Bound
My Finest Hour
After he finished his last lap, Nichkhun started his cool down and stretched. He was waiting for the elevator when his phone started ringing, his caller ID displayed that it was his brother on the other line. He immediately accepted the call and slapped the phone to his ears.
“Hyung! What happened? I was calling you all day yesterday. Where are you?” he frantically asks as the elevator doors opened, he hopped on and pushed for his floor. He listened intently to his brother’s reply, in a while a worried frown appeared in his face.
Victoria has just finished giving Nicholas his milk; she praised him and then strapped him to his bouncer on top of the kitchen table and then started breakfast while talking to him. She heard the door open and close and a few moments later she heard Nichkhun’s footsteps approached. She turns around with a small smile on her face and greeted him good morning, the smile melted off when she noticed the worried look on his face.
“What is it?” she asks slightly alarmed.
Nichkhun stared at her for a moment before he turned to Nicholas who was cooing in his bouncer for his attention. He looked at the baby and reached for its tiny foot and held it.
Victoria was watching him interact with Nicholas with sadness on his face. She poured two cups of coffee and approached. She sets his cup down on the table and reached for his arm.
“Nichkhun is there something wrong?” she asks tentatively.
Nichkhun turns to her and nods his head, he motions for her to sit, he pulls out a chair for her and then pulled one for himself.
“I have to tell you something.” He sighs and takes the cup she was handing him. He needs to tell her too.
Victoria looked nervous; she takes a sip from her coffee cup and waited for him to start talking.
Nichkhun was staring at Nicholas with a sad look on his face, when the baby smiled at him he allowed a small smile to form in his lips, he turns to Victoria.
“Hyung, just called.” He started, “he told me he found Rachel, that’s Nicholas’s mom.” He informs her.
Victoria nods and urges him to continue.
“He found her in a hospital. She is sick.”
“Oh no,” Victoria gasps.
“It’s liver cancer, stage two. She gave up Nicholas because she could no longer take care of him, she was getting sick from the treatments and Hyung said that it doesn’t seem to be working for her.” He explains. “He wasn’t able to call back because he was busy talking to the doctors for possible treatment for her. He is going to transfer her here in Seoul; he is hoping the doctors here can treat her.” he looks at her, “I’m afraid they will not be able to take Nicholas for now. He wants her to get better, he can't leave her alone.” he turns back to his nephew who was now entertaining himself with a toy attached to his bouncer.
Victoria was silent, she was having a hard time taking it all in. She was horrified to find out about Nicholas’ mother and she was also sad for the baby. She reached for Nicholas and held his leg. She turns to Nichkhun.
“So what happens now? I can’t believe this is happening, I feel so bad, here I am thinking how irresponsible she was for abandoning her child not knowing that she was forced to do it. Oh I feel so awful!” she took the baby from his bouncer and held him close to her, “Oh my poor baby!” she choked and tears escaped her eyes, she buried her face in Nicholas’s hair and turned away from Nichkhun, suddenly embarrassed that she was crying.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Nichkhun said soothingly and turned her around, he pulled them both into his arms, “Hyung said that he already talked to doctors here in Seoul and they will look at her case and find a way to save her.” he said to her hair. He heard her sniffle and move away from him; he held her at arm’s length and then brushed stray hair away from her face. “Don’t worry, everything will turn out fine.” He assured her.
Victoria nods, “I hope so, for Nicholas’s sake I hope so.” She was gazing at Nicholas tenderly, she dropped a kiss on his cheek, the baby was staring at her.
“Stop crying, he will get upset, he can probably sense that you are upset.” Nichkhun said quietly.
Victoria nods and hugs Nicholas to her; the baby clung to her and buried his tiny face in her neck. She starts to pat his back slowly.
“I told Hyung that mom is here, he was going to call her after talking to me.” Nichkhun sighs and collapses back on the chair. He was not anticipating this kind of tragedy to happen again, when his father had that heart scare it was hard on the whole family, that was why he agreed to step up and take over the responsibilities as the CEO of their company.
He looks up and watched Victoria talk to Nicholas in soothing tones, he winced, he was dragging her deeper into their family troubles. He was alarmed when she suddenly burst into tears earlier, he just found out how soft hearted she was, she genuinely cares for Nicholas, he is grateful that he met her that day. Nicholas is going to need her all the more.
He felt bad for his brother and Rachel; all the while he thought that things are going to be alright as soon as Nichan finds her, now everything is unsure. He wants to be optimistic but he knows it could go both ways. He stared at his nephew who was now contentedly smiling back at Victoria;
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