"Are you sure you're gonna be alright?" Naeun asked for probably the fifth time as she checked Yohan’s overnight bag again. Because they were flying out to San Diego next Tuesday, Taemin found it in him to ask if it was alright for Yohan to sleepover at his apartment during the weekend. After a little reluctance and a lot of reminders, Naeun agreed.

"Of course. Yohan and I are gonna have fun. Right, buddy?" he smiled.

Yohan smiled back, sporting the same cheeky grin his dad was wearing. "Eomma, Ahjussi bought a new Lego set and we're going to build it and then watch a movie and then he said tomorrow we can go for a swim at his building!"

Naeun chuckled. "Sounds like you've got a lot of activities planned, huh? Now, what are Eomma's reminders, Yohan?"

"That Yohan will be good and that Yohan stays where Ahjussi can see him."

“That’s right, aegi,” his mother smiled. "Aigo, uri aegi gom!” she gushed, squeezing Yohan’s cheeks with both her hands and kissing his lips.

"Don't worry, Eomma! Yohan is always a good boy,” he said proudly “Right, Ahjussi?"

"Of course!" Taemin replied all too quickly. “Yohan is always good!”

Then the two of them looked at each other, snickering.

Naeun rolled her eyes. Both of them were already so alike but as they spent more time together, more similarities were starting to emerge. They also started to have these little inside jokes and even had secrets they kept from her. "Aish, seriously, you two!”

“Saranghae, Eomma,” Yohan smiled sweetly before puckering his lips out to ask for a kiss. Her heart instantly melted. His charm was definitely another thing he got from his appa.

Bending down, she placed a kiss on his lips. “Saranghae, my aegi gom. Have a lot of fun at Ahjussi’s, okay?”

He nodded.

Giving Yohan’s overnight bag to Taemin, Naeun smiled at him. “Just call me if anything happens, okay? Remember, he can’t sleep without a night light on. Bedtime is supposed to be 8:00 but since it’s the weekend, I allow him to stay up until 8:30. He’s gonna protest. You can give him 10 minutes more but that’s it. Regarding what he eats in the morning─” she stopped talking when she saw Taemin trying to hide a laugh. “What?”

“Naeun-ah, I’ve heard all of this about 10 times already. You even emailed it to me. I have the reminders on my phone,” he said, whipping his phone out to show her. “I think I can handle it, eomma gom.”

She hmph-ed before hitting him playfully on the arm. “Appa gom better handle it,” she found herself saying. All the blood rushed to her face as she realized, glancing quickly at Yohan who was fortunately busy saying goodbye to the fish inside the aquarium in the living room. “Uhh…” she stuttered. “You should get going so that you can start early on all the fun!”

Taemin smiled widely. He wanted nothing more but to but stopped himself instead offered his hand to Yohan. “Let’s go, aegi gom.”

Taemin and Yohan spent the whole morning and afternoon like they said they would. They built the new Lego, and saw about three movies in total. Naeun also checked in almost every hour, video calling Yohan three times just to hear his voice.

Soon, it was already 8:30 and sure enough, Naeun was right about Yohan not wanting to go to bed.

“Ahjussi, can I stay up a little bit longer?” he asked Taemin, pouting and busting out his puppy dog eyes. He was bathed and wearing his favorite pyjamas and Taemin could already see the heaviness of his eyelids.

“Your eomma will get mad if you don’t sleep on time, Yohan,” he said softly. “Only 10 more minutes and it’s bedtime, okay?”

“Ahrasso!” Yohan replied with a smile and went back to his game.

However, not even 5 minutes had passed and he was already handing his iPad to Taemin and reaching out his hands to be carried.

Taemin swiftly scooped him up in his arms and carried him towards his bedroom. He tucked him in and his night light. “Good night, Yohan,” he said softly to him.

With his eyes barely opened, he smiled at his appa. “Good night, Ahjussi,” he replied before his eyes completely closed.

As he watched his son fall into a deep slumber, Taemin felt happiness in his heart. He placed a soft kiss on Yohan’s forehead. “Saranghae, Yohan,” he whispered. “I love you so much.”

