“Hyung! Wait for me!”

Baekhyun turns around sleepily as he tries to make out who is calling him so loudly in the morning. He squints his eyes and smiles as he makes out Youngjae running up to him, one arm still out of his jacket.

“Youngjae,” Baekhyun greets as soon as the younger boy catches up. “What are you doing up so early?”

“I wanted to come and help you,” Youngjae huffs, stuffing his remaining arm into his jackets and zipping it up all the way to his neck. “And maybe when I learn everything I can do it myself so you can get some rest.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Baekhyun chuckles, walking at a brisk pace with Youngjae right next to him.

“But I want to. I want to be able to help you so you can get some rest, too. You gave me a place to stay and bought me clothes. You gave me a place to call home…It’s the least I can do…”

Baekhyun turns and smiled at Youngjae. “Alright, but don’t complain to me when you’re dead tired at the end of the day.”

Chanyeol hums happily as he sips his morning coffee, contemplating what he would do with his boys on his day off. He is usually so used to waking up early most days, that sleeping in for him means being able to sleep until 9am at the latest. So, despite it only being 7:45am on a Saturday morning, Chanyeol is awake and patiently waiting for his sons to wake up as well so that they could start their day.

As if on cue, Jongin stumbles out of his room, cutely rubbing his eyes with one hand while the other holds onto a red-eyed Sehun. With a closer look, Chanyeol can see dried tear streaks on his youngest son’s cheeks. He waits until the boys stop in front of him before scooping Sehun up in his lap with one arm, while the other arm pulls Jongin into a one-arm hug. “Sehun?” the single father asks, curiously looking at his youngest son. Jongin yawns and climbs onto the chair next to his father, putting his head on his arms and looking up at his dad and brother lazily.

“Daddy,” Sehun sniffles, leaning into Chanyeol. “Why don’t I have an Papa?” Chanyeol’s breath catches in his throat. From the corner of his eye, he sees Jongin raise his head at his brother’s question. He maneuvers Sehun on his lap so that the toddler is facing him, and places his hands of the boy’s shoulders.

“Sehun,” he chokes, looking down at his son with renewed grief. “You do have a Papa…”

“Where?” the boy asks sadly, fresh tears forming in his eyes. “Everyone else has Papas that live with them. Why doesn’t Papa stay with Hunnie? Does Papa not love me?”

Chanyeol feels a tear escape his eye as he looks from his oldest son to his youngest. It had always been hard raising the kids by himself. He knew that he would eventually have to have this conversation with his boys, but he, selfishly, had always put it off to spare himself the pain and heartache. Jongin, luckily, seemed to understand that Kyungsoo would never be coming back into their lives. Yes, the boy had cried for his Kyungsoo countless nights on end, but he never once brought up the subject. Even at the tender age of four, Jongin was a bright boy; he had understood that Kyungsoo had left, and would only remain in their hearts and memories. He had taken in upon himself to care for his younger brother, and sometimes, Chanyeol felt like he leaned on his son than he should have. He should have been the one comforting Jongin, not the other way around. But Jongin never complained. Not even once. He simply hugged his father in his small arms and whispered the everything would be all right.

Sehun, on the other hand, had been too young to remember. Chanyeol was sure there were distant memories of a motherly figure that Sehun had, but he wasn’t positive how much of Kyungsoo the boy actually remembered. Sehun never seems to have a problem with living as a family of three…until today.

“Your Papa loved you and your brother very much, Sehun,” Chanyeol says, his son’s hair.

“But where is he now? Why doesn’t Papa ever come home with us?”

“Papa is in Heaven, Sehun. He is in Heaven looking down on us.” Chanyeol pulls the toddler into a tight hug. He didn’t know if Sehun understood, but he stopped asking questions after that. 

Jongin suddenly jumps off of his seat to stand in front of his dad and brother. “Daddy,” the seven-year-old says with a smile forming on his face. “Can we go to Uncle Bacon’s bakery today?”

It doesn’t take much convincing for Sehun to agree with his older brother’s request; and Chanyeol can’t deny that he is excited as well. Why? He can’t be sure. He had only met Baekhyun once, yet the idea of seeing the gentle shop owner again brings a big, goofy smile to his face. 

He gets the boys ready in record speed – wrestling Sehun into his clothes only takes ten minutes rather than the usual thirty – and before they know it, they are all in the car on their way to their new favorite bakery.

“It looks like we’re a little early, boys…” Chanyeol sighs as he parks the car in front of the closed bakery. He glances at the clock in his car. ‘8:40am…’ The shop won’t be opening for another twenty minutes.

“Daddy! There’s someone in there!” Jongin points out, unbuckling his seatbelt and hopping out of the car before Chanyeol can even look in the direction his son had pointed. Chanyeol pulls himself out of the car and collects Sehun from the back seat before joining Jongin.  When he gets there, the boy is knocking on the glass door enthusiastically, trying to get the attention of the blonde boy who was busily organizing baked goods in the display window at the counter. Chanyeol offers an apologetic smile as the blonde walks over and unlocks the door, bowing to the family of three politely in greeting.

“Was that Jongdae?” a familiar voice calls from the back of the bakery. Chanyeol looks away from the blonde and rests his eyes on the owner of the shop. Baekhyun has a cake in one hand and a tray of cupcakes in the other while he uses his back to push open the door that Chanyeol assumes led to the kitchen.

“Uncle Bacon!” Jongin hollers happily as he tries to squeeze past the shocked blonde at the door.

Started, Baekhyun turns towards the loud greeting. “Jongin?” A smile blossoms across the brunet’s face that almost makes Chanyeol’s heart stop. “It’s okay, Youngjae. They’re VIP.”

The blonde boy nods and steps aside, allowing Chanyeol and Sehun to follow Jongin into the bakery. He then runs over and frees Baekhyun of the baked goods, and busies himself behind the counter. Baekhyun bends down and pats Jongin’s head. “Good morning, Jongin.”

“Good morning!” Jongin greets back cheerfully. “I brought Daddy and Sehun with me today!” He points to his father, who is still standing awkwardly in th