Onew went into the apartment with a bunch of mail in his hands.  Yoona asked her cousin if he could get the mail for her, and being the nice cousin he was, he accepted  without hesitation.  He knocked on the wooden door and Yoona answered it.  She had the phone crunched up between her shoulder and her ear.  Her hands were busy putting away all of Yoogeun's toys away.  Onew stepped inside and saw that Yoona was in the middle of folding laundry.  She was on her day off, but it seemed as if she didn't get time to relax.  She was cleaning the whole apartment while Yoogeun took his nap.  

"Noona, you look so busy," Onew stated.

Yoona held a finger up to him indicating him to wait until she finished with the phone call.  She then covered the phone and spoke to Onew quietly.

"My stepmother is talking to me.  I have no idea on how she got my number," Yoona's eyes widened.

"I didn't know you had a stepmother," Onew added.

"I didn't know either.  My dad got married to Hyori, my English teacher back in my university days.  They got married two years ago," Yoona informed him.

Onew nodded as Yoona continued to talk to her stepmother on the phone.  Onew walked to Yoogeun's room and found his nephew laying on the bed with his eyes closed.  Onew sat on the side of the bed and caressed his forehead.  He chuckled at his nephew as he leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  Yoogeun quietly giggled.

"Yah, Yoogeun!" Onew whispered, "Your umma is not here. You can 'wake up' now!  I know that you're just pretending to sleep.  Don't worry; when your mom comes here, I'll tell her that you just woke up from your nap."

Yoogeun's eyes opened instantly and hugged his uncle.  He jumped on the bed and Yoona seemed to hear it.  Yoona appeared in the child-themed room.  Yoogeun's bed was in the shape of a race car.  His toys were piled up in a big toy chest and all of his clothes were organized in his closet.  It was every little boy's dream bedroom.  

Yoogeun saw his mother put her hands on her waist as she studied the two.  Yoogeun covered his eyes and hid behind Onew's back.  Yoona approached him slowly and Onew immediately understood why Yoogeun was frightened of his mother.  Yoona had grown strict over her son and how she raised him.  She wanted him to grow up enjoying and appreciating his things, but at the same time, have fear over his mother.  Yoogeun knew that Yoona was strict, but he did know that Yoona loved him.

"Umma, I just woke up," Yoogeun laughed.

"Hm, is that so?" Yoona looked at him sternly.

"No..." Yoogeun muttered.

Onew laughed and threw his hands up in the air in defeat.  He couldn't stand his nephew getting into trouble for something that he started.  Onew stood up and gave a grin.

"I woke him up," Onew admitted.

Yoona smiled, "Yeah, I thought so.  Yoogeun, go watch television in my room.  I put on your favorite show."

"Okay, umma," he obliged as he ran to her bedroom.

She watched her son run out of the room and began to reminisce about how fast he was growing.  She frowned at the thought of him growing so fast. He was almost three and soon, he was going to be wondering where his father was.  Her excuse that he went to the military wouldn't be enough.  Sooner or later, she would have to confess that she ran away from everybody because she was pregnant.  Yoona sat next to Onew and stretched her hands up to the ceiling.  She was tired from cleaning the house.  She cleaned Yoogeun's room, her bedroom, the two bathrooms, the kitchen, and the living room.  She needed to finish two more loads of laundry and then she would have the rest of the day to relax.  She was still waiting for the wet clothes to dry in the dryer so she had time for a break.

"Noona, you look so tired," Onew told her.

Yoona nodded, "Yeah, I think that's what I get for being a single mother.  It may be tiring, but it's really rewarding at the end of the day."

"I don't know how you do it," Onew said in awe.

Yoona had her hair in a messy bun and she had eye bags from working overtime.  She was wearing a baggy shirt and a pair of blue sweats.  It was so weird to see a fashion designer in casual clothing.

"Yeah, sometimes I don't know where I get the courage to go through with this," Yoona confessed.

Onew put his hands on his lap and admired his older cousin.  He loved how strong she was.  He did wish that he could meet Yoona's ex lover and know why they broke up in the first place.  Onew cleared his throat.

"Uh, why did your stepmother call?" Onew asked.

"She was asking me to return," Yoona announced as Onew's eyes lit up, "She asked me to return permanently  because my father is sick."

"Your father is sick?  Isn't he like really healthy?  I remember meeting him as a teenager.  He was obsessed with eating healthy foods and working out!" Onew gasped.

"I know!" Yoona agreed, "I don't know why he had a decline in health.  He was always healthy."

"Are you going to go back and accept her request?" Onew asked.

