Eunjung grumbles, her eyes never leaving the sight of her wife’s back as she moved around the bedroom. Jiyeon was busy fiddling with her phone and even shoving a set of clothes to her bag. That made Eunjung grumble and sulk towards the bathroom, hoping she could start the day just a little bit better than finding Jiyeon all dressed and ready to leave.

The unsettling feeling in her chest made her want to get her wife’s bag and take away the clothes for good measure.

“Hey, I should go,” Jiyeon says, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom.

Eunjung throws her a disgruntled look, taking her toothbrush and adding on toothpaste, saying, “Wait for me, I’ll send you out.”

From the corner of her eyes she watches Jiyeon carefully who had no qualms in looking away from the sight of her brushing her teeth. She brushed, up and down, up and down, counting down the seconds to minutes. She could see Jiyeon shuffling on her feet.

Tsk, her wife was just too impatient at times.

She brushes the side now, up and down, up and down, counting down the seconds. She sees Jiyeon moving at the corner of her eyes again, and this time, coming closer. Eunjung prevents a grin etching on her foamy mouth the moment she felt warm arms embracing her and her wife pressing on her from the back. She looks towards the mirror, trying so hard not to smile or grumble at the sight of Jiyeon pouting as she props her chin on her shoulders, getting comfortable even with Eunjung’s obvious delaying tactic.

“What time are you going to head to the shop?” Jiyeon questions.

Eunjung spits out a bit of the foam, nonchalantly saying, “In an hour or so. It’s still a bit early and Hyomin’s answering emails. But if she’s not done ‘til then I’ll just leave her and head to the shop alone.”

Jiyeon nods, staring at their reflection with much interest as Eunjung goes back to brushing. Now she’s brushing her molars, forward and back, forward and back, repeatedly at an extremely lazy pace.

“You know, you’re taking really slow just brushing your teeth,” Jiyeon says with a tease. “Should I just go and leave?”

Eunjung grumbles again, rolling her eyes as she brushes her teeth, now violently so. Jiyeon bites her lips with a smile, squeezing her wife even further.

“If you don’t want me to leave so much, just tell me to stay.”

“Why don’t you just postpone the trip? I don’t want you going on the long drive alone,” Eunjung finally says, after spitting out the bubbles from all her violent brushing.

Jiyeon pauses in thought, contemplating on the suggestion. The downside to that is she wanted to surprise Eunjung by inviting her mom over for the reopening, if she didn’t go then there would be no surprise.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” Eunjung asks with a frown, leaning her head against the other. “After the reopening, we should get enough sleep, we’ll go out for a spa date maybe…then we can take a proper day off, just you and me. Then we can head back and visit your parents together.”

Jiyeon was very tempted at that. Even more so, sleeping her worries off seemed to work. Eunjung seriously asked her out on a date? Really? That was a first.

“On a date?”

Eunjung seemed to stiffen up in her arms, Jiyeon noticed. She looked contemplative through the reflection, but she slowly nods with the beginning of a smile. “I guess, yeah, on a date.”

Jiyeon couldn’t help but grin. There was still a chance to fix whatever that needed to be fixed just as long as they were still both in on this. That served some relief to her.

Eunjung hurriedly goes back to her brushing, still very much in a lazy pace as she comfortably leans towards her wife’s embrace, silence wrapping them as Jiyeon smiles to herself.

“We can always go on a date after the reopening…but I can’t postpone the trip,” Jiyeon finally says, staring at the reflection to see Eunjung beginning to frown. “Stop pouting like that, you look like a dog now.”

A sigh escapes Eunjung’s bubbly mouth. She still didn’t feel comfortable to having her wife far away from her but stubborn as she is, she knew there was no talking Jiyeon out of this. “A cute dog I suppose,” Eunjung playfully grumbles, giving up on the topic.

“Rabid actually,” Jiyeon says, giggling at Eunjung’s scowl.  Her laughter rung around the bathroom, pleasing Eunjung’s ears and tickling her as Jiyeon pokes her cheeks until she too bursts out in laughter, seeing her reflection. “Okay maybe, a cute rabid dog.”

Huh, Eunjung thought, she does look like a rabid dog. A cute rabid dog.

