Later that night, Jongin comes home, worn out and tired.

The entire organisation had depended on him and despite him enjoying it with every cell in his precious he couldn't deny that it had drained out quite a bit of energy.

All he wants to do right now is taking a shower and pass out on his sheets.

As he had a couple of drinks as well, the fatigue came kicking in harder than expected.

He slowly drags himself past the door, slipping out of his shoes, ready to head into the kitchen.

As he rummages through the fridge for a bottle of water, he doesn't notice the small figure sitting on the table, smiling amusedly.

„There you are little rabbit“, the soft, caring voice chuckles from behind, startling Jongin to the point of dropping the bottle he'd just found.

„Damnit, mom. You almost gave me a heart attack.“

He sits down on the table, hugging his mother tightly, kissing her forehead lovingly.

She has a bottle of red wine infront of her, a half-empty glass made of crystal right besides.

Jongin eyes the glass with a questioning look.

„Something special I don't know about?“, he asks, pointing out the glass of wine.

His mother softly smiles, a hint of sadness in her eyes and she pushes an old polaroid over the table. Jongin takes a look.

It's his mother walking down the aisle with a tall, handsome man at her side. The flowers and petals thrown are frozen into a beautiful picture with the couple right in the center, laughing and dodging.

Jongin immediately feels a slight stab in his heart as he watches how happy both seemed to be back in the day.

„It's our wedding anniversary today“, she explains calmly but the slight shake in her voice is more than evident.

„But I couldn't get myself to visiting him at the cemetery.“

She lowers her head in guilt and takes another sip of wine silently.

„I'm so sorry mom“, he pats her back compassionately, shifting closer so that he'd be able to take her into his arms.

„I didn't know. If I had been there we could have gone together.“

He feels the slight shake of her head against his chest. „No Jongi, it's alright. This is something you really shouldn't worry about right now. Given the fact that you've developed so well lately.“

A slight frown creeps up Jongins forehead. What did his mother mean exactly?

He pulls back slightly to look at her with an arched eyebrow.

„What do you mean?“

There, she smiles that mischievous smile again. The one that always indicated she hadn't been the kind, innocent person all along.

„Oh little rabbit, you know what I'm talking about. I've seen you studying hard until late night. I've seen some of the artworks you brought home from art's club.“

She his cheek gently, giving him a soft smile. „If you're father could see you right now. He'd be so proud of you.“

Although Jongin barely knew his father, he still feels the lump in his throat, intending on pressing tears out of his eyes.

But he bites his lip, fighting them back as he hugs his mother.

„But he'd not be the only one. I'm so proud of you as well my little boy. I'm so sorry you've got to be so dependant on a scholarship. I'm so sorry I can't take care of you in a better way.“

Jongin shushes her by hugging tighter. „Don't say something like that mom. You took care of me the best way you could. I should be sorry for treating you like a stray dog. I'll get into that programm and make a living that suffices for the both of us.“

He looks up into her watery eyes, gently a tear away.

„I'll buy you a nice house with a huge garden somewhere out of town and the strange dog you've always wanted. We'll have a good life, I promise.“

His mother seems lost for words as she just smiles with tears streaming down her worn out face.

„I love you Jongin.“

Jongin flashes her a soft smile and takes her into another tight embrace.

„I love you too mum. And tomorrow, we'll go visit dad.“

The next day, Jongin and his mom take a walk to the cemetery, as promised. They spend a good amount of time arranging fresh flowers, watering them while his mom tells a couple of stories about Jongin dad and how much Jongin reminded her of him.

Against all odds, it was a pleasant experience. Neither of them felt utterly sad for a moment. Instead, Jongin was incredibly happy to share such a precious experience with his mom alongside some rare quality time.

His mom indulged in the happy memories of them, which caused her to smile a lot instead of crying.

In the end, both spent more time at the cemetery than planned, sitting on a nearby bench after the work was done, immersing in happy chattering.

Jongin knew how hard this must have been for his mother, so he tried his best to cheer her up the best way possible, talking about school, Baekhyuns silly actions, their new project at the arts club etc.