"Yeah, she kind of gave me a guilt trip, so I agreed.  I can't believe I'm going back to Seoul," Yoona swallowed.

Onew began to wonder why she was so scared to return.  She bit her lip nervously and he observed her behavior.  She seemed so fidgety  because her fingers were shaking.  She was taking deep breaths and she couldn't keep her focus on one subject.

"Noona!" Onew snapped her out of her thoughts, "Please keep focused!"

"Oh, yeah," Yoona muttered, "You better tell the rest of the boys the good news.  We're moving to Seoul.  I guess we might as well take the offer as long as we're there."

_______________________________________________

The boys had been treating Yoona as if she was a goddess once she announced that she was going to accept the offer in Seoul.  They already treated her like she was a queen, but now that she approved of the deal, they treated her with even more respect and love.  Their plane had just landed.  Yoona was holding Yoogeun's hand as her five business partners carried all of her luggage alongside Yoogeun's.

Taemin grunted, "How can one little baby boy have so much clothes?!"

Taemin was in charge of carrying Yoogeun's clothes.  Taemin broke a sweat because Yoogeun's clothes were contained in three big luggages.  Jonghyun, Minho, Onew, and Key carried all of Yoona's six luggages.  They were all sweating and were relieved to put down the heavy luggages.  Yoona had her sunglasses on with much anticipation plastered on her face.  Yoogeun, on the other hand, was excited to meet his grandfather and new grandmother.  Yoona sat on the chair and waited for Hyori to show up.  Hyori told her that she would be the one to pick them up.  Yoona looked at her phone and looked through her Facebook.  She looked at old pictures from her college days with her eight friends.  They were the first ones she thought of.  They were the ones that were on her side throughout her life and she felt guilty that she had run away with no notice.  Her hand was shaking as she typed out a message on her phone.  She put the eight girls as the recipients of the message.  She closed her eyes as she pressed send.

Hey girls.  This is Yoong.  Sorry I changed my number a while back and sorry that I didn't tell you my new number, but I saved your numbers on my new phone in case I needed to contact you girls again.  I'm came back to Seoul today.  I would like to meet you guys tonight at the bistro down Main Street.  I have important things to tell you girls.  Please make it.

Love,

Yoona

Within fifteen minutes, all eight of them replied eagerly with approval of her proposal to see them.  Her heart was beating at the thought of seeing her old friends again.  She cleared as she saw a petite woman running towards them.  Yoona stood up as tears began to swell up.  She finally saw a familiar face.

"Yoona ah!" Hyori yelled as she gave Yoona a quick hug.

Yoona was surprised to see how beautiful she was.  The five guys looked even more surprised to see that Yoona's stepmother was one hot woman.  Yoogeun studied his new grandmother.  Her saw her mother hugging a tan woman.  Her tan skin contrasted his mother's milky skin, but Yoogeun still considered her to be beautiful.  

"Stepmother, these are my cousins, Onew and Minho.  Key, Jonghyun, and Taemin are my business associates and my friends," Yoona introduced them.

Hyori shook their hands politely.

Hyori looked back at Yoona, "I forgot to tell you.  Your father and I adopted a girl last year.  She's at camp right now, but she'll be back soon to meet you."

Yoona felt a pair of small hands wrapped around her upper thigh.  She saw Yoogeun shyly hiding behind her.  She laughed and Hyori crouched down on her knees to level out her height with the young child.  She gave him a friendly smile and Yoogeun continued to hide behind his mother.  

"Hi, my name is Im Hyori.  I'm your grandmother," she introduced herself.

"My...my name is Im Yoogeun.  I'm almost three," he boasted.

Yoona nodded signaling that he was her son.  Hyori was in shock but decided to hide it.  She wanted him to feel welcomed.  She didn't even know that Yoona was pregnant in the first place.

"Oh my!  You're a big boy now!" Hyori exclaimed as she held his hands.

_________________________________

Yoona entered the mansion as a flood of memories returned to her.  She remembered the time her father built a treehouse with his own two bare hands because Yoona was jealous that the neighbor's father made one for her neighbor.  She remembered the times she would play hide and seek with her father around the house.  She remembered the late movie nights she had with her father.  They watched nothing but chick flicks, but he didn't mind because it made her happy.

Key, Minho, Onew, Jonghyun, and Taemin were getting settled in their bedrooms as a few butlers were setting Yoogeun and Yoona's luggages in Yoona's old bedroom.  Yoona went straight into her father's room.  She saw her father laying on the bed as he coughed roughly.  Yoona entered the room slowly while Daniel rubbed his eyes to check if his eyes were playing tricks on him.  He never thought he was going to see his daughter again.  He wrapped his arms around her as tears streamed down his face.  He thought that she abandoned him forever.

