Shinhye slowly opened her eyes and wondered where she was.

She looked at her hand and noticed an IV inserted on her hand, she traced where’s it attached until she saw Minho was sleeping on the couch.

“Why am I here?” she murmured.

She barely noticed Andrei, who’s sleeping on Minho’s lap, covered with a hospital blankie, until the young man stirred on his sleep making his blankie fall on the floor.

“Andrei?”

The sight of father and son made Shinhye smile, she slowly stood up and reached for her IV pole and slowly walked near the couch.

She tried to pick up the blankie, but Minho woke up and startled by the sight of Shinhye in front of him.

“Hey, why did you stand already? How are you feeling?” Worriedly Minho asked Shinhye in a very low voice

“Shhh…you might wake him up.” Shinhye replied asking Minho to lower his tone

Minho noticed the blankie and picked it up and tucked it on Andrei, he slowly lifted his head and replaced it with a pillow.

He stood up immediately and assisted Shinhye “How are you feeling now?”

“I am fine? The last thing I remembered was my office.”

“Until you faint, as per the doctor’s diagnosis it’s due to over fatigue and stress” Minho added while he assists her walking back to her bed.

“And Andrei?”

“He arrived not long after you fainted, he was so worried of you. He cried so much and was so mad at me, as if I hurt you” Minho smiled as he recalled what happened.

“Didn’t you?” she replied sarcastically

Their eyes met for a second. Silence filled the room.

Minho broke the silence, “Shinhye, I am sorry. I really am.”

“I am the one who fainted but you seem to be the one who’ve hit the head somewhere.” She replied  again continuing her sarcasm but she felt uneasy with Minhos' wistful stares.

“What happened in the past, is all in the past Minho, what’s important now…”

“Is Andrei, and our agreement that I will leave you as it is, that as if I never existed” It pained Minho but he told it without averting his gaze from Shinhye.

Shinhye moved her stare away from him, she acts strong but inside she’s hurting, for her and especially for their Andrei.

Minho instead, stared at Andrei “He is too precious, for me to ruin what you both had, when I was not even there in the first place.”

A tear fell from his eye, “But Shinhye, please know that I really would never deny such a precious life, if I had only known it that time. But I guess time is cruel with us, it led us all to where we are all now, so complicated, and we both don’t want Andrei to suffer” he stared back at Shinhye and held her palm.

Shinhye tears was welling in her eyes too, “Minho-ah, I am sorry too, for causing you this pain. I know you have all the right with Andrei being his father, but I am thankful enough that you did not object when I asked you to stay away. But the only thing I know to protect him is to stay exactly the same, since he doesn’t know you’re his father. He will understand when he grows up, but for now, I don’t want him to hate you so much as he is now, I don’t know why it pains him so much talking about his father, and it pains me more because I don’t want him to think of you that way”

“The universe must be conspiring that in all the places in the world, we’ll meet again in one project. More than that, he’ll meet you without me knowing.” Shinhye added

“We met in NY, we met at the airport, our paths always crossed, I was so fond of him and I am grateful to know that what I felt was because we do have a connection, that he is my son” he smiled despite tears kept welling his eyes,

“Thank you Shinhye, for being his mother. I may have not been there when he was growing up, but I’ll make sure to be there for him, every step from now on, even just from afar” he sobbed

“Thank you, Minho. For understanding” Shinhye managed to touch Minho’s face, they smiled at each other.

First time since they met after 10 years, all guards down and all emotions are felt. They are just staring at each other; no words, just tears and faint smiles.

“It’s just 5am, I wonder if Andrei wakes up and sees us like this, he’ll yell at me again and ask why did I make you cry” he laughed off the pain and caressed Shinhye’s face, slowly taking away the tears in her eyes.

---

“Hey young man, you’re finally awake” Shinhye greeted her son as he woke up and head straight to his mother’s hospital bed not minding Minho who’s just standing beside Shinhye’s bed.

“How are you feeling Mommy?” sleepy Andrei jumped at Shinhye and hugged her tight. Minho smiled as he witnesses how his son clung to his mother like a koala.

“I live for these moments.” Shinhye tightened her hug at Andrei, “were you worried? I am so sorry sweetheart” Andrei nods as reply to his mothers question.

“The little munchkin is awake already” Dr. Lee said as he entered the room seeing Andrei hugging Shinhye while Minho was staring at them smiling.

“Anneyeonghaseyo Dr. Lee” Shinhye greeted

“two patients in one bed, so who am I going to check first?” He teased Andrei but he continues to hug his mother tightly

Dr. Lee patted Andrei’s head, “He must’ve been terribly worried, he doesn’t want to leave your side”

“Shinhye-yah, the laboratory results are all clear now, just continue your medication for a week, and let me see you again by then. You also need to take enough rest, don’t drown yourself with too much work”

Shinhye nods. Andrei loosen his hug from his mother and sat beside her, “Doctor harabeoji, I hardly understood what you just said, but does that mean my Mommy is getting better already? When can we go home?” he asked worriedly.

“Doctor harabeoji?” Shinhye asked

“Eo, I hope you don’t mind me asking him to call me like that” Dr. Lee apologetically to Shinhye, Shinhye averted her gaze at Minho finding answers from him, but his face just formed a curve line showing off his dimples.

Shinhye just smiled at Dr. Lee.

“Andrei, your mommy can actually go home later. We just finished her discharge papers, and you can go home. But she needs to continue her medication at home and have enough rest and most importantly, she should lessen too much work” he winked at Andrei explaining to him in English.

“I will take good care of mommy, I’ll remind her everything you said, the medication, the rest and less