‘James’s just announced he

wants to be a zookeeper

thought you should know.

off to see the monkeys

with the monkeys!’

Sunny smiles crookedly, reading the text again and again. She imagines Taeyeon being dragged around the park; having to mediate arguments about what exhibit to view next, and she wishes she could be there to share it all with her.

“Sunny, are you going to stare at that phone all day?”

Sunny looks up at a less-than-pleased Sooyoung. “Sorry”

Sooyoung stacks some papers, obviously annoyed. “So, what are they doing now?”

“What?”

“She just text you again, didn’t she?”

She’d wanted to kiss her, if even just on the cheek, when they’d said their goodbyes earlier in the day. But she didn’t. Especially since Taeyeon seemed to be fine with waving from behind the glass of her car window. So she’d stood on her porch and waved back at all four hands as the car drove off. And she lingered on the porch, in case they’d forgotten something; in case Taeyeon turned the car around when she realized that she needed to hug and kiss her goodbye. But that didn’t happen. And Sunny spent the morning crying for several reasons, and no reason at all.

The first text had stopped the tears; made her laugh, even, when Taeyeon informed her that "James has the bladder the size of a lentil bean" and, "at this rate we’ll be lucky to see pigeon by nightfall"

Sunny lays her phone on the table. “Yeah” she sighs, and flips through a book of Sooyoung’ artwork, “they’re looking at the monkeys, I guess”

Sooyoung folds her arms on the table, leaning in. “You wish you were there”

Sunny doesn’t look up, just shrugs.

“You know, I can probably finish this on my own. If you leave now you might beat the evening traffic”

Sunny does look up this time, with a furrowed brow. “I’m not going anywhere; this is our book and we’re going to finish it together”

“Yes, ma’am” Sooyoung salutes.

Sunny rolls her eyes and throws a pencil across the table. “Alright, let’s keep on with it” she says, and picks up a storyboard. But her eyes wander to her phone, and her mind drifts; picturing the faces of the kids as they make new discoveries and laugh and…

“Maybe we should break for an early dinner” Sooyoung says, interrupting her daydream.

Sunny sighs and sits back in her chair. “I’m sorry…this isn’t fair to you at all”

Sooyoung holds up a hand. “No worries, Sunny. How bout I go and pick up some dinner and you can give them a call”

Sunny smiles gratefully with sad eyes. “You’re pretty wonderful, you know that?”

Sooyoung nods, smirking. “Yeah, I know”

...

...

...

“Hey, can you hear me?”

“Hi… yeah…hold on a second”

Sunny hears a series of scratches and what sounds like paper rustling before the background on the other side of the phone gets much quieter.

“Sorry…it’s mad here. I’m cowering behind an ape statue as we speak”

Sunny laughs. “Are you having fun?”

“Loads”

A softer laugh. “Is it very hot?”

“Yes, but not to worry, I slathered James in the cream you sent; he’s now three shades paler”

Sunny smiles sadly and plays with the wrapper of a ginger candy. “You’re taking lots of photos, right?”

“Yes, Sunny”

“Ok…good, well… what are they doing?”

Taeyeon looks over at the kids. “Standing very impatiently while glaring at me”

The crinkling of the wrapper stops suddenly when Sunny makes a fist and throws it in the garbage. “I’ll let you go, then”

“It’s probably best” Taeyeon agrees as the kids appear to be reaching meltdown stage. “We do miss you, and we wish you were here”

And it’s all Sunny needed to hear, really.

“Tell them I love them”

“I will”

She wants to say it to Taeyeon, too. But she doesn’t.

“Bye”

“I’ll text”

“Ok”

“Bye, Sunny”

...

...

...

‘All asleep and dreaming

 of how best to spend my

money tomorrow. How

was your day?’

...

‘You’re a champ. Don’t

spoil them! Sorry I missed

your call, I did so want to

speak to them. Been sick

…again. :(‘

...

Sunny presses her speed dial.

“It’s much easier to talk, don’t you think?”

“Makes sense. I tried to keep them awake to call you again, but they were knackered”

“Poor babies. I did want to hear about their day, though”

“I’m sure you’ll hear all about everything when we get back”

“Yeah” Sunny rubs her belly. “How are you holding up?”

