A/N:

This is a short chapter so I'm soz about that, there will be a longer update on sunday. But we are nearing the end of the story, and there's only a few chapters left. Also I'm trying to update more quickly cuz I don't want to keep it on a cliffy so close to the end.

Enjoy :))

D+146

For once in her life, Eunbi could not wait for an appointment with Chaewon. She had spent the last few days thinking about what she needed to let out of her chest, namely the encounter with her mother. The closure from their interaction had both given Eunbi some peace of mind, but the aftermath also created emotional turmoil. She needed someone else to help her make sense of what she was feeling. 

So when Chaewon asked, “Is there something in particular you’d like to talk about today?”

It was almost too easy for Eunbi to answer. “I talked to my mother,” Eunbi starts. “She asked to meet me… and at first it was fine. Tense, but fine. She had almost sounded proud of me—about my music, at least. But then she said Wonyoung needed a father figure, so clearly she still has a problem with my uality. So I left.”

“Can I be frank?” Chaewon waits for Eunbi to nod before continuing, “Your mother sounds like a piece of work.”

Eunbi guffaws. “Don’t I know it? But I’ve cut her off now––completely.”

“I’m happy for you.” Eunbi thought she must have not shown the same enthusiasm on her face that her therapist felt the need to ask, “Are you happy?”

That’s the thing, one on hand, Eunbi was happy. She finally had the courage to cut off a toxic part of her life, people who she didn’t need anymore. And although it was hard, Eunbi knows it was the right decision. But now she feels conflicted. Who else does Eunbi have now that her parents are truly out of her life? She would assume she still has Chaeyeon and her daughter. Family is family, even if they were separated. But then she had pushed them away. 

And yet Chaeyeon had said she would never leave her.

Eunbi was obviously very drunk that night––It was probably why she had voiced all her insecurities, completely unfiltered to her ex-wife. Eunbi was all but begging on her knees. In the morning, when her head was still pounding, trying to remember what happened the night before, Eunbi felt especially pathetic.

Still, Chaeyeon stayed until the morning, had cooked breakfast for them, and took care of Eunbi as she nursed her hangover.

But who was to say Chaeyeon would wait for her forever? They weren’t just friends, and they weren’t lovers. So what were they? Probably somewhere in between the two, and they would likely stay in this ambiguity until Eunbi can figure out what she really wants. And despite what Chaeyeon said, Eunbi wasn’t naive enough to think they can continue being functioning co-parents without first establishing where they stood. She knows it would hurt them too much if their relationship stays this way forever. Eunbi had to make a decision soon.

“I called Chaeyeon that night. I didn’t even realize that I did––I was drunk...” Eunbi chuckles shyly. “But then she came, and she held me, and I found myself thinking… what if I never find happiness again?”

“Why would you think that?”

Eunbi shrugs, but still answers, “When I was at my lowest, it was Chaeyeon who kept me from crumbling. I found so much comfort in her, again and again. When I woke up back then, and now too. And I don't think anyone else could’ve given me that.” Eunbi sighs, knowing just how true her words were. “No one could come close.”

“It’s understandable, you were together for the better part of a decade.”

“Is that it?” Eunbi was slightly bothered by how easy Chaewon made the statement, how obvious it must have seemed to someone who is on the outside looking in. But Eunbi herself could not see anything clearly anymore. Love meets betrayal meets affection meets lies. Their relationship was so muddled with trials and tribulations, was there enough love left to excuse all the pain that they’ve made each other go through?

“Do you think there’s something else?”

“I––” 

Chaewon waits for Eunbi to continue, but is only met with silence. The therapist takes it as indication to