"Happy birthday, Mom."

Jungsoo enveloped his mother into a tight hug as he uttered his wishes. Mrs. Park inhaled a lungful air and nodded, smiling ear to ear, secretly thank heaven for giving her a wonderful son like Jungsoo. She looked at behind her son and her beam stretched wider. Heechul, looking beautiful like he always was, stood there with her grandsons in his sides. She eventually released the hug and approached Heechul.

"Happy birthday, Mother. I wish you all the best in your life."

Heechul felt warm from the embrace his mother in law gave him and from the loving gaze Jungsoo had on him. It was almost too much that he nearly teared up. Each day living with this family was like heaven and hell. He cherished every moment they shared—things he never had with his own family—but at the same time, from the very same moment, he broke down over and over again thinking that it was all about to end.

"Thank you, Heechul. I'm so happy that you're here this year."

Heechul still had his eyes fixed on Jungsoo and they knew what went in their mind on Mrs. Park's words but neither dared to bring the topic up. Their little stare battle finally stopped when Mrs. Park backed away and smiled at him before she crouched down, hugging the kids. And even then, Jungsoo was still looking at him, trying to conveying something Heechul failed to grasp.

"I've cooked some dishes. Let's have dinner before they're cold."

Mrs. Park, with Donghae on her hips and Hyukjae holding her other hand, smiled to both men.

"Heechul baked you a cake, Mom."

Jungsoo swayed a pretty box on his hands and beamed wider, looking at his husband with adoration gushing out. Heechul bashfully nodded and smiled sheepishly.

"I can't promise the taste and it's far from the decent cakes you usually have, but I promise you it's edible."

Mrs. Park couldn't hide her thankfulness, kissing Heechul's cheek in the process. She was about to guide Heechul by his hand to the dining room when the latter stopped her once again. Heechul rushed to get his bag in the living room and came back to them when he found what he wanted. Jungsoo gave his student a questioning look, examining the small bag he was holding with the brand he was somehow familiar with.

"Uhm, it's nothing fancy but I think you'll look beautiful wearing it."

Heechul carefully opened the bag and took out a small velvety box. He hesitantly handed it to the mother and smiled, looking at her expectantly.

"I bought it with my own money from working and my savings. But... Y-you may not use it if you don't like it. Happy birthday, Mom."

Jungsoo sensibly took over holding Donghae to let his mother open her gift—which Heechul never told him—more comfortably. Mrs. Park looked at Heechul once again and eventually opened the box. Her eyes widened rapidly when she saw an iridescent necklace with a crescent moon as the pendant. It was not as glamorous as her other jewelry. But something about it really attracted her heart.

"Thank you for accepting and loving me like your own son."

Heechul gingerly held her hands. He took the necklace and undid the clasp.

"May I?"

Mrs. Park, eyes already teary, nodded. Heechul leaned closer and put the necklace around her neck and clasped it before he finally hugged her. His eyes landed on his professor looking at him with the very same unreadable look. He smiled at him and muttered to his mother in law.

"And thank you, too, for giving me a chance to meet Prof. Park."

»»————-　♡　————-««

"Oh... Mother. You haven't slept yet?"

Heechul was surprised to find his mother in law sitting alone in the dining table at this time of the day when the rest had already gone to bed. He went to the water dispenser and poured him a glass of water before he cautiously approached her. Among the darkness, the pendant in her neck shone brightly. Heechul wordlessly took a seat beside her and was intended to initiate a small talk but he abandoned his intention. 

Mrs. Park was crying.

"Mom? Are you— What should I— Are you... Are you okay?"

Heechul didn't want to act recklessly but at times like this, he didn't know what to do. He wanted to run to the room and told his professor but he also wanted to comfort her himself. He dragged his chair closer and eventually wrapped his arm around her trembling form.

"Mother."

Heechul almost split his head in half because he was so clueless. This was not the scene he expected when Jungsoo asked him to come to his mother's birthday party and sleepover in her house. He never saw this side of his vivacious mother in law.

It was almost ten minutes with only silence and Heechul was close to give up and call Jungsoo. However, she suddenly took a deep breath and seemed to calm herself down. Heechul took it as a cue that she was about to either tell him the problems or shoo him away. He was not ready for both.

"I'm sorry, Chul-ah. You also haven't slept? Are the kids fussy?"

She dabbed the tissue to her eyes but even so her tears were still rolling. Heechul put the glass of water he didn't have time to drink in front of her. She smiled, said her gratitude, and gulped the water.

"If I... If I may know,