As promised, Eunjung had escorted her out the door after prolonging her leave any further. Hyomin watches the couple from the sidelines, her inquiring eyes never leaving, asking, “You’re heading somewhere, Ji?”

Jiyeon turns to her best friend, sitting on her air mattress with her laptop on her lap looking at her in wonder with her glasses sliding off her nose. She smiles, nodding, “Yeah, I’m heading to see my parents.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, want me to come with you?” Funny, at least Hyomin wanted to come.

She did pause to think about it but even if she didn’t want to leave Eunjung with Hyomin, it was still best if she stayed with her. “No, it’s okay.”

“You sure? I can get dressed quick.”

“No, really, just stay here. I’ll be back right away,” Jiyeon smiles at her best friend’s worries.

Hyomin nods, “Well then, I’ll just stay in the shop later, supervise and glare at everyone for you.”

Jiyeon’s eyes widen, playfully gasping, “I do not glare at everyone…at least not all the time!”

A chuckle escapes her best friend, surprising her. Somehow, this came rare these days. Even if she finds Hyomin’s presence somewhat a hindrance sometimes, the best friend in her still wanted to cheer her up. The only time she even chuckles or smiles is when Eunjung forces them out of their best friend, something she—guilty as she was—should have done too.

Eunjung bursts out laughing, “Yeah, well, tell that to everyone.”

Jiyeon glares. But that seems to prove a point, so she tries to stop glaring.

Her wife was grinning like a dork and she couldn’t help but feel a little better knowing Eunjung was taking it easy today, even as she hands her two boxes of pastries she had prepared for her in-laws.

Jiyeon couldn’t help but smile at her wife’s concern. “Thanks for preparing this.”

“No big deal. They’re my in-laws. C’mon, you gotta go so you and your parents can have a lot to talk about and so you can come home earlier,” Eunjung says, slightly pushing Jiyeon to the door before turning to their best friend. “Hey, Minnie, I’ll step out for a bit.”

“Don’t mind me, hang out with Jiyeon ‘cause you’re getting really annoying to me. Go make out or something,” Hyomin says out loud, turning around and waving her hand, turning to her laptop. “See ya later, Jiyeon. Say hi to Mr. and Mrs. Park for me and drive safely.”

Jiyeon chuckles as Eunjung pushes her further out the door, not giving her a chance to bid their best friend goodbye.

“So, I’ll see you soon?” Jiyeon asks, pressing for the elevator.

“Yeah, and call me,” Eunjung murmurs with a frown.

“Okay,” Jiyeon nods. “I’ll go now.”

“The keys are with you?”

“Yeah,” Jiyeon nods, patting her pockets for good measure.

“Okay,” Eunjung nods too, staring at her wife expectantly.

Jiyeon almost laughed at the sight of a pleading look, but she got the drift. She never thought they’d ever do parting kisses but…it was hard not to. She was gonna be gone for a day but with the overnight bag, she knew Eunjung worried she wouldn’t even be coming home. She doubted she’d going to be gone for the night but if she was going to travel to see her parents and Eunjung’s then it was worth the shot.

She could hear the elevator coming closer, so she takes a chance. She could never help it, she was drawn, she wanted to, she wanted it so much that when she took an eager step forward to close the distance, Eunjung was quick to come even closer, a hand on her nape and finally, lips on hers.

Jiyeon could feel the overwhelmed swell of comfort that simple, electrifying kiss had brought. She was so scared to see Eunjung’s mother without her wife knowing, she needed all the guts she could get and she got more than guts as Eunjung wraps her in her arms ever so tightly, as if she had feared to let her go.

It made her want to cry thinking, maybe there really was something better despite all this uncertainty between them. But try harder, they needed to even if this path was just too scary.

“Take care,” Eunjung whispers as they separated and the elevator arrives. “Come back to me.”

-

Her dad didn’t like it.

He was frowning and practically sulking on the dining table at the sight of the single macaroon handed to him by his wife. He already had a cupcake for which he absolutely did not enjoy.

“Sooyeon, I don’t understand how any of this is fair,” he complains.

“Oh for Pete’s sake Roger,” her mother exclaims, practically banging her dainty hand on the table, her wrinkles currently taking a lot of stress even as she carefully tucks a lose strand from her perfectly done hair behind her ears. “This is the only time I’m letting you eat something sweet and you still complain!”

