Suho sighs he knew he shouldn’t have brought Chen with him to the store but he was rather insistent on not staying with his siblings. So Suho brought him along.

            “I want it!” Chen whines stomping his foot. “Please, please can I have it Mom?”

            “What are you going to do with another stuffed animal?” Suho asks.

            “Sleep with it.” Chen says.

            “You already have close to 3 dozen at home. Put it back.” Suho says. Chen yells throwing the stuffed animal on the ground. “I will take all of your stuffed animals away if you do not stop with this attitude.”

            “But I want it!” Chen yells whining.

            “Christmas is coming and you will get plenty of presents then.” Suho says. “Besides I was going to bring you along to help pick the onesie PJ’s we all wear on Christmas eve night and all Christmas day.”

            “Really? Me?” Chen asks excitedly picking up the bear.

            “Well yes. You are the one that knows your siblings the best.” Suho says. “Now, let’s find your brother we have to get food.” Suho sighs as Chen grabs onto his arm. Chen then points down an aisle to Tao who is helping an older couple reach the top shelf.

            “Mom! Mom, this is Mr. and Mrs. Kim.” Tao says.

            “Hello, I hope he hasn’t been much trouble.” Suho says bowing the older couple who seem confused. “Come along, I really do not want to keep the others at home by themselves to long. Who knows the trouble they could get into?”

            “Can we get ramen?” Chen asks.

            “Bye!” Tao says waving to the old couple. “They were nice.”

            “What food do we need?” Chen asks holding onto the cart.

            “Rice, eggs, ramen, vegetables.” Suho says. Chen sticks out his tongue in disgust. “And maybe fruit.”     

            “Yes! Fruit!” Chen says excitedly.

            “Hurry along, Tao.” Suho says.

            “Yes, Mama.” Tao says catching up to them. Suho somehow manages to keep the shopping trip under an hour. Suho opens the dorm door.

            “Kyungsoo, Min Seok go help your brothers with the groceries.” Suho orders. “And where is your brother?”

            “In his room.” Chanyeol says. Suho sighs setting down his wallet and keys knocking on Sehun’s door.

            “Sehun. Sehun open the door.” Suho says. Suho shakes his head when the door does not open. “I’m coming in.” Suho says. He opens the door; Sehun has all his CDs laid out, scissors in hand about to eat part of the CD. Suho quickly runs into the room grabbing the CD out of his hand. “What are you doing?!”

            “The people on the internet said to eat CDs.” Sehun says.

            “No, Sehun, no. They just say that when we sound really good live. You don’t actually have to eat the CDs.” Suho says. “Clean this up. And get washed up, you are going to spend some time with the family.”

            “Mama!” Baekhyun shouts. “Manager is on the phone for you!”

            “Hurry up and wash up.” Suho says exiting the room. Xiumin sets the bags onto the counter.

            “I did a load of laundry, Sehun needed his clothes done.” Xiumin says. Suho nods kissing Xiumin on the forehead.

            “Thank you, Min Seok.” Suho says being handed the phone by Baekhyun. This early in the morning and already getting calls. Suho had found it best to go to the store at dawn when nobody was there, less people means less likely to be bombarded with fans. “Hello?”

            “Ah, yes, Jun Myun.” The manager says. “So, we just got out of a meeting, some of the members are going to be in a drama based around all of you. It’s going to be called EXO Next Door.”

            “Some? Sir I don’t think that’s fair.” Suho says. “We should all have some part of it.”

            “Of course, of course. Don’t you worry.” The manager says.

            “Get out! MOM!” Lay shouts loudly. “Mom! Tell him to get out!”

            “I have to go. I’ll talk to you soon.” Suho says hanging up the phone. Suho shakes his head entering Lay’s room. Tao is on the bathroom floor in tears.

            “What happened?” Suho shouts going over to Tao checking him over.

            “He wanted to get a shower with me.” Lay says. “So I pushed him.”

            “Tao, honey I told you, you don’t get a shower with Yixing.” Suho says. He then turns to Lay. “And you do not push your brother. Apologize, right now.”

            “But it was his fault!” Lay shouts.

            “I don’t care whose fault it was! Apologize, Yixing.” Suho says.

            “I’m sorry, I pushed you.” Lay says. Tao slowly makes it to his feet grimacing on when he puts pressure on his ankle.

            “Are you okay?” Suho asks. Tao sighs nodding. “Sehun should be getting a shower, go join him. Go on.” Tao giggles hugging Suho tightly.

            “Thanks, Mom!” Tao says rushing out of the room.

            “Hurry up, we are starting breakfast.” Suho says to Lay.

            “Yes, Mom.” Lay says. Suho exits the room to find both Kyungsoo and Xiumin unpacking the groceries leaving some out for breakfast. Chanyeol and Baekhyun waiting patiently to set the table. Suho looks around not seeing Chen.

            “Where is Jongdae?” Suho asks. Baekhyun looks up at Suho then to Chanyeol.

            “I thought he was in his room.” Chanyeol says. Suho goes over to Chen’s room looking inside. “He’s not?”

            “No.” Suho says. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Suho says exiting the dorm heading down the stairs. Suho sees the chalk and a couple of dinosaur toys on the sidewalk outside the front door. The car they had used for shopping still sitting in the same spot. “Jongdae? Jongdae, quit hiding!” Suho jumps when the car door quickly opening, Chen laying on the backseat looking out the window at the neighbor’s dorm.

            “Shhh! They are arguing about something.” Chen says.

            “Jongdae, how many times do I have to tell you to not spy on the neighbors? And do not come out here unattended, what if a fan was to have walked by?” Suho asks.

            “You worry too much.” Chen says.

            “Come on, get out. Out, now!” Suho says. Chen whines sitting up. Chen makes his way out of the car picking up the dinosaur toys. “Who was playing with the chalk?”

            “Jongin, he had to go to the bathroom.” Chen says. “I was talking to him about his favorite animal. He said he likes dogs the most. He would make a good puppy.”

            “A puppy, huh?” Suho asks picking up the chalk. “I’ll have to remember that.”

            “I will remember!” Chen says. Kai comes out his hands in his pockets.

            “Water was cold.” Kai says.

            “Probably because your brothers are taking showers. Come along you two.”

            “Yes, Mother.” Kai says following after Suho. They had no idea what kind of day their mother had planned for them. A family day was much needed especially with Tao and Lay spending Christmas with their father. Did it upset Suho to know that Kris only cared about only some of the kids? Of course it did. Especially when it hurt the kids, Chen and Xiumin tried to make it seem like it didn’t bother them, but it did. It was going to be the first Christmas without Kris and without two of his sons. So Suho was going to make sure that they had fun days like this before they leave and then they’ll have Christmas after they return. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted but it was how it was. He had to accept that Kris is gone and he isn’t coming back.