There was a huge gap Nayeon’s weekend that was usually filled by Jeongyeon, the absence making everything she did almost crippling. She felt like a zombie going around her apartment, encountering all the little things that remained undone that usually Jeongyeon accomplished. When Nayeon finally woke up on Sunday morning, she was curled around Sungjae's shivering form, the small boy’s face still tear stained as he looked up at Nayeon pleadingly.

There was no coffee waiting for Nayeon when she walked into the kitchen to make Sungjae's breakfast, no laundry started when she took him to bathroom to give him a bath. There simply lacked everything that was Jeongyeon, and the thought was depressing, yet Nayeon could still feel the anger seething inside her, gripping at her heart every time she saw Sungjae's bandaged hand.

The most heart wrenching thing however was the fact that Sungjae remained silent, eyes on the television as Nayeon picked up the previous night’s mess, the boy simply refusing to actually decorate the tree. He hadn’t said a word since he had woken up at the hospital, only nodding or pointing.

Yet Nayeon could still hear Jeongyeon's name resonating in the boy’s voice, the desperate cry of her son calling for the woman she had fallen for so quickly. It made her sick to her stomach, knowing that all this was her fault, that she allowed Jeongyeon into her life this quickly and in result her son was suffering.

-

After lunch, Nayeon tried to change Sungjae’s mood, offering the boy some time at the park to make a snowman but he only shook his head silently, sighing before he pressed his cheek to Nayeon's stomach. Needing to occupy her own mind, Nayeon decided to take out their art supplies, encouraging Sungjae into splattering paint over a blank canvas.

The boy did in fact participate, splattering reds and blacks along the white linen canvas, a deep contrast that only reminded her of broken glass and blood. The boy was to having a hard time holding the paintbrush in his bandaged hand but kept going at it, brows furrowed as he concentrated on every .

“Looks amazing bunny,” she whispered, voice suddenly tight as she could imagine Jeongyeon praising the little boy, whisking him off his chair and into the air. She longed for the delighted sound’s sungjae made in Jeongyeon’s arms, the warmth of his smile when he was cuddled to her chest.

“How about we get into pyjamas and read a story before bed,” offered Nayeon when the boy’s hand started to quiver from the strength it took him to hold the brush up, a frustrated sigh leaving his mouth.

Nodding, he dropped his paintbrush on the canvas, standing to kiss Nayeon's  cheek before disappearing down the hallway into his room. Quickly, Nayeon went about cleaning up the kitchen, putting the art supplies away and hanging the canvas in the living room.

By the time she entered Sungjae's room, Nayeon's head was pounding with a creeping headache making its way through her body. Opening her eyes, she came face to face with her son patiently sitting under his blankets with a book in his lap.

“Ready for bed bunny?”

The boy nodded, but then quickly turned away, furiously wiping tears from his face. Nayeon's heart broke and felt worried, she quickly took the boy into her lap.

“What's wrong sweetie?”

“Did Yeoni realize she didn't want me? Like Jaebum? Too young?”

Nayeon held back her own tears. When Sungjae was old enough she had talked to him about Jaebum, not hiding the truth of what happened and letting him understand so he would never feel like he was missing anyone. According to professionals explaining from a young age was best. And now here they are, her son thinks Jeongyeon didn't want him anymore, that maybe she thought she was too young to have Sungjae, just like Jaebum had done.

“Oh Bunny,” she whispered, her own heart crushed under the amount of guilt she felt stabbing through her body. “Jeongyeon didn't leave, you’ll see her tomorrow I promise.”

“She didn't leave us,” repeated the boy, tiny fists curled around the material of Nayeon’s shirt in disbelief.

“No baby,” replied Nayeon shaking her head as she felt Sungjae sigh in relief, the boy’s body sagging against hers. “You’ll see her tomorrow.”

Truth was, Nayeon hadn’t planned on sending Sungjae to school for the next few days, figuring the boy needed the rest and that staying away from Jeongyeon was probably best. Yet the boy’s broken smile and tear stained cheeks were not something she could deal with. If that meant she had to face Jeongyeon, then she would, capping her own anger for her son’s happiness.

The boy nodded against her stomach in reply, tiny hands never loosening as he started humming to himself.

“I'm  really happy you’re talking again” Nayeon breathed after a minute, eyes shut tight as if she was afraid it was a dream, that when he realized he was talking out loud again and he would never speak again.

Bringing his hand up to his mouth, he ran his trembling gauzed fingers over his lips, eyes wide as he looked up at Nayeon “Mommy”

It was as if he had not even realized he was talking, the boy’s hand reaching out, pressing itself to Nayeon's face.

Nayeon felt the tears spill over the boy’s bandaged fingers, her own tears that she hadn’t realized were falling.

