Baekhyun pulled Mina's pink comforter up and fluffed the matching pillows. He didn't stop fixing her bed until he was satisfied with his work. When he was done, he sat on her newly made up bed.

It was lonely without her when Chanyeol was at work. Actually, it was lonely without her, period. He and Chanyeol were such awful parents to make her think neither of them wanted her. 

Although Baekhyun knew Chanyeol's situation better than Mina, it didn't stop him from becoming angry at Chanyeol. Why did he have to get drunk that night? Why did he have to say he didn't want to be a father? 

It wasn't Chanyeol's fault he was suffering from depression. But it was his fault he'd kept it in for so long. If he'd been honest from the start, he wouldn't have lost his temper that night and he wouldn't have said what he said.

When Chanyeol came home, he found his pregnant husband in Mina's room holding one of her many stuffed animals.

Chanyeol held up a bag of takeout in his hand for dinner. "I brought f-"

But Baekhyun didn't let him finish. His older husband stood up and glared daggers at him.

"This is all your fault! Our daughter doesn't want to come home because of you! You're a ing idiot!" He exclaimed. 

Chanyeol took a step back. He was surprised to find Baekhyun pointing a finger of blame towards him.

"This is my fault? Do you think I want this?" He took out a travel pill bottle from his pocket and shook the contents. "Do you think I want to take these every ing day?"

Baekhyun put his hands on his belly protectively. "Mina's afraid you'll abandon her. How do I know you won't?"

Chanyeol dropped the takeout bag, ignoring the thump it made. "You think I'm going to abandon you?"

"What if you stop taking your pills?"

"I won't."

"What if you do? Will you just run away from your troubles? Drink away your responsibilities? Would you abandon your family? Will you get tired of us?" Baekhyun put air quotes around the word, tired.

"You're mad that Mina's gone and you're taking your anger out on me." He said as calmly as possible. 

"I have a right to!" He yelled.

"So, you're just doubting me all of a sudden? Doubting my commitment?"

"You've broken your commitments before. How long has it been since you've seen Soo-Hyun?"

Chanyeol's jaw tightened at the mention of a past mistake. "I told you why I did that."

"It doesn't matter. You still did it." 

Chanyeol sighed and looked down. "What do you want me to do to make this better? I'll do anything."

Baekhyun looked down as well. "Be honest with me."

"Okay."

"If I gave you the option. If I told you to go somewhere with no ties to us and no hard feelings. If I said you don't have to be a father. Would you take it?"

"I'll always be a father."

"Answer the question."

Chanyeol looked up. Baekhyun looked incredibly distraught so he went over to hug him. His pregnant belly pressed into Chanyeol's belly and the latter was able to feel the life inside of Baekhyun. The life he helped create.

"You were okay until I ruined your life."

"Baekhyun, don't-"

"Let me finish, please. If I hadn't gotten pregnant, you wouldn't be a father. If I hadn't let you talk me out of giving Mina up for adoption, you wouldn't have had to work so hard. If it wasn't for me, you'd have your parents, you wouldn't have these kinds of responsibilities. You wouldn't be stressed out and depressed."

Chanyeol clenched his jaw in frustration. "Baekhyun, stop it."

"I should be mad at myself, not you."

Chanyeol wrapped his arms around Baekhyun's waist and kissed his lips.

"It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is. And I'll hate myself forever if I don't say this." He looked up into Chanyeol's eyes before he spoke again. "If you want to start a new life. If you want to leave for good, I'll understand. I'll be okay."

Chanyeol searched Baekhyun's eyes. He surprised the older by laughing out loud. 

"Now who's the idiot? I'm not going anywhere. I chose to stay with you because I love you. I talked you out of putting Mina up for adoption because I knew it was the right decision. I don't give a about my parents because I have you and we'll have Mina again. We just agreed that she needed time."

Baekhyun began sobbing as he fully processed what had taken place. He had given Chanyeol the ultimate choice to leave and be without responsibilities but he chose to stay.

If that didn't show how much he loved his family, nothing would.

Baekhyun sobbed into his husband's chest and felt his sturdy arms wrap around him. Baekhyun knew he had made the right decision when he chose to spend the rest of his life with Chanyeol. 

"I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?" Baekhyun mumbled, feeling guilty for starting that whole argument. 

"I'll always forgive you."

**

Staying with Kyungsoo and Jongin was nice. Mina got to help Kyungsoo cook and got to go to the dance studio with Jongin more often but she really missed her parents.

The young couple easily picked up on her hesitation and were more than willing to take her back whenever she wanted. She just had to say the words, but she never got the courage to.

A part of her still questioned her parents' loyalty to her as Chanyeol's words rang in her head, "I want a break from being a father," he had said. That meant he wanted a break from her. 

Mina walked down the rows of dresses at the dress shop, contemplating which one she wanted to wear. She and Kyungsoo were shopping for her flower girl dress for Minseok and Luhan's wedding in a couple days.

