"Minki," Althea cooed, collecting her son in her arms, "We need to get cleaned up before your Uncle comes over, okay?"
"Why is Uncle Brylle coming over?" Minki asked, squirming in his mother's embrace.
"Because it's a very special day," she tried to say brightly as she put Minki down on the floor of the bathroom.
"Mommy," he asked softly, "Are you ok?"
"Of course," she smiled, handing her son his toothbrush, "Now quickly clean up."
"Okay Mommy!" 
Althea quickly walked to where her son couldn't see her and slid down the wall, her hand covering her heart. "It hurts," she whispered. She sat there for a while, listening to her son brush her teeth and trying to lessen the pain in her chest. Just as she stood up, Minki walked out of the bathroom.
"I'm done!"
"Did you brush all your teeth?" Althea asked, using her 'mom' voice. Minki nodded furiously. "Are you sure?"
"Yes~"
"Okay," she smiled, "Now let's get you all dressed up!"
~*~
"Brylle," Sehun said as the older male sat across from him in the booth in the old cafe, "Thanks for coming."
"No problem. You ok?"
"Yeah...More or less...So, how are they?"
"Minki is having a lot of play dates with this girl from his class. Althea keeps calling her 'his little girlfriend'," Brylle handed his phone to Sehun, showing him a picture of Minki and this other little girl.
"He looks like his mother," Sehun whispered.
"But he has your eyes," Brylle sighed. Sehun continued gazing at the picture as Brylle sat there in silence.
"It's hard on her," Brylle admitted, "Every time she looks at Minki, she sees your eyes. She may not admit it, but she still loves you. A lot."
They sat in silence, for another long while, before Brylle said, "You know what day it is, right?"
"Of course I do," Sehun sighed, "You think I don't realize? It's been a year since the worst day of my life. I was young. I made a stupid mistake. And I've regretted it every day since."
"Have you told her?"
"She doesn't believe me. And she's right not to. Could you...you know...talk to her for me? I mean, you're her brother and all and she trusts you. God, I'm an idiot."
"I can't try. But, Sehun, you know I can't promise anything, right?"
"I know...It...It just means a lot that you're trying. I'm really grateful."
~*~
"Althea! Minki!" Brylle called after using his key to the house, "I'm here!"
"Uncle Brylle!" Minki squealed running and hugging his uncle's legs.
"Hey little man," Brylle smiled, picking him up, "Where's your Momma?"
"In the kitchen."
"Althea!" Brylle scolded, "I told you not to cook. I have food."
"I was just finishing the dishes, geeze," Althea pouted, drying her hands. 
"Minki," Brylle smiled, putting his nephew on the ground, "Your Mom told me you got a really cool new truck. Why don't you go and find it for me?"
"Okay!" Minki chirped, sprinting out of the room.
"Althea, are you ok? You know today is..."
"I know..." she sighed, "I'm fine. Don't worry, okay?"
"You look tired though..." he frowned.
"I'm a single mother of a hyper six year old," she tried to joke, "How else am I supposed to look?"
"But still...Althea, how's your hea-" Brylle was cut off by his nephew rushing up to him with a toy fire truck in hand.
"Uncle Brylle! Look how cool this is!" He the siren of his toy and ran around holding it over his head.
"How about you go play with your Mom while I take out the food, okay little man?"
Minki grabbed his mother's hand and pulled her along after him into the living room where he started playing on the coffee table as Althea watched him with a content smile on her face. It really eased her soul that her divorce with Sehun hadn't affected her son, the light of her life. The divorce. Today was the one year anniversary, and thankfully Minki didn't seem to have noticed. 
"Minki," she called, "Come here. Give Mommy a hug." Minki quickly complied, climbing onto his mother's lap and hugging her tightly. "You know Mommy loves you, right?"
"I love Mommy too," Minki giggled. Althea began leaning heavily against her son and he started to complain, "Mommy. Mommy, you're heavy." He gave her a little push and she fell back onto the pillows of the couch. "Mommy?" he asked softly, "Are you sleeping? Mommy, you can't sleep now. Uncle Brylle is making lunch." When she didn't move, Minki climbed up and pressed his small hands against his mother's cheeks, urging her to wake up. "Mommy?" he asked quietly, "Mommy?!"
Quickly jumping off the couch, Minki ran into the kitchen and straight into his uncle's legs. "Woah little man, where the fire?"
"It's Mommy!" he cried, "I think I hugged her too hard and now she's not waking up! Uncle Brylle, what did I do?"
"Okay," he said hurriedly, "You stay here. I'm going to go check on your Mom."
Brylle crossed the room in five long strides and quickly grabbed his sister's face. "Althea!" he said in a harsh whisper so as to not worry Minki, "Althea, for the love of God, wake up! You can't just leave like this!" He checked her pulse. There was nothing. "Althea," he sobbed, "Please, Althea, don't do this."
"Uncle Brylle?" Minki asked softly, poking his head out of the kitchen, "Is...Is Mommy ok?"