"I'm sorry, daddy," Yoona teared, "I know that I have no right to come back.  I brought you nothing but shame."

"Don't speak like that.  You brought me nothing but proud and joy.  I wouldn't care about a single word anyone said about you.  I'm just glad to see you here again.  I knew you would come back for me!"

"I have something to tell you," Yoona announced.

Her father look weak.  Shallow wrinkles engulfed his forehead and he didn't look as young as he did before.  He had eye bags now and it was just a drastic change.  He still did look young for his age, but he looked older from the last time she saw him.  She knew that his stress was caused because of her.  She felt ashamed and guilty.

"I have a son.  I had him out of wedlock," Yoona cried, "I'm not ashamed of him, but I just wanted to let you know that I let you down."

"I have a grandson?" he asked.

"Yes," Yoona confirmed, "I'm sorry for bringing you pain."

Yoogeun walked into the room.  Daniel sat up and his eyes lit up to see the young boy walk in shyly.  He stretched his arms out towards Yooguen as Yoogeun stared at the man in front of him.

"Yoogeun, hug your grandfather!" Yoona ordered him.

Yoogeun was surprised to find out that he was his grandfather.  He imagined his grandfather to be old and wrinkly, but he was so young and youthful.  He ran towards his grandfather and hugged him tightly.

"His name is Yoogeun.  He's turning three next month," Yoona informed him, "He's a healthy boy, but he has asthma."

Daniel's eyes began to water, "He's perfect."

___________________________________________

Yoona applied the lipstick on her thin lips neatly as she stared at herself in the mirror.  She was nervous at the thought of meeting up with her old friends.  She was scared that they wouldn't accept her.  She put the upper half of her hair up.  She saw Yoogeun run into the room excitedly.  He was already dressed, and he ran so fast that he bumped into the wall.

"Yoogeun ah!  Why can't you stop running around?!  You know that you have asthma!  What if you get an asthma attack?!" Yoona snapped at him.

He stared at his angered mother as tears began to form against the rim of his eyes.  Yoona began to feel guilty as he tried to stop the tears that were about to fall.  For those few seconds, she forgot that he was a sensitive child.  Yoona took him into her arms and hugged him.  He started to cry on her chest as she rubbed his back.  He wasn't used to her yelling at him.  She was just so frustrated with the sudden changes.  

"I'm so sorry for shouting at you, baby," she soothed him, "It's just that you shouldn't be running around when you have asthma.  You know that it's dangerous for you to get your lungs all worked up.  I really don't know what I would do if anything happened to you.  I want my baby to be safe.  Other than your grandfather, grandmother, and your uncles, I don't have anyone but you.  You're the most important person in my life.  Just please listen to umma, okay?"

Yoogeun nodded as he hugged Yoona tight.

"Now give your umma a kiss so that we can put this behind us!" Yoona smiled.

Yoogeun nodded again and kissed Yoona on the lips quickly.  They both smiled at each other.  Once the two got ready, Yoona got the car ready.  Daniel had given her one of his numerous cars as a homecoming gift.  He gave her a blue BMW sedan.  Yoona put a car seat on the backseat and set Yoogeun on it.  She buckled him in and sat on the driver's seat.  They drove to the bistro she picked out.  She took Yoogeun out of the car seat and walked in the bistro.

She looked around the high class restaurant while she held Yoogeun's hand.  The restaurant was filled with many socialites.  The carpet was red and a bunch of snooty waiters were walking around making sure that the customers were comfortable.  She heard wine glasses lightly clanking together in toasts. She scanned the room for her friends.

"Umma, what are we doing here?" Yoogeun asked.

"You're going to meet your aunties.  They're very beautiful," Yoona grinned at him.

Yoogeun nodded.  A waiter approached the two with his eyebrows raised high.

"Miss, can I help you?" he asked.

"Yes, I was wondering where my friends are," Yoona said.

He asked, "What are your friends' names?"

"Well, there's Hwang Tiffany, Kim Taeyeon, Kim Hyoyeon, Lee Sunny, Kwon Yuri..." Yoona continued.

"Oh, I know who you're talking about," he answered, "Follow me, miss." 

Yoona followed the waiter and found her old friends encircled around a big table.  Yoona's eyes were locked on the eight beautiful ladies.  They had grown mature.  They gave up their sweet image in exchange for a more ier image.  Yoona gulped and bowed to them.  They paused their conversation and saw her bowing deeply to them.  