“Honestly? I’m ing wrecked. Between the heat and the crowds and the bloody animal smells…”

“I will admit, I was surprised you agreed to take them all on your own”

“I tried to postpone; I know you’re much better at handling these types of situations”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, you know, kids and everything. You like all that stuff”

“And you don’t?”

“No, I do, but…I guess it comes more naturally to you. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“No, I wouldn’t. I think you’re a great mother; you’re wonderful with all of them. Jamie can’t get enough of you”

“Family trait?”

They perk Sunny’s eyes open, Taeyeon’s words. And when she hears silence from Taeyeon’s end, she knows it was a slip-up. But she doesn’t care, because she said it; she flirted, and Sunny’s going to run with it.

“Can you blame us?”

“Not really; I am rather irresistible”

Sunny can hear the grin spreading across Taeyeon’s face. “Not rather” she says, and scrapes her top teeth across her bottom lip.

“Oh really…”

“Mm” Sunny scoots under her blanket, suppressing a smile.

“Well perhaps when I get back you might show me just how irresistible I am”

“…Do you really mean that?”

Silence.

“I thought not”

“Sorry, Sunny. It’s easy enough to say it when we’re not face to face, I guess”

“Yeah”

“But…” Taeyeon pauses.

“…But?”

Taeyeon clears . “You do know I want to be with you…like that”

“I…”

“Just…when the time is right; when we’ve worked out everything else, you know?”

“Yeah…sure”

Taeyeon yawns and Sunny wishes she were there to cuddle her. “You need to sleep. They’ll be up before the sun, those three”

Taeyeon groans. “Think if I lock the adjoining door they’ll take the hint?”

“Not likely”

Taeyeon laughs through another yawn. “I think I will get some sleep. We’ll call you in the morning”

“Yeah…please”

“Alright. Night, Sunny”

“Goodnight”

...

...

...

“So, what’s the consensus on day two?” Taeyeon asks the children as they wait for their meals.

“I want to be the guy that rides Shamu!” Jamie answers.

It’s not the first time Taeyeon’s heard that today. He’d switched from zookeeper to whale rider the second the trainer hopped on the giant beast’s back.

“It was lovely, Mom. Thanks again for bringing us”

“You are very welcome, my darling” Taeyeon pats Sophia’s hand. “What was your favorite animal, Bella?”

“Um…probably the Beluga whales. But I feel kind of bad for them; stuck in that little tank when they should have the entire sea to roam freely”

Taeyeon nods. “That’s true for most everything we saw today, isn’t it”

“Yeah” Bella shrugs, “I don’t think I want to come back here again, or any place where animals are caged up”

“I understand, and if that’s how you feel, then you don’t have to. I think tomorrow will be a better experience; the animal park seems to have them roaming large areas”

“I hope so…”

It’s the end of the conversation because the food arrives, and since Taeyeon had refused to buy them dinner at Sea World, citing that the prices were an 'insult to humanity', all of them are beyond hungry.

...

...

...

When they walk into the room, the phone is ringing. Taeyeon drops the shopping bags full of stuffed orcas, wet clothes and various books about this and that sea creature, and trots around the bed to pick up the phone.

“Hello?

“Finally! !”

“Jessica?”

“Yes Jessica! Where the have you been? I’ve been trying to call you all afternoon”

“I apologize. My children convinced me that sitting in the front row of the orca show would be ‘so much fun’“ she says, mocking their voices and glaring at the kids as they jump on the beds, “and then a five ton, giant porpoise soaked me and my Blackberry and…”

“Taeyeon, shut up!”

“Sorry?”

“Did you get any of my messages? I must’ve left twenty with the concierge”

“No, I didn’t. Is something wrong?”

“Listen, I’m at the hospital; at Cedars”

Taeyeon’s smile falls. “What? Is it Eden? Yul ?”

Taeyeon hears Jessica take a deep breath.

“Jessica?”

“It’s not Eden or Yul”

“Then what?”

Jessica is quiet for a good minute before she speaks again.

“It’s...it’s Sunny”

....

....

....

This should have been attached to the last chapter, but I didn't feel like it went very well with it. So, yeah.

Thanks for reading and commenting :)

Happpy weekend guys!