EPILOGUE (2/2)

It was a nice Sunday morning filled with gentle morning buzz, vibrant sun rays and peaceful chirping of the birds. It was like any other Sunday morning filled with usual routine, but something felt amiss. Baekhyun felt like something was wrong, but his sleep-addled mind hardly had the motivation to pay attention to what that ‘something’ was; well not until he heard a loud crash of a vase meeting the floor and shattering into pieces from the left side of his otherwise silent room. Letting out a loud noise of confusion he immediately pulled out his messy bed head that was buried under the soft pillow with an alarmed expression and narrowed his eyes in the direction the noise came from.

“What…” He started with a bewildered look on his face but ended up trailing in the end when he saw his four-years-old daughter looking up at him with wide, beautiful, innocent eyes that he was sure she inherited from her mother. The still half-asleep male tossed the sheets away from his body almost instantly and hastily got up from the bed to approach his daughter who was sitting in the middle of the mess that she has created. He was highly confused with the whole situation for a second before realization finally dawned on him.

!

Haejin will kill me.

“Somin-ah~” Baekhyun whined in misery before bending down to carry his daughter out of the whole mess; which was once a very beautiful vase that his wife had brought three years back when they went on their late honeymoon. It was Haejin’s ultimate favourite and the male was sure his wife won’t be anything less than furious at him for not taking proper care of their daughter and her vase. In his defence, Sunday mornings were for him to sleep in, but since his wife was busy with a charity event (that she has been conducting for the orphan kids since a few years back) that particular day he was the one in charge of taking care of Somin.

“It fell.” That was all- his daughter provided innocently before winding her small, chubby arms around his neck. Baekhyun felt himself smiling fondly at her despite the impending doom that he was fated to face. Haejin was right. He was so damn whipped for his little girl.

“You know your mom is going to be angry, right?” He inquired with a playful frown before bopping her nose with his’. He watched with an amused smile as Somin’s eyes grew comically large before she was pressing her lips into a thin line as a clear gesture of thoughtfulness.

“We will tell her that it was Uncle Kyungsoo. She never gets angry at him.” His daughter suggested with a twinkling smile which caused him to release a soft chuckle.

“Lying is a bad habit, Somin. Let’s not do that.” He admonished gently before slowly making his way towards the messy bed he was previously sleeping in.

“But mom would be angry with us…” Somin complained with an adorable pout on her lips which reminded him of exactly why he spoiled her so much.

“We can just tell her how sorry we are and she won’t be angry anymore.”

At least, not with you…

Baekhyun thought that it was appropriate to keep his last thought to himself.

“Hyung! How can you not take care of Somin? What if she got injured?” Baekhyun let out an exasperated groan and threw his head back in irritation as soon as he heard Tao scolding him like he wouldn’t have done the same thing. He was really tempted to throw that fact at his brother’s face, but the unimpressed look sent his way by Kyungsoo and Suho shut him up because they would have never done that. Haejin being angry at him was probably a concern for later- now he has to deal with his brothers.

“I was tired, okay! Plus, she didn’t get hurt and I didn’t do it intentionally.”

“That’s not the point-”

“Jongin.” Baekhyun turned his head towards Minseok with a thankful smile when the second eldest interrupted his younger brother.

“Somin is not injured. Leave the matter here.” He continued before shifting his attention towards Somin; who was sitting in Chanyeol’s lap. The small girl seemed rather fascinated with the giant’s oddly big ears completely oblivious to the trouble she has caused her father.

“She’s going to be the death of me,” Baekhyun claimed with a crooked frown though there was no heat to his words; the fond look in his eyes clearly gave away the adoration that he held for his daughter.

“Literally- if Haejin noona decides not to spare you today,” Sehun claimed like a brat he was before slightly pinching his daughter’s cheek. His little girl threw her youngest uncle a bright smile before spreading her arms towards him in an obvious request to be carried by him. The youngest was the happiest to oblige.

“Uncle Minseok when will Eunji unnie come today?” Somin inquired while looking at her eldest uncle with a slightly tilted head. Baekhyun didn’t really get the attachment that his daughter has developed with Minseok’s secretary; neither did Minseok who was currently trying his best to ignore the smug looks sent his way.

“Yes, Uncle Minseok when is Eunji going to come today?” Jongdae repeated with mocking, teasing smile before letting out a laugh filled with mischief and amusement.

“How would I know? She’s my secretary. I’m not required to know about her whereabouts all the freaking time.” The second eldest replied calmly before casually picking up the newspaper from the table; anything to avoid annoying brothers.

“She asked you for a free day yesterday. I was right there.” Kris claimed nonchalantly before sitting up straight in his place.

“I’m sure she told you the reason too.” The taller male continued with a curious expression before narrowing his eyes at the second eldest in suspicion.

“She was not obliged to tell me the reason.” The answer was chipped and brief. Baekhyun was tempted to tell his brothers to stop pestering Minseok since the male already had his jaw tightly clenched which was a surprise in itself. When did the second eldest start losing his cool over a girl? Was he missing something there?

“Let’s call her and ask!” Somin suggested with enthusiasm and climbed off Sehun’s lap to walk towards Minseok; who has already gone rigid in his place.

“Somin- ah let’s not do that. She might be busy.” Baekhyun decided to save his brother from the trouble of making up excuses to not let his daughter make a call from his phone. He had a feeling that Xiumin already knew the reason for her absence.

“But we will just ask her why she didn’t come today.” His daughter protested with a sulky pout before settling herself down in his lap comfortably.

“You can ask her that when she comes tomorrow.” He suggested and gently cradled her head when she buried her face in the crook of his neck with a whine.

“I want mom.”

Ah- that’s why she’s being cranky.

It was normal that Somin was missing Haejin since she hasn’t seen her mother ever since she woke up this morning. It didn’t happen often that’s why their daughter wasn’t used to the absence of her mother.

“Do you want me to call her?” He inquired softly before tipping his head up to look at the wall clock. There was still at least two hours before his wife came back.

“Can we?” The sudden twinkle that suddenly lined her eyes made him smile.

“Of course.”

“Where is she?” Baekhyun shifted his attention away from the book he was reading towards his wife who was standin