Family Vacation
My Perfect Stranger 
It was three days after Jongin's birthday when Minho decided to visit my apartment. He said he had a surprise for the boys. He wouldn't tell me until the boys were present, so I was really curious.
"Boys! Minho's here!" I beckoned them to come downstairs.
A couple of seconds later I heard they're cute little feet thundering down the stairs.
"Minho!" They both ran to him and gave him bear hugs.
"Hey, guys. How are you?"
Taemin answered. "We're great. We were upstairs playing video games."
"That's nice. I'm here because I actually have something I want to tell you two."
Jongin gasped. "Like a surprise?!"
Minho chuckled. "Yes, it's a surprise." The boys sat in between me and Minho as he continued. "First, I would like to apologize to you, Jongin, for the ruckus caused at your party."
Jongin shrugged. "It's ok. Mommy and Daddy fight all the time. I'm getting used to it."
I felt a pang at my heart. That's definitely not something I want the two of them getting used to. A child should never have to see their parents fight the way me and Jonghyun do.
Minho resumed, "And that's very wrong and not something you should be a witness to. However, I've come up with a way to make up for it. We're all going on a little vacation."
Jongin gasped. "To where?!"
"Lotte world!"
Taemin and Jongin jumped up from the couch screaming and hugging each other, rambling on about the adventures they were going to have. This little adventure threw me in for a loop because Minho hadn't discussed any of this with me.
"Um, Minho? When were you going to let me know about this? This sort of a late notice, right?"
Taemin addressed me. "Umma, can we please go?! We've never been to Lotte world! All of my friends have accept for me. Can we pretty please go?!"
I looked into those adorable hopeful eyes and my heart grew even more. How could anyone say no to those eyes? "Sure, honey." Both of the boys cheered again. "BUT, only if you promise to behave. The last time we went on a trip somewhere, the two of you were bickering the whole way."
Jongin piped in, "We promise not to fight. We love each other, see!" They gave each other huge dramatic hugs to get their point across.
"Ok, ok. Go upstairs and get ready."
"Race you to the top," said Taemin.
"Yah! No running up the stair!" My orders went unnoticed as I heard the swift movement of their feet.
That left me to face Minho with questions. "You didn't have to do this."
"I know, Key. I wanted to. First off, I feel as if I owe it to Jongin. Second, it would be a great bonding experience for me and the boys."
"We can bond with popcorn and movie nights, not giant roller coasters!"
A grin spread on his face. "Wait, is this really about the bonding, or your fear of roller coasters?"
I groaned before bringing my head to Minho's chest and mumbling, "A bit of both, but mostly the roller coasters."
His chuckle vibrated in my ear. "You know you don't have to get on them, but it would be more fun if you did."
I sighed. "I'll think about it. I want to say thank you, though."
"For what?"
"For taking your time to do something like this. This is a very nice gesture and I'm sure Jongin and Taemin really appreciate it."
He kissed my forehead. "No problem."
About 30 minutes later, we were ready to go. I had lunch boxes ready, swim clothes and towels packed, and credit cards at the ready because I'm sure the boys will want everything they see.
Minho helped to put their backpacks in the back of the car and to load the cooler full of snacks and drinks. Once we were all in, the excitement began to kick in even more. Though I'm not fond of amusement parks, I can say that I was really eager to see the happiness radiating from my boys.
I turned to look at them in the backseat. "Are you boys ready?"
"Neh!" They both said at the same time.
"What do you guys have to say to Minho?"
"Thank you, Minho!"
Minho smiled while he was driving. "You're welcome, guys!"
"Umma, can we sing a road trip song?" Asked Taemin.
"Yes, but not too loud. Minho needs to focus on driving."
The both of them sung numerous songs with much enthusiasm. They reminded me of the times of my childhood during the times my dad decided to not be so strict on me. We would sing songs and have a blast. My energy level was so high then. I miss childhood. Things were so much easier. Just to think that my boys will at some point be teenagers trying to find their own way seems like taboo. So while the moment's here, I'm going to enjoy every minute of this time.