“Don’t cry mommy,” smiled Sungjae. “When we find Yeoni again, we’ll be ok”

Nodding because she didn’t know what else to do, she kissed her son’s forehead, her own heart hammering in her chest. She didn’t actually know how to tell Sungjae that things were different with Jeongyeon, that it wouldn’t be that easy but for now this sufficed. Sungjae's melodic voice was enough to make her believe in anything.

-

At 6:30 Sungjae woke Nayeon up, the little boy already dressed with his boots and winter coat, his scarf falling off his delicate neck as he grinned at her.

“Hurry mom” the boy said when Nayeon grumbled incoherently, her mind still lingering in the abyss of sleep. “It’s time to go to school.”

“Its too early bunny,” groaned Nayeon, yet pushed herself up, rubbing the sleep away as she marvelled at the high pitch sound of Sungjae's voice, it had been a while since he started talking again. “How about we get breakfast at the dinner by the school first?”

The small boy tilts his head at the words, as if considering the option before nodding, kissing Nayeon’s cheek.

“Then Yeoni!”

“Then Yeoni” Nayeon repeated, wondering if she was ready to face the woman who’d broken her less than a day ago. Broken promises were simply not something that easily repairable.

-

The minute they stepped foot inside the school, she felt her palms go sweaty, her heart stammering as she jogged slowly after Sungjae.

“Slow down baby,” she called to her son, the boy turning around as he signaled for her to hurry.

The closer they got to the boy’s classroom, the worst she felt, obviously not ready to face Jeongyeon  right away. When Sungjae turned the corner into his homeroom  Nayeon felt tighten, expecting to hear Jeongyeon's booming laughter, yet after a few seconds, nothing came.

When she finally rounded the corner himself, stepping into the brightly colored room, she came face to face with a woman she’d seen around the school before, but Jeongyeon was nowhere to be seen.

“You must be Nayeon” the woman smiled. “I’m Chayeoung. I’ll be Sungjae's teacher until the holidays.”

“Where’s Jeongyeon?” Nayeon asked, not even caring that her question might come off rudely, Chaeyoung’s hand still outstretched in front of her to greet her. Huffing a laugh, the woman pulled her hand back, running her fingers through her short hair as if suddenly nervous.

“I’m not supposed to say,” Chaeyoung  grumbled, biting her lip before turning to Sungjae watching the boy’s sad eyes trace over Jeongyeon’s empty chair.

“I think she’s dumb for not telling you, but she had to go home, family emergency.”

“Emergency?” questioned Nayeon beckoning Sungjae until the boy trudged up to her, chubby hands reaching for her asking to be picked up.

“She’ll kill me for telling you,” muttered Chaeyoung as she sighed dramatically, bending over before writing something on a piece of paper and handing it to Nayeon. “Her father had a heart attack, that’s her parents address and her mom’s phone number.”

Before Nayeon could reply, Sungjae's  bandaged hand pressed to her cheeks, demanding her attention.

“Where’s Yeoni?”

“She went to visit her parents,” whispered Nayeon choking on regret, seeing Jeongyeon’s broken face when she had kicked her out flashing through her mind. She couldn’t believe how dumb she’d been to think Jeongyeon didn’t have a drastic explanation for missing out on her promise to Sungjae. There was no one in the world more attached to the little boy’s every which demand than Jeongyeon everything the woman did was to please Sungjae and Nayeon had doubted her.

She hadn’t given Jeongyeon the benefit of the doubt, hadn’t given her the time she needed to explain. And it was obvious Jeongyeon would never push her explanation on Nayeon, she was too nice for that. Truth be told Jeongyeon was probably blaming herself, torn apart by the sight of Sungjae's bandaged hand even if she had only seen it for a minute.

Holding back tears, Nayeon murmured a muted thank you, walking rapidly out of the school, towards the train station.

By the time she was seated, Sungjae was babbling to himself, eyes trained on Nayeon's phone as she booked two train tickets to the address she was given, the departure in less than 30 minutes.

“Are we going to be a family for Christmas?” Sungjae asked after a minute, his words ringing through the chaos of the train and yet resonating loudly through Nayeon’s head.

And she knew she should probably tell the boy they were already a family. That just the two of them were the strongest of families and yet Nayeon found herself swallowing around the lump in , feeling exactly the same way Sungjae did. They needed Jeongyeon to be complete, needed her to be a family.

“I hope so,” she smiled down at her son, kissing his forehead as the boy leaned into her side, closing his eyes.

“Mommy and Mom,” sing sung, Sungjae, making Nayeon's mind blank at the prospect.

Sitting impatiently on the train, her son tapping out a restless beat on her hand, Nayeon prayed Jeongyeon would find it in her heart to forgive her.

To make them a family.

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How did y'all like the chapter? What will happen, will Jeongyeon forgive Nayeon or will there be more drama? Dun dun duuun!  As always feedback is appreciated so lemme know what y'all thought what y'all thought.