Today, the weather forecast didn’t promise a sunny day for us in Riverbond, a small town my grandmother spent her whole life. But for a moment my mind conjures the memory of the rhythmic waves on the sandy shore downtown. I feel my heart beat to the same steady pace—I want the good old days, but a new day has begun.

“Kai, get a move on!” I call out my eleven-year old son for taking too long just to check his supplies in his backpack.

“I’d blame you if Emily's gone mad again,” Sehun, his little brother says. He has been prepared with his full loaded backpack since last night, because he knows how my ex-husband’s wife is so punctual.

I search Sehun’s eyes. “No, baby. Emily wasn’t mad. She taught you to manage time wisely. And today, it’s dad who’s collecting you. Emily can’t leave her baby, remember?” I offer a smile but my ten-year old boy doesn’t smile with me. “Give your mom a hug, will you?” He drags his steps like he doesn’t want to hug me, but the moment his arms loop my back, I know he would need this hug until we meet again on Monday.

I break the hug and spot the stain of ketchup from his breakfast on his new blue Polo shirt—my sons aren’t twins, but I dress them like ones.

On weekends, they stay with their father—an arrangement since our split five years ago.

“I’m ready!” Kai announces at the same time we hear their father’s arrival. “Mom, come with us.”

I chuckle at that, remembering how Kai once told me that he wanted to see his father sit between me and his wife.

“Maybe next time when I have a boyfriend again?” I respond nonchalantly, but Sehun frowns. I know what is running on his mind that I have to find distraction— “Hurry! Hurry!” I clap my hands and my boys run to their father who is waiting at the gates. Then, they race to claim the passenger seat.

“Old habits die hard,” Chen, my ex-husband comments before he hands me cakes Emily baked and tells me that our sons would also snack on it later. I nod and tell that they might love the sweetness. “You okay?”