As we pulled up I heard them let out whoa's of amazement while I was letting out whoa's of horror because the lines were really long! It would take us forever to get in.
Minho drove up to the toll to pay for parking. Then we went to go find a parking spot, which seemed impossible considering how many cars were there. Every time we made a turn, all of the spots in a row were filled.
I groaned, "We're never going to find a spot!"
"Umma," said Jongin, "can we just go in while you guys find a spot to park in?"
"No, honey. We have to stay together. I don't want the two of you getting lost."
"Found one!" Said Minho as he hurriedly claimed the spot before someone else could. We were towards the back, but at least we had a spot.
"It's going to take us forever to get to the front," I mentioned.
Minho gave me hope saying, "There's a trolley that's supposed to be coming around to pick up people and bring them to the front."
"Thank goodness! Boys, let's get your bags out of the back. Take out what drink and snack you want for now. We'll come out here later for lunch."
"But umma," whined Taemin, "why can't we eat the food they have in the park? My friends told me they have really good food."
"Because all of the food in there is a heart attack waiting to happen. Plus, you two get too hyper off of sweets."
We all got out of the car and I handed the boys their backpacks. Minho took out the cooler so the boys could choose what snack or drink they wanted. I didn't want to be a party pooper, but I couldn't risk having two sick children the next day.
When were finally done, the trolley came just in time. We had to cross the street to get there.
"Hold my hand," I said to Taemin and Jongin.
"Umma, are we a bit too old for this," said Jongin.
"You're never to old to get ran over by a car, so it's best to hold hands to avoid that."
He shrugged and grabbed my hand. Taemin surprised me by grabbing Minho's hand. I could see that Minho was thrown off as well, but he tightened his grip on his hand. It was a heart warming scene to me.
We crossed the street and sat down before the trolley drove off to pick up more people. It was really sunny outside so I put on my sunglasses. I was glad I decided to wear shorts that day. Obviously I wasn't the only one since Minho kept sneakily rubbing my exposed thighs.
I looked at him and laughed. "You must like what you see."
He whispered to me, "I'm just admiring your beauty. Your legs are so smooth."
"That's because I shave, unlike you."
"That's because I'm manly, unlike you."
I gasped playfully. "I am manly." I turned to the boys who were sitting on the other side of Minho. "You guys think I'm manly, right?"
"Weeeeell~," Taemin dragged out. "We do call you umma."
Jongin agreed, "Yeah, and you don't have much muscles like Minho does."
I huffed. "I see I asked the wrong people. Thanks for your honesty, though." I turned to Minho. "You can wipe the grin off, Mr."
He chuckled. "Just admit that I'm manlier than you."
"Never!"
"Thanks for riding the Lotte world trolley. Please exit on your left and have a great day at Lotte world."
We quickly boarded off the bus to the front of the gate. There were about six lines open, but the lines were still long. I was so confused on where to go because it was my first time going there.
"Minho, if you've already paid for the tickets, do we have to stand in line, or is there a way we can go around?"
"We have to stay in line."
"Do you know which line?"
"I think it's anyone of these six lines because they all lead into the park. On the other side is where people go if they didn't buy their tickets yet."
"Oh, ok. Well, we better go ahead and get in a line if we want to have any hope of having time to have fun. Come on, boys." I made them walk in front of me so I could keep an eye on them.
"Umma, are we almost there?" Asked Taemin.
"No, baby. We're at the end."
"How long do you think it'll take."
"I don't know, Tae. Just be patient, baby. We'll be there in no time." He nodded and began talking to Jongin about how much fun they're going to have.
I caught Minho staring at them with an endearing smile. I knew that smile. That was the smile I gave them when I held them for the first time after giving birth. It's one of those smiles you see when you know a child has got you wrapped around their tiny little fingers. Minho was falling in love with my kids just like I did the first day I saw them.