His mother willingly appreciated the distraction and amusedly listened to Jongins stories, letting a small chuckle slip past her lips every now and then.

As both were done at the cemetery, Jongin proposed to spend the rest of the day in town.

His mom gladly accepted and so they headed off towards the center.

As they reach the crowded center, Jongin wastes no time in dragging his mom to a nearby cafe, seating her at a snug window-place that contains a huge sofa she sinks into.

„Ahh, much better, my feet were seriously killing me“, she groans in pain, slipping out of her shoes, while shifting into a comfortable position.

„You have to try the vanilla latte, it's so good. And you'd love the chocolate cake they make over here“, Jongin excitedly sputters, while mindlessly flicking through the pages of the menu.

„Alright, then I'll trust your knownledge about this Haute Cuisine“, she jokes with a impish smile, waving the pretty waitress over. She takes orders and disappears with a polite smile.

While they wait for their orders to be served, his mom leans in, the sly grin still on her face.

„Pretty thing huh?“

„MOM!“, Jongin exclaims, shocked by his mothers intentions, his face blushing hard at her words.

Given her sons facial expression, she let's out a carefree laugh, leaning back.

„Come on I was young too. And don't think things were any different back then. I'd say the guys were even worse when it came to flirting.“

Clearly uncomfortable, Jongin gulps down a huge lump, shifting in his seat.

„Uhm … well this is not exactly what I expected talking about“, he laughs nervously, thankful for the pretty waitress to arrive with their orders.

In no time, he immerses in eating the delicious cake.

His mother continues watching Jongin for a while before she digs her spoon into the smooth cake.

They continue to enjoy their food in silence for a while before his mother speaks up again.

„You know little rabbit, actually I wanted to know if there's … well maybe someone …? You know someone special in your life?“

„Oh mom, not again“, Jongin moans, actually happy that the topic hadn't surfaced for a while but equally disappointed when his mom came up with it again nonetheless.

„Why are moms always so bloody obsessed with their kid's lovelifes?“ He clashes his hands together above his head dramatically, ruffling his hair in agony as he tries to get the awkward image of him talking his lovelife with his mom out of his head.

His mom doesn't seem to care as she let's out a casual laugh, taking a sip of the vanilla latte.

„Mmm, this is pretty good, you were right.“

„Mom!“

„What is it? I thought you didn't wanna expand this topic any further?“

With a gobsmacked look on his face, Jongin flops his head down, shaking it slightly.

„You're unbelievable mom.“

„That's why your father married me after all. You think you'd gain the interest of someone that popular with only a pretty face? He was so idolized by all these pretty girls alwas trying to get him go on a date with them. But he refused. And you know why?“

Jongin shakes his head, half interested, half spaced out already.

„Because they were boring. Plain, uninteresting, however you wanna call it. All they had was a pretty face which was doomed to fade with time anyway.“

A nostalgic grin flashes over her face.

„And then he met me. At the local art's club funny enough. Perhaps you meet that special someone there as well, who knows?“ The suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows makes Jongin want to fade on the spot again.

His mother has a strange way of creating awkwardness in the most inappropriate situations. Regardless he enjoys spending time with her as he knows it's getting rare these days.

Being crammed up with homework, arts club, friends and the likes takes it's toll on quality time with his mother.

Talking about his lovelife then is not exactly how he had imgined things to be.

„Well yeah, perhaps. Mind if we change topics?“ He knows that's a lousy attempt on getting his mother to talk about something other than pure awkwardness but he has to try at least.

„Not at all little rabbit. You know there's actually something I wanted to tell you.“

Suddenly curious, Jongin looks up from the remains of the cake, facing his mother.

She folds her hands, looking down for a moment as if to gather her thoughts.

„You know … I've been thinking a lot lately. About your stepfather. And about myself.“

The sudden change to such a heavy topic causes Jongin heartbeat to double. Is his mother finally coming to terms with leaving him?

„I know all to well that you hate him. And I know he's not good to me.“

Not good, my , Jongin thinks angrily but bites his tounge to not let any malicious comment slip past his lips.

