"You don't have to stay, I'll be fine."

Mina's lips formed a thin line, slightly annoyed at how difficult Tzuyu was being. "No, I wan–" 

"NO!" Came a child-like screech.

Surprisingly, the protest not only came from Mina but also from Tzuyu's daughter, who crossed her chubby arms and glared at her mother.

"Mommy, you need he'p." The toddler grabbed Mina's leg. "She he'ps."

Just as Tzuyu opened , Mina cut her off:

"It's fine. Tomorrow's my day off, anyway."

Mina watched as Tzuyu gulped, bringing her hand up to hold as if it would help her with the pain. "That's...even worse." She croaked out.

Mina crossed her arms, "I can spend my day off however I want." She looked down at the toddler whose pose was the same as her: arms crossed, eyes stern but worried. She looked back at Tzuyu. "And I want to spend it helping you to get better."

"But–"

Mina ignored Tzuyu, crouching down to the toddler's level. She smiled, trying to look as friendly as she could. "Can I know your name?"

The toddler, a little taken aback by the sudden attention, took a step back, "M-Me'odi," she mumbled.

"Sorry, what?"

"Me'odi."

Mina knitted her eyebrows and looked at Tzuyu. "Melody?" After a nod of confirmation that came from the mother, Mina turned back to the toddler with a smile.

"That's a very beautiful name."

"Thank you."

"Melody." Tzuyu called, holding onto the table to push herself up. "Time for bed. Go brush your teeth, honey."

"Okay." The toddler ran out of the kitchen almost instantly. She then came right back, walking up to Tzuyu, looking up at her. Mina thought her neck must have hurt because of how tall Tzuyu was. "Mommy should s'eep too."

Tzuyu smiled and caressed her daughter's hair. "Yeah. I will."

Mina watched as the toddler left again, leaving her and Tzuyu alone in the kitchen.

Their eyes met, but with Melody gone, the awkward tension quickly filled the void.

"Thank you," Tzuyu said, already averting her eyes.

Mina's eyes softened. "I know your throat's hurting right now. We can talk tomorrow. It's okay."

The CEO looked down and nodded. Mina saw a glimpse of the water pooling in Tzuyu's eyes before she turned her back to her. Tzuyu's hand then reached up to her face, probably to wipe her tears.

Suddenly, there was nothing Mina wanted more than to hug her. 

But she held back. "I....I'll tuck Melody in. You can barely stand, so..."

Not waiting for a response, Mina went out of the kitchen. 

"Her room's the other way." Tzuyu's hoarse voice called out, sniffling.

Making a full 180° turn, Mina's cheeks reddened. "Right. Of course it is."

Melody's room had...everything a child her age would love to have. There was a big lego set in the corner(which Mina honestly wanted to take a closer look at), a toy stove, hundreds of cars neatly placed side by side on a table near the huge, complicated racing track... Her bed was actually one of the car beds too, the ones Mina saw in commercials.

Wild guess but maybe Melody likes cars?

...everything in the room looked so expensive that Mina was afraid to touch anything. This room was slightly out of place compared to the rest of the apartment. Overall, the apartment was modest. Way too modest for a CEO and a known member of an important family such as the Chous. Especially when they probably had enough cash to live in a mansion rather than...this.

But Mina found the apartment cozy, there was just something about it that made it feel...homey. Which, really mattered a lot more than living in a huge mansion without the same homey feeling.

She felt a pair of eyes staring at her. She turned to the observer, Melody, who stood near the door– her pajama sleeves soaked. A little accident while brushing her teeth, maybe? 

Mina pressed her lips together and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Uh..your room is really...cool." Wow this felt awkward. When was the last time Mina interacted with a kid anyway? This was definitely going to be a disaster. To be fair, no one warned her about...well, this.

Melody didn't smile. She looked down, and her little baby belly stuck out. "Is mommy going to be okay?" She asked, wearing a sad frown.

Mina's brain stopped working.

The toddler started to tear up when she didn't receive a response instantly.

It snapped Mina out of it, and she took a few steps towards the baby until she was in front of her. She crouched down to her level, grabbed her tiny hands and smiled. "Of course she is. Your mommy just caught a little cold but don't worry, okay? Tomorrow I'll get her to be better in no time!" She grinned, lifting an eyebrow. "Not to brag but my chicken soup is quite famous."

