“Once upon a time,” Yoona began, “There was a beautiful princess.  She had beautiful brown hair, large eyes, and very pale skin.”

            Yoona was lying in bed with Violet as Violet hugged her mother.  The night had already settled in, and Yoona was just waiting for her daughter to fall asleep.  Ever since Yoona knew about Violet’s decline in health, she began to observe her carefully.  She watched her, and at first, it was as if nothing was wrong.  She was acting normally, but after a few months, Yoona noticed extreme fatigue in her daughter.  She knew that the tumor was acting up and affecting her body.  Violet’s frail physicality frightened her mother.  She was getting thin, and it was clear that her body was giving up slowly.

            “Was she loved?” Violet asked.

            “She was very loved,” Yoona confirmed, “Her parents, the queen and king, loved her very much.”
            Violet smiled, “I like this princess.”

            Seunghyun had been watching from the doorway before he walked away.  He felt guilty about the whole ordeal.  He was actually surprised that Yoona had not broken down yet.  She had a lot of things happen to her.  She was separated from her daughter, held at gunpoint, and now, she was facing an inoperable tumor inside her daughter.

            Seunghyun snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Yoona’s screams.  He immediately ran into the bedroom to see a horrific sight in front of him.  Violet’s body was shaking, and Yoona was turning Violet’s body on her side.

            “Call an ambulance!” Yoona cried out, “She’s seizing.”

_______________________

            Seunghyun remained silent as they sat in the waiting room.  Yoona’s face was blank, and Seunghyun was filled with worry.  The image of Violet’s body suddenly turning stiff flashed in Yoona’s mind yet another time.  Her baby’s body began to shake uncontrollably, and Yoona felt her heart breaking.

            Bom had been called back to the hospital to work on Violet, and all Yoona and Seunghyun could do was wait.  They were waiting to see what damage the seizure had made.  They were basically waiting for their little girl to die.

            “Yoona, it’s my fault.  For that, I am sorry,” Seunghyun said.

            Yoona stared at him as she pressed her lips against her fingers.  She didn’t know what to think.  She had been kept in the dark about her daughter’s tumor, and she had to absorb everything so quickly.  She had not told Violet about the rift between Seunghyun and Yoona because Yoona wanted Violet to have nothing to worry about.  She didn’t know how much time Violet had left, and she didn’t want to surround her daughter with a negative atmosphere.

            “Not now,” Yoona begged.

            Seunghyun sighed, “At least talk to me about it.  Show how you feel.  Show something.”

            “Seunghyun, our daughter is at risk right now.  We don’t know if she’ll be alive in the next five minutes or in the next year.  We don’t have time to talk about our relationship, okay?  All I want to do is spend every single second with my daughter.  She’s all I want right now,” Yoona told him, “The time will come when I will tell you how much of a selfish person you are to hide such a thing from me, but now is not that time.”

            Seunghyun nodded in understanding as he wrapped his arm around Yoona.  Yoona then leaned and closed her eyes as she thought about everything.  They heard two pairs of footsteps enter the room.  Yoona and Seunghyun then stood up to see Bom and Jessica emerge into the waiting room.

            They had been working on Violet together, and they were going to report to the parents about the condition of their only daughter.  They stood up anxiously as Jessica kept a neutral look on her face.  Yoona had been friends with that woman for most of her life.  She knew that a neutral face always meant something bad.  Yoona was literally holding her breath as the two surgeons approached them.

            “We had to get a consult from Dr. Ok.  He’s the best brain specialist we know,” Jessica finally spoke, “We didn’t let him know that it was his niece’s x-rays and blood work.”

            Bom added, “She’s stable now.  She’s breathing just fine, the seizures had stopped, and her heart rate is back to normal.”

            They were trying to soften the fall.  Yoona closed her eyes as she waited for them to drop the news on her.  She was holding onto Seunghyun’s arm as Seunghyun stared at the two before him.

            “What did Taecyeon say?” Seunghyun asked, “Please just tell us the truth.”

            Taecyeon was one of the best brain surgeons in the country.  If he said one thing about a patient, it was likely correct.  Jessica looked down on the floor because she couldn’t stand to tell her friends about what she had discovered.

            “She has a few days before the tumor takes her life,” Jessica’s voice broke.

_________________________

            “It was just an estimation!” Seunghyun reminded Yoona.

            They were back in their home, and Violet was sleeping upstairs.  Yoona did not want her daughter to spend her last days in the hospital.  She wanted her to enjoy every single day she had left.  Seunghyun and Yoona had finally gotten into the argument that the two had been avoiding for the past few months.

            Yoona had known that Violet had been sick for a couple of months, and now that Violet’s health was declining, the tension rose between the two parents.  Yoona crouched down next to the sofa and buried her face onto her hands.  She wanted to cry, but her tears refused to escape.  She didn’t know what to feel for this man in front of her.

            “Your brother is the best neurosurgeon I had ever met,” Yoona said in a quiet tone, “If he says she has a few days to live, then she has a few days.  I will not question his opinion.”

            He rolled his eyes, “You’re a doctor for goodness sake.  You should know that nothing is ever 100% sure.  Nothing is definite!”

