*Flashback*

 

Momo was holding a small present for Tzuyu, along with a bouquet of flowers for her friends (Of course they weren't for Mina), she felt unusually nervous but swallowed her nerves and rang the doorbell

 

Ten seconds later, there she was, the person behind every decision she has made, a beauty she shouldn't yearn for, but she still does

 

"Hello Momo" A huge smile spreads on that face and Momo realizes how much she misses her 

 

"H-Hello Mina" She greets awkwardly, but Mina saves her from the awkwardness and allows her to enter her home 

 

"You didn't have to bring nothing Momo, you're my guest" She realizes that she is still holding the gifts and offers her the bouquet 

 

"I wasn't sure which ones to bring, I hope you still like roses" Mina held the bouquet in her hands and smile

 

"Yes, have always been my favorites, thank you very much Momoring" The nickname pronounced from her lips, turned up a warm fire in her chest and she can't help but smile in the same way 

 

"I also brought something for Tzuyu, I hope she likes it" Mina calls her daughter and the girl is wearing a penguin costume 

 

"Tzuyu, Auntie Momo came to see you, say hello" 

 

The girl looks small and very cute with her chubby cheeks, but she walks quite smoothly and Momo wonders how long she has been gone

 

The girl bows a little and politely greets 

 

"Good morning Aunt Momo" 

 

Momo was surprised again, because the girl speaks very well and again she wonders how long she has been away

 

She sees the girl look at her in confusion and quickly regains her composure, handing the gift on her hands

 

"Hello Tzuyu, I hope you like this little gift" Tzuyu smiled broadly and took the gift in her hands. A little stuffed penguin and a huge coloring book were all that came to her mind.  She thought it was the most obvious when thinking of both parents

 

Tzuyu looked at her with a big smile and bowed again 

 

"Thank you so much Aunt Momo" 

 

Mina smiled at the cute interaction, as her daughter ran to her room to play with her new gifts

 

"That was a nice detail of you"  Momo nodded softly and looked around the apartment 

 

"Where is Chaeyoung?"  She didn't want to sound rude, but being alone with Mina isn't the best scenario for her peace of mind 

 

"She's working on her gallery, you know, it was always her dream to open one and now she's achieved it" 

 

Mina smiled proud of her wife, but those words made Momo think of her own existence, although it's true that in the professional field she has achieved many things, her personal life is non-existent, she doesn't have a wife or a daughter, she doesn't have a family, not even a place she could call home. Those thoughts made her feel sorry for herself

 

Pathetic

 

"You know..." Mina's voice snapped her out of her state of self-pity and listened carefully 

 

"I've missed you a lot, it's been a long time since all of us got together, we could never find you anywhere, Nayeon and Jeongyeon told me that you spent your time at work and hardly talked to them"  Momo felt a little guilty, but she knew it was necessary 

 

"I'm sorry, I had a lot of things to do" 

 

Mina nodded slightly and reached out to take one of her hands. The contact sent chills through her entire body and she didn't realize the moment she stopped breathing 

 

"I'd like to get together, all of us, just like old times... you know, it feels like a dream to talk to you again, for a second I thought you forgot us" 

 

I could never forget you

 

Mina smiled so softly, and though her heart tore and bled at the sight memories, she couldn't say no, because if it made Mina happy, then she would

 

"Of course, I'll try to make some space for it" 

 

Mina met her eyes and pouted. Momo cursed her mind when she thought of how cute she looked

 

"Don't try, promise me"  Momo sighed resignedly, because when Mina asked for something, she was going to fulfill it 

 

"Okay... I promise"

 

*****************

 

Momo felt so out of place, just after entering the small restaurant, she could see the table where all her friends were and slowly approached, while her fingers tightened the straps of the gifts for the two girls 

 

"Momo!"  Sana waved her hands as she motioned for her to come closer 

 

Her discomfort must have been very apparent when Nayeon and Chaeyoung

 

"Momo, you look more like Mina walking like that, where is the cunning Alpha we knew?"  