“Look at this love,” Roger sternly says, his eyes darting at the little pink macaroon in his hand, “look how cute and tiny this is! It’s about the same size as my toe!”

Jiyeon rolls her eyes at the sight, sipping on the tea her mother served as they all slowly enjoyed the sweets. Well, at least two of them did.

“If you’re not going to eat that, then eat those cupcakes Eunjung especially made for you,” Sooyeon daintily scoffs, taking her cup of tea in a very lady like manner as she ignores the begging look on her husband’s face and the amused smile on Jiyeon’s.

“Its sugar free honey, sugar free, it’s an insult to it’s supposed sugary sweet goodness,” Roger exclaims. “It’s supposed to be ‘sugar full’ not sugar free! I cannot accept those cupcakes, just no.”

“Roger!” Sooyeon exclaims angrily, startling Jiyeon from her seat, glaring ever so scary towards her husband. “If you are not going to appreciate my kindness for even giving you a piece of macaroon then don’t even think of eati—”

“Okay, okay,” Roger huffs, defeated, nipping at the macaroon and damn well enjoying it as slowly as he could even as he sulked, “why are you all against me?”

“Daddy, it’s for your own good,” Jiyeon reminds with a chuckle.

“It’s not fair,” Roger huffs again, nibbling on the macaroon. “And it’s not doing me any good right now.”

Sooyeon scoffs for the nth time, turning to her daughter, “And don’t eat too much of that dear, it’s not good for your pregnancy.”

“PFFFT!” Both Jiyeon and Roger practically choke on their desserts, eyes widen and completely in shock.

“Mom! Oh my God!” Jiyeon exclaims, angrily wiping with the napkin.

“You’re pregnant?!” Roger booms, turning to Jiyeon, his eyes turning to slits, and his face turning red, his precious macaroon now laying helplessly on the table.

“Of course not!” Jiyeon denies.

“Oh you’re not?” Sooyeon asks, looking absolutely forlorn.

Jiyeon eyes her mother with a sneer and a glare of her own. “Of course not yet!”

“But…With you suddenly visiting I thought you came here to tell us the big news,” Sooyeon sighs.

“Mom! Oh gosh, no, I’m not here for that!” Jiyeon exclaims horrified. “Eunjung and I aren’t ready.”

“So no grandchild?”

“No,” Jiyeon groans.

“Didn’t you two consider those pamphlets and the email I sent you? Did you go to the fertility clinic? You could select the donor based on his looks just to make sure the baby is…”

“Oh my gosh, mom, stop!”

“Don’t push them, honey,” Roger firmly says. “They said they aren’t ready. It’s too soon.”

“No it’s not,” her mother indignantly says. “She’s turning twenty-nine, I don’t want her…”

The pressure of having a family was slowly looming over her. But with her and Eunjung still in uncertain positions, it was practically impossible to even begin to imagine or think about a family. It just wasn’t right.

And if she couldn’t fix Eunjung and her mother’s relationship, the more it would feel impossible for her to just move forward to think about anything at all.

She needs to make Eunjung happy, that’s what she thought the most.

“Yes, mom, I know. But Eunjung and I are taking it easy for now so please respect that. I promise you’ll be the first to know if…we ever get to that point,” Jiyeon mumbles, taking a sip of her tea. “I just came by to visit before I head to the Ham’s.”

“Why?” Her mother asks with a frown.

“I just want to talk to Mrs. Ham,” Jiyeon explains with a sigh. “I want her and Eunjung to be fine. I’m inviting her to the shop.”

“Darling, I’m sure they’ll come around by themselves,” Roger says, taking Jiyeon’s hand in his as smiling softly at his girl. “You don’t have to feel so sad about it okay?”

“But daddy, I just want to try,” Jiyeon mumbles.

Roger smiles at his now-grown ‘baby’ girl, proud as he was to have raised her as he coos, “Oh my princess. Well then do what you think you have to do okay?”

“I don’t want you to go,” Sooyeon sternly says.

“Why not?” Jiyeon groans.

“Because I don’t want you to hear anything from her,” Sooyeon hisses. “She’s my friend but until she accepts that Eunjung’s a lesbian then I don’t think y