Chapter 4

Before Taeyeon had known he was on the plane with his fellow youth group. Sure he wasn’t that religious, but he enjoyed his time with the friends he grew up with. Excitement filled him as he stared at his luggage and his carry on. He watched his group of friends and their parents getting in line to check in. He was excited because he was going to the Philippines with his friends for a mission trip. It was just going to be six teenagers and five adult chaperones. They were going to be on their own.

Picking up his backpack and pulling his luggage with him, he followed his mother to the check in desk. Smiling at the attendant he handed his passport and ticket. He was waiting for this day since a year ago. It was finally coming true. It was his second trip to the Philippines, but it was going to be his last one with the youth.

“So this is it...” Taeyeon smiled as he looked at his mother. His mother was half a foot shorter than him, who beamed a nervous smile. He knew that his mother was worrying for his safety and of course she was going to miss him. Besides, he was going to be gone for a whole entire month.

His mother wrapped her arms around his waist pulling him closer. He grinned and kissed the top of her head before whispering, “I’m going to miss you,”

“I’m going to miss you too Taeng... stay safe,”

A nod was given as a response. Giving his mother one last squeeze, he followed the group towards security. The group ended up taking pictures one last time before a few more hugs and kisses were given. They waved to their loved ones and made their way towards the terminals.

“I remember being so excited for that day,”

“I know, you told me everything about it,” chuckled Jessica as she stood in front of the mirror as she was carefully putting on her earrings.

“...Sorry...” mumbled Taeyeon as he put on a shirt.

“Babe, no need to be sorry. I like hearing your stories, you know that,”

“I know I know...”

The mission trip went by in a flash. It was crazy to think that he was already in the Philippines for a whole entire month. But little did Taeyeon know that he’d get sick during the mission trip. A day before he was to leave southern part of the Philippines, he felt that he had a fever and was feeling very ill. It was six in the morning when he had made one of his friends get their mission director. He wasn’t feeling good at all and he didn’t like it one bit. Before he knew it, he was in a church van headed to a local hospital.

To his luck at that hospital they said he was just tired. But what he hadn’t realized is that when he went up to Manila to see some relatives who lived there, he still had a fever. In a blink of an eye, Taeyeon found himself confined at Alabang’s Asian Hospital. There they had diagnosed him with Dengue, a mosquito-borne tropical disease that kill your blood count.

Taeyeon felt lonely as he was stuck in the hospital with some relatives he barely knew. He wished he was at home with his mother. He wished his mother was here with him, taking great care of him. It made him upset that his vacation time was being taken up with hospital time.

But what was great about this was that he was only confined in the hospital for a week.

“When I saw photos of you in the hospital, it broke my heart,” pouted Jessica as she reached for Taeyeon’s hand.

“But hey, I’m alive and well... what that’s been like almost ten years ago?” chuckled Taeyeon as he took a quick glance at his lover, giving her hand a quick squeeze.

“I know... but I would hate to ever see you in that state. Remember that one time you disappeared on me during school? You joked about it before you disappeared, I almost had a panic attack. I didn’t get your text messages until eighth period, saying that you were at the hospital. I was so close to tears!” Jessica exclaimed.

“I know sweetie. I’m sorry your boyfriend was accident prone back then,”

“As long as you’re alive and well now,”

“I am doing quite well because I have the world’s most beautiful and caring wife,” he playfully grinned as he took another quick glimpse of his wife.

“You cheeseball,” she rolled her eyes hitting him playfully.

The rest of the car ride was silent yet very comforting to the couple. The car ride only took a good fifteen minutes to a little town called Westmont. It’s the town that Taeyeon grew up in for most of his life. He still remembers clearly when his family migrated to the the United States, Illinois to be exact. He never really understood why his family ended up here and not California. But either way, he loved it here, sorta.

When a white Audi A7 had pulled up into a driveway, the couple got out. Taking a deep breath, Taeyeon held Jessica’s hand as they made their way to the front door of a single floor family home. It was Taeyeon’s gift to his parents when he had saved up enough money after landing himself a job at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

“Ready?” Taeyeon questioned.

“Absolutely!”

Ringing the doorbell, a smile crept onto his face at the sound of loud footsteps running to the front door. It could only mean one thing, his mother was home and excited to see them.

NOTE: 

Excuse any grammar errors or spelling mistakes. 

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