 

Momo rubbed the back of her neck feeling embarrassed 

 

"I'm sorry, I think I've spent too much time at work and it's the first time I've been out in years"

 

"You can't be serious" They all looked at her in disbelief, but Momo nodded slightly and sat down, leaving the gifts on the table

 

"Even though I haven't met Dahyun yet, I brought her a gift, just like Tzuyu, I hope they like it" Mina sighed 

 

"Stop spoiling my baby" Momo smiled slightly and shrugged

 

After Dahyun and Tzuyu came back from the games zone, Sana took care of the introductions and although at first her daughter didn't feel confident about approaching Momo, that completely changed when she offered her the gift

 

The girl quickly ran to her and took the gift in her little hands, making a quick bow before going back to her mothers, Jihyo told her that she can open it until she gets home and not before

 

Tzuyu just leaned over, took the gift and sat on Chaeyoung's lap

 

"Don't worry Momo, little by little they will get to know you" 

 

"No problem, I think it's normal, I didn't even know they existed until recently" The table immediately fell silent and Momo cursed her socializing skills 

 

"So... what has kept you so busy? I guess it must be something big for everything you missed" 

 

Momo has no idea if it's big or not, she only set goals that will help her grow her business 

 

"Actually, I was able to acquire my own dance studio recently" Nayeon almost splits her drink on her wife 

 

"What!?"  

 

They were all amazed, but at the same time they were already expecting something like that

 

"It's nothing that big really..." 

 

"Of course it is Momo, now tell the details..." 

 

Momo could tell that it was a good night, although it hurt like hell to see Mina and Chaeyoung being affectionate and cute with each other, she tried to ignore them as much as possible, but it was not easy

 

***************

 

After that night, things seemed to improve, although she still had no plans to 'move on', she was able to have normal conversations with each of them and enjoy her free time in the best restaurants in the city

 

Her life took on a little more color when her friends became part of it again. She took the time to attend the birthdays and celebrations of each one of them and even offered herself as a babysitter to take care of the children so they could enjoy some of their couple time alone

 

Momo saw it as a win-win situation, because she was helping her friends and relieving some of the loneliness that habited in her apartment

 

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

 

However, as she had already said before, fate is a ...

 

Momo was ready to receive the little Tzuyu that night, while Mina and Chaeyoung would go to dinner, and although her heart was still aching and bleeding, her mind told her that she was doing the right thing

 

The doorbell rang twice and Momo hurriedly opened the door

 

"Good afternoon Aunt Momo" Little Tzuyu bowed to the Alpha and Momo gently ruffled her hair 

 

"Hello Tzu" The girl frowned and smoothed her hair with her fingers 

 

"Go ahead, I bought you the hat you wanted" Tzuyu perked up immediately and ran into the apartment

 

"You're spoiling her too much" Momo turned around to meet her friends' stern gaze 

 

"Don't worry, it's just a gift" Chaeyoung raised an eyebrow 

 

"One? If you continue like this we'll have to expand her room" 

 

"Besides, you shouldn't let her eat too many sweets, remember to brush her teeth and she has to go to sleep before 9" Momo rolled her eyes and pushed them out of her apartment

 

"Yes, yes, I understand, now go away" Mina e last time and gave her a smile 

 

"Thank you again Momo" her heart pressed against her chest, but she managed to reply 

 

"It's nothing, have fun"

 

***************

 

The night was very quiet and relaxed, Tzuyu didn't talk much and she just watched the movie while she ate her low salt popcorn, just like Mina had told her

 

Suddenly her phone started ringing and she could almost imagine Mina worried about her daughter

 

"Hello?"  

 

"Momo!"  Her tone of voice put her on alert immediately, she had a bad feeling 

 

"Mina? What's wrong? Are you okay?"  Sobbing, Momo had never heard Mina cry so hard 

 

"W-Where is Tzuyu!?"  It was obvious that Mina was upset 

 

"Don't worry, she's here with me, we're watching a movie... are you okay?"  The line was silent for a few seconds 

 

"I-I'm fine, b-but..." The sound of an ambulance siren was heard in the distance

 

"I ask you to take good care of her please" 

 

"Mina, wait-" The line was cut and Momo looked at her phone in anguish

 

Something very bad had to have happened for Mina to cry like that, and although she really wanted to know what happened, she obeyed her orders and took care of Tzuyu the best she could 

 

After the movie, Momo helped the girl do her nightly routine and they both got ready for bed

 

"Which room do you want Tzu?"  The little girl looked at her confused 

 

"I can't sleep with you?"  Her cute puppy dog ​​eyes were giving her no choice 

 

"Okay, let's sleep here then" 

 

Tzuyu smiled and took out her penguin stuffed animal from her backpack, Momo smiled seeing the girl snuggle up on her sheets and wait for her

 

"Did you like your gift that much?" The girl nodded slightly 

 

"Yes, it reminds me of my mommy" 

 

Momo couldn't help but coo at the girl's tenderness and squeezed her cheek

 

After making sure the girl was comfortable and well covered, she lay down with her while Tzuyu pressed the teddy to her chest

 

"Good night Tzu" 

