Business Trip

“I’m homeeee!” Gyuri announced as she took off her shoes and changed it into slippers. She padded to the kitchen where her family was and stole a kiss on her wife’s cheek.

“Hi Appa. Go shower, I’m making dinner.”

“Can I get a kiss first?”

Saerom complied with the request.

“Hi Babyyyyy~” Gyuri pecked her daughter’s head.

“Ppa!”

“Yesh yesh.” The ‘Appa’ replied to the call. “I’m gonna go shower, Deoyeon-ie help Umma, okay?”

“Ppa?” Seoyeon called out when she saw her Appa moving away from her.

“I’ll be back, Syeon-ah.”

Several minutes later, the little family reunited in the dining room. Saerom was feeding her baby while Gyuri was enjoying her homemade delicious dinner. “How’s work?” The older woman asked.

“The usual, but I finally get to terminate the er that I told you before.” Gyuri told. “How about yours?”

Saerom took a sharp deep breath. “There’s umm… I have to go to Busan tomorrow and for three days. There’s this new branch that needs to be trained.” She softly explained.

“Oh…” The younger woman nodded. “Wait.” She realized something a second later. “You’re leaving me with Seoyeon for three days? I don’t know what to do when she cries. Or what if I give her the wrong food? What if I kill her? What if—” She went on hyperventilating.

The shorter woman put her palm on her wife’s cheek, trying to calm her down. “Appa, breathe. You’re going to be just fine. She’s your daughter. You know what to do with her. Plus I’m only a call away.”

“But—“

“And our parents are right here. You can always ask for help. Relax, okay.”

---

“My mother’s gonna be here in thirty minutes. She’ll look after Seoyeon while you’re at the office.” Saerom said while doing her final packing.

Gyuri sighed. “Are you sure you have to be there for three days?” She just had to ask.

“Yes.”

“Not two days?”

“Nope.” Saerom patted Gyuri’s cheek. “You’ll be just fine. I’ll video call every night, okay?” She then ruffled her daughter’s hair. Seoyeon was in her Appa’s safe arms.

“Don’t you want me to drive you to the airport?”

“It’s okay, Appa. Someone from the office is picking me up.” Saerom’s phone dinged right after she said that. “And they’re in front of our house now.”

Gyuri jutted her lower lip and didn’t let go of her wife’s hand.

“I’ll be back in three days.” Saerom reassured.

The taller woman kissed her wife.

“I gotta go.” The older woman said in between kisses.

“One more…”

Saerom complied and left a lingering kiss on her wife’s lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, take care.”

The Umma then moved to kiss and hug her daughter. “Be good to Appa, Seoyeonie. I love you so sooo much.”

Seoyeon stared her Umma’s disappearing back, confused. “Mma?” She asked her Appa.

“Yeah, I miss her already too, Syeon-ah.”

---

“Ppa! Appa!” Seoyeon tried her best to drag her Appa to her Umma’s study.

“Umma is not there, Syeon-ah.” Gyuri said.

“Mma!” Little Seoyeon knocked on the door. When she saw the door did not opened, she looked at her Appa. “Umma?”

Gyuri kneeled down. “Umma is not there, Baby.” She picked up her daughter. “Let’s call Umma.”

After several beeps, Saerom’s face appeared on Gyuri’s tablet. “Hey you… Hi, baby!” She grinned after she saw Seoyeon’s face.

“Someone is missing you.” Gyuri told. “Seoyeon just dragged me to your home office.”

“Aww Baby… One more sleep and I’ll be home.”

“Umma…” Seoyeon’s cry suddenly broke. She really missed her mother.

“Okay… Okay. I’ll call you later.” Gyuri said before ending the video call. She stood up and started to rock her body while patting her daughter’s back. “It’s okay, Baby. I’m here. Umma’s gonna be home soon.”

Turned out, Seoyeon was grumpy because she was sleepy plus she did really miss her Umma. After all the chaotic moment passed, Gyuri lied back on her bed, tablet on her hand and it already dialed Saerom’s number to a video call request. “Hey, Hon.” She said after seeing her wife’s face on the screen.

“Seoyeon’s sleeping?”

“Yep. After half an hour crying, she’s knocked out.”

“It’s our first time being separated like this.”

“Yeah plus she’s super sleepy… Sooo… How’s your day? How’s Busan?”

Saerom let out an exaggerated sigh. “Busan’s hot. Training’s hot. Everything’s hot.”

“You’re hot.” Gyuri added.