It was about 11 in the evening when Taemin woke up to someone nudging him. Sleepily, he cracked one eye open only to see Yohan by his bed, tears streaming down his face. Panicked, he immediately sat up. “Yohan, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Tell me,” he asked worriedly, turning on the bedside lamp before immediately checking his temperature and checking if there was any scrape or bruise on his body.

"Ahjussi," Yohan said between hiccups and it was when he started to cry loudly.

"Come here," Taemin lifted him off the floor and into his lap. Yohan quickly wrapped his tiny arms around Taemin's neck and sobbed on his chest.

Taemin tightened his hold on his son and asked, "What happened, Yohan? Please tell me. You're scaring Ap— Ahjussi." He gently pulled Yohan at an arm's length to study his face. "What's wrong, Yohan?"

"I want Eomma," the little boy answered as fat tears continued to roll down his cheeks.

Taemin wiped them off and said softly, "But, Yohan, Eomma is not here, aegi."

"I want Eomma. Ahjussi, I want Eomma!"

"I'm sorry, Yohan. Can you tell Ahjussi what happened?"

"Eomma…" he sobbed.

Feeling helpless, Taemin had no other choice but to call Naeun. She answered on the third ring. "What's wrong? Is Yohan okay?"

“Eomma,” Yohan cried.

Taemin adjusted his son in his arms and put the phone on speaker.

“Yohan, gwenchana?”

As soon as he heard his mother’s voice, he cried harder. “Eomma!”

"Aegi, why are you crying? Are you hurt? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Eomma, why did you leave Yohan?"

"I didn't leave you, Yohan. You're there for a sleepover, remember? With Ahjussi? Tomorrow, you're gonna go for a swim, aegi," his mother tried to sound excited, as to try to comfort the boy.

But he was having none of it. He continued to cry.

“You’re a big boy now, Yohan. Everything will be alright. Ahjussi is there. He’s not gonna leave you.”

Yohan hiccuped. "Eomma… I want my Eomma."

Feeling his heart aching and breaking, Taemin found his voice. As much as he wanted to be there for his child, he wasn’t the one he was looking for. "Naeun-ah, should I drive him home?"

There was a slight pause and then some rustle and bustle could be heard. “Aniyo, I’ll be there in 20 minutes, Oppa. Yohan, can you wait for Eomma?”

Sniffing, Yohan nodded against his appa’s chest. “Ne.”

Naeun arrived after 19 minutes. She was given the passcode by Taemin she immediately entered his apartment and went straight to his room.

The door was slightly ajar and Naeun stopped in her tracks to listen before going inside. She could hear Taemin's voice softly singing a familiar tune and Yohan's soft sniffles.

She had to stop from crying herself as she realized what it was.

Can you please remember just this?

That I was once by your side

Once in a while, thinking I might bump into you on the street

I look at my shabby self in the mirror and make myself over

Naeun's heart only ever had Taemin. Ever since they did that virtual marriage show, she knew he was gonna be the only man who will have her heart. So when their relationship ended, she didn't know where and how to pick up the pieces. But Yohan came along and he took over her heart.

Breathing deeply couple of times to control her emotions, she finally slowly pushed the door open to reveal the two. Taemin was leaning on the headboard, Yohan sitting on his lap as his head is buried on his chest. She could see his tiny body shaking slightly with every sniff while his Appa tried to comfort him by running his hand up and down his back gently.

Taemin stopped singing when he heard the door and looked up. Relief was visible on his face as he saw Naeun. “Yohan,” he nudged the boy gently. “Look who’s here.”

Immediately lifting his head up, Yohan cried for his mother.

“Aigo, uri aegi,” Naeun cooed softly as she held him in her arms, "What's wrong, Yohan?"

"Eomma," he whined as he buried his face on the crook of her neck.

"Ssssh, Eomma's here, aegi. Everything's gonna be okay."

Taemin didn't know how long he stood there just watching but all he knew was that while he was glad that Naeun was there, he envied the kind of relationship they had. Yohan was always gonna look for Eomma while he was just some Ahjussi.

N