            “We are not bringing her back to that hospital,” Yoona shook her head, “She is not going to spend her last moment there.  I will fight you tooth and nail if I must.”

            “Bom said she has treatments that could prolong her life,” Seunghyun argued.

            Yoona stood up, “Prolong her life only a few months!  During those months, she’s going to be in bed vomiting everything she tries to eat and drink!  I would rather have her live happily for a few days than live in agony for a few more months.  Plus, it’s her birthday tomorrow.  Do you really want your daughter going through experimental treatment on what could be her last birthday?”

            “Why are you two fighting?”

            Yoona and Seunghyun froze to hear their daughter’s voice.  They looked up to see her standing at the top of her stairs with a curious look on her face.  Their arguing must have woken her up.  Yoona weakly smiled while Seunghyun stared at his only child.  It was possible that tomorrow, his daughter would not be able to stand there in front of him like that again.  Tears began to build and run down from his eyes as he hurriedly walked to the kitchen so that Violet wouldn’t see him like that.

            Yoona went up the stairs and carried Violet into her arms.  She had gotten so light over the past few months because of her sickness.  She was eating less, and Yoona knew that she was forcing what she could down to please her parents.

            “Well, it’s your birthday tomorrow,” Yoona smiled.

            “Yes, I’m turning five tomorrow,” Violet nodded.

            Yoona sniffled as she tried to keep the tears in.  She knew that she would have a chance with experimental treatments.  Any parent would probably side with Seunghyun.  Violet would have a longer life with experimental treatment even if it was at the cost of intense pain and agony.  Yoona sighed as she made a decision.

            “I know that it’s not ideal, but maybe we should visit the hospital tomorrow,” Yoona suggested.

            Violet was going to protest, and Yoona could feel it coming, but they were interrupted.  Seunghyun cleared his throat, and he looked more recollected.  He buried his hands in his pockets.

            “We’re not going to the hospital tomorrow,” Seunghyun stated, “It’s your birthday tomorrow, Violet.  We’re going to do whatever you want.”

__________________

            “Okay, make your wish!” Taecyeon smiled as he presented the cake in front of Violet.

            There were so many people around her.  Yoona and Seunghyun managed to plan this last minute birthday party for their daughter.  People who loved Violet surrounded the birthday girl.  They had all taken time out of their schedules and shifts to celebrate Violet’s birthday.  They were on the beach back in Malibu because Violet claimed that she loved it there that much.  They were barbequing, and some of them were even fishing off the pier. 

            “What was your wish?” Minho asked Violet after she blew out her candles.

            “I can’t say it, or it’s not going to come true,” Violet laughed.

            Minho then started to tickle her while Violet giggled loudly.  Yoona looked at her daughter carefully.  This was the happiest she had been in the past few months.  Yoona knew that Violet could sense some of the tension between Seunghyun and Yoona.  They tried to keep it a minimum, but it was difficult to make it seem as if all the tension had disappeared.

            Minho sensed that his sister needed time to talk with Seunghyun, so he lifted up his niece onto his shoulder and held her hand to keep her balance.

“I think you, Krystal, and I need to look for seashells!” Minho smiled.

Krystal added, “Let’s go, Violet!”

            “Okay!” Violet smiled with a nod.

            “Yeah, I think your parents need to go fishing,” Krystal mentioned, “Your uncle Jiyong and Auntie Jessica are tired from fishing.  They should take the next shift.”

            “Yeah, go fishing, mommy and daddy,” Violet approved.

~~~~~~

            “I don’t know a single thing about fishing,” Yoona admitted, “I’m really no help here.”

            She was holding a fishing pole in her hands while Seunghyun held another.  They were at the edge of the pier as they sat quietly as their feet dangled over the water.  Yoona was staring at the gentle waves with a blank look on her face.  She then turned around to see Violet chasing Minho and Krystal while the others played a game of beach volleyball.  A smile finally appeared on her face.  They were all together, and that was all that mattered.

            “I forgive you,” Yoona suddenly stated.

            He looked at Yoona with a surprised look.  He knew Yoona was not a woman who let go of grudges so quickly.  She memorized every single detail of everything that had affected her.  She pressed her lips together as she exhaled slowly.

            “You already know that I love you crazily,” Yoona stated, “I don’t know what the state of our relationship is as of now.  I have no idea what we are.  Are we still together?  Or are we separated yet another time?  We went through a lot—and it really is that clichéd rollercoaster type of relationship.  You made me laugh, cry, and smile, and I hate that you have that effect on me.  Even though we had this argument for the past few months, I wanted to say that you’d always be important to me.  You’re always going to be the father of my child.  No matter what happens, Violet is my daughter, and you’re the reason I was blessed with the fact that I am her mother.”

            “Sometimes, I feel like I don’t deserve you,” he finally confessed.

            “What?” she asked.

            He sighed, “You’re always giving me this love—this love that seems endless, and all I ever give you are heartbreak and stress.  I’m so sorry.  I’m sorry for keeping Violet’s condition a secret from you.  I’m sorry for hiding her from you before confronting you about the whole situation.”

            “Do you remember the time when we were still married?  There was this shooting at th