“Eomma! Stop! AHHH!” Changjin ran around the living room screaming as he tried to run away from his mother. Changmin only sat on the floor smiling at the two. They have tried out finger painting that afternoon. Changjin mischievously wiped paint on his mother’s cheek and Yejin was running after him to get even.

 

“Appa help me!” Changjin hid behind Changmin giggling.

 

“Stop!” Changmin held up his right hand and the two quickly focused on him.

 

“Let’s try something. Changjin come over here.” Changmin said as he pulled Changjin’s hand. Yejin scooted in closer. Changmin dipped his hand in the paint and let the excess drop and proceeded to hold Changjin’s hands making sure that the latter’s hand were covered with paint.

 

“Jagi, do the same.” Changmin said to Yejin as they went over to a window.

 

“Just hold mine as well.” Yejin replied as he took hold of Changmin’s hands. He smiled and squeezed hers lightly.

 

“What now appa?” Changjin asked as he looked at his hands.

 

“Place your handprint over there.” Changmin said as he pointed at a pane on the window.

 

“Here?” Changjin placed his hand on one of the window panes.

 

“Don’t move your hand, keep them steady.” Changmin instructed the little boy.

 

“Gently pull them away.” Changmin spoke as Changjin lifted his hands.

 

“Wow!” Changjin stared in awe.

 

“Do yours too.” Changjin said to his parents. One by one they had their handprints on the window pane.

 

“Appa’s hands are big.” Changjin said as he ghosted his over Changmin’s handprints.

 

“Eomma’s are so pretty.” Changjin said as he looked at his mother’s handprints.

 

Unknown to the family, Jaejoong had let himself in the house and were taking endless shots. Never in his life had he been so sure of what “a picture paints a thousand words.” He smiled even though he knew what was to come; still he prayed hard that it would never come.

 

“Hyung! You should’ve said something.” Changmin said as he finally took notice of Jaejoong.

 

“Jae samchon!” Changjin said excitedly as he saw Jaejoong as well.

 

“Stop right there big boy!” Jaejoong said as he held out his hands motioning for the little boy to stop running towards him.

 

“I know how much you missed me but you still have paint in your hands. Why don’t you go with your Eomma and wash up. I brought strawberry cake.”

 

“Eomma quick!” Changjin went to his mother and held his hand. They rushed towards the sink while Changjin repeatedly sang the words ‘strawberry cake’ merrily.

 

“They’re beautiful, very lovely.” Jaejoong said as he got closer to the window pane and started taking photos.

 

“I’ve always wanted to do that… even before I met Yejin. I’ve always said to myself that I will have my child’s handprint on the window panes of our house.”

 

“What brought you here?” Changmin asked as he tried to clean up.

 

“Nothing just visiting, I can post up this up right?” Jaejoong said as he showed a photo to Changmin, it was the three of them, Changjin’s hands ghosting over Changmin’s handprints as the two of them looked at their child.

 

“Sure… I could have copies of these pictures right?” Changmin asked.

 

“21^st century… yep… as many as you want.” Jaejoong assured him.

 

“Appa! Go wash your hands! Let’s eat the strawberry cake Jae samchon brought!” Changjin called out to the two men.

 

“He’s a handful isn’t he?” Jaejoong whispered to Changmin as he looked at Chanjin and smiled.

 

“You don’t even know the half of it.”

 

“How is she doing? Any progress?” Jaejoong asked as Changmin moved his head no.

 

“She’ll get better. She’s a strong woman. She brought Changjin into this world alone.”

 

“I hope so too hyung.”

 

“Having a family is hard right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“But you’re enjoying it…”

 

“Hard, yes, but I’m loving it with all my heart.”

 

“Yunho said we should all go on a vacation soon. He’s thinking about Saipan.” Jaejoong said as he took a sip of his coffee.

 

“Sounds great!” Yejin answered as she overheard Jaejoong and Changmin talking.

 

“What’s Saipan appa?”

 

“It’s a place. I’m sure you’re going to love it there.”

 

~

 

“WOAH! This is better than the picture.” Changjin exclaimed as he took a handful of beach sand and let it flow through his fingers.

 

“WAH! It’s nice to be back here.” Junsu said as he stretched his arms.

 

“It’s great to be back.” Yoochun said as he patted Junsu’s shoulder.

 

The members along with Yejin and Changjin have decided to take a week’s worth of vacation to Saipan.

 

Yejin was at the beach drinking coconut juice as Changmin and Changjin played around in the sand. They were currently building a sand castle.

