Taeyeon wakes slowly, stirring under her covers a good few minutes before her eyes open completely. She can’t help smile when she thinks of Sunny being there; in the house, so close, and knowing she can see her whenever she likes. After a satisfying stretch, Taeyeon looks over at the monitor and listens carefully. The red lights are still and there’s no sound that she can hear, and she immediately becomes concerned.

She’s at Sunny’s door within a minute, knocking gently. She gets no answer, so she opens it and walks in to find the bed empty. It’s only when she hears a noise in the bathroom that her heart stops racing and she rolls her eyes at herself.

“Hi, Taeyeon”

Taeyeon turns to see Jamie walking in with a banana in his hand.

“Morning, James. Hungry already?”

“Nah, this is for Mama; she said the babies want a banana”

Taeyeon picks him up with a struggle and kisses his cheek, carrying him to the bathroom door. She leans her ear toward the door. Jamie mimics her.

“Are you alright, Sunny? You’re not supposed to get up without help”

“I’m fine…” they hear her call back, “I can walk to the loo by myself, I think”

“I got my babies a banana, Mama” Jamie calls in to her.

“Thank you, love”

Taeyeon and Jamie smile at one another, their ears still pressed against the door. They stay that way for a while.

“Are you standing there listening to me on the toilet?”

Taeyeon jerks her head back. “No” she calls back quickly, and promptly carries Jamie out of the room.

...

...

“Ok…” Taeyeon sits on the edge of Sunny’s bed, “Emma’s here and I’ve gone over your needs with her…” Taeyeon clears when Sunny quirks an eyebrow, “so you should be fine while We’re gone”

“I would be fine on my own, you know”

“No, I don’t know. You’re not to be left alone…not yet, anyway”

“You’re very sweet and protective”

The impish smile on Sunny’s lips causes Taeyeon to get up from the bed. “So you’re sure this is all he needs”

“Yeah, he only gets new clothes when he outgrows the others, so one new shirt for the first day is quite enough. The new book bag and the school supplies off the list are really what he needs”

“May I…buy him something else?”

“Like what?”

Taeyeon shrugs. “The girls will be purchasing several items, if I know them, and I don’t want him to feel left out”

Sunny holds out her hand for Taeyeon to take. Taeyeon hesitates, but reaches out and takes it.

“He’ll be overjoyed with the bag and the pencils and paper and things, believe me. But if you really want to, you can get him something else, ok? Just from you”

Taeyeon squeezes Sunny’s hand and then lets it go. “Thanks”

...

...

“Taeyeon has herself some place here” Sooyoung says to Sunny after taking a self-guided tour of Taeyeon’s beach house.

“This is nothing; you should’ve seen the palace in the hills she owned before moving in here”

“She likes her comforts”

“No…well…I think the monstrosity in the hills served a purpose for her”

Sooyoung pulls out her art tote from an even bigger tote and s it. “And what was that?”

Sunny picks a strawberry out of the fruit basket Sooyoung brought her and bites into it. “Mm, she wanted the girls close, but also far enough away…if that makes any sense”

“Really? She seems totally into her kids…and yours, for that matter”

“She is. And she was, but…she was still dealing with the death of her wife, and I suppose the girls were a reminder of that”

“Oh. She’s been through a lot, huh?”

“Yes. And some even from me”

Sooyoung swipes a peach from the basket and tosses it in the air, catching it with one hand. “But she still loves you”

“I hope so”

Sooyoung bites into the peach and winks. “I know so”

…

...

“Are you very sure about this, darling?” Taeyeon asks her eldest daughter as a woman wraps a black cape around her.

“Yes Mom, I’m sure”

Taeyeon runs her fingers through her daughter’s dark hair and looks at her in the mirror. “Ok, then” she puts a hand on the woman’s shoulder, “she’s all yours”

Taeyeon walks over to Sophia and Jamie, and they all watch as Bella’s hair slowly disappears.

...

...

“I can't believe we finished it” Sunny says, shaking her head, tears forming in her eyes.