"Mommy...mommy makes chicken sou' too."

"Really?"

Melody frowned in disgust. "But it's weally bad. I don't like chicken sou'."

Mina held her breath for a moment, trying desperately not to laugh. The image of CEO Chou Tzuyu trying to cook something for a grumpy, hungry toddler and failing terribly was just far too amusing for some reason. 

"I'm probably a better cook than your mom. Maybe you'll like it this time."

Melody shook her head.

"Alright," Mina chuckled. "I think we need to change your pajamas before bed. These ones look a little wet."

Melody looked down at her puppy printed pajamas. "Okay."

After figuring the baby's pajamas would be in the drawer, Mina opened one. 

So. Many. Clothes.

Her hand hovered over the many choices, trying to figure out how babies are supposed to dress.

Suddenly a pair of hands slid in next to hers, grabbing the duckie pajamas. Mina watched as Tzuyu's hooded eyes blinked, her hair falling in front of her face– baby hairs stuck to her forehead due to sweat. 

Although she clearly looked to be in pain, she smiled at Melody as she approached her, Mina close behind. "What about these?" She said as she showed her the clothes, her voice barely coming out.

Melody nodded with a small smile before she put her hands in the air. "I like ducks."

Tzuyu hummed as she grabbed her daughter's pajamas and pulled them up. Melody made a small sound of protest, her bottom lip sticking out.

"What's wrong?"

As soon as Tzuyu asked that, Melody looked straight up at Mina.

"Oh, sorry .." Mina mumbled, turning away to give the toddler some privacy.

"Kiss?"

Mina was unsure why, but she immediately turned back around at the sound of the word.

Tzuyu smiled down at her daughter as she tucked her in– Mina had never seen the CEO's eyes looking so soft. "I'm sick..ba...y" She lost her voice before she could finish her sentence and Mina took this as her cue.

Placing one hand on Tzuyu's shoulder supportively, Mina leaned down to speak to the toddler. "If she kisses you, you might get sick tomorrow too."

Melody clutched onto her bunny plushie as she giggled. "You can't get sick fwom kisses, siwwy!"

Tzuyu opened but Mina squeezed her shoulder, not letting her talk with whatever's left of her voice. "You can, if they're from sick people."

The joy on Melody's face melted into a frown. She looked at Tzuyu and opened her tiny arms. "Hug?"

"Not sure that–"

This time Tzuyu slipped away from her grip and leaned down to give her daughter a hug. Mina watched as they hugged, Melody's tiny arms barely able to wrap around her mother's neck. After a few seconds Tzuyu pulled away with a smile and lovingly caressed her daughter's cheek before pulling the covers up.

As they left the room, Mina debated whether she should say goodnight to Melody or not– and when she came to the conclusion that she should, it was already too late. Tzuyu shut the door.

The CEO leaned against the wall, her hooded eyes and constant intake of deep breaths worrying Mina more than she wanted to admit.

"You should sleep."

Tzuyu gave her an unexplainable look. Worry creased her brow as her eyes glistened, tears ready to flow any second– Mina knew what she was thinking about.

"It's okay." She reassured kindly. "I understand." 

Tzuyu sniffled, pushing herself off the wall. When she staggered a bit, Mina caught her forearm. Her other hand firmly gripped the CEO's waist, supporting her as they walked to the bedroom. 

During their walk, Mina felt a little self-conscious about a lot of things. Was she being inappropriate? Was the touching too much? Was she crossing a line with her boss? Where was Tzuyu's girlfriend/boyfriend? Shouldn't they be here, taking care of her when she's sick like this? Not to mention her daughter.

Tzuyu had a daughter. 

It was still a bit hard to believe but with how Melody really had Tzuyu's soft doe eyes (and the same excited glint in them) and her warm smile– you had to be blind to deny she was Tzuyu's child. 

Mina had never imagined Tzuyu as a mom (except for maybe that one time she daydreamed about them having kids together but that one doesn't count). It was all very new. A lot of things started to made sense...

Wait...