„I don't really know what's holding me back leaving him. I guess I was afraid all along … and ashamed. But there's actually something-“

Somehow already relieved, Jongin starts to interrupt excitedly: „Then why don't you finally kick his drunk out of our apartment? It's way too small for 3 persons anyway.“

„You know it's not that easy, it's-“

„Yes it is that easy, pack up his belongings, for all I care his bottles as well and shove his filthy outside. I'll help you if he decides to argue.“

„No Jongin listen … There's another reason I can't do that so easily. I've been dreading to tell you all along.“

Jongin had already stiffened in his chair, suddenly very quiet, expecting the worst. What could be so terrifying that his mother just wouldn't tell him? His brain automatically thinks up a thousand possibilities and facing them, a slight rush of panic takes hold of Jongins insides.

„You know, this is a little complicated.“

„Just finally tell me mom! I'm dying already.“

„Ok, ok listen … The time your father died, … Well I met up with a close relative of his. He never mentioned him and later I knew why. But at first, he was nice and charming. He helped me settle the estate, pack up your dads belongings and the likes. We eventually got closer and blame it on the feeling of being lonely but we started a relationship and he moved in.“

Jongin couldn't believe what he had just heard.

„You … you don't wanna tell me … that scum is my … my-“

„Yes he's your uncle. Your stepdad is actually the brother of your biological one.“

„Mom why didn't you tell me earlier?! What's it been that it took you so long?? I thought you just collected some filthy mongrel off the street to live with us but this changes everything.“

His mom lowers her head in a guilty manner, her hands still remaining folded.

„I know. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you earlier but I didn't want to cause any more trouble. You know the thing is, as we settled the estate, your father actually handed the apartment to your brother to start over new. He lost everything over a nasty divorce and I guess your father pitied him. That's why I couldn't leave him. At first he let us live here because he respected the hard time we went through, the grief, the stress and all the things that came with … you know. As we eventually got closer we thought it'd be no big deal to move in together but then … you know what happened.“

She looks up at Jongin with pleading eyes. „Please Jongin, I did this all just for you. He always threatended to kick us out if I ever decided to go up against him or call the police. You know I'm not workig right now and could barely make a living for us two if we decided to move out.“

To say Jongin feels sick right know would be the understatement of the year.

A thousand thoughts spin around in his head, making him dangerously dizzy.

He quickly takes a sip of his, now cold, vanilla latte to calm his erratic heartbeat down and take a hold of reality again.

He feels strangely detatched, everything suddenly seems so surreal.

„That's why I always hoped for you to make a career someday. Get into college without having to worry about money. I've always hoped for at least one of us to be able to move out.“

„My God, mom …“, Jongin mumbles, tears in his eyes as he watches the agonized expression on his mom's face, desperately trying to hold the tears back.

He takes her into a soft embrace, resting his chin on her hair thoughtfully.

„Mom, even if I make it into college, which I highly doubt, I couldn't live with the thought of you being stuck with that bastard because you have to. It would kill me to know that you don't have a choice and I'm living happily, immersing in freshman parties and fast food.“ He looks up at his mother with desperate eyes. „Mom I can't do that!“

That's when she takes a firm hold of Jongins hands, looking him dead in the eyes with the most serious expression Jongin had ever seen. He gulps down his dry throat.

„Yes you can. And you have to. I won't let you end up like this, not if I can prevent it. You gonna get your into college and then get a decent job. At least one of us should have it good.“

Her rigid expression softens. „I love you my little rabbit. Please don't make the wrong choice. Because you have a choice. I don't.“

Mornings little sunshines :D 

Dunno what's happening lately but I'm in writing mode for almost the whole week (not that it should bother you all eh? ;D)

So to satisfy my need of updating, here we go with another chappie, just in time for weekend :D

hope you like it ;)

Have a blasting weekend and a great rest of the day :*

Love you all <3

P.S: Thanks for commenting more lately, it's been so refreshing to get to know what's going on in your pretty heads ;) Thanks a lot