 

"Good night Aunt Momo"  

 

Momo watched Tzuyu fall asleep, while her mind tried to guess what had happened, of course she couldn't sleep

 

Mina's crying and sobs played over and over again in her head, plus the sound of the ambulance couldn't be something good for any reason

 

A thousand situations formed in her head, each one worse than the other  

 

She snapped out of her reverie and looked down to see Tzuyu lay her head on her chest, probably seeking her mom's comfort. Momo didn't have the heart to push her away and took her in her arms while her back, a satisfied snort escaping from the girl's lips and snuggled even closer

 

Momo wasn't sure what had happened, but whatever it was, she was going to help in any way possible 

 

"Don't worry Tzu... everything will be fine"  

 

******************

 

Her nerves were on edge not knowing anything about what was going on, Mina called her in the morning just to ask about her daughter and after that, she hung up right away

 

All the mystery and secrecy surrounding the situation was making her feel more and more anxious, but she somehow managed to hide her nerves in front of the girl or so she thought

 

Her phone rang again and she basically jumped off the couch to answer the call

 

"Hello?"  Her voice reflected the way she felt and she couldn't help it 

 

"M-Momo?"  

 

"Sana?"  

 

"M-Momo listen to me... I need you to stay calm and be very careful with what I'm going to tell you, you shouldn't scare Tzuyu" 

 

Sana should know that when someone says that, it provokes just the opposite 

 

"O-Okay" Her own voice already felt stuck and she could hear Sana take several breaths before speaking 

 

"Chaeyoung... Chaeyoung is dead..." Sana suppressed a sob and continued "S-She got hit by a bastard who decided to drive when he couldn't... Jihyo is already working on the case to cast him in jail, but Mina... Mina is a disaster, and she doesn't want to stress Tzuyu, she will stay at Nayeon and Jeongyeon's house for a few days while the funeral is arranged" She could hear Sana clear her throat, possibly crying 

 

"This is a nightmare Momo, I-I need you to be strong and take care of Tzuyu the best you can p-please" She nodded firmly although she couldn't see her

 

"I will Sana, give Mina my condolences and tell her that her daughter is safe" 

 

"Thank you very much Momoring" 

 

The call was cut off and the initial shock was over as well. Her fear was confirmed in a tragedy that her brain was still trying to process 

 

A thousand emotions invaded her, anger, sadness, frustration, impotence, but there was something else that she couldn't identify. She was supposed to be crying at least, but her body and her mind couldn't coordinate

 

A slight tug on her pants brought her back to the real world and Tzuyu looked at her with a pout on her face  

 

"I'm hungry" Momo suppressed her emotions and took a deep breath 

 

"Don't worry, I'll make you something delicious to eat right away" 

 

*************

 

Momo was loyal to her word and took care of Tzuyu the best she could, she even took her to the toy store, to the park and to a restaurant, the day moved quickly, but Tzuyu kept asking about her mom, and Momo understood her, but she couldn't tell her the truth, not yet, so she made up a believable excuse and told her that she was busy at work

 

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

 

Two days, it was two days that Momo had to convince Tzuyu that her mother had not abandoned her. The girl became emotional on the second day and she couldn't help but panic when she saw the girl cry. It was after a couple of desserts, hugs and lots of cartoons that Tzuyu managed to calm down

 

Momo stayed close to her to give her some kind of comfort, but she herself also felt so lost at that moment 

 

The doorbell rang and Tzuyu rushed out hoping it was her mom, Momo quickly followed her and opened the door, revealing a very tired and slightly haggard looking Mina, Tzuyu screamed as soon as she saw her and Mina took her in her arms 

 

"Hello mommy, I missed you so much!" 

 

Momo could see Mina's attempts not to cry in front of her daughter and she felt her heart break in two

 

"Hello Mina, do you need help?"  

 

Mina looked at her warily and then simply nodded slightly, caressing Tzuyu's cheeks and telling her that Aunt Momo was going to stay with them for the day

 

**************

 

Momo avoided asking questions and focused on helping Mina with anything she needed

 

The day was quiet (relatively) until Tzuyu asked about her other mommy and Mina nearly fell to the ground at the simple question

 

She quickly went over to Mina and offered her a hand, but the Omega pulled her even closer and buried her head in her chest, while her arms wrapped around her and held her tight

 

Tzuyu didn't understand what was happening, but she didn't like to see her mom crying and after Mina managed to compose herself a bit, she tried to explain the situation while Momo watched them in silence 

 