Was Melody the real reason Tzuyu fell out with her family?

Before she could further think about that, they entered the bedroom. Tzuyu pointed to a drawer. "..ou can...ta.. t.." Words got lost in Tzuyu's mouth, her voice coming and going.

Mina looked at where she was pointing. "You need something from there?" 

Tzuyu shook her head as Mina helped her  sit on the bed. She pointed at Mina. 

"I need something. Is that it?" She walked towards the drawers with a confused frown. She pulled the top one. 

A sound of protest from Tzuyu came but it was too late.

"Sorry!" Mina shut the drawer after she caught a glimpse of Tzuyu's underwear. She blushed red. God, this was so unprofessional. What is she even doing here–

Tzuyu coughed. 

Right. Of course. 

Maybe Nayeon was right. Maybe she is whipped.

"This one?" Mina asked, holding the handle of the bottom drawer, praying she got the right one this time.

Tzuyu nodded.

A blanket and a pillow. Two pairs of pajamas.

Mina turned back to Tzuyu and smiled. "Thanks."

The CEO slid under the sheets as Mina stood up awkwardly. 

Mina watched her. The sheets were up to her shoulders, her hands clutching the ends. Her hair was down– sprawled over the pillow, her cheeks a bit red due to the fever. The frown on her face was gone, but she didn't look very relaxed. She was trembling.

She didn't know when she started walking but Mina found herself standing beside the sick girl. She carefully sat down on the side of the bed. "Is there anything I can do for you? Should I bring you medicine?" Her fingers grazed Tzuyu's forehead, gently wiping her sweat. 

Tzuyu shook her head.

With a heavy sigh, Mina's thumb traced the smooth skin of Tzuyu's cheek. "Try to get some sleep, then... I'll see you in the morning."

***

Mina had no idea how many hours she slept. She just knew it wasn't enough because her eyes were still heavy in the morning, begging her for more shut-eye.

She knew there was bags under her eyes, she just hoped they weren't so severe.

When she woke up, Tzuyu was still sleeping. She tiptoed out of the bedroom...

That's right– bedroom. 

Tzuyu's fever didn't go down for a long time, preventing the CEO from getting a good night's sleep. After Mina heard her whimpers and frustrated groans coming from the sick girl's bedroom, she got up from the couch she was lying on and went to check on her ...friend? Boss? Doing all this kind of felt like they were close friends.

She ended up tending to her all night. Putting a damp towel on her forehead and changing it once in a while, keeping her comfortable. Helping her to the the bathroom if she wanted to go.

Tzuyu was half-awake through most of it so there was little chance of her remembering. Mina wouldn't mind it. It would be best for both of them, perhaps.

Mina yawned as she entered the living room. Once her feet hit something, she looked down with sleepy eyes to see it was a lego brick.

Letting her tired eyes finally focus, Mina looked around the messy room that could be mistaken for a y trap– lego bricks and pieces all over the place. The culprit of the crime sat in the middle, surrounded by tiny cars and lego characters. 

"Hi."

Melody looked up. "Hewwo."

Avoiding stepping on any of the bricks, Mina walked towards Melody and crouched down to see what she was building. "What are you building?"

"I'm buiwding a... gawosh."

Mina frowned. What the hell is a gawosh?? Oh wait...

"You mean... a garage?"

"Mhmm." Melody nodded, searching around for a brick. They all looked the same but Mina guessed she was looking for a specific color.

"Have you built a garage before?"

Melody nodded again, puffing her cheeks in frustration once she couldn't find the color she was looking for, settling on a different one. "I buiwt one with mommy befo'e."

"Really?" Not allowing herself to imagine the adorable scene that was Tzuyu building legos with her daughter, Mina tried focusing on something else. "How old are you, Melody?"

"Thwee."

"You're three?"

"And a hawf."

"You're three and a half? Wow, you're a big girl aren't you?" Mina giggled. From the way Melody barely met her eyes as they talked told her that the baby was still a bit shy around her.

Mina didn't want to overwhelm the toddler, so she stood up. Just as she was about to walk away, Melody grabbed her pajama pants. "You can pway with me if you wa't."