"They're precious aren't they?" I took him out of him thoughts.
"Definitely. You've had some beautiful kids, Key. On the outside and within. If there is anything I could ever be jealous about, it is not being able to hear those boys call be appa."
I looked at him and I could tell that he meant every word. It's kind of heart breaking when you think about it, to love children so much that are not your own. It would hurt me too if I was in his position.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his chest. "You're a great man, Minho. I hope you know that. Though you may not be their biological father, you're a father in spirit. I mean, look at them. Their bright smiles were caused by you. Don't you think for one moment that this doesn't mean the world to them..........because it means the world to me."
He leaned down and smiled at me before giving me a peck on the lips.
"Ewwww! Umma and Minho's kissing," I heard the kids say.
I giggled and pulled away. "Yah, you're just jealous. Is that it? You want my kisses too?"
I leaned down and tickled the both of them as I attacked them with kisses all over their faces and necks. Their laughs and screams for me to stop filled my heart with joy. They're so cute and huggable.
"Ok, umma! Ok! Haha!"
I let go of them while laughing. We were having so much fun we didn't even realize the line moved until someone tapped my shoulder to tell me. I apologized quickly to the stranger and told the boys to move up some.
It took about 15 minutes before we finally made it to the front. They asked for our tickets and security checked our bags and scanned us with medal detectors to make sure we didn't bring anything lethal. After that, the employee wished us a nice day and we were finally inside.
Both of the boys stared in awe. I was pretty amazed too and we weren't even all the way in yet.
"Wow! Umma, is that a real castle?" Asked Jongin.
I smiled down at him, "As real as can be."
Once we were really inside, the view was even more beautiful. It looked like a big playhouse that both adults and kids could enjoy.
I scoffed at Minho. "And you said there would be roller coasters."
"Because there are."
My eyes widened. "Where?!"
He smirked. "There's way more to this park than just this area."
"Did someone say roller coaster?!" Taemin was all ears.
"Uh, how about we just explore this area."
"But I want to ride the roller coasters, umma. The lines are really long so we would be wasting time by the just walking around."
"How long does it take to wait in line? You know I don't like standing up for long."
Taemin shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe 30 minutes."
Boy, was that a lie. We were in line for about half an hour before we finally made it to the top. I was exhausted. My back was hurting and my legs were sore. That was the complete opposite of how my boys felt. They were jumping up and down from the excitement of being so close to the ride.
Minho was right along with them. "I can't wait for this. I haven't rode a roller coster like this one in awhile."
"Like this one? What made this one so special?"
"This is one of the craziest roller coasters there is! It has so many loops and turns and it even rides upside down."
"WHAT?!" Why was I not warned of this?
Jongin addressed me. "Sorry, umma. I knew that if I told you what kind of ride it was, you wouldn't have wanted to get on it. I want us to do everything together as a family."
As a family. That struck me. Does that mean that they're starting to see minho as a member of the family?
"Ok, honey. If you want me to ride every ride with you, I will. I'll just be screaming the whole way."
He perked up. "That's fine! That'll just make the picture better to enjoy."
"Picture?"
Taemin informed me, "Yeah. It's a camera that takes a picture of us while we're riding the roller coaster." Just great. I'm going to be so embarrassed.
The roller coaster came back with the passengers who just rode. They got off, some with happy faces while others looked as if they were in a daze. They retrieved their items and headed towards the exit.
An employee asked how many were riding and Minho answered four. We got first pick on where to sit.
"How about we sit in the back?" I suggested. Of course, that wasn't happening.
Minho chuckled. "Come on, Key. The front is where all of the action is."
"Yeah, umma," whined Jongin. "Let's sit in the front."
I groaned. "Fine!"
We put our belongings in the cubbies before taking our seats. To say I was scared would be an understatement. My heart rate picked up as we waited for other people to board the ride. Minho sat on the end, I sat between him and Taemin, and Jongin sat on the end next to Taemin. Minho grabbed my hand and I held on it for dear life.