They were getting married at a beautiful country club that Sung-Woo was conveniently a member of. Since one of their colors was lavender, Mina and Kyungsoo were looking for a lavender dress.

Kyungsoo felt bad as he watched Mina pick up a few dresses and try them on. Picking out a dress was something she should have done with Baekhyun or Chanyeol, not with him. 

He would have to send them pictures of the dress she chose later.

Later that night, after Mina had found a dress, he did send Baekhyun and Chanyeol pictures. Baekhyun responded with a smiley face although he felt like doing anything but smiling. Chanyeol didn't respond at all.

When Kyungsoo and Jongin laid in bed one night, Kyungsoo asked the question that had been on both of their minds 

"Mina said that Chanyeol left. I wonder where he went and why he left."

Jongin shrugged. "It's none of our business and Chanyeol made sure to tell me that."

Because Chanyeol and his older friends were busy with work and his younger friends were busy with school, none of them had spent time with him during the time of his "disappearance." So none of his friends had any idea he had disappeared.

Luhan and Minseok's wedding would be the first time all 12 of them would be together again.

"But we're his friends and I'm worried. I hope he's doing okay with whatever happened."

"Me too." Jongin mumbled and stared at the dark wall.

**

Chanyeol watched Baekhyun's skilled hands tie his tie. The older seemed more upset than he had been before and Chanyeol knew the exact reason why. 

They had both hoped Mina would've wanted to come home by the time the wedding rolled around. But she hadn't and it marked her 1st week away from the both of them.

Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun's hands to steady them and placed a kiss on one of them.

"We'll see her today."

Baekhyun nodded. He wondered if seeing her would hurt even more. Just to think that once the wedding was over, she would walk the other way to go home and they would walk to their car by themselves was unfathomable.

Once Chanyeol's tie was on properly, both of them turned to look in the mirror. Their outfits seemed too nice in contrast with their somber moods and didn't match the miserable looks on their faces.

As happy as they were for their friends to get married, they just wanted their baby girl back.

**

While Kyungsoo drove himself, Jongin, and Mina to the country club, in the rearview mirror, he could see Mina playing with her pretty lavender dress in silence. There was a lot on her mind.

"Your mommy and daddy will be there too. Remember?" Kyungsoo spoke up.

Mina nodded her head, not looking up. Kyungsoo shared a glance with Jongin and sighed. Things weren't going well. Mina hadn't said a word about going home and they were feeling guiltier and guiltier by simply having her. Of course, they realized they were the ones keeping her from her parents. They could take her back home where she belonged whenever they wanted, whether she wanted it or not. But they were respecting their friends' wishes to keep her until she was ready to return, hoping they were making the right decision.

They arrived at the country club early because of Mina's flower girl role in the wedding. Few people were there at that time. Only the people that were in the wedding and a handful of close friends were present.

Kyungsoo, Jongin, and Mina greeted the soon to be newlyweds and their parents. 

"Where's Baekhyun and Chanyeol?" Sung-Woo asked. Luhan, Minseok, Jongin, and Kyungsoo all looked down at the ground uncomfortably. It was a touchy subject. 

Sung-Woo looked confused. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Dad, let's go check on the food." Minseok piped up. He and Luhan were the only others who knew what had happened with Mina and her parents and soon Sung-Woo would know.

Mina watched as Minseok talked to Sung-Woo. Both of them kept sneaking quick glances in her direction and she began to play with her dress again out of discomfort. Without her parents, she felt out of place. Deep down inside, she just wanted to go home.

To lighten the mood, Luhan said, "You look very pretty, Mina."

"Thank you." She mumbled, happy when Ryder pointed towards the window and looked up at his father. The attention was no longer on her.

"Daddy, play outside!" The toddler squealed. 

"Okay. Mina, do you want to come?"

She nodded.

"Don't get your dress dirty." Kyungsoo warned and watched as Luhan took the two kids out to play on the golf course. 

Luhan took one of the extra party favors, a small container of bubbles, outside. He blew the bubbles into the wind, watching Ryder squeal and pop the soapy circles.

Mina wasn't into it at first but Ryder's laugh was contagious and she found herself giggling and popping the bubbles too. For a moment, she forgot about all that was going on and was able to be a happy kid again.

Luhan laughed at the kids playing at the same time his phone rang. He handed the bubbles to Mina while he turned around to take the call.

"Tree!" Ryder walked over to a tree, no longer entertained by the bubbles. Mina followed him and nodded.

Ryder attempted to put his tiny foot on the tree in a miserable attempt to climb. Mina laughed, already kicking off her cute shoes.

"That's not how you climb. Here, I'll show you."

Repeating what Ryder did in a more precise manner, she put her foot on the lowest branch and hoisted herself up.

In response, Ryder clapped and giggled, urging her on. One foot planted firmly after the other, hands alternating between grabbing onto branches, she climbed higher and higher. 

The tree wasn't too big but it wasn't small either. If she made it to the top, she would feel like she accomplished something huge.