“No crying” Sooyoung hands her a tissue and begins packing up her things. “I’ll send it by courier first thing in the morning”

Sunny wipes her eyes. “I really couldn’t have done this without you”

“You are pretty hopeless with a crayon” Sooyoung smiles.

“Hey!”

Sooyoung flinches when an orange goes flying at her. “Ok, ok, I surrender”

Sunny laughs and sighs. “Do you really think it’ll do well?”

“I have high hopes, so should you”

“I suppose I just don’t want to be disappointed when it only sells one copy”

“Ha! Not likely, Sunny. My mother will buy at least four”

Sunny throws a mango this time and it hits Sooyoung on the arm. She rubs the spot of impact.

“Once you’re out of this bed, you might consider a career in softball, if the writing thing doesn’t work out” Sooyoung tosses the orange and mango back into the fruit basket and gathers her

things.

Sunny smiles. “Do you think you can do me one favor before you go, since Emma’s already gone?”

Sooyoung shakes her tote bag until a bulky pack of erasers falls through the mouth. “Anything”

“I’d love a cup of Chamomile tea”

Sooyoung drops the bag. “I’ll be right back”

...

...

The water’s just boiling as Sooyoung begins to open cupboards in search of the tea. She’s about to go back to Sunny’s room to ask its location when she’s startled by a voice behind her.

“Looking for something?”

“Oh…hey, Taeyeon. Yeah, um…Sunny wants a cup of tea so…”

“I’ll get it for her”

Sooyoung and Taeyeon stare off as the voices of the kids float into the kitchen.

“Right” Sooyoung says, and purses her lips, “I’ll leave you to take care of it, then”

Taeyeon’s eyes follow her as she leaves the kitchen, and somewhere in the back of her mind a small Sunny-voice is reminding her to ‘tolerate her’. But Taeyeon shakes the voice out of her head as the kettle begins to whistle.

...

...

Sooyoung waves to Taeyeon and the kids as she passes through the kitchen on her way out. Sophia is the only one who waves back.

“Can I go and see Mama now?” Jamie asks Taeyeon.

“In a moment. We want to surprise her, don’t we?”

Jamie nods excitedly and runs in the opposite direction with his purchases.

“Sophia, can you go and ask Sunny what kind of tea she’d like, please?”

“Sure”

Bella leans against the counter, chewing on a piece of gum. “Did you know that Sooyoung was coming over, Mom?”

“Yes, Sunny mentioned it. They had some work to do or something”

Bella watches Taeyeon put away the mug that Sooyoung had set out for Sunny’s tea and holds back a smile as her mother gets out a proper English teacup.

“Does Sooyoung still want to date Sunny?”

Taeyeon glances at her daughter as she places the teacup on a small tray. “I’m not really interested in what Sooyoung wants, darling”

“But maybe Sunny is” Bella says, and pushes herself off the counter to go upstairs.

...

...

“Mm, that’s so perfect”

“Good” Taeyeon smiles, sitting on the edge of the bed. “How was everything while we were gone?”

Sunny sips her tea and looks at Taeyeon with knowing eyes over the rim of the cup. “Do you think I didn’t hear the phone ring every ten minutes while you were out?”

Taeyeon feigns innocence. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean”

Sunny laughs quietly. “Poor Emma could barely get anything done”

Taeyeon rolls her eyes.

“How was everything on your outing?”

“Very successful”

“And what did Jamie con you into buying?”

“Oh, just a trinket, really”

Sunny raises a disbelieving eyebrow and takes another sip of tea.

“Can I come in yet, Taeyeon?” Jamie shouts from the hallway.

“Is Bella with you?” Taeyeon calls back.

“What’s going on?” Sunny asks.

Taeyeon grins and walks to the doorway. She waves Sophia in, who sits on the bed with Sunny.

Taeyeon clears . “Some of us made some…changes while we were out”

“Changes…?” Sunny repeats.

When Bella walks in, Sunny smiles brightly. “I love it!” she says happily, and holds out her good arm, motioning Bella to her.

Sunny runs her hand against short, dark hair. “You look very beautiful”

“You think so?”

