Yul woke up to a gentle shaking the next morning. He lifted his head from Yoona’s bedside and blinked his eyes until they were focused. “Hey, Tiff,” he said on a yawn, stretching and sitting in his chair. He put his legs out straight in front of him, crossed at the ankles.

“Here,” Tiffany said, handing him a styrofoam coffee cup. “You look like you need this.”

Yul took it from her. “Thanks,” he said, taking a sip.

Tiffany sat down in the chair next to him. “Any change?”

Yul shook his head. “The nurse told me that it’s up to her now on whether or not she wakes up. They’ve done all they can.” He paused for a minute, afraid to ask the next question. “Do you think she wants to wake up, Tiff?”

“Oh, Yul, of course she does,” she assured him.

And for the first time, Tiffany saw this through Yul’s eyes. She’d always been there to see what Yoona had gone through, and in the process, she’d taken her side. But Tiffany knew now that she had no right even choosing sides. Yoona had never ever talked about the day Yul had left, and whenever Tiffany had brought the subject, she’d always changed it. It was as clear today as it had been the last time Tiffany had seen them together. Kwon Yul loved his wife now as much as he ever had. No, Tiffany thought, looking at him more closely, noticing the agony in his eyes. He loved her even more.

“Have you heard from her parents?” Yul asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

Tiffany nodded. “They’re in Tennessee. They’re still three days away or more,” she told him.

Yul nodded. “And Jesse?”

“He’s on his way. In fact, his flight should be landing anytime,” she said, looking at her watch. “And Sunny is on her way too. They had to drive, because she’s in her last trimester and can’t get clearance to fly.”

There was a short pause. “Is she happy, Tiff?” he asked, leaning forward so his hands were on his knees.

“Sunny?” she questioned, confused.

“Yoona,” he said.

“Yul…” she started.

“Tiffany, please,” Yul pleaded, knowing that she didn’t want to betray her friends trust, but unable to stop him from wanting to know. He was gazing at her intently, as if her answers meant everything to him. And it did.

Tiffany put a hand to her forehead and rubbed it. After a few moments of silence, he didn’t think she was going to answer. But she finally did. “No, Yul, she’s not happy.”

Yul nodded and swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I shouldn’t have left,” he said, standing up and pacing.

“But you did, Yul, and you can’t change it. So don’t do this,” she told him.

“Tiff…”

“There will be plenty of time to beat yourself up for the things you could have done differently when Yoong wakes up. For now, let’s just leave the past in the past.”

Yul nodded. “For now,” he said, returning to his seat.

“You must be exhausted,” Tiffany said softly.

“I’m fine,” he lied.

Tiffany laughed. “You are such a guy,” she teased.

“What in the hell is he doing here?” Sunny asked, pointing to Yul accusingly as she stormed into the hospital room.

“Sunny…” Tiffany started.

“Oh, God, Yoona,” Sunny said, her eyes filling with tears. In second, she was at her friend’s side.

“All of the news stations say she might not make it. It’s not true, is it?” she questioned. When Yul and Tiffany wouldn’t meet her gaze, she knew it was all true. She felt a sob escape and then one after the other; they made their way out of her body until her chest was heaving.

“Bunny, you need to calm down,” her husband said, coming up beside her and rubbing her back delicately. “This isn’t good for the babies.”

“You’re having twins?” Fany said.

Sunny nodded. “Two more girls.”

“Wow, five girls, and not a boy in the bunch. How does that make you feel, Mr. Kim?”

Sunny’s husband laughed at the nickname that had been given him when he’d first started dating Sunny in college and she’d been launching her fashion line. “Scared to death,” he admitted. Then he grinned. “And anxious to try again!”

Sunny laughed on a sob. Her husband could always make her feel better. She turned to him, and he immediately took her in his arms and squeezed her tightly. “Everything is going to be fine,” he told her calmly.

“How can you say that?” Sunny demanded.

Her husband laughed. “Do you really think she’d dare to not wake up with you here?” he reasoned.

Sunny smiled into his chest. “That’s true,” she said, pulling a hanky from her husband’s pocket and blowing her nose in a very unladylike way. She pulled away. “So, what is he doing here?” Sunny said, ignoring Yul and looking at Tiffany.

“He is her husband,” Yul said.

Sunny snorted. “Yeah, when it’s convenient for you,” she said.

Yul’s eyes met hers. “You might want to remember, everything that happened to Yoona happened to me, too, Sunny.”

“Yeah, well she didn’t leave you,” Sunny reminded him.

“Not right now, Sunny,” Tiffany said sternly.

“Are you on his side?” Sunny demanded.

Tiffany shrugged. “I’m starting to think that there might not be side,” she said.

Sunny sighed and shook her head. “Whatever. I’m here for Yoona, anyway.”

“We’re praying for her,” Taeng said.

“Thanks, Taeng,” Yul said sincerely.