Looking down at the baby's tiny hand clutching her pajama leg, Mina found her insides all mushy. With a suppressed smile she crouched down and cleared the floor of bricks so she could sit down.

She poked the baby's chubby tummy. "I'm actually a lego expert, you know. I built the Stranger Things set in less than two days."

Melody looked at her for a few seconds in complete silence, slightly open. "I can...I'm..." she stuttered, smashing two bricks together. "I'm an espoot too."

Mina almost howled in laughter but she didn't want to offend the toddler so she forced herself to tone it down to a loud chuckle. "Espoot! My god..."

Melody paid no attention to the fact the adult next to her was desperately trying to hold in her laughter, hiding her grinning face behind her hands.

They had only built one garage when Mina's phone buzzed. She reached over and grabbed her phone from the couch. 

It was Sana.

 

Sanashine [9:37am]

Minaring... where is my car? I came to pick it up this morning but you weren't there...

 

Her messages were followed by a hundred crying emojis. Mina scrolled down quicker after she read Sana asking about her car for the third time, written in all capitals. 

Sanashine [9:44am]

Met your neighbor Momo, a real hottie I must say.. 

Fire emoji, fire emoji, fire emoji.

 

Sanashine [9:45am]

She single?

Nvm I'll ask her

 

Sanashine [9:48am]

lol did you get a booty call or something???? There could be no other reason you're not home on your day off

Past that message was eyes emoji all over which Mina almost facepalmed at.

 

Sanashine [9:56am]

Honestly though is everything okay, darling? Text me back as soon as you can please,

 

Mina's eyes softened immediately. 

With her warmth and caring nature of hers that was unrivaled, it was truly inevitable for Sana to not have a soft spot reserved for her in Mina's heart. Mina had always wanted an older sibling, and Sana had become the closest to that over the years.

She started typing out a fake reason, figuring Tzuyu probably wouldn't appreciate letting anyone know about what happened. Even if Sana didn't even work at the company.

 

[11:02am]

I'm alright, honey <3

And yes I still have your car and no it wasn't a "booty call". I had an emergency I needed to take care of. 

Sana immediately wrote back:

Sanashine [11:02am]

"emergency" to take care of ...mmkay

Mina was really starting to hate the eyes emoji.

[11:03am]

...anyway 

Where should I drop off your car?

 

As they discussed the right place for them to meet up, Mina suddenly thought it was kind of.... quiet.

She looked beside her and as expected, Melody was gone.

"Melody?" She searched around the room with her eyes, slightly worried.

She figured the toddler must have went to Tzuyu. The sounds that came from the bedroom confirmed her suspicions, and Mina breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Mommy..." She heard the baby whisper, making her halt in the middle of the hallway. "Mommy, I have to pee..."

Mina heard sheets ruffling. "Okay," Tzuyu's voice was still hoarse but a lot better than yesterday which made Mina feel proud. Maybe the hours of sleep she sacrificed did make a difference.

The mother and daughter came out of the room hand in hand. Mina stood still when her eyes met with the CEO's and Tzuyu sent her a grateful smile that held so much affection– much like the ones she always used to give her before the whole avoiding thing.

It seemed like Tzuyu remembered enough about last night.

They left for the bathroom and Mina blinked, her stomach clenching with a familiar feeling she always experienced when around Tzuyu.

***

Tzuyu was feeling a lot better, that was for sure. But she was still sick and had a fever that came and went.

So Mina made her lie down on the couch in the living room as she started preparing something warm that would help with her cold.

"We'll need..." Mina read the recipe from her phone. "Carrots, garlic, onions and of course...chicken. Do you think you guys have all that?" She asked, looking down at the toddler standing near her. Melody continued to stare up at her. Her big curious eyes shining.

"Okay..." Mina trailed off as she crouched down to her level, "Can you go ask mommy if she has these things on the list,please?" After giving the toddler her phone and watching her waddle away to the living room, Mina smiled to herself.

As she waited for Melody to come back, she searched the cabinets and grabbed a pot. Filling it with tap water, she the stove, carefully placing the pot on it. 

Melody came running back just after that. "Mommy said we– we have these.."

"Thanks, Melody." Mina smiled at how proud the baby looked. "Do you wanna help me cook soup so mommy can feel better?"