Tzuyu looked so confused when Mina explained that her other mom had gone to heaven, but she assured her that she was watching and taking care of her from there, so she had to keep behaving and being a good girl to make her proud

 

Momo couldn't bear to see Mina so devastated and went to hug both of them. Although there were a thousand repressed emotions inside her, she didn't let them out, anyway... she was used to it  

 

****************

 

The funeral was the moment of total rupture and at the same time the beginning of the acceptance of the facts

 

Sana and Jihyo hugged their daughter tightly, while the little girl looked just as confused as Tzuyu with what was happening, their mothers tried to be strong, but Sana couldn't hold back her tears while Jihyo and her daughter tried to comfort her

 

Nayeon had told them how hard it was for Jeongyeon, the Alpha was about to go kill the bastard herself but Jihyo intercepted her and prevented an even bigger problem

 

Jihyo already had the case ready to sink the culprit, she had the alcohol test and even better, his license was expired, there were going to be 3 charges against her, reckless homicide, driving under the flow of alcohol and driving without a license, a total of 60 years is what Jihyo hoped to achieve

 

Momo looked at her friends completely devastated as she held Tzuyu's hand and they saw Mina crying inconsolably in front of her wife's coffin

 

It was the most heartbreaking sight Momo had ever seen, instinctively she took Tzuyu in her arms and hugged her, making a silent promise to protect them

 

****************

 

The trial was easily resolved on their favor

 

Jihyo had the bull by the horns and there was no negotiation, but seeing Mina so small and vulnerable making her statement was something complicated for everyone, fortunately she was able to speak and answer all the questions with great clarity and without getting confused in her statement, Jihyo had prepared her very well

 

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

 

Mina decided to quit her job and focus on running the gallery of her now deceased wife

 

The earnings were good, but she couldn't be in two places at once and the worst thing was that Tzuyu was about to enter school

 

Nayeon and Jeongyeon had offered to quit their jobs to help her, but Mina knew better. Nayeon was looking for management at her company, while Jeongyeon had just been promoted to head chef at the restaurant where she worked

 

Mina was not going to allow any of them to make such a big sacrifice, but then... Momo offered her help

 

Momo explained her current situation, being the owner of the studio she didn't need to be there all the time, she could adapt her schedule and work from home, she even offered financial help to the Omega  

 

Mina, although not very convinced, accepted the help with her daughter, but she didn't accept her money, she felt it was too much

 

Momo still made a saving for them 

 

***************

 

The world seemed to return to a more normal rhythm, Momo now took care of Tzuyu in the mornings and in the middle of the afternoon, while her mother went to work, deciding to schedule her two sessions in the evening

 

She took advantage of the change of pace to sit down and reflect on everything that had happened

 

Momo didn't give herself the freedom to do that because Mina and Tzuyu needed someone strong, someone they could trust and be vulnerable with, that reminded her that now Tzuyu sleps with her stuffed penguin and a tiger cub

 

Chaeyoung's death was something so traumatic for all her friends, a situation so tragic because of all the factors that surrounded it and now Momo allowed herself to feel it

 

She allowed herself to feel the absence of one of her friends

 

She allowed herself to feel the sadness and nostalgia of the memories

 

She allowed herself to smile

 

She allowed herself to cry

 

She allowed herself to feel the anger and frustration that welled up in her heart

 

She allowed herself to feel the impotence of not being able to do anything 

 

And she allowed herself to collapse under the weight of the situation and accept the facts

 

Chaeyoung was dead

 

That was the second time she cried...

 

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

 

When she was able to breathe again, she thought she had let off steam enough, but her mind still felt restless and Momo tried to dig deep inside her being to feel at peace with herself, but what she discovered was only the start of a new nightmare....

 

She felt relief and hope

 

Her chest contracted and her mind clouded as she was able to define what she felt, but she shouldn't, she can't feel relief, much less hope...

 

Then she realized where she was

 

She was at Mina's house, while Tzuyu was taking her nap and she was invading the privacy of a family, a family that is not hers, it is Chaeyoung's

 

Her mind twisted in guilt and she felt so disgusted with herself

 

She was taking advantage of Mina's situation to force her entry into her life and her daughter's

 

She was taking advantage of her vulnerable state to comfort her and whisper words of safety

 

She was taking advantage of Chaeyoung's absence for her benefit... to take her place

 

Pathetic

 

She has always been pathetic

 

It was at that moment that she realized what she was doing and decided to face her demons

 

Mina needed a friend and someone to help her, just that, something strictly professional, like a job

 

Momo took a deep breath, as she felt ashamed of herself

 

She is a bad person

.

.

.

 

To be continued...