She woke up needing a glass of water, slowly as not to wake up a sleeping Nichkhun, Victoria quietly went out of her bedroom and walked down the stairs and was making the kitchen her destination. She jumped when she saw Miranda sitting on a chair in the family room by the window looking out to the yard, unmoving. She was suddenly worried, she called out.

“Unnie.” She let out a breath of relief when the older woman turned towards her.

“What are you doing up?” Miranda inquired.

“I should ask you the same. Can’t sleep?” she went and poured herself a glass of water and then walked towards Miranda.

Miranda turned back to stare outside the glass wall. Victoria took the other chair and sat there silently.

Miranda finally sighed and said, “Everything is changing.” She arranged the shawl around her shoulders and tucked her legs underneath her. “I don’t know what’s going to happen anymore.” She turns and levels her eyes with Victoria’s. She bites her lip, “Before, I knew what’s going to happen. I knew what I was going to do at this time next year, next month heck even in two years.” She gestures with a hand, “Now, I am stumped.” She sighs again, “I don’t know which one is better anymore, having rigid plans or just being spontaneous.” She shakes her head. “I don’t feel comfortable, it’s so unsettling. You know, I succeeded in this industry by knowing everything there is to know and I was very good at it.” She rubs her temples.  “It was so easy, all I had to do was memorize my lines, follow the directors, research my character, be on time, don’t make mistakes and keep to yourself.” She turns back to stare at the night. “Now everything is different, especially now that I know that I am not invincible. I have no idea if I can do this.”

“I’m so sorry unnie, we should have been more careful.” Victoria said quietly, she was feeling guilty. Miranda had taken the rein of the issue they have on hand. She was the one who talked to SM and informed them of their decision earlier, and that she is supporting them in any way possible. Victoria was also thankful to her members who understood and is supporting her through all this.

“I am not talking about that, dearest. I have no issue about the two of you going public. You both made a decision and are therefore responsible for it. I am just here to support you and let you know that you are not doing anything wrong. It is going to be hard, no doubt about it, but if you both stay strong and fight this through it’s going to be fine, because in all honesty this is none of their business. You two are still just regular people who just happen to have lead an extraordinary life.” She reached out for Victoria’s hand and gave it a squeeze, her gaze so warm and loving it was comforting Victoria to no end.

“So in the end, it will come down to what you two decide. And I am so proud of you for being so brave.”

Victoria stood up and kneels by her feet and Miranda gathers her up in her arms. She leans in and closes her eyes, her mother would say the same things to her but her mother would not be able to protect her like Miranda could, her mother would just worry that she was having a hard time instead of applauding her mature decisions. She is thanking her lucky stars from the day she met this wonderful person who is so important in her life.

“Thank you, unnie. You have no idea how grateful I am that I have you on my side.” She informed the older woman while she buried her face in her neck. She hears Miranda laugh.

“Me and six others, we got your back, Qian. And we want you to stay strong, know that even if it’s just us seven puny women, there could be no other one who could love you like we do.” She suddenly paused and said hurriedly, “Oh and your parents and there’s that Thai boy too!” she lets out a laugh when Victoria giggled.

Victoria pushed away from her “Unnie! Seriously! I thought you already accepted him!” she pouted.

“I was just kidding, dearest.” She embraced her again, “I know how much he loves you, and for that I am satisfied.” She squeezes her tighter, “I know that you are happy with him. So I have no choice but to accept him.” She smiles.

Victoria sits back and looks up at her, “Thank you. I was worried that you wouldn’t approve of him.”

Miranda smirked, “I know you and Maja have the same concern, but you have to understand that although I have allowed those two to be with you girls, that I would still worry and I will still remind them which side I will take because above everything else, you and the girls are my family.” She winks and playfully tweaks her nose, “And family always sticks together, now if they marry you guys, then they become family don’t they?” she smiles at the young woman indulgently.

Victoria made a face, “You are really hard to bargain with, unnie!”

“Of course! Somebody had to play hardball since you two easily gave in to their charms, I really regret not having schooled you girls in playing hard to get.” Miranda closes her eyes and shakes her head in disgust.

“Unnie!” Victoria’s jaw dropped to the floor.

Miranda had to muffle her laughter with a demure hand, it took a moment before Victoria stopped glaring and laughed with her.

They both grinned at each other.

“Why don’t you go on up, your boyfriend might worry with you not beside him, he still suffers from separation anxiety.”

“Quit that, unnie!”

“Oh alright! I was just having fun here. Go on, I will head up soon too,” she gave Victoria a kiss on the forehead after she got a hug from her.

“Good night, oh it’s Good morning already.” Victoria grinned and pressed a kiss on Miranda’s cheek before walking up the stairs and into her room.

She gingerly opened the door and tiptoed to the bed; she climbs in and lay down next to Nichkhun. The moment her head hit the pillow his arms went around her.

“Where’d you go?” he sleepily said to her hair.

“Downstairs, I needed a glass of water.” She rubs his chest.

“Hmm.” He was already back fast asleep.

Victoria lay there thinking, what Miranda said earlier, everything was changing. She buries her face in his chest and takes in a breath. She closed her eyes, it is going to difficult but being with him, in his arms like this, she realized it’s all worth it.

Miranda walked up the stairs a few minutes after Victoria, instead of heading towards her room, she detoured to two others first. She checked on her girls, she arranged the blankets around Melissa and took the iPad that was lying on the bed and turned it off before setting it down on the bedside table. At Maja’s room she had to do the same, she suspected the younger woman was video chatting with her boyfriend back home, so her iPad was also stowed neatly in her nightstand and Miranda made sure that the blankets were also secure around her, she knows that the girl will just kick it off later but she still fussed until she was satisfied.

They both are going later tonight, she was half relieved half sorry that they were leaving, but she promised that as soon as she’s cleared to fly she will be on the first plane home. Siwon had told her once that her coddling the two too much will just make them dependent on her, she reasoned that she never had siblings to spoil so she is doing this to them and besides it’s not like she does this every day and that sooner or later she will not be able to do this to them anymore, safe to say he lost that argument, or maybe he didn’t want to get on her bad side.

She entered her room and prepared for bed, she was still thinking about what she just told Victoria. Everything was changing, taking her by surprise; all her plans went down the drain the day she collapsed in that set. She realized she may not have enough time after all, she is on borrowed time now and she doesn’t know how long this one is going to last. Her future doesn’t look so infinite anymore. She is worried about her life with the man she loves because try as she might, she doesn’t feel she is the right person for him. She feels that he deserves someone better, someone who’s not damaged, and someone who will love him back without a single doubt in her mind. Someone who is better than her certainly be able to give him all that he deserves.

With the issue about Victoria and Nichkhun, she is still worried that things may not turn out as what they planned, she is not really worried about their careers since both companies already had come to terms with their relationship and nothing will change as far as their groups’ activities are concerned, but the turmoil that they will face ahead starting today is either going to make their relationship stronger or break them apart. She is hoping for the first option. She fell asleep trying to come up with something that will help the two.

Siwon quietly opened their bedroom door; he sets down his overnight bag on a chair and walked towards the bed. Miranda was fast asleep; it was already past three in the morning. He was away on location for his film shoot, he decided to come home since it’s the girls last day in Korea, they had a luncheon planned