Sooyeon opened her eyes and panted in her sleep. She glanced at Yoong who was sleeping soundly. Sooyeon sat up slowly and wiped the cold sweat off her face. It had been 6 months long that she had the bad dreams. It came from time to time and it kept getting worse. 

Each time she had different dreams that led to the same outcome. Yoong leaving her. Sooyeon looked at Yoong again and admitted how young and handsome he was. He looked so young compared to her. Sooyeon stood and went to the vanity table. She screamed as she saw an old woman in the mirror. White hair, wrinkled face.

“Sooyeon?” Yoong woke up and ran to her.

Sooyeon pointed at the mirror. Yoong looked rather calm.

“That’s you.” Yoong said with a grin.

Sooyeon shook her head and screamed again.

“Sooyeon? Sooyeon?” Yoong shook Sooyeon who was screaming in her sleep.

Sooyeon opened her eyes and looked at Yoong. She cried and hugged Yoong instantly.

//

Sooyeon stared at pool from where she sat. She sipped on the tea and looked at Yoong who was doing his work on his laptop. Yoong worked from home today, following Sooyeon’s bad dream last night. Sooyeon assured him that she was okay but Yoong insisted.

“You’re okay, dear?” Yoong caught Sooyeon staring at him.

Sooyeon nodded although her heart said otherwise.

“I think what you need now is a vacation.” Yoong winked.

Sooyeon smiled faintly. She sure that was not what she needed but she didn’t feel like talking to Yoong.

“Sweetheart, what’s the matter?” Yoong held Sooyeon’s hand.

Sooyeon kept her silence.

“Sooyeon, my love, you know you can tell me anything, right? What’s bothering you, my beloved wife?” Yoong gave Sooyeon’s hand some gentle squeeze. 

Sooyeon shook her head. She looked at Yoong. 

“You can ask me for anything. I will make it come true.” Yoong kissed Sooyeon’s hand dearly.

Sooyeon beamed at Yoong and held his hand back. Their eyes glued to each other.

“Then, can we stay in Jeonju for a couple of days?” Sooyeon’s said gently.

Yoong nodded with a smile.

“Anything for you. I’ll call the schools.”

“We don’t have to go now, I mean, over the weekend maybe?”

“Sooyeon, I promise you to make you the happiest woman, right?” Yoong spoke and Sooyeon nodded.

“I’ll sacrifice anything to be with you, to make you happy. Okay?” Yoong said and took his phone.

Sooyeon was touched. She hugged Yoong from behind as he called the driver to pick the kids from school.

//

Yoong let Sooyeon hugged him as they watched the men placed the newly bought wooden gazebo next to the Korean style house.

“It fits.” Yoong said and Sooyeon nodded.

“Thank you.” Sooyeon kissed Yoong’s shoulder from behind.

“I love you.” He said instead.

//

Sooyeon held Jaeyeon while Yoong grilled the meat on the bbq set he bought yesterday. They were having dinner at the gazebo. The twins love the gazebo as they rolled on the planks.

“Twins.” Sooyeon reprimanded.

“Daddy, when are we going home?” Jaehyun asked as he hugged Yoong from behind.

Sooyeon glanced at Yoong who was cutting meat.

“Yeah, daddy. We’ve been here for a week now.” Jaeyoung added.

“We’re staying here for a month.” Yoong said casually and Sooyeon wondered if Yoong was joking.

Sooyeon let Jaeyeon go as the 16 old months baby walked unsteadily towards his twin sisters. 

“Yoong?” Sooyeon asked for a confirmation.

Yoong smiled at Sooyeon.

“A month. I already told their schools.” Yoong said and put some meat on Sooyeon’s plate.

Yoong beamed again as Sooyeon looked touched, her eyes stagnated.

“A month?!” Jaehyun and Jaeyoung were shocked.

“You guys don’t like it here? We can go to the waterfall everyday.” Yoong turned off the bbq burner.

Jaeyoung and Jaehyun who were both 12 and 10 now looked at each other.

“But school…?” Jaeyoung went to hug Sooyeon.

“They have school, Yoong.” Sooyeon hugged Jaeyoung as well.

“Then they can go home. The maids can take care of them. It’s about time they learn to be independent.” Yoong said and Sooyeon wasn’t adamant about it.

“But Yoong, how can they be there just them?” Sooyeon disagreed.

“Love, they wake up, they take a bath, they eat breakfast, they go to school, the come home, the clean themselves, the take their dinner, they do their homework-“

“You truly think they would do that by themselves?” Sooyeon kissed Jaeyoung’s head.

“Then?” Yoong ate a piece of meat.

Sooyeon didn’t answer and ate too.

//

Yoong looked down to Sooyeon as she rested her head on his lap. Their fingers intertwined as they spent some time that night, cuddling.

“Go home with them. I’ll be here with Jaeyeon and the twins.”

“No.” Yoong disagreed.

He watched Sooyeon kissed his abs as she turned her head to face his body.

“I’m not leaving you here. My plan was to stay here with you for a whole month.” Yoong caressed Sooyeon’s head.

Sooyeon beamed in contentment as she heard that.

“Yoong, you said you’d do anything for me.”

“…”

“Can I ask something from you?”

Yoong nodded.

“You know how I was having trouble sleeping at night these past months right?”

“…”

“I was having bad dreams. It’s repetitive. The same thing over and over again.”

“What is it?” Yoong played with Sooyeon’s ear.

“You leaving me.” Sooyeon gripped Yoong’s hand.

She sat up while Yoong was speechless.

“It keeps coming back week after week, I can’t take it anymore, Yoong.”

“Sooyeon…”

“I keep seeing you with her.”

“Sooyeon, it had been months…we patched up as well…”

“I need some time to myself and figure this one out.”

“Sooyeon…”

“I will take Jaeyeon with me and I hope you can take good care of the boys and the twins.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yoong, please, do this for me. I just need some time to be alone. Here. I’m not going anywhere else.”

“Sooyeon, I beg you. Please. Don’t do this to me. I can’t live without you. Punish me if you want to but please don’t do this to me. I need you in my life. Please, Sooyeon.” Yoong was desperate.

Sooyeon didn’t expect Yoong to be emotional all of sudden.

“How could I live without my soulmate? How could I go on without the love of my life? How could I face anythi