Victoria turned and places the vegetables she took out of the fridge in the counter and pulled up her sleeves before she the tap to start washing them. She looks up to check on Sulli’s progress. Her young member was slicing the squash in perfect circles with total concentration that her lips were cutely pursed together.

“Watch your fingers, sweetheart.” She reminds her.

The girl just hummed a response, never looking up from her board.

Victoria grinned, she turns when Maja asked her to taste the sauce the girl was making on the stove. She tasted it and nods,

“It’s perfect.” She takes another taste, Maja beams and danced a jig around the stove, they both giggle. Sulli demanded that she also wants a taste so the cook went to her side with a teaspoon to oblige her.

The three of them were stationed in the kitchen while the rest of the girls were outside. Luna and Melissa were setting up a very long table while Amber was helping Nichkhun with the grill. Krystal was in charge of the dessert table she is proudly setting up under the patio. They have a large number of guests arriving soon, so they are hurriedly finishing up the preparations.

They are celebrating Miranda’s first week at home. The actress stayed in the hospital for another week before the doctors were satisfied and allowed her to go home. It was a good thing really because Miranda was getting cranky at being ensconced indoors, her temper would easily flare especially since she was still having a hard time when she talks, she still slurred her words sometimes especially when she is trying to talk fast and she also gets frustrated when she can’t came up with a word she wants to say, and the constant prodding and poking from the hospital staff was also wearing her patience thin. She was not a grumpy patient but she made everyone know that she was getting bored and wanted to go home.

The three looked up when they heard footsteps. The younger two grinned when they saw Siwon walking towards the family room with a frowning Miranda in his arms. Victoria smiles, Siwon had been very hands on at taking care of her unnie, he insisted in being in charge of her himself but not without a massive amount of protesting from Miranda whenever he tries, but it would be important to note that he always wins.

Miranda was not very happy at how she was being handled. She understood that she had gone through a horrific ordeal but the coddling was getting ridiculous. The doctors informed her that it may take a few sessions of physical therapy and exercise before she gets back to normal. She was still having difficulty with her speech, it alarmed her when she was having a hard time at talking and sometimes forming words but the doctors assured her that with therapy she’ll get it all back.

Her legs would wobble whenever she tries to stand and try to walk. She got in trouble with Siwon one night when she tried to get out of her bed back at the hospital to walk to a chair near the window. He caught her holding on to the side of the bed almost falling to the floor, he rushed over and picked her up while scolding her, something about getting her head bumped and getting hurt was being spewed with angry tones that she didn’t understand most of it.

They would get into these angry bouts that Victoria would have to intervene and make them separate before hurtful words were used. She would end up apologizing to him for causing trouble and he always forgives her. Of course the peace doesn’t last because they would be at it again over something petty that Victoria at some point gave up and left them alone.

It got better when the doctors agreed to send her home. With Siwon back working, Miranda was able to get her independence back, albeit slowly. It was very frustrating for her to have people do things that she normally does for herself, after having lived mostly on her own and even with Ho Sook afoot, she still doesn’t expect people to carry out the things she can manage on her own.

The hospital equipped her with a cane to help her walk but she stubbornly insists on walking without it, she is able to get away with it only when Siwon is away. She argues that she needs to get her strength back so whenever she can she walks around the house mostly unaided, she grits her teeth at her slow progress but there is nothing she could do but reach the daily goals she set for herself.

Miranda had to talk to her godmother and assure the nun that she was already doing great. Carmen was not allowed by her doctors to fly yet and so was Miranda, so for now they are satisfied with video calls. It was a good thing Maja and Melissa came back the week she was discharged, the two flew back home to fulfill their duties but came back as soon as they were able to free up their schedule, so they kept her company at home.

A therapist visits her everyday to help her manage her speech which was improving. For somebody who had no trouble fluently speaking six different languages, it was extremely irritating for Miranda to do exercises but she had to do it to get better. Her brain needed retraining; she was just relieved she didn’t forget anything. She loves it when she gets to set out in the grounds around the house, being outside gets her excited. She was able to persuade the girls to take her out in a nearby park for picnics.

Siwon carefully put her down on the sectional and draped a blanket on Miranda’s outstretched legs. He looks at her seriously, “I promise you that if you get up from this couch without asking for help from anyone of us here, I will cancel this dinner and make everyone go home.”

“You’re a horrible person.” She hissed while her eyes shot daggers at him.

He just chuckles and kisses her forehead before he straightened up. Maja suddenly appeared with a drink in her hand.

“I got this, Pops.” She told him. The two girls had been teasing him with the nickname and he doesn’t mind.

Miranda rolls her eyes at the two in front of her. Her girls had been charmed by him, he’s made them follow her around like she was an invalid. They report to him everyday especially when he had to be on location for his film shoot. She had accused the two of being traitors for taking his side, they ignored her.

“Okay.” He nods, he looks down at her, “I am serious, hon. Heed my words.”

With nothing left to say to him but words that will turn anyone’s ears red, she stuck out her tongue at him. He laughs out loud and tweaks her nose before walking away.

They had gotten into another one of their fights up in her room before he took her down, whenever he is home; he insists that she always has someone by her side. She is not allowed to walk down the stairs by herself or anywhere for that matter, when he suggested that they take home a wheel chair the day she got discharged, she threatened to break up with him if he insisted. It was the only argument