Around two o'clock in the afternoon, Sana awoke from her nap. She stretched, blinking away the remnants of her sleep. Her mind slowly shook off the last traces of sleep, and she decided it was time to freshen up.

 

Sana walked towards the bathroom, the cool tiles beneath her feet a nice awakening. After a quick shower, she lingered in front of the bathroom mirror, her reflection staring back at her.

 

Dressed in comfortable lounge wear, she emerged from the bedroom. A glance at the clock at reminded her that the day had already begun. The thought of household duties drew her in, and with a resigned sigh, she decided it was time to start cleaning.

 

The sight of littered toys and pieces of Kylo's  morning activities met her as she reached the living room. She walked up to the front door, resolute.

 

Outside the gate, Sana recognized a familiar figure.

 

She wondered how long Dahyun had been there and what had provoked her visit. And so, she took a deep breath and approached her with caution.

 

"What are you doing here, Dahyun?"

 

Dahyun chuckled awkwardly as she did whenever she was anxious. "I thought it would be nice for Kylo and you to have some treats," she explained, avoiding direct eye contact. "I got his favorite chocolate pudding and a couple of pies. You know, just a little something to brighten your day."

 

Sana's confusion persisted, but she couldn't dispute Dahyun's genuine effort. "That's... nice of you," she acknowledged, a slight smile on her lips. "But is that it? Did something else happen?"

 

"Nothing happened," Dahyun replied quietly, smiling. "I thought no one was home, but I wanted to stop by before returning to my place."

 

"You just got off work?"

 

"No, I went to the hospital to get my back injury checked on, and I thought I'd give you an update on that as well."

 

Sana's interest was piqued. "Oh, what did the doctor say?" she asked.

 

Dahyun entered the gate, clutching the paper bag containing the goodies. She took her time following Sana inside. "The doctor said it's nothing severe, just a minor strain," she said casually. "I'll be fine with some rest."

 

"You should take care of yourself," Sana added, her voice hushed. "And you didn't have to bring these. You know, it would have been great if you just rested."

 

"Well, I thought Kylo might enjoy them, and... I wanted to see you. Is that okay?" Dahyun responded with a chuckle.

 

"Dahyun, you can't keep doing this. We still... need space."

 

Dahyun's shoulders dropped slightly, but she kept her composure. "I understand," she smiled. "I was just checking in on you and Kylo. I'll leave these here for you to have whenever you wish. Take care, Sana."

 

As she turned to leave, Sana's voice stopped her, "Wait." She lowered her gaze, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "You're welcome to stay around for a bit. Kylo will be back from the picnic soon."

 

 

 

The still married couple found themselves stealing glances as they strolled around different rooms, cleaning up toys and wiping surfaces.

 

Dahyun cleaned the dust off the shelf while peering across at the other woman, who was folding Kylo's tiny shirts. Sana, on the other hand, was unable to ignore Dahyun, who was now arranging Kylo's storybooks.

 

"Hey," Sana began, her voice solemn, "you don't have to do all of this. You're still recovering from last night's incident. Please, sit down, and take it easy."

 

"I am okay with helping," Dahyun said, a little smile on her lips. "Besides, sitting around won't help this injury heal any faster, and I'm used to putting up with a little pain."

 

"Take better care of yourself."

 

"Taking care of you and Kylo is part of taking care of myself, Sana. It's what I want to do now," Dahyun insisted.

 

Dahyun sat down next to Sana, her face solemn. "Sana, how do you do it? Being a parent to Kylo alone, especially with a full-time job. It must be a difficult balance," she asked after a little pause.

 

Sana placed a little toy truck on the ground, her fingertips tracing its weathered edges. When she caught Dahyun's gaze, a vulnerability flashed across her eyes. "It's not easy," she conceded, her voice heaving with the weight of every challenge she faced. "But I'm lucky to have my parents. They watch after Kylo while I'm at work, and I try to spend as much time as I can with him when I get home."

 

"I'm sure your parents are quite disappointed in me."

 

Sana sighed, her gaze shifting to the toy truck she was holding. "Even when we were just dating, they were never thrilled about us, and with all that... with what happened... well, you can guess."

 

"I messed up, Sana, I know."

 

"Just keep moving forward," Sana whispered gently. "I've learned to do that for Kylo's sake."

 

"We're now parents, Dahyun," she continued. "Most of our decisions should be made for Kylo's benefit. I can't... we can't keep obsessing on what went wrong between us."

 

"I understand..."

 

"However, we must both find a way to coexist in his life without causing us more pain."

 

"I'll do everything it takes to make things right," Dahyun said, smiling through the pain she was experiencing. "...even if it means taking a step back."

 

"Dahyun, what you said that night about Kylo deciding for himself—it's the proper thing to do," Sana said. "But when it comes to my heart... I'm not sure I can just let you in again."

 

She met Dahyun's gaze with hesitation and a gleam of hope. "It will take time. We... we can't rush this," she explained. "But we can work on being good co-parents to Kylo. That's a start."

 

 

Dahyun sat in her apartment's living room, her cousin Jin watching her in silence. "It feels like I really lost her now, man," she replied, her voice tinged with resignation.

 

Jin lifted an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on Dahyun. "Lost her? I don't think so," he said. "Didn't you say she let you see Kylo?"

 

"Yeah, but... she's just allowing me to become closer to Kylo, not herself."

 

He leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. "You're thinking too short-term, Dahyun. If she's letting you see Kylo, it's a sign. Maybe she's just cautious, and you have to respect that. But it means she's considering it, even if it's one step at a time."

 

"Do you really think so?"

 

"We've known Sana for a long time. She's strong-willed and protective, especially when it comes to Kylo. If she's giving you a chance with him, it means she's thinking about giving you a chance, too. Just be patient, and don't mess it up. You're playing the long game here."

 

Dahyun shook her head, a self-deprecating smile on her face. "I've been so stupid. It's taken me far too long to realize what I've lost... what I want. I should have fixed things earlier."

 

"Hey, hey," Jin said as he leaned forward slightly. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You know what? Life has an unusual way of bringing things to our attention at exactly the right moment. The important thing is that you've decided to take action now. It's never too late to do anything."

 

"I just can't... I... All those wasted years, oppa..."

 

"Wasted years are only truly wasted if you don't learn from them. Look at it this way – you're learning now, and you have a chance to make things right."

 

"There's something else bothering me.