Taeng nodded.

Jesse came running into the room and skidded to a stop at Yoona’s bedside. He took one look at her and his eyes filled with tears. Tiffany was at his side in an instant. He turned into her and leaned his face down into her shoulder, the sobs overtaking his body.

Yul quietly got up and left the room, followed by Sunny and Taeng, all of them wanting to give Jesse his privacy. He had, after all, been best friends with her forever. And as much as it pained him to admit it, Yul was pretty sure that Yoona would want Jesse right now more than she’d want him.

Yul was standing back to the windows that overlooked the city with his arms crossed over his chest when Sunny walked up to him. He mentally prepared himself for the ambush he was sure to come. It never did. She looked him in the eyes, hers filled with tears, until finally, he turned away.

“You still love her,” she said softly.

Still not looking at her, Yul nodded. Unable to stand still beneath her stare, he moved his arms down by his sides.

Catching him completely by surprise, Sunny threw herself at his chest and put her arms around his waist. It was a good thing the wall was holding him up, or she would have knocked them both to the floor. He could feel her sobs starting again. “I’m sorry, Yul,” she said between them, “for... everything that I never told you I was sorry for.”

Yul squeezed Sunny tight, fighting tears of his own. “Thanks, Sunny,” he said huskily, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

Yul looked up and Taeng gave him a sad grin.

“Yul came,” Jesse said, still amazed.

Tiffany grinned softly at her husband. “Yeah, he came.”

Jesse shook his head. “This can’t be happening, Mushroom.”

“You have to have faith, Jesse. We have to believe that everything is going to be fine.”

He nodded. “I do. I have faith,” he said quickly. “How’s Yul?”

“I haven’t seen him like this since...” she couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Yeah,” he said, putting an arm around his wife. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. “You look tired.”

“I am tired,” she told him.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“I could eat,” she said.

“Let’s see if the others want to get something in the cafeteria.”

“Ok” she agreed.

They walked into the hallway and saw Yul, Sunny, and Taeng standing there. “Want to go the cafeteria to get something to eat?” Tiffany asked.

“Sounds good to me,” Taeng said, and Sunny nodded.

Yul shook his head. “I don’t want Yoong to be alone,” he explained.

Sunny stepped away from Taeng and put her hand on Yul’s arm. “You guys go,” she said. “Fany and I will stay with her, and then when you’re done, we’ll go.”

Sunny looked at Tiffany for agreement and Tiffany nodded. “That’s a good idea,” she said.

After placing a kiss on his wife’s forehead and briefly placing his hand on her belly, Taeng followed Yul and Jesse down the hall.

Jesse, Yul, and Taeng finally found a table in the crowded cafeteria and sat down. Yul had remembered to go back to the room and grab his baseball cap, hoping to cut down on the chances that he’d be recognized. Luckily, it had worked. Or maybe L.A. folks weren’t interested in a New York Knicks player. Either way, he was grateful.

“You look like , little brother,” Jesse said. He sniffed. “You smell like it, too.”

Yul grinned, but Jesse knew there wasn’t even a trace of humour behind it. “No one would know what smells like better than you, big brother, being that you’re the biggest one I know,” Yul shot back.

Yul laughed. “You’re getting better. Thinking quicker on your feet,” he complimented.

 “Thanks,” Yul said, then looked at Taeng. “So, how’s being a dad?” he asked.

Taeng grinned from ear to ear. “There’s nothing like it.”

Yul shook his head, “No, there isn’t,” he agreed. “The only thing that comes close to it is being a husband,” Yul said, his voice full of regret.

The men sat there eating, and Taeng hurried along so he could be the first one to finish. Thinking that the brothers needed some time alone, he excused himself. He stood up and put the wrapped cookies on his plate in his pocket. “I better get back to Sunny,” he said. “She a bear when she’s pregnant, which, you know, has been for like the last four years. And I saw the look in her eyes. She’s starving. I’ll see you back there.” With that, he left Yul and Jesse sitting there.

“Talk to me, little brother,” Jesse said softly.

Yul put his sandwich down and sighed intensely. “What do you want me to say?” he asked.

“I want you to tell me what’s going on with you.”

Yul met his brother’s eyes. “I’m thinking about what a d**k I’ve been for the past four years,” he said honestly. “I’m thinking that I never should have left my wife in the state that she was in. I’m thinking that life f***ing , and that if our son hadn’t died, things would be just fine. Is that what you want to hear?” he asked bitterly.

Jesse nodded. “Yeah, the truth is what I wanted to hear,” he said, standing up. “Let’s go outside... away from all these people and go for a walk,” he said.

Yul stood up, too, and they brought their trays to the garbage can, threw their trash away, and walked to the elevators. Neither said a word as they rode down to the lobby and walked out of the front exit of the hospital. Yul shivered despite the warmth, and put his hands in his pockets, watching where he was going, but not really seeing anything.