“I do”

“The guy at the shoe store called me young man”

Sunny laughs but has to stop suddenly when her ribs tell her to. “Well I don’t think you look like a young man at all, but a very stylish and sophisticated young lady”

Sophia giggles when her sister’s cheeks show color. Bella glares at her, but ends up smiling from ear to ear.

“And one more…” Taeyeon announces.

Sunny has to cover the gasp that escapes . The tears begin to roll down her cheeks as a short-haired boy stands at the foot of her bed, grinning.

“Surprise, Mama!”

Sunny cries hard, and Jamie takes it the wrong way.

“You don’t like my haircut, Ma?”

Taeyeon hands her a tissue and then pushes Jamie to the side of the bed so Sunny can touch him.

“You’re so handsome, my love” she says through her tears, and she runs her fingers through his short hair.

Jamie nods and smiles. “And look…” he points to his left ear, where a small diamond is now blinding Sunny, “Taeyeon let me get my ear pierced!”

Sunny stares at the jewel attached to a hole in her son’s ear. She looks up at Taeyeon, sniffling.

“As I said, just a trinket”

Sunny shakes her head and turns her attention back to Jamie’s hair. “You look wonderful, sweetheart”

“Now I’m like Sungmin” he tells her.

Taeyeon sits down cautiously on the bed. “You alright with his ear, then?”

“I told her not to let him do it, Sunny” Sophia informs.

“Alright!” Taeyeon quiets her daughter with a look. “There was a stipulation” Taeyeon looks at Jamie. “Right, James?”

“Right, a stipu...you’re allowed to take it out, Mama” he says sadly.

His face is so pitiful that Sunny has to roll her eyes.

“I think your mum needs some time to think about this, James. Why don’t you all go and wash for dinner”

“Can we eat in here with Sunny tonight, Mom?” Sophia asks.

“No…”

“Yes, you may” Sunny says over Taeyeon.

Three heads turn toward Taeyeon, who shrugs. “I meant yes, of course”

They run out of the room, and Taeyeon thinks she might be able to make a break for it, too. After all, Sunny can barely move.

“Did he cry?” Sunny asks after a short time.

“He tried very hard not to”

Sunny wipes her eyes and nose and drops the tissue in the bin next to the bed. “He’s been asking for that since the last time Sungmin came to visit”

“Like I said, he knows you have the authority to remove it, but he was so adamant about wanting it, and I thought about what you might do in the same situation and…”

“I was going to let him on his next birthday”

Taeyeon breathes a small sigh of relief.

“I just…I wanted to be there”

“You can be” Taeyeon smiles, and pulls out her camera. She presses a few buttons and hands it to Sunny.

And Taeyeon watches Sunny watch the video she took of Jamie choosing the kind of earring he wanted. And Taeyeon smiles as Sunny laughs, when on the video, Taeyeon tells Jamie he cannot get the big hoop earring. And Taeyeon wants to lean in and kiss Sunny when she begins to cry as she watches Jamie try not to, after the piercing gun goes off.

And that’s when Taeyeon gets up quietly and leaves.

...

...

“Everyone all tucked in?”

“James’s already asleep” Taeyeon replies, leaning on the doorframe to Sunny’s room.

“He had a big day”

“Yeah”

Sunny smiles sweetly at Taeyeon. “What are you going to do now?”

“Work”

“…Right”

“Unless you need something”

Sunny shrugs the shoulder on her good side. “No…I mean…well maybe you could sit with me for a bit”

“What for…?”

“…Does there need to be a reason?”

Taeyeon’s relaxed posture changes and she stand up straight and crosses her arms. “I suppose not”

“Then come and sit” Sunny pats the empty side of the bed.

Taeyeon clears and walks in the room, rounding the bed and sitting back against the elevated portion of the mattress.

“Do you really need to sit as far away from me as you can?”

“What? I’m not…”

“If I blow on you you’re likely to fall off” Sunny teases.

Taeyeon glares at her playfully. “You’re injured, and I don’t want to hurt you”

“I’m not made of glass, Taeyeon. And don’t you know by now that having you close helps me heal?”