“I know.” The older woman grinned. “Hey, you’re sleeping with another girl! And on our bed!” She pretended to sulk after seeing that her daughter took over her bed.

“Ah yeah. I’ve found your replacement. She would never leave me for business trips.”

“I feel like a bad wife and mother.” Saerom lowered her head.

“I was just kidding, Honey…” Gyuri sighed after she spent a good minute looking at her wife’s face on the screen. “I miss you…” She said longingly.

“I miss you too, Puppy. I don’t know how to survive a night without your hug.” The older woman sadly said. But she didn’t want to dwell loger in sadness so she changed the topic. “How’s Seoyeon today?”

“She’s okay. Except for the part that she’s actually missing you and cried for that.” Gyuri answered.

It only saddened Saerom. “Aww… I miss her too.”

---

“Okay. Appa’s off to work. Don’t cause your Grandma trouble today.” Gyuri smiled and then planted a kiss on her daughter’s nose. “I’ll go to work, Umma.” She bid her goodbye to her mother.

Little Seoyeon frowned when she saw her Appa walked to the door. “Ppa…” She called, arms stretched out wanting to be hold.

“I’ll be home soon, okay?” Gyuri smiled and kissed the small hands.

“Ap…pa…” Seoyeon cries finally broke that morning.

The Appa sighed and put her bag on the floor before taking over holding the crying princess from her mother. “Aigoo…” She decided to just stay at home with her.

Gyuri decided to video call her wife several hours later. Just to check on her. Plus their daughter was sleeping so it was the best time to short-relief the longing. Saerom’s beautiful face appeared on the screen after a few beeps. “Hey—wait—you’re not working?” She said right after she recognized the living room her wife was at.

The taller woman shook her head. “Nope.”

“Why?”

“Seoyeon stopped me from going to work.”

Saerom chuckled. “Why?”

“I don’t know. She just started crying when I was putting on my shoes.”

“Aww my poor baby. Where is she now?”

“Just down for the nap. I’m about to clean the house but I thought I call you first.”

“Where’s your mother?”

“I drove her home. It’s your lunch break, have you eaten, Seoyeon’s Umma?”

The older woman nodded. “I did earlier. I was waiting for the trainees finishing their break. Have you?”

Gyuri also bobbed her head ups and downs. “Yep. I had Jajjangmyeon and your daughter may or may not have tasted it.” She winked and grinned.

Saerom’s face was turned into stern mode. “Are you digging your own grave, Puppy?”

The taller woman laughed from the reaction. “I was just kidding. I cooked veggie porridge. All the broccolis and carrots. I’m capable of taking a very good care of our daughter.” She said.

“Good.”

“You’re so scary when you’re angry. Like scary cute.”

“You’re lucky I’m in Busan right now.” Saerom sighed, realizing that she was really far away from her loved ones. “Busan… one more night.” She mumbled.

“Yes, you’ll be home tomorrow. What flight is it again?”

“I’ll text you the detail, okay? Bring me my baby tomorrow! I need baby cuddles.”

“Sure, anything else?”

“That’s it.”

“One baby packed.”

The older woman heard laughter and footsteps. “Alright. I gotta go now. I’ll call you later tonight, okay?”

“Yes, I love you. I miss you.”

“I miss you too. I love you. Bye~”

---

“My Babyyyyyyy~” Saerom quickly gave her bag to Gyuri and Seoyeon from her arms. She then peppered her daughter’s face with kisses.

Seoyeon laughed. “Umma!” She squealed.

The only dejected scene was on Gyuri who was left with Saerom’s baggage. “Really? I didn’t get a single kiss—not even a single glance? Only bag and suitcase? Really, Umma?” She moped.

“Don’t sulk.” Saerom hugged and kissed her wife lovingly. “Hey you. I missed you.”

Gyuri finally showed her puppy smile. “I missed you too. Like a lot.”

The three spent their quality time with dinner. Gyuri had reserved Saerom’s favorite restaurant for the night and thought that it would be a nice homecoming present for her wife.

“How hard was it being away from us?” The puppy smiling woman asked.

“Super hard. I really missed baby and puppy cuddles.”

“I think we should go with you when you have another business trip. Or if I have one, you two should go with me.” Gyuri recommended. “We can’t be away from each other.”

“Umm… about that…” Saerom bit her lip. “This Busan branch might need me there like frequently… So I might travel back and forth—“

“Ok, let’s pack now!” Gyuri stood up, ready to leave.

Saerom caught her wife’s hand and laughed when she realized it was only a joke. “You dork.”