Mondays are always the single hardest day of the week. This was a simple fact. However, Mondays had to be exponentially harder when you were a single, pregnant, twenty-two year old pop idol—or at least that’s what Sana had figured—so she decided to make life a little easier on her younger sister, and pick up take-out for dinner.

 

(Dahyun had mentioned a craving for fried chicken in her sleep last night—just as Sana had crawled into the bed—so she made sure to remember to bring home a bucket of Dahyun’s favorite brand after work.)

 

“Dahyun-ah, I brought you a surprise,” Sana called out as she walked into the bedroom, bucket of chicken in hand.

 

Dahyun was laying on the bed, her swollen feet propped up on a pillow as she watched some foreign drama on Netflix that Sana couldn’t identify.

 

“Thanks unnie,” Dahyun smiled, subtly covering and nose. “Do you think you could put it in the other room for now?”

 

Sana nodded, understanding. She left the room, setting the food far enough away that the smell wouldn’t travel, and returned to the room. “She making you sick today?” She asked, standing at the foot of the bed.

 

Dahyun nodded, rolling her eyes. “I haven’t been able to keep anything down all day. She’s so active, everytime I eat, she winds up kicking me until I lose it.”

 

“I wonder where she gets all of her energy from?” Sana asked rhetorically. “You really should try and eat again though. You need your strength so you both can be healthy.”

 

“You sound like my eomma,” Dahyun laughed, repositioning herself on the bed to open a space for Sana to join her.

 

“I know,” Sana replied, eyes wide, “That’s because your eomma warned us last time we talked.”

 

(Dahyun had been happily videochatting with her mother on the day she had found out the baby’s gender. When an annoyed Dahyun had left the room to go to the bathroom—yet again—Dahyun’s mother took the opportunity to speak to the members who were still in the room—Sana and Chaeyoung.

 

1. know she’s an adult, and I know that she’s someone’s eomma now, but even if she’s having a baby, she’s still my baby. I need you girls to take care of her for me, okay? She looks too skinny, make sure she’s eating enough. Make sure she props up her feet at night. My feet would swell when I was pregnant with both her and her brother. If she’s anything like me, hers will too. And…” The elder Kim’s list had gone on and on, and the girls had dutifully nodded, promising to take care of Dahyun.)

 

Sana climbed onto the bed, taking her place beside the younger girl.

 

Sana was surprised when Dahyun let out a small whine.

 

“What?” She asked, caught off guard by the younger girls whimper.

 

“You smell like fried chicken,” Dahyun replied in an exaggerated pout.

 

“I’m sorry, do I need to go shower before I come back?” Sana asked, starting to get off of the bed before Dahyun stopped her.

 

“No, stay. You smell good. She just won’t stop kicking.” Dahyun sighed, rolling her eyes as she rubbed her bump, hoping to calm her tiny passenger. “I’m glad she’s healthy and active, but I just want a moment’s peace.”

 

Sana moved down halfway under the covers, waiting for a nod of consent before laying her head on Dahyun’s bump, cradling it with one of her hands.

 

“Agi-dubu,” Sana said, her voice stern but gentle, “you have to let your eomma eat so you can grow all cute and fat and squishy and healthy. Can you do that for Sana-oba?”

 

“Keep talking,” Dahyun smiled, absentmindedly running her fingers through Sana’s brown locks of hair. “She likes the sound of your voice.”

 

316707. nodded, continuing to talk about many random topics—from the weather, to work, to random Japanese fairy tales that Dahyun couldn’t fully understand—engaging in a lively, but one-sided conversation for a good twenty minutes.

 

“She’s asleep,” Dahyun sighed. “You can go get the chicken now,” she smiled.

 

“How can you tell she’s asleep? I could still feel her moving around in there.” Sana wondered, quietly moving from her spot on the bed.

 

“Her kicks get softer when she’s sleeping,” Dahyun smiled, running a loving hand along her convex midsection. “She’s much calmer too.”

 

"I wonder what she's dreaming about," Sana mused, walking toward the door.

 

"From what I've read online, she just dreams about sensations and feelings that she already knows. So she probably dreams about the sound of my voice or the rhythm of my heartbeat, and the feeling of being warm, safe, and happy."

 

"Gwiyeoweo." Sana exclaimed, leaving the room.

 

A minute later, and Sana returned with the bucket of fried chicken in hand. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to microwave it. Your eomma said you needed to avoid microwaved foods, so I didn’t know.” Sana sat back down on the bed, handing the food to Dahyun.

 

Dahyun smiled, rolling her eyes. “She worries way too much.” Dahyun took a bite of the lukewarm chicken, and immediately threw her head back in pleasure.

 

“Daebak,” Dahyun mouthed. “This is amazing. Thank you unnie.”

 

The two girls sat in silence for a few minutes, the both of them having their share of the chicken.

 

Finally, Dahyun broke the silence.

 

“Can I ask you something Sana-unnie?”

 

“Of course,” Sana replied, “What is it?”

 

“Has Tzuyu been acting strange lately?” Dahyun asked, moving into a more comfortable position on the bed.

 

“What do you mean strange?” Sana inquired.

 

“I don’t know. I just…” Dahyun stopped, trying to keep herself from getting emotional. “I just feel like she’s been avoiding me. I’ve asked her to come to my last two appointments so she can see the ultrasound, and she always says she can’t. She never spends time with me and Chaengie anymore. I just feel like she’s mad at me for something.”

 

Sana truthfully hadn’t noticed any change in the youngest members’ behavior until Dahyun had mentioned it.

 

“I don’t know, Dahyunie,” Sana replied. “Maybe you should ask her.”

 

“I’ve tried,” Dahyun said softly, a stray tear rolling down her cheek. “It’s like she can’t stand to be around me. She just disappears.”

 

Sana reached up and wiped away Dahyun’s tears.

 

“Unnie, I don’t know what to do. I just really miss her.” Dahyun leaned her head over on Sana’s shoulder. “I’m going through so much right now, and I just want her to be a part of it too, you know?”

 

Sana turned, placing a kiss on Dahyun’s forehead.

 

“Just give her time,” Sana said, linking her fingers with Dahyun’s. “She’ll come around.”

 

“I hope so.” Dahyun said softly. “I’m sorry I’m an emotional wreck.”

 

“Don’t be sorry. Everything is going to work out fine, I promise.” Sana smiled, hoping with everything in her that what she just said would be true.