Taeyeon looks away for a moment. “Ok, then” she says, and scoots closer to Sunny; close enough to feel the warmth of Sunny’s body from underneath the covers.

“There, you see? I haven’t shattered”

Taeyeon leans back uncomfortably, putting her hands behind her head and crossing her legs at her ankles.

“So…”

“So…?”

“How did, uh…how did everything go with your book?”

“We’ve finished it”

Taeyeon tries not to show her disapproval for the pronoun choice Sunny made. She looks down at her crossed ankles as she talks. “So you’re officially an authoress – that’s quite an accomplishment”

Sunny hooks brown hair behind her ear and smiles shyly. “I’ll happily let you call me that, once it’s actually published”

“You’ve got a contract, haven’t you?”

“Yes”

“And they gave you a deadline because they want it so badly”

“I suppose”

“Then I think Lee Sunny: Authoress, is quite fitting”

Taeyeon waits for a reply but doesn’t get one, so she looks over at Sunny, only to find a very intense pair of brown eyes looking back.

“I love you”

Taeyeon looks away and bites her lip.

“Sorry…I mean…no, I’m not sorry. I love you. And sometimes…even if it makes you uncomfortable, even if you can’t say it back, I just need to say it, or I’m afraid I might burst”

Taeyeon’s eyes flit all over the room and then finally land on Sunny. “Well that’s one mess I don’t want to clean-up, so I guess I’ll have to allow you to say it”

Sunny swats her one, and it surprises Taeyeon, who seems to have forgotten that Sunny still has one good arm.

...

...

Somehow Taeyeon’s work folders end up in Sunny’s bed, and she somehow ends up in her pyjamas. They’ve been sitting in a comfortable silence. Taeyeon working, Sunny reading. It’s only when Sunny yawns that Taeyeon’s concentration is broken.

“Tired?”

Sunny’s eyelids blink slowly. “No” she shakes her head.

Taeyeon squints at her from behind her glasses. “It’s late; you should go to sleep. I’m sure Squirrel and Banana are exhausted”

Sunny rubs circles on her growing belly. “But I don’t want you to leave” she sleepily whines.

“Ok, I won’t. But only if you go to sleep”

“How does that work? You stay, I sleep?”

“Exactly. I’ll sit in the chair with my work while you nod off”

Sunny yawns and nods in agreement. “I need the loo first”

“Right” Taeyeon quickly throws her folders on the floor and gets off the bed, walking around to help Sunny.

“I can do it alone, Taeyeon”

“Just let me help, Sunny”

So Sunny lets her.

She takes Taeyeon’s hand and begins to pull herself up, waiting for Taeyeon to wrap an arm around her waist, like she has every time before. And even though Sunny would like some independence, she has to admit that having Taeyeon’s arm around her feels so good, and she wonders why she bothers to fight the help at all.

“Thanks” Sunny says when they reach the bathroom door.

But Taeyeon doesn’t let go. And when Sunny looks up at her, she’s shocked to see Taeyeon staring at her lips.

And when Taeyeon steps in closer, causing the back of Sunny’s head to rest against the frame of the doorway, Sunny her lips quickly, readying herself for the kiss she’s been waiting more than two years for.

“Oh!”

Taeyeon lets go and steps back quickly. “What? Did I hurt you?”

“No…no…” Sunny reaches for Taeyeon’s hand and puts it on her pregnant belly.

“Oh” Taeyeon whispers, and bites her lip.

They stare at one another with identical expressions as they simultaneously feel the movement coming from Sunny’s womb.

Sunny breathes out heavily and begins to tear up. Taeyeon tries not to break out into a huge grin, but fails miserably.

“Is this the first time, then?” she asks.

Sunny nods as her bottom lip quivers. Taeyeon nods right back, swallowing the lump in .

And they stand in the doorway of the guest bathroom, eyes open wide and mouths fluctuating between smiles and lip bites and gaping ‘O’s’.

And Taeyeon can feel something inside herself crumble to pieces.

....

....

....

....

So much for short chapters lol

Thanks for reading guys

enjoy :)