Taemin looked up at me and asked, "Are you scared?"
"Pft! Who? Me? I'm a manly man remember?" I was lying through my teeth.
He giggled. "Whatever you say, umma."
"Ok. We are getting ready for lift off. Please keep all hands and feet within vehicle. If you're carrying items, please keep a tight hold onto them. We are not held reliable for any lost items. Now if you're ready, say OH YEAH!"
The whole crowd said 'oh yeah' except for me.
"Enjoy!"
Then the roller coaster began moving slowly up a slope. I was saying a silent prayer to myself because I could swear I was seeing the light.
"You're good?" Asked Minho.
I nodded. "I am so far." That was until we got to the peak of the slope. I saw how high we were an immediately panicked. "Get me off of this damn thing!"
But it was too late because a mere second later, there was a huge drop and we went down so fast. I screamed the whole way with my eyes closed. Even though I couldn't see, I could feel the motion of the roller coaster and it was frightening. There were so many loops and turns.
While my screams were of terror, the three males sitting by me were screaming out of pure exhilaration. I don't know what's wrong with them.
The ride was over before I knew it and I finally opened my eyes. I was out of breath and couldn't believe what had just happened.
"Whoa," was all I could say.
The bars let up as the employee said, "Welcome back. I hope you had a great time. Please exit on your right and collect any items you have placed here. You can also see your photos and may purchase them at the end of the exit. Have a nice rest of the day at Lotte world."
We quickly grabbed our things and headed out the exit. I pulled out a mirror from my bag to fix my hair before I put my sunglasses back on.
"That was awesome!" Said Jongin.
Taemin joined in on his excitement. "I can't believe we just rode that! Let's hurry and see our pictures!"
"Yah! Don't run," I said as they tried to run to see the photos.
Minho wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "How was it?"
I joke, "Is that a trick question?"
He burst out laughing. "No it's not. "
I shrugged. "Well, I survived."
We went to where they had the pictures displayed on a TV screen. My eyes widened from shock at how I looked. My eyes were closed and my mouth was wide opened from screaming. My hair was blown in every direction. The stylist in me instantly felt ashamed.
"Umma," said Jongin. "Can you buy the picture please?"
I groaned and looked at Minho. "Do I have to? I look wild."
He chuckled. "We all do. This photo is supposed to be for memories."
I smacked my lips and pulled out my wallet to pay for it. I bought four copies so all of us could have one.
"Boys, put it in your bags so you won't lose it."
We rode two more roller coasters after that and I was worn out. Those lines are too long in the first place just for a 30 second ride. Plus, the constant stares at us were beginning to feel uncomfortable. I mean, yes I know my boyfriend's a famous soccer player, but he's a person too just trying to enjoy the park. People were asking for autographs, taking pictures, and gawking.
That still couldn't get my mood down. I will admit that I had fun. They were currently riding another ride while I sat down on a bench. I told them they could go ahead and I would wait for them.
I was on my phone the whole time so I wouldn't be born. I snapped a picture of us on the roller coaster and posted it on Instagram, labeling it 'My death note'. I chuckled to myself.
Awhile later, the boys were running up to me explaining how much fun they had. I noticed they had churros and ice cream in their hands.
"Didn't I tell you two not to eat that? Now it's going to be hell trying to put you to sleep."
"Minho got it for us," said Taemin.
I looked at Minho and he shrugged. "Let up a little. It's their first time being here and they want to try everything out." He kissed my cheek. "Don't be mad, ok?"
That made my stomach flutter. "Ok, but if I have to go through war to get them to go to sleep tonight, I'm going to haunt your dreams."
He chuckled. "That doesn't sound so bad."
When they got finished eating their sweets, we headed to the car to eat lunch. The employees stamped our wrists so we would be able to come back in.