Melody nodded, her chubby cheeks bouncing up and down.

"Okay!" Mina walked towards the fridge, Melody waddling behind her. "Let's check the fridge, yeah?"

Pulling the handle, Mina stepped aside to open the fridge. Melody squeezed past her to get in front. 

"See any carrots?" Mina asked, even though the carrots glared at her openly on the second shelf. 

"Milk." Melody grabbed the milk carton and hugged it, her eyes shining with joy. She extended the milk carton to Mina. 

Mina pressed her lips together. "I don't think we need milk though..."

The glint in Melody's eyes disappeared as she now looked at the milk carton with a  disappointed face.

Seeing the way her face fell, Mina felt like she did the most horrible mistake of her life. She quickly tried to fix it. "But– uh, if you want some I could give you a glass of it?"

And now, with Melody holding a glass of milk, supporting a white moustache, they once again stood in front of the fridge.

"Now," Mina sighed, moving her hand and resting it on her waist. "Where are the carrots–"

"Thew!" Melody excitely pointed at the carrots that were out of her reach, almost spilling some of the milk in her glass.

Mina smiled as she grabbed the bag of carrots. "Good job, kiddo. Now we need to find the chicken. I think it should be in the freezer...up here."

Mina gently pulled Melody back and shut the fridge door, reaching up to open the small freezer. 

"But..But I can't see," 

Mina looked down at the toddler that had a milk moustache. Melody stared right up at her, swiping her tongue around after drinking the last bit of her milk.

Grabbing the empty glass out of Melody's hands and putting it on the counter, Mina raised the toddler up with a small groan. Resting her on her hip bone, Mina felt Melody's small hand clutching her shirt. She was heavier than Mina expected.

"Chicken!" The three year old pointed at the freezer, even though there was no chicken in sight. 

Mina giggled, moving things around in the freezer. "Yes, let's see if it's really here."

After gathering all the ingredients they needed for the chicken soup, Mina started chopping up the onions first. When she was done with that and grabbed the chicken, Melody was suddenly gone. 

She heard the toddler's loud giggles next room where Tzuyu was resting, which brought an involuntary smile to her face.

"There we go," Mina said to herself proudly as she put the lid back on the pot.

12pm. Mina was starving. And surely the other two people in the apartment were too. 

Deciding to check on the said people, Mina checked the soup once more before leaving the kitchen. 

There in the living room was Melody lying on the floor, drawing. Tzuyu was fast asleep, her hair a big mess– It was weird seeing her usually cool and collected boss like that, sleeping with wide open. 

As Mina stared at her sleeping form, a feeling wrapped around her heart. A feeling so familiar but forgotten. She hasn't felt like this in a long time. Not since she moved out of her parents house. 

"Melody,"

The sound of a pencil being aggressively dragged across the paper stopped as Melody turned her attention to her.

"Let's let Tzuyu rest quietly," Mina whispered, gesturing for the toddler to come with her. "Why don't you color in the kitchen with me?"

"I'm hungwy," Melody told her as she took tiny unbalanced steps towards Mina, clutching her paper in one hand and the pencil in the other with a pouty face.

"The soup should be ready soon."

Back in the kitchen, Melody sat on the dinner table, slamming her paper on the wooden surface. 

Mina hummed a tune as she stirred the soup– it looked very delicious. It smelled delicious too and she was dying to know what Melody and Tzuyu would think.

After turning off the stove, Mina grabbed a new spoon and decided to taste it.

"Oh, I forgot the salt!"

"You fowgot the sawt?"

"Yes," Mina dramatically widened her eyes like she couldn't believe she would do such a thing. "You can't make soup without salt!"

Melody stopped drawing and watched Mina search for the salt. It took the toddler about five seconds to grasp the new information before she nodded. 

No salt = No soup

"No! But you fowgot." The toddler stated as if she knew all along salt was a vital ingredient.

"I did, but it's okay. See, I'm adding it now." Mina reassured with a sigh as she measured the salt.

"Good." Melody approved, mirroring Mina's relieved sigh as she continued drawing with the pink pencil in her hand.

***

"Tzuyu..." Mina gently shook her. 

