Tiffany smiles timidly. “I hope you are okay with Italian food.” She waits with bated breath as TaeYeon nods and takes an experimental bite from the pasta.

“It’s really good.”

A relief sigh leaves Tiffany in a rush. “It’s the only other decent food I can cook within limited time,” she informs whilst taking up her fork.

“What’s the other one?”

The blonde is careful not to talk with full, but she already twirls a good amount of pasta on her fork, ready to shovel it into . She was not lying when she said she was hungry. Preparing for a date has always frayed her nerves and left her with growling stomach. She is, however, surprised because she has not considered keeping good appearance and eating slowly like one suppose to do during dates. Tiffany had just slapped a child’s existence on her face; she should not mind TaeYeon eating a little faster.

“Mac and cheese.”

TaeYeon laughs lightly. “Better than my instant noodles.”

“The rest of it is Elisa’s idea, actually.”

The uneasiness comes back. It never really leaves, though. Because from where TaeYeon sits, she can see not only the yellow tulips inside the vase on the breakfast bar, but also the booster seat on the far corner of the kitchen behind Tiffany. And colorful drawing of stick figures on the fridge. And the used pink Sippy cup by the sink. She does not need Tiffany to remind her about Elisa, because the little girl is everywhere even when she is not physically there.

In a vain attempt to dissipate the tension, Tiffany hastily adds, “When she found out about the meal I planned to cook, she nagged me non-stop to make it like more like the date in Lady and the Tramp.” She gestures to their surrounding, hoping the pilot catch on the reference.

Of course TaeYeon does. The candles, wine, and violin playing in the background are too common of a romantic candlelight dinner scene, but the meal of choice combined with checkered red-white tablecloth is a glaring pointer. “You should play Bella Notte,” she chuckles teasingly, but soon her eyes bulge when Tiffany pushes another button on the tiny remote she keeps by her side and the exact song replaces the violin. “Elisa’s idea again?”

“No,” Tiffany grins in triumph, “Mine.”

TaeYeon smiles back, but says nothing. They continue eating in comfortable silence until the song ends and another Disney song blares through the speakers, Hakuna Matata. Both women jolt up slightly when the loud music begins. Tiffany turns it back to the violin from earlier; she avoids creating too much distraction that does nothing to help the situation. The blonde is about to finish her meal, while Tiffany is far slower than her, when she decides to bring back the topic. They can’t sit on it too long and can only stall for so long.

“So... A daughter, huh?” Not the brightest or clearest question and TaeYeon flinches after the words left . She takes a sizeable gulp of wine to steel herself as Tiffany’s intrigued eyes meet her. “You never told me you have a daughter.” Not even the light tone can hide the betrayal seeping from the statement.

“Yes, I carried her for nine months and two weeks.”

A brow up high on the blonde’s temple, as if saying isn’t it what having a daughter normally means?

“Elisa is my half-brother’s.” Mistaking the combination of shock and horror spilling all over TaeYeon’s face as confusion from Elisa’s evident Caucasian characteristics—instead of stemming from the uous presumption the blonde actually has—Tiffany continues on her explanation, “We have different mother. His comes from a long history of blonde hair and blue eyes. The pediatrician did mention the possibility of Elisa’s hair or eyes getting darker along with age, but none happens so far. It’s funny, considering Stephan and I look so much alike and Elisa ends up not having our dark hair or eyes.”

TaeYeon doubts her jaw can drop any lower without having a physician to set them back. “Your brother impregnated you?!” She tries not to act hysterical, but it is too much even for her.

“Half-brother.” Tiffany frowns and turns off the music; it had become annoying. “I guess you can say it like that.” She then shrugs like it is not a big deal. “Although Elisa is not biologically mine.”

“Wait, what?”

Tiffany has a troubled expression on her face. She is sure it is not a topic they should be talking about, especially not with meatballs and tomato sauce in front of them. But one glance at TaeYeon, who has pursed her lips into thin line and brows furrowed together, the ATC relents. She takes part on getting the liquid courage first, though.

“Stephan wanted a child. Mary-Anne—the woman who picked Elisa earlier is the biological mother. I’m just her surrogate mother.”

The puzzle pieces click together in TaeYeon’s mind. “Oh...” She breathes out in relief. “So Mary-Anne is your brother’s wife?”

“No.”

TaeYeon tilts her head in confusion.

Tiffany chuckles nervously. If the surrogate mother business has not made the blonde bolt out of the door yet, then this might. “Stephan is gay. Mary-Anne is his husband’s ex-wife.” She pushes her plate away, having no appetite left. Better get this over for once and all, Tiffany decides and prays that TaeYeon will not break out running after she knows the situation. “Mary-Anne’s ex-husband is infertile. So Stephan had to be the donor. Mary-Anne herself was already on her forties that time. She could donor her ova, but it wasn’t safe for her to carry the baby, so I volunteered.”