 

“Eomma! Look!” Chanjin came up to his mother holding a conch shell.

 

“Where did you get this honey?” Yejin asked she took the shell in her hands.

 

“Appa gave it to me.”

 

“They say… if you put this near your ear…” Yejin said while putting the shell near Chanjin’s ear.

 

“You would hear the ocean even if you’re far from it.”

 

“Wow! This sounds really nice eomma!” Changjin exclaimed as he continued listening to the sound from the shell.

 

“It’s amazing right?” The two of them turned to look at Changmin who was walking towards them.

 

“It’s amazing appa. Can I have it?”

 

“Of course you can champ, it’s all yours.” Changmin answered the little boy.

 

“It’s finished now. We just have to wait a little longer for the skies to get dark so we could light the candles.” Changmin sat beside Yejin.

 

“Are you feeling okay jagi?” Changmin asked Yejin worriedly. She looked pale.

 

“I’m fine.” She answered in a hushed tone.

 

“We should go to vacations more often…” Yejin said as they watched Changjin play around the beach.

 

“We should… so you better be healthy…” Changmin said as he kissed Yejin’s cheek, the latter sighing in content.

 

“Appa! Wake up! Let’s light up the castle now.” Changjin woke his father who had fallen asleep waiting. Changmin rubbed his eyes and looked at Yejin who smiled in return.

 

“WOAH! I slept?” Changmin asked Yejin.

 

“Yes. Light up the candles jagi. We still have to eat dinner with the other members.” Yejin said as he gave Changmin a light push towards the sand castle. One by one he lit the candles. Yejin was already taking pictures.

 

“It’s beautiful.” Yejin whispered to Changmin as he stood behind her locking her in a hug as they watched the flames dancing from the candles illuminating the sand castle.

 

“Not as beautiful as the person in front of me.” Changmin said as he hugged Yejin tighter.

 

“Take care of Changjin… take him to beautiful places like this.” Yejin said as he looked at the little boy looking amused at the sand castle. Tears were b around her eyes.

 

“Make sure he gets what he needs… but don’t spoil him.” She added as drops of tears kissed her cheeks.

 

“Love him… don’t make him feel lonely.” No longer able to keep herself together she turned to face Changmin and hugged him burying her face into his chest.

 

“Don’t cry love…” His words only made her sob harder.

 

“I will always take care of Changjin. We’ll go to beautiful places like this… He will get what he needs but I can’t promise that I won’t spoil him… I’ll take him to his practices and games he said he loves soccer…” Changmin said as he continued trying to calm down Yejin. He cupped his cheeks and made her look into his eyes.

 

“I will love him and I will never ever make him feel lonely…” Yejin nodded as she wiped her tears away. Changmin hugged her close again.

 

“So... please, please… live… I will take care of you. I will take the two of you to far more beautiful places than this… I will give you everything… We’ll watch Changjin play soccer together… watch him go to school, graduate, get married and have a family… We’ll grow old together… I will love you and I will never let you feel alone and lonely again…”

 

“Changmin…”

 

“You… you have to live because I wouldn’t know what to do anymore…” This time it was Changmin who had tears in his eyes.

 

“I just told you silly… And you have to perform on stage… a lot of people are waiting for you… and they see you as their inspiration to live… one of them is me… Don’t cry you big baby…” Yejin chuckled as she hugged Changmin close.

 

“Eomma! Appa! I’m hungry…” Changjin yelled from afar.

 

“Come here champ… We’ll eat dinner with your samchons.” Changmin called out to their son. They broke their hug so Changmin could carry Changjin.

 

“Ow. Why are your eyes puffy?” Changjin said as he looked at his father’s face.

 

“Eomma too. Did you cry?”

 

“No honey… the sand just got into appa’s eyes.”

 

“Oh. You sure you guys did not cry? That would make me sad.”

 

“No honey. We’re fine. Let’s go back and eat?”

 

“YES!” 

 

 

 

 

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Chapter 35! Thank you so much for waiting.The next chapter will be the final chapter of this story.:) I'm very grateful to those who have read this story so far. It means a lot to me. Thank you. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry for the delays. School just ended. I was part of a theater production so I did not have time to rwritw- Anyways, thank you for patiently waitiing. I promise to finish this story before school starts again. ~aktf 

 

P.S. Who here are from the Philippines? JYJ is coming to Boracay on the last week of November for the promotion of the Incheon Asian Games. :))