Panic streaked through Brylle's mind. Minki was only six. He wouldn't be able to understand, and even if he could, he's already been through so much. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he wiped his eyes and smiled at his nephew, "Your Mom is just really tired. Let's...let's go out. Let her sleep. Quickly go get your shoes and coat on. Go."
~*~
"It was her heart," Brylle had told Sehun, those words echoing in his head. Her heart. Her heart. She always had a weak heart. But, when they were together, they handled it. He sobbed, unashamed, when Brylle told him. He had lost the love of his life again, but this time there was no hope in ever getting her back.
What was he to do next? He couldn't function with the thought of never being able to see Althea again. Never being able to hold her. To kiss her. Never being able to apologize. Knowing that she died, thinking he was a dirt bag, it was killing him. How was he supposed to live?
That question, fortunately, was answered for him the next week when Brylle appeared at his front door, holding boxes and a rolling suitcase by his side.
"Brylle? Why...why are you here? What's with all the boxes?"
"Sehun," Brylle sighed, walking in and setting down the boxes, and from beside his leg a little head popped out, "You're the legal guardian."
"M-Minki?" Sehun asked quietly, "Minki...do you remember who I am?"
"D-Daddy?" Minki whispered.
Sehun's heart eased as his son recognized him, "Hi Minki."
"Uncle Brylle?" Minki asked, his small voice wavering, "Why are we here? Where's Mommy?"
"Your Mom went away for a little, so you're going to stay with your Dad for a little."
"Why can't I stay with you?"
"I have to go to work," Brylle explained, bending down to his height, "But I'll be back later, so don't worry ok? You have to be a big boy, little man."
"Okay," Minki nodded as Brylle ruffled his hair and left.
"Are you hungry?" Sehun asked after a second, "Thirsty?" Minki shook his head. "Wanna...Wanna watch TV then?" Minki nodded and Sehun lead his son to the television, helping him onto the couch. "What do you wanna watch? Do you still like Tom and Jerry?" Minki nodded, sitting awkwardly on the unfamiliar couch.
"Minki," Sehun sighed after a little while, shifting in his uncomfortable suit. He wasn't able to change after work and was still in his suit, with his hair gelled up and his contacts in. "I'm going to quickly shower. Will you be ok?" Minki nodded and Sehun quickly left, checking over his shoulder one last time before stepping into the shower. 
After quickly showering, he walked back out in casual clothes, with his hair wet and glasses on, just like how he looked before he and Althea got divorced. He looked like the Dad that Minki remembered.
"Is everything good, Minki?" Sehun asked, sitting back down in front of the television.
"Yeah," Minki nodded. While Sehun was away, Minki had made himself a little more comfortable on the couch while watching his cartoons.
"Daddy," Minki called after a while, "I'm hungry." 
Sehun stomach growled loudly and Minki giggled. "Hmm," Sehun tapped his chin, before leaning in close to Minki as if he was telling his son a secret, "How about we order chicken for dinner tonight?"
"Can we really Daddy?" Minki cheered, jumping off the couch.
Sehun's heart jumped when Minki called him Daddy. He felt, right then, as if nothing had changed. It felt as if it was one of those nights where Althea was working late and Sehun and Minki would order out dinner and try to hide it from her.
Sehun was about to dial the restaurant when Minki asked, "Daddy, are we getting chicken because Mommy is at work again tonight?"
Sehun froze, his thumb hovering above the 'Call' button. He swallowed the lump in his throat before mumbling, "Yeah, yeah, something like that."
~*~
"Time for bed," Sehun announced and, to his surprise, Minki complied almost immediately, getting off the couch and switching off the TV. Sehun lead Minki to his guest room, which he had fixed up for Minki. Tucking his son into the covers, Sehun turned off the lights and bid him goodnight, before Minki called out.
"Can...can you stay?" Minki mumbled.
"Of course," Sehun smiled, "It must be difficult because it's a different bed tonight, right Minki?" Minki nodded a little as Sehun crawled into bed, wrapping his son in a warm hug. 
"Daddy," Minki said softly after Sehun thought he had fallen asleep, "Mommy's never coming back...is she?"
Sehun froze beside his son. "Why...why would you ask something like that Minki?"
"When...when Mommy thought I couldn't see, she always looked like she was hurt. Is...Is Mommy with Jjanggu?"
Jjanggu was their puppy that had passed away a couple years ago. Explaining to Minki that Jjanggu was gone and in a happier place was hardest thing that Sehun has had to do, next to telling him that Althea and he were getting a divorce.
"Yeah," Sehun choked out, "Yeah, Mommy's with Jjanggu."
"Daddy," Minki sniffed, his small hands grabbing onto Sehun's shirt tightly, "I'm going to miss Mommy."
"Me too, Minki," Sehun whispered, his voice cracking, "Me too."

~*~

Hi~ So this took forever, because I've never really written angst-y fics before, so a sincerely apologize for this. I don't know if this was what you were looking for, but I hope you enjoyed it... daybreak-sshi, I'm so so so so so sorry this took so insanely long (so I'm just going to add a lot of Sehun pictures at the end in hope of making up for it)...but i honestly hope you enjoy it!! Everyone, have a wonderful day~~