“Joohyun?”

Irene spins around as if she’s been caught stealing a cookie out of the cookie jar, her eyes wide like a bunny. She didn’t expect anyone to be up at this time of the morning, especially since they all went to bed a little late. Most of all, the person that will be on the receiving end of this is still in bed, and that happens to be the most important thing. She actually had so many ideas; but wanting to throw a surprise at Wendy might as well go to naught because Wendy is the one that’s good with spontaneous events. She might be charismatic and be known for the authority she has over her members but the truth is, Wendy has a form of leadership in her that neither of them knew about until she started taking control of her own life.

“Ah… I wanted to try baking Seungwan’s favourite cake,” Irene says softly. She still feels a tad bit uncomfortable around Mrs Son, knowing the older woman might very well want to murder her for all that she has put her daughter through. “Sorry if I woke you up with the noise.”

Mrs Son doesn’t reply to Irene’s revelation, because a part of her is still wondering what Irene’s stance on the matter is. She knows how much Wendy went through when she was living in Korea without any of them by her side but there’s no doubt that Irene suffered too. Her narrow-minded self wouldn’t have given a about their relationship if it was five years ago, when she almost turned her back on her own daughter because of her uality. It was and still remains one of the biggest regrets in her life, missing out on Wendy’s life for so many years because of her pride. She could have gained another daughter but instead, she lost a potential daughter-in-law. She’d be damned if she makes a mistake like that again.

“Can I ask you something?”

Irene almost freezes, her nerves making a mess in her gut. “Of course..”

“Why didn’t you break up with Seungwan when I didn’t agree to your relationship?” Mrs Son asks, a familiar lump of emotion forming in . She doesn’t mean harm anymore, but a true sense of morbid curiosity. “Most people I know or have seen, broke up with their lovers in order to maintain a good relationship with their families.”

The mere mention of this makes Irene’s heart warm all over again; she will never forget the events of it all. It would be an absolute lie to say that Irene never considered that as their only way of maintaining good terms, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Is it better to claim credit, or make sure Mrs Son knows that Wendy had a part in changing her decision too? Is telling the mother of her love that her own daughter did not want any way of saving their relationship a good idea? Irene isn’t an impulsive or thoughtless person. She is proud of the decisions they’ve made for each other because it made them both stronger in their development as individuals. Digging the past out doesn’t seem too much of a stretch if one looks at it that way.

“She didn’t let me.” Irene says.

Mrs Son watches with an unreadable expression as Irene begins to wipe her hands on her apron, taking a seat in front of her. She always took wonderful care of the members, knowing Wendy loved them as if they were family. Nothing was more important than showing her gratitude for the people who love her daughter effortlessly. It’s a shame Mrs Son didn’t see it from this perspective much earlier.

“I wanted to break up with her, I really did for a moment…” Irene’s eyes gaze into the distance, her orbs filled with emotion whenever she thinks back to that time. She finds it so difficult to forget, especially during the three years they’ve been apart. “Seungwan told me she’d kill me if I ever resorted to that. We’re together so we should be fighting together, not protecting each other like useless babies. On two separate occasions, she made sure to warn me.”

Why is that so easy to imagine?

After observing her daughter for the past three years, Mrs Son realised how much Wendy has grown throughout the years despite not having her family with her. She had to live with the pain of not having a mother to talk to and be comforted by as everyone else did. The independence that Wendy had initially built up in order to live away from her family after being casted was not enough. She forced herself to go to sleep without thinking of her parents, because all her mother did was shun her and her father never breathed a word. Her sister was such a hardworking woman that Wendy couldn’t even find it in herself to bother her at all.

Sometimes, being selfless should be considered a sin too.

“If I were the same stupid woman as I was back then, I would have continued pushing for the two of you to break up. I wouldn’t have ignored her and tried to accept it as my husband asked… I’ve spent years of my life regretting that I didn’t treat my own daughter well but I’m not going to let that repeat.”

Her heart began to race.

“I’m telling you to court her, and be the person she fell in love with - well, maybe the best version of yourself right now.”

There was a loud ringing sound echoing in Irene’s ears after hearing those words of support, unable to process all of this at the current moment. She doesn’t know what to make of the current situation. How is it the mother of the person spoken of is more supportive of the whole relationship while the person herself is reluctant to start over? Of course, Irene isn’t complaining at all; she isn’t that stupid but it feels oddly satisfying that she now has the support of Wendy’s parents compared to the past. Instead of walking on eggshells, Irene has the permission to go all out and make sure Wendy knows that there is no changing her mind about this.

“What is this? Counselling Day?”

“Wannie!” Irene pushes her chair out and jumps up in surprise, looking guilty enough for her hand to have been caught in a restricted cookie jar.

Wendy tries not to smile at how adorable Irene looks in her customized apron, one that has Chip-n-Dale designs printed all over it. For someone as badass and an aura that could scare people off, she sure looks extremely domestic and wife-material this morning. After so many years of living like a single woman independently, Wendy finds it more precious to see Irene doing such warm acts again. Besides, Irene makes an apron look like a presentable outfit right in the middle of her freaking kitchen. Wendy isn’t such a fool to deny that her heart used to, still does and will always pump this hard for Irene and Irene alone. Plus, Irene offering to get her better treatment for and voice when she herself almost gave up?

God, Irene is so different from before, and Wendy wants to be around for it this time. She wasted a total of four years, if you count that one extra year being the one with the terrible relationship problems. The other three years, Irene and her went their separate ways to become better individuals… only to end up at square one again.

“The cake is burning, by the way.”

Mrs Son and Irene unexpectedly have an identical reaction simultaneously, the two scrambling to their feet in order to check on the poor delicacy in the oven. Neither of them smelt any sign of it until Wendy walked into the kitchen. Wendy’s senses are so keen and sensitive to any form of baking goods; it is remarkable how she isn’t already a professional baker at this point. It also reminds Irene of how passionate Wendy used to be about baking, often preparing delicious items for them to eat when they’re tired or simply craving for some sweet stuff. Within a heartbeat, all they had to was ask and Wendy would be an exact replica of a hamster running non-stop on the little exercise wheel to make them satisfactory desserts.

Wendy watches with crossed arms as both women in her life struggle with the burning tray; it’s quite similar to watching a comedic duo on television. Only, this (unexpected, powerful) duo happens to take up a very large portion of her heart.

“Ah!” Irene hisses, retracting her arm from the oven at the speed of light once she feels the stinging sensation. She doesn’t know when she became this clumsy, because she is one of the most meticulous and cautious people around.

“Oh my God, I will do it.”

Like someone had parted the clouds and allowed some sunlight to pass through, Wendy comes striding across the kitchen tiles confidently. She doesn’t even break a sweat, carefully removing the tray from the oven without causing more trouble. It is after all, practically second nature to Wendy, being in the kitchen and preparing things for the people around her. It’s no wonder she doesn’t earn herself any burns or injuries.

Irene watches in awe, one hand still clutching onto her affected wrist as Wendy continues to try and salvage the ruined cake. If she was ever asked about when she thought Wendy was the most beautiful, it would be in the kitchen with her hair up in a ponytail and an apron donned on her. With multiple opportunities for Irene to enjoy that sight back in the dorm years ago, she had completely foregone those and taken them for granted. Now seeing Wendy do so right in front of her again, it makes Irene’s entire system malfunction beyond belief. Wendy, who used to be so clumsy and careless about herself, is now the one saving the entire day single-handedly. Looking at it now, Irene feels stupid to have even doubted her in the first place.

“Hello? Are you there?”