Minho pulled out the little table I brought and I got both of the boys' backpacks to pull out their lunch.
"Eat slowly, ok? The park isn't going anywhere." They nodded and ate the finger sandwiches I packed.
"I wish I was eating real food," said Jongin.
"This is real food."
"I mean food like hotdogs, pizza, chicken, fried Oreos!"
"Carbs, carbs, carbs!"
"But umma-"
"No buts, I gave you a pass with the churro and ice cream. Be glad I didn't tell you to throw it away."
Minho chuckled next to me. "You're so cute when you enforce rules."
"Yah~," I whined, "I'm not supposed to me cute. I'm supposed to be intimidating."
"Well, maybe you're intimidating to them, but you're cute to me." He ended with a kiss on my lips.
After we finished, we headed back into the park to have more fun. We went to the water park and I was happy the boys weren't trying to convince me to get on a water ride. We changed into our bathing suits and went to the wave pool. That gave me an excuse to marvel at minhos exposed abs.
"Umma, can we go in now?" Asked Taemin.
"Wait. Put on your floaties first, or get in a floating tube."
"But we already know how to swim."
"It's better to be safe than sorry."
They put on inflatable floaties then headed into the wave pool. Me and Minho were in our own little world. We swam to the end of the wave pool and splashed each other. I told him to not get my hair wet, but of course he didn't listen. Then it was war.
After our battle, we headed over to my kids and played with them. I could tell they were getting more and more comfortable with Minho. Just the way that they played together was so precious to me.
When we got out, we dried up and headed to the gift shop. The boys wanted everything in sight, but I told them they had a limit on what they could get. That didn't stop me from buying them a ton of things. Minho bought them things as well, which they were extremely appreciative for.
As the sun began to set, we decided to call it a day since we had to hop back on the road. Our conversation on the way home was full of us talking about our adventures and our most favorite parts of the day. The boys thanked Minho countless times.
"You're the best, Minho-appa!" Said Taemin. Minho-appa?
I turned around in my seat to Taemin. "Tae, don't call him that. He's not your appa."
Jongin said, "But it feels like it. He talks to us and plays with us just like appa does. So why can't we call him appa?"
"Because you guys already have one. You can't call Minho appa unless we get married."
"Then get married!" They both said with excitement.
My face heated up and I could see that Minho was uncomfortable. "Drop the conversation," I said threateningly.
"Neh, umma," they both dragged.
When we made it home, we hurried inside since we had so much stuff.
"Boys, get ready for bed. Tell Minho goodnight."
"Goodnight, Minho." They said in unison. They both walked up to him and hug him.
Minho kissed the top of their heads. "Goodnight. I had fun."
Tae agreed, "Me too. We need to hang out more often."
They both addressed me, "Goodnight, umma."
I kissed their cheeks. "Goodnight, babies." They both went upstairs to prepare for bed. That left Minho and I. "Thanks for taking them. You really made them happy today."
He wrapped his arms around my waist. "It was my pleasure."
"Sorry about that Appa thing earlier."
"It's ok. I actually don't mind. They could call me appa all they want."
"I know you don't mind, but I can't help but to feel like I'm betraying Jonghyun."
"I understand. I guess I'll just have to marry you."
"Yah, not in your wildest dreams." We both laughed at the thought. "I love you."
"I love you more, Key." He leaned in and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck to deepen it. He tried to put his hands under my shirt, but I pulled away and stopped him.
"Again, not tonight."
He chuckled. "Ok. Goodnight. I'll see you later." He pecked me one last time.
"Goodnight." Then he was out the door.
Wow, what an amazing day. No Jonghyun, no problems. Just me, my man, and my children.
OK, so I went to Six Flags yesterday and that totally inspired me. I had so much freaking fun. But those lines were long as crap! I went on three rides and each's wait time was about an hour and 30 minutes. My back was hurting and I kept sitting on the rails. But it was all worth is because those rides were something serious.
Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed. Please comment!
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