"Mommy, wake up." Melody hugged Tzuyu's waist, lying on top of the sick woman.

Tzuyu frowned, squeezing her eyes before they fluttered open. "Hey," She spoke, her raspy voice causing Mina's stomach to flutter.

She waved the feeling away. "We brought you some soup."

"Chicken?" Tzuyu straightened up, leaning her back against the stack of pillows.

"Yeah. Melody and I already ate."

Tzuyu sighed, bringing a hand up to her forehead in pain. Her head felt incredibly heavy. "But Melody doesn't like chicken soup."

"I do!" Melody argued a bit louder than necessary. Tzuyu flinched but didn't comment on it. 

"Since when?"

Mina smiled smugly, grabbing the bowl of soup she prepared for Tzuyu. "Since me."

Tzuyu chuckled which soon turned into a series of coughs. 

Mina soothed her back.

"Here," Mina brought the spoon close to Tzuyu's chapped lips. 

Not having the energy to refuse and say she could eat on her own, Tzuyu opened and let Mina feed her.

Her feverish red cheeks did a good job of hiding how embarrassed Tzuyu was. 

Tzuyu felt guilty. She made this woman (god...her employee) uncomfortable with her advances in a work place, got rejected quite heartbreakingly (and deservedly because how dare she). And now here she was despite it all, taking care of her and her daughter. 

This train of thought put a damp in her mood. It hit her that just because Mina acted friendly now, didn't mean they would go back to being friends once she was better. For all she knew, Mina could be doing this for her daughter Melody.

Either way Mina deserved an award for the kindness she's been showing. 

"Thank you." Tzuyu said with her raspy voice, gulping the last bit of her soup. "That was so delicious."

Mina seemed a little flustered by the sincerity her words were loaded with, a small smile lifting up the corners of her lips. 

"When mommy..." Melody tried her best to form the sentence she wanted to say. "Mommy's chicken soup doesn't taste gwood. It tastes weally...weally bad." 

There was silence for a few seconds as Tzuyu stared at her daughter in complete surprise. "You... little monkey! Come here!"

Grabbing Melody by her arms, Tzuyu pulled her to her lap, tickling the little girl mercilessly. Melody's loud joyous laughter and squeals caused this unexplainable warmth inside Tzuyu's chest, looking down at her daughter's big smiley face staring up at her.

Mina watched them interact, taking in the happy family portrait and saving it to her memory. Tzuyu looked incredibly soft and without meaning to, Mina suddenly found herself imagining what it would be like to wrap her arms around both of them and get her share of the cuddles. 

After witnessing this heart-warming scene and dropping her emotions all over the place, Mina started having second thoughts. It could've been the Nayeon inside her talking, but perhaps she had really misunderstood that phonecall. Because the Tzuyu that Mina got to know over the year (and counting) was the most loyal and respectful person she had ever met. Not to mention the goodness of her heart that one could detect a thousand miles away.

If Mina hadn't heard that phonecall, never in a million years she would've thought Tzuyu was even capable of cheating on her lover. 

Tzuyu hugged her daughter to her chest, landing a tender kiss on her brow. Melody closed her eyes and yawned.

"Afternoon nap."

Melody pouted and put her hands on Tzuyu's chest, pushing herself up. "But I'm not sweepy!"

Tzuyu sighed. "We talked about this–."

"No! You sweep!"

Mina giggled. Tzuyu's eyes lit up at the wonderful sound, instantly filling up her mood meter to the top. Her eyes moved from her daughter to the woman sitting beside her on the couch. 

Just then, they heard jingling keys, followed by the sound of a door closing. 

"Seowyun!" Melody exclaimed, jumping off the couch to run out of the room.

"Hi there Mel," Mina heard a feminine chuckle and a few seconds later, a woman appeared in the doorway with Melody in her arms.

"I got your text," the woman spoke, looking directly to Tzuyu, pecking Melody's chubby cheek. Melody seemed so happy in her arms.

Mina suddenly felt this weird turning in her stomach. 

When the woman came closer and they finally made eye contact, the tall stranger shamelessly looked her up and down and raised an eyebrow. "Uh sorry, who are you?"

Mina had never felt so out of place in her entire life.