Taeyeon had cut her hair short.  Jessica's hair was blonde.  Sunny was finally wearing makeup.  Hyoyeon dyed her hair from blonde to brown.  Tiffany's mushroom hair was replaced with long silky hair.  Yuri had highlights.  Seohyun's hair was double in length.  Sooyoung had a pixie haircut.  Yoona noticed that they all looked even more beautiful.

"I'm sorry for leaving you ladies so unexpectedly.  I'm truly sorry," Yoona bowed even deeper.

They saw the woman that left them a few years ago.  They saw that she was at the brink of breaking into tears in a high class restaurant.  Taeyeon felt pity for her and immediately knew why she left unexpectedly.  She knew that it had to deal with Jiyong and Seunghyun.  It was understandable why she left.  Taeyeon stood up from her chair as the rest of the girls just continued to stare at their old friend.  Taeyeon's hands were shaky as she hugged Yoona.  She missed her so much.

"I-I can't believe you're here now," Taeyeon stuttered.

"Me too," Yoona muttered.

The other girls continued to stare at her.  She looked so beautiful.  Yoona's hair was brown and her face looked glowing.  She looked as sweet and innocent as she did when she was in college.  Taeyeon led her to the empty seat.  Yoona saw a waiter passing by and stopped him by calling him out.

"Sir, can I get a booster seat?" Yoona asked.

The rest of the girls looked down from their high seats and saw a cute little boy holding Yoona's hand.  Their eyes grew large as they observed the young child.  He was tiny and he was just adorable.  He was holding his mother's hand tightly.  Yoona lifted him up as the waiter brought the booster seat to her.  Yoona seated him on the booster seat as he studied his surroundings.  He was quiet.

"Girls, this is Yoogeun.  He's my son," Yoona introduced him to her friends.

"He's your son?!" they all cried out in surprise.

"Yeah.  He's almost three," Yoona stated, "He's having his birthday next month."

The eight girls crowded Yoogeun and took turns holding him.  Knowing that he didn't like being held for too long, Yoona set him down and smiled proudly.

"Sorry, he doesn't like being held for too long.  He likes running a lot.  He also likes being on his feet.  I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes an athelete," Yoona grinned.

Yuri clapped her hands together as she talked to Yoogeun, "Dear, you should be track star when you grow up.  Your mommy was the fastest runner on the team!"  

Yoogeun grinned as the waiter came to take their orders.  As soon as dinner was finished, they all headed to Tiffany's house.  Tiffany was now engaged to Hyun Joong.  Yoona noticed after seeing the large engagement ring on Tiffany's finger.  She knew that she had to catch up with them.  Tiffany's house was composed of three bedrooms and two bathrooms.  She lived alone, so she didn't find it a necessity to buy a big house.  She was going to sell the house soon after she got married because Hyun Joong insisted on buying a mansion after their wedding.  The interior had a Mediterranean design.  Yoona sat on the couch and looked at her watch.  It was almost midnight.  Yoogeun was sleeping on her lap.  Her arm was securely wrapped around her baby's waist.

"He's so cute, but it's still hard to believe you're a mother," Sunny said.

"I know.  Sometimes I wonder why did God give me the gift of this child.  He's very special to me," Yoona smiled.

Most of the girls were still in awe to see that Yoona was in their presence.  Yuri and Jessica haven't said one word to Yoona because of their shock that she was actually there.  Yoona noticed it and made eye contact with them.  She ran her fingers through her son's sweat soaked hair.  She removed his jacket because she knew that he was getting hot.

"I know that I have no right to show up out of nowhere," Yoona confessed.

"No, we're not trying to make you feel unwelcomed," Tiffany butted in.

"I know you guys are just being nice.  I do feel that I shouldn't have returned.  I should have said goodbye properly," Yoona interjected.

"We were waiting for you for so long!  I was afraid that something bad happened to you!" Jessica burst out crying.

Yuri was leaning on her shoulder crying her eyes out.  Sooyoung patted their backs in comfort.  They understood that Jessica and Yuri were the closest ones to her.  They cried for weeks after Yoona left.  They waited for a phone call, e-mail, or a text from her, but they didn't receive any.  

"I'm sorry.  I'm selfish; I know," Yoona's voice became squeaky.

"Please explain to us everything.  I want to hear everything," Yuri requested.

Yoona closed her eyes as all the memories went back.

"One month before I left, I found out I was pregnant.  I was really scared and that was why I was overeating.  You guys thought I overate because I was using food as an excuse to get over Seunghyun.  I overate because I was scared that my baby wasn't getting enough nutrients.  I found out when I went to Jeju Island that I shouldn't have done that.  I was supposed to keep a balanced diet.  Well, when I left I was one month pregnant.  Seven months later, I had Yoogeun.  He was premature because he was in my womb for only eight months, but he was healthy enough," Yoona explained.

