“There is something I want to tell all of you.”

Irene thinks there is no more going back, not that she intended to. She’s been delaying this for quite a while now, making sure to sort it out by herself and figure out the next steps from there.

At her age, Irene has had big defining moments in the course of her lifetime. She was no stranger to big announcements: engagement, marriage, pregnancies, and birth of each of her children. It would entail relatives getting in her business, wanted or not. It would lead to rekindled friendships - “congratulations” and promises of catching up.

But all of those life events automatically garnered positive responses.

Irene dating Wendy is, technically speaking, no different. And yet, she is sure that this announcement would not get the same reactions.

Regardless, she just now needs to find the right words to express what she means to say.

This is just another one of her announcements. And there is nothing anyone can do or say about it.

---

“Mom, can we go to dad now? Pretty please? Pleaseee.”

As soon as Irene buckled her seatbelt, Mina wouldn’t stop asking to visit her dad. It’s not even a request at this point. They have to go there and “right now!”

After driving through for a mcdonald’s happy meal, they finally arrive at her husband’s resting place.

Mina doesn’t wait for her mother to finish locking the car. The little girl is already running up the small hill, kneeling on the grass to take out a folded sheet of paper from her backpack.

As Irene neared, she sees a beautiful portrait painting of Sehun. His hair is styled with a middle part and he’s wearing a dark blue shirt. Irene chuckles at how her daughter painted his face. The nose is big and pointy and his smile covered half of his face. His eyebrows are thick but his eyes are Irene’s favorite part. His eyes are nothing but two crescent moons. It’s simple yet so representative of how she remembers him.

Listening to Mina talk about her painting, she finally understands the hurry.

“Teacher told us to paint our favorite person.” Glancing beside her, she adds in her small voice, “Sorry mom…” Irene doesn’t even feel offended, not with her daughter’s shy little smile. Apparently, it would be displayed in school until the next parent-teacher conference but Mina’s teacher let her borrow it in the meantime.

To be honest, Mina’s insistence made Irene wonder if her youngest daughter could sense her secret relationship with Wendy. An overreaction, but she really can’t help it.

She is supposedly sure now, determination set high when she made the decision. But thinking about how her family would react… it causes her resolve to falter a little.

She feels the little warm body wrap around her. She looks up to see her baby hugging her tight.

“Don’t be sad, Mom. Dad doesn’t want you to be sad, too.”

In the midst of a hug, Irene can only nod and choke a sob. She wonders when her little kid started to grow up.

“Daddy said our dead bunnies are watching over us,” Mina said, pointing at a cloud. Irene looks up and waits for her to continue speaking. “I think daddy joined them.”

Mina’s gummy smile easily makes her smile, too. They stay for a while longer. Mina dances and runs around until she finally falls asleep on Irene’s lap.

In silence, Irene stares at her deceased husband's resting place. It has become a habit by now.

The epitaph reads: Absent in body. But present in spirit.

Feeling the cold marble against her fingers, she shares her thoughts in unspoken words that she hopes he can hear. She talks to him like all those times before.

You’ll always be a part of my life. I loved you a lot…

There’s a feeling that she hasn’t felt in a while, forgotten when it’s Wendy that occupies her mind.

But… can I love her now?

The question may sound futile. It’s like asking if she can swim when she’s already in the water. But, she hates the guilt that seeps every now and then. Deep inside her, she knows Sehun would be proud and happy for her. Irene’s been in a slump and she’s finally gotten back up.

But still, she’s waiting for something. Whether it’s the acceptance of their family, his words, or both. Irene just really wants to free herself.

The wind blows and a strong breeze ruffles the leaves around them. Tiny yellow petals from the nearby tree make their way to them. The breeze is cool, but for some reason, it makes her feel warm.

Irene looks up at the sky. A tear falls from her eye… but it’s of love and gratitude now.

---

Minhyuk surprisingly wakes up early on a Monday. And finding Jisoo already waiting for him with untouched breakfast in a bag, he agrees to leave for school now.

They take their time walking in silence. Jisoo wasn’t particularly in a bad mood… but she’s not looking great either. They stop by the school entrance when they see Sowon getting out an unfamiliar car.

Sowon bids a goodbye kiss to her mom and invasive as it may seem, it makes Minhyuk smile. He knows how much his friend struggled to be close with her mom again. Turning away to give them privacy, he catches a glimpse at their dance coach exchanging a warm goodbye as well.

As they wait for their friend, Minhyuk suddenly recalls a memory from when they were young. Sowon’s parents once owned a huge camper and his dad had chuckled in excitement at the prospect of driving it.

They left the city in the wee hours of the morning and naturally, the kids were asleep for most of the ride. He remembers being woken up, carried in his mother’s arms as they step down to greet the sunrise.

Sleepy little Minhyuk hugged his mom tight, almost lulled back to sleep by the sound of waves. His father was right beside them, with Jisoo enjoying the sea breeze on his shoulders.

With the sound of beautiful laughter coming from his other side, young Minhyuk turned to look. Twirling in the sand was Sowon, happy and bright. The little girl eventually stops and loses her balance but her smile was back soon as both her parents caught her in a hug.

“Hi!”

As Sowon approaches, Minhyuk leaves the fantasy bubble he was just immersed in. Despite that, he’d like to believe that the Minhyuk, Jisoo, and Sowon now are still similar to the bright and joyful kids they once were.

