“It has been said that ‘time heals all wounds’. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.”

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy

Days passed by. The blonde romance novelist watched in awe as his boss gently removed the wilted leaves that had made their way on his son’s tombstone. Seeing the white marble stone with the name Lee Geon meticulously engraved on it still felt too surreal for him, nightmare-like even.

He stayed in silence several steps away from the side of his boss who also fell into a deep hush and just watched intently as the younger caressed the tombstone with utmost care and gentleness.

“Geon-ah...”

Hyukjae snapped out of his internal reveries as soon as the name left Donghae’s mouth. It was nothing more than a soft murmur but he still managed to hear them perfectly. He bit back the smile that was threatening to leave his own upon seeing this gentle and affectionate side of his boss. He also noticed how Donghae was even smiling at the moment which made the view much better.

“We have a guest, my little star.”

Donghae spoke once again and Hyukjae no longer fought the smile anymore as his boss motioned for him to come closer. He also patted the empty space next to him and Hyukjae carefully sat down beside the black-haired. The green grass brushed against his feet but he could not care less. It was rather relaxing.

Hearing Donghae calling his son ‘my little star’ brought so much memories to him because just like how the black-haired called his son, on the contrary, his late mother also used to call him ‘my jewel’. That was the exact moment Hyukjae realized that Donghae, without a doubt, was indeed a mother in his own self.

Hyukjae then let his gaze fall on to the marble surface and smiled to himself. “Hi there, Geon-ah. My name is Lee Hyukjae but you can refer to me as Hyukkie samchon if you like. I am your Eomma’s latest supervisee and did you know that...”

He could go on and on for the whole day because contrary to his initial thoughts, talking to Geon actually felt good and refreshing for him. If only he was not that engrossed in telling the child countless stories, he would not have missed the genuine smile Donghae was wearing the entire time.

But how did Hyukjae even end up in that situation with Donghae in the first place?

Today was Saturday meaning no work for all of them. Hyukjae should have still been on the comfort of his bed but instead, he sluggishly made his way towards his workspace. Why? Of course he had to forget his file case which contained his drafts and revisions.

After securing the things he needed to work for the weekend, he turned off the lights and he suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu when he noticed the slightly ajar door leading to Donghae’s office. Without second thoughts, he closed the distance between the elevator and the office of his boss.

He did not bother to knock at all and just made his way inside. He saw the younger cladded in a comfortable woven white sweater matched with a pair of black pants. Donghae had his back turned towards the door and he seemed like he was fixing his things. Hyukjae came closer and the younger finally noticed his presence as he turned around.

“Oh, Lee! What are you doing here?” Donghae asked with slight surprise in his voice as he briefly glanced at the file case the older was holding.

“I could ask you the same thing,” the blonde-haired novelist replied and he muttered a quick “I got it” when Donghae was about to unplug all the appliances inside the office.

“Thanks,” Donghae muttered as he zipped his bag, walking towards the direction of his supervisee. “I have to go now. Do you have to stay?” He asked and Hyukjae shook his head. They both made their way to the exit of the building right after securing that their offices were all locked and all the lights were switched off.

“Where are you going anyway?” Hyukjae asked as soon as they reached the outside of the building and into the parking lot for employees.

“I spend most of my Saturdays staying at the cemetery with Geon,” the black-haired answered with a hint of melancholy in his voice. As much as the black-haired tried to conceal his sullen expression by playing it cool, Hyukjae immediately saw through him. The blonde knew probably a bit too much to even overlook Donghae's nonchalance.

Hyukjae did not know what washed through his mind upon blurting out the question, “Can I go with you?” He kind of expecting the younger to straight up reject his request but instead, he was greeted with a “Why?”

Instead of answering, Hyukjae just said “Please” in a tone not even Donghae could decipher. A mix of desperation and anticipation were present in the blonde’s voice.

So, here they were, sitting side by side in front of precious little Geon’s tombstone