"You didn't explain why you left us.  We would have supported you!" Hyoyeon was getting teary.

"I'm sorry.  I know that you girls would have supported me, but I didn't want to burden you guys," Yoona apologized, "I left after Jiyong announced that he was going to leave.  I couldn't take the fact that the two men that I gave my heart to were leaving me.  I was just confused and young.  I left because I needed space."

Taeyeon understood her completely.  She knew how many obstacles Yoona had overcame as a single mother.  Taeyeon's mother was a single mother, so she understood Yoona more than the others.  She wrapped her arms around Yoona and hugged her tightly.

"I'm just glad that you came back to us.  We can be complete again," Taeyeon whispered, "I know how many hardships you went through raising your son.  I grew up without a father and I know how much my mother suffered.  Yoogeun is lucky to have a strong mother."

"Thank you, unnie," Yoona squeaked.

"I can't take these sad moments!" Seohyun confessed, "Let's just catch up!"

The nine girls broke into laughter for the first time in about three years.  Yoogeun was still fast asleep on his mother's lap.  Yoona rubbed his back softly as the conversation started.  Yoona felt at ease once again to finally make up with her sisters.  They may have not been her biological sisters, but they were the sisters that God had given her.

"You missed out on so much when you left!" Yuri cried out.

Sunny nodded, "Here's what you missed! I'll give you all the gossip.  You girls don't mind, do you?

The girls shook their head.

Sunny smiled, "Great!  Well so far as you know, Tiffany had gotten engaged to Hyun Joong.  Hyun Joong's parents didn't approve of them, but after sticking together for all these years, they gave in and let them get engaged.  Taeyeon is still going steady with Jaejoong.  We tease them about getting married, but the couple won't budge!  Jessica is now a musical star.  We should watch her show one day!  And she's still single.  We need to find her a good man.  Seohyun graduated with top honors and she's a writer.  She wrote two novels so far and both of them were bestsellers.  One of them is being recreated as a drama!  And guess what?  She and Seungri had been dating for nine months now!  Sooyoung got married to Daesung already.  They don't plan on having kids anytime soon, though.  Sooyoung wants to focus on her modeling career.  Yuri is now engaged to Taeyang, and she got pregnant.  Unfortunately, she had a miscarriage three months into her pregnancy.  Hyoyeon is a famous choreographer now!  Eunhyuk and she aren't married yet.  They're taking it slow--really slow.  I'm in the culinary field and I just graduated last year.  I own a restaurant with my jagiya, Sungmin."

Yoona was amazed at all of the facts that Sunny had given her.  She didn't know that Yuri had gotten pregnant. She gave a weak smile to Yuri and patted her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for the miscarriage," Yoona gave her condolences.

"It's fine.  I guess I wasn't ready to be a mother," Yuri gave a hopeful smile, "All that matters is that life is still blissful.  Taeyang oppa still insists on marrying me even if there is no baby."

"He's such a great man," Yoona agreed with Yuri.

"So...tell us about your life," Jessica quietly requested.

Yoona tried to think of some highlights to her life.  She wanted them to know the best moments that happened during her three year hiatus.

"Well, as you girls already know, I had Yoogeun.  After that, I tried to achieve my dream of getting involved in the fashion industry.  I actually received all kinds of offers after my first fashion show in Jeju Island.  They seemed to like it, so I feel as if I can really make it in the industry," Yoona smiled.

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, but all of us are dying of curiosity," Taeyeon bluntly stated, "Who is Yoogeun's father?  I don't think any of us knew that you were ually active in our college days."

And so Yoona told them.  They all were in surprise and it seemed so weird to know that Yoona had experienced .  Yoona made them promise to never speak of it.  No matter how complicated the situation was, she didn't want Yoogeun's father finding out.  They promised her and she expected for them to keep it.  Yuri seemed as if she was the most shocked one.  She bit her lip nervously.

"Yoona ah...aren't you wondering about...them?" Yuri was hesitant.

They crossed Yoona's mind a million times throughout her long absence.  She nervously swallowed and tried to make everything more comedic.  She hated it when things got too serious.  She looked down at her son.

"How are my two ex-flames?" Yoona asked halfheartedly.

______________________________________________________

A/N:  Ah, I'm so glad that I had time to write this!  My nephew was taking a nap, so I had time to write this quickly.  Please support and comment!  Thank you for your time! :D