basket and everything would be okay. I looked up to the top of the ground to see Luhan trying to calm down my husband who was glaring at me.

He would have to forgive me for this.

I turned back to look at the basket, the crying was still ringing in my ears. But I felt better as Yixing finally reached me, he squatted down beside me.

“Stay here, I'm going to get him.” he told me and I nodded. He turned around to grab on to Jongdae's hand, they were going to create a small chain so Yixing could safely reach out to that middle stone.

But as he turned his head away, the water rose another inch. In less than the time it took to blink my eyes the water rose, and the smalles wave of water gently lapped at the small basket.

That small lap pushed it, lifted it. My world stilled, the only thing moving was that basket, as it slowly slipped in to the quick rapids.

Somewhere in the background I heard Wu Fan, the love of my life yelling, begging me not to. But I had to. I couldn't wait another second.

My legs pushed, my arms reached, and I went plunging in to the water.