Long, deafening silence follows. Tiffany stares at everything but TaeYeon as she tugs nervously on the edge of the tablecloth.

“Is...” TaeYeon trails off, but that one word is enough to make Tiffany look straight at her. “Is your family okay with it? I mean... you’re supposed to be her aunt.”

“They accepted it and I did fed Elisa for the first six months of her life. We agreed on letting her have me as another mother, but she knows the truth. She is very bright for her age, which is expected, considering the fact that she has four parents with different field of work.”

Another stretched silence.

“Let me get this straight,” TaeYeon ignores the irony that the situation is nowhere near straight, “Elisa have four parents. Your brother gave his... ... that lady gave her... egg... and you carried the baby.”

Tiffany nods on every point. “That’s correct.”

“Then what did the other father do?” The pilot normally will not pry, but the situation is too bizarre for her to just keep quiet.

The odd question eases the tight knots in Tiffany’s stomach. “He gave her his name, Elisa Blanca Sanchez.” Just as she predicted, TaeYeon splutters the wine she was sipping before giving another incredulous look. “I know...” She smiles in understanding. “A baby with Asian features, light hair and eyes, and Hispanic surname is extraordinary.”

“Add that to the four parents thing...”

After another long pause, Tiffany can’t help but softly asks, “Do you want to leave now?”

Looking up from her almost-empty glass, TaeYeon sends the brown-haired woman a questioning look. “Do you want me to?”

“No...”

“Then I won’t.”

“After everything I’ve told you about Elisa, I understand if you want to—“

“Watch the movie you promised me.”

“TaeYeon...” Tiffany sighs.

“It’s a lot to take and I need time to process, to wrap my head around the complicated idea... but not now. Right now, I won’t leave until you make good of that movie promise.”

Tiffany can breathe a little easier after the feeling in her stomach gets washed off by the warmth of relief. “You can pick the one you want to watch while I tidy up a bit.” She collects TaeYeon’s and her plates. “And bring the wine with you too, please.”

“Are you sure you don’t need a hand here?”

“No, I’m good. I’m just going to load them into the dishwasher then I’ll be with you,” Tiffany says over her shoulder as she cleans up the dishes on the sink first.

It actually takes longer than five minutes before Tiffany emerges from the kitchen, with a bowl of freshly-made popcorn on her hand. The blonde pilot had used the time to do a little clean up herself. She piled Elisa’s drawings into one neat stack topped by the crayon and set them on the corner of the coffee table then refilled their glasses with wine. She is tiptoeing in front of the movie shelves beside the TV—heels discarded on the side; they were killing her feet—when Tiffany finally takes a seat on the couch.

“Have you picked a movie yet?” Tiffany stifles a giggle. “Or do you need help taking it out?”

“Don’t laugh at my height,” TaeYeon warns playfully without looking back.

“I didn’t. Are you looking for something in particular?”

“No...” The pilot has figured out that the other woman had purposely placed everything PG and above rated on the highest shelves whilst kids’ animations fill the lower ones. She is checking the options before delving lower and pulls out the movie she want to watch and show it to Tiffany. “I’ve found it.”

“Lady and the Tramp?” The mirth in Tiffany’s voice is palpable.

TaeYeon grins back toothily as she takes out the CD from its case. “It fits tonight’s theme.”

Within little time, TaeYeon manages to load it into the device then plops down on the other side of the couch. The vast space between them can fit another person, but neither woman dares to close the gap and it is soon forgotten as the movie starts. The couple becomes so engrossed in it, even though each of them, especially Tiffany, had watched it several times before. Occasional trivial commentaries, popcorn grabbing, and wine sipping fill the moment.

Somewhere along the movie, Tiffany notices goose bumps rising on her date’s arm so she grabs the blanket thrown over the back of the couch and uses it to cover their lower bodies. It forces them to sit closer, shoulders brushing every time either of them makes any movement. TaeYeon feels shiver run down her spine whenever the smooth fabric of Tiffany’s blouse graze her bare arm. The latter must have spotted the reaction because she stops moving altogether and the blonde actually pouts from the lost of contact, but says nothing. That is until about ten minutes later, all of a sudden, Tiffany rests her head on TaeYeon’s shoulder.

TaeYeon’s breathe hitches. She waits and waits, but no further movement or sound is made by the ATC. After letting out a shuddering exhale—the action caused some strands of silky brown hair to tickle the side of her neck and shoulder—she peers onto Tiffany from the corner of her eyes as best as she can without moving a muscle. The brown-haired woman is fast asleep; her leveled breathing is the main indicator.

She must be tired, TaeYeon thinks fondly. She can imagine how stressful an ATC work is, facing hours of directing pilots and holding responsibility of thousands of life then go home to a child to take care of. A child...