“How was the weekend camping?” Jisoo starts the conversation, offering her packed sandwich to their friend.

“Thanks! We just got back this early morning and I only had enough time to wash up and get ready for school. But, it was fun. I’m very happy.”

Minhyuk can see his sister smile at their childhood friend. It feels surreal to hear her talking about a trip with Aunt Solar and her new partner, but both of them couldn’t really say anything when Sowon beams with a smile they haven’t seen in a long time.

Jennie soon joins them and Sowon continues with her story. The two lead the conversation, while the siblings become quiet in their own thoughts. He’d like to think he could hear what his sister is thinking, though neither of them wants to talk about it.

”I’m happy you got along well with your mother’s partner. I remember, you said before you wanted your parents to get back together.”

This used to be a heavy topic for them and it took Sowon quite a while to confide in Jennie. Minhyuk doesn’t realize how quickly their little group grew closer in the past months.

“When I got home, I had to adjust to living with my mom again. And I felt guilty that she lived here all alone. I thought… them getting together would fix all of our problems. When I got here, my parents talked more often through calls and chats, which led me to believe they’re getting back together. But I realized that it was just parental duty. They were civil with each other and did their best for me. But… their happy days together were over…”

They’re sitting by the bleachers now. Jisoo is on one end, sitting sideways so that she can face the group and listen to Sowon.

Minhyuk is surprised when Jisoo speaks up.

“Was it easy accepting that your mom has someone new?”

Minhyuk takes a sip of water from his jug to calm him down. He chances a glance at his sister but she’s not looking at him.

“Not at first. But then one day, mom brought me out for dinner and told me I could ask or tell her anything. It was difficult. But, we did talk about it.

“And by the day, I saw how happy and in love my mom is becoming… and I thought, it’s making it easier for her to open up and show that she loves me. If she’s happy, shouldn’t I be happy for her, too?"

Minhyuk quietly observes her sister as she forces herself to smile. Jennie and Sowon continue talking about other things and Minhyuk tries to join them. However, his sister remained quiet throughout the rest of the conversation.

---

Irene arrives at Wendy’s doorstep with a bag full of home cooked food.

It was a new yet easy scenario. Irene ate early dinner with her kids, packed food for Wendy, then gave reminders for the few hours she’ll be out.

Irene didn’t have to tell her kids where she was going. They didn’t ask, but she had a feeling they knew. It’s good, she thinks. At least, the news wouldn’t be too much of a surprise when it arrives.

The couple now sits on Wendy’s couch, watching another episode of the latest drama on TV. It was popular and exciting, but Irene can’t seem to put her full attention to it.

“We’re going to my parent’s house next weekend.” She turns to face Wendy, who was previously staring at the TV.

“The kids must be excited! That's great.” She flashes a smile that Irene tries to give back. “You don’t look ecstatic.”

“I am.” Irene states, though Wendy looks skeptical.

“I’m going to tell them about us.”

Wendy’s face falls for a split-second, a surprised oh escaping her lips. But just as quickly, she puts on a smile, a deliberate one. Wendy reaches one hand for Irene’s own, squeezing it to express her support but Irene wonders what Wendy really feels about it.

A few minutes of comfortable silence follow, hands still intertwined on Irene’s lap. She wants to focus on the show they’re watching but her thoughts seem to drift farther and farther away by the second.

She instinctively inches closer to Wendy and she sighs when the other woman wraps her arms around her waist. Irene then reaches to caress Wendy’s head and let it rest on her shoulders. They’re so close now, that Irene can hear and feel Wendy’s breaths. She closes her eyes for a second and revels in the warmth of their embrace. Her attention is now permanently away from the screen and she wonders if Wendy is still watching.

The answer comes when Wendy presses her lips against her nape and trails kisses down to the exposed part of her shoulder.

Irene smiles at the touch and can’t help but shudder when fingers come into the mix. Wendy’s fingers flitter in a slow dance on her exposed thigh.

The tapping barely gets closer but Irene feels her breath hitch. She knows what’s coming, of course. She is no stranger to intimacy, with Wendy and her late husband both. As a person, she valued these moments the most. It was never just a touch, a kiss, or an embrace. One had to be very special to allow someone to be this close to her.

As a younger woman, she was viewed as prudish, but that wasn’t the case. She just wasn’t willing to go beyond friendly skinship unless her heart was into it first.

And so, it surprised her how quickly it was for her to reach for Wendy in ways no friend should. Irene intertwines her fingers with Wendy’s hand still resting on her waist and slightly taps it.

Wendy gets the signal and drags Irene’s hands with her as it moves towards her stomach. With each second, Irene waits with bated breath, anticipating yet unknowing of her next move.

The fingers drumming on her thigh remain a safe distance but the hand dragging hers is now moving up, until it was hindered by an offending piece of garment.

Contrary to what she’s expecting, their hands stay where they are. But Wendy’s lips are back to peppering kisses against her nape, her neck, and behind her ear. She takes a deep breath and lets the kiss linger. Unconsciously, she leans back and arches against her and Wendy takes that as a cue to push away the hem of her bunched up dress.

Together, they remove the piece of clothing, cold air a surprise on her skin. For a moment, Irene hesitates, insecurities taking over on her exposed body. For the past months, it was a roller coaster of emotions. In the beginning of the relationship, she felt guilty and bothered when in bed with Wendy. Another person has touched her for so many year