The movie and everything else around TaeYeon are muted the moment Elisa comes into her mind. The blonde admits that the little girl is adorable, mostly because she resembles Tiffany a lot. The complicated way she was conceived is a slight put off, but they live in a modern society. Her parents obviously want and love her so much that they went through unimaginable length to bring her into this world then give her not only one, but two sets of parents. Most importantly, Tiffany loves Elisa. And sitting there with Tiffany’s head on her shoulder makes TaeYeon feel content and she will not change it for the world. Not even the permanent existence of a tiny human in Tiffany’s life is worth the price of killing their mutual attraction for each other.

And it’s not like I’m going to suddenly be her mother too. TaeYeon clenches her eyes shut, she has been dozing on and off for a while now. Too fast for that kind of thought, too fast... is her last thought before she lies her head on top of Tiffany’s and follows her to the dreamland.

TaeYeon jerks awake when she feels Tiffany shift beside her.

“Sorry,” Tiffany murmurs, voice laden with sleep, “I fell asleep on you.”

“’s okay,” the blonde mumbles back, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. “You know, about Elisa...”

Still half dead to the world, Tiffany is blindly reaching for the remotes to turn off the idle electrical devices when TaeYeon’s words yank her into full consciousness. “Elisa?” She blinks rapidly in confusion. “What about her?” Her voice is full of concern.

The pilot groans in protest. She did not mean to talk about it so soon, at least not when she just woke up. “I just want to tell you... that it’s okay. I kinda like Elisa too. She is a cute kid with amazing huge family. And I’m not gonna walk out so you can stop worrying and asking every time I frown when you say her name... ‘cause I frown and scowl a lot... on daily basis.”

Tiffany stares at her date with narrowed eyes. “Are you drunk?” She eyes the half-empty glasses and wine bottle suspiciously.

“Nope.” The blonde makes a gruff protest noise from deep inside . “I’m like this when I wake up too early.”

The ATC giggles in response. She leans forward to land a kiss on TaeYeon’s cheek—her typical physical expression of “thank you”—for her understanding, another meaningful speech, and especially for her cuteness. However, the drowsy blonde turns her head on the last second and Tiffany ends up kissing the corner of her lips. Eyes fly wide as simultaneous gasps leave them. TaeYeon is far more alert than she did just a few seconds ago. She feels heat crawling up from her chest to her neck then accumulates on her cheeks, painting them in rosy color of bashfulness.

Tiffany would have giggle again if she has not gotten caught in TaeYeon’s eyes. The onyx orbs have dilated to max, making them practically black and her in. She shifts again to directly face TaeYeon, who is doing the same, without breaking their eye contact. Then as if being pulled by an unseen force, they lean closer to each other whilst instinctively closing their eyes and tilting their head to one side. Except that TaeYeon is tipping her head to her right and Tiffany to her own left, which means they end on the same side. Their noses bump before their lips can meet and they fall apart, laughing at their clumsiness.

But the spell has not faded away just yet. Judging from the bright blush on TaeYeon’s cheeks, Tiffany knows the pilot will not be the one initiating contact, but will not deny it either. The ATC then takes the matter into her own hands, literally. With full determination to perfect their first kiss, she cups both of TaeYeon’s cheeks with her hands. Gently but firmly holding her head in place as she closes the gap between them while angling her head to avoid another nose-bumping incident. Their lips finally meet and it is nothing short of perfection.

TaeYeon sighs into the kiss then begins moving her lips to massage Tiffany’s. Convinced that the blonde will not suddenly move her head, Tiffany lets go of TaeYeon’s cheeks to trail her hands down on her jaws, neck, shoulders, and eventually reach her arms. She can feel goose bumps rising over the pale skin underneath her palms as she runs them along the length of the upper arms. TaeYeon, fueled by the bold move from the ATC, places her own hands on Tiffany’s hips and sneaks one of her thumbs under the hem of the blouse to rub circle over the skin she finds there. Despite their wandering hands and the strong, sweet taste of wine they share, the kiss stays innocent. They go on like that, lip-locking for several long seconds before they have to part.

TaeYeon is ready to dive in again for the second time when she catches red digital numbers staring back at her from the bookcase and she pulls away begrudgingly. “It’s almost midnight, I have to go.”

“Cinderella?” Tiffany, still dazed from the kiss, asks.

The question draws out a bark of laughter from the pilot. “No, Sleeping Beauty,” she banters back. “Ten hours of uninterrupted sleep, remember? I’m on duty tomorrow.”

Tiffany nods, but before TaeYeon can walk out of their blanket cocoon, she grasps her wrist and tugs her back down to the couch. She casts her eyes down on her lap to avoid the blonde’s quizzical stare. “You can...” Her fingers are fiddling and picking on the edge of the blanket on top of her lap, a bad habit of hers whenever she is nervous. She also knows the blush on her face rivals the one TaeYeon sported earlier and it will not be long before the blonde catch up. “You can stay the night if you want...”