“Hey!” Hebe shouted as she took a step forward, but turned back to look at Ella.

Ella had also seemingly taken a step forward, but stopped. Her eyes were now filled with tears.

+++

“It’s hurts! Chun! Let go! You’re hurting me!” Selina screamed as she tried to drag herself back so he’d stop, but Chun kept on going and going until they were outside.

Chun threw her hand down harshly and grabbed Deshi out of her arms. Deshi yelped and gave a loud cry which didn’t stop.

“Chun! What is wrong with you?!” Selina bellowed.

Chun’s angry eyes landed on her. His vision was blurred by Ella. He couldn’t even see Selina clearly.

“I warned you to stay and wait,” Chun said through clenched teeth.

“But it was getting cold. What if Deshi catches a cold?” Selina asked.

“That’s my problem!” Chun screamed.

“Why are you so angry?” Selina questioned.

Chun glared at her once more and turned around. Selina watched as Chun tucked Deshi into his baby seat and drove away shortly after. Selina glanced down at her throbbing arm to find that it was all red and immediately she guessed she would be left with a bruise for the next morning.

+++

Chun drove back aggressively until he got back to the apartment. He looked down at the crying Deshi and hugged him tightly.

“I’m so sorry,” Chun apologized.

He thought he’d never see her again. He felt so hurt yet angry too. Had Ella touched Deshi? He didn’t think so. He’d have been crying when Chun arrived. Even with Ella’s touch Deshi never stopped crying. Selina was an amazing person to be able to control Deshi, but she lived with Ella. Ella and Selina…they must have known each other for a long time. Chun felt so frustrated and angry at the same time.

Without thinking he’d phone Jiro and began yelling at him for not picking Deshi up. It wasn’t until Jiro explained he’d gone back to look after his grandma did Chun feel sorry.

+++

Selina entered the apartment feeling hurt inside and outside. Chun had been so unfairly mean and she didn’t even know the real reason to why he was mad. Of course she’d felt sorry for bringing Deshi to her place when Chun had told her the first time they’d met that she should wait at the Day Care.

Opening the door Selina found Hebe in the kitchen preparing dinner.

“Where’s Ella?” Selina asked.

“She looked like she was going to pass out again so I made her go to bed,” Hebe told.

“Are you cooking? The food’s going to be edible right?” Selina questioned.

Hebe made a face. Selina would usually be laughing at her own jokes, but she found that she wasn’t able to that day. Something was itching at her and she wasn’t able to tell what it was. Selina turned around to the half opened door of Ella’s bedroom and walked toward it.

Ella was lying on her bed quietly her even breathing filling the room. Selina walked over to find Ella quietly crying.

“Ella what’s wrong?” Selina asked kneeling on the ground so she was head level with Ella.

Ella quickly wiped her tears.

“I didn’t hear you come in,” Ella told.

“Are you ok?” Selina questioned. “Did Calvin do something?”

Ella shook her head, “It’s nothing.”

“Oh Ella,” Selina said and pulled Ella into a hug.

It was then that Ella felt so bad she started her unstoppable sobbing. The child she’d left behind. She didn’t imagine Chun would be able to take care of their baby so well. Even now he would be coming back into her life to haunt her.

+++

Deshi was fussing more than usual that morning. It took a complete hour for Chun to be able to dress him and take him to the car. When he’d gotten to the Day Care he found that Selina had not yet arrived. In a hurry he left the crying Deshi to Genie and drove off. The whole day at work the seeing Ella again memory popped into his head distracting him. She seemed to be doing well he figured and it hurt him to see.

+++

Selina had slept in a little that morning, but was woken up by Hebe who’d prepared a simple breakfast. Toast and coffee. Selina had taken an hour to look for a long sleeve shirt that would be able to hide the dark bruise on her arm. Tying her hair up into a tight ponytail Selina left with Hebe. Ella had called in sick that morning to work and stayed in bed.

As Selina entered the Day Care she already recognized the wail that belonged to Deshi. Genie rushed over and handed him to her.

“Where were you?!” questioned Genie.

“Sorry,” Selina apologized taking the baby from her.

A thought of maybe Chun might be irritated to see her taking care of Deshi entered her mind.

“Hey wait…did Chun say anything about me taking care of Deshi?” Selina asked.

Genie shook her head no, “He didn’t say anything at all.”

It was unusually boring that day. Only when Selina heard Genie mumbling about Jiro not coming did Selina find herself anticipating the dinner with him. He seemed like such a bright, funny guy. Maybe he was her type.

When Chun arrived he and Selina did not share eye contact at all, but Deshi cried non stop as Chun tried to take him from her. Selina felt awkward as she sat again in Chun’s car that evening. His cold attitude toward her made her feel unwelcome into his apartment.

Chun shut the door after him and watched Selina’s graceful steps in the kitchen. Deshi sat in her arms quietly leaning against her comfortably. He still felt a little bit of anger surging through him, yet he wanted to hear Selina talk.

“No food,” Selina commented as she shut the empty freezer door.

Selina glanced Chun wondering if she should speak to him. Finally deciding to Selina stayed glued in the kitchen.

“There’s no food,” Selina told, “I’m going to go to the market.”

Selina stepped out of the kitchen and paused by Chun.

“Take Deshi,” Selina told.

Chun glanced at her for the first time and their eyes met shortly before Chun glanced at Deshi. He seemed so peaceful he didn’t want to ruin the silence.

“I’ll take you,” Chun offered.

Selina found herself walking through the aisles of the store with Chun pushing the cart beside her. They stopped by the vegetables section and Selina paused to look around.

“Be a good boy and sit in the cart for a while ok?” Selina said rubbing her face against his and sat him on the seat.

Without thinking Selina rolled up her sleeves revealing the dark bruise underneath. It was the first thing that caught Chun’s attention. He felt his heart sink and immediately sorry toward her. Selina had always been so good toward Deshi and yet he’d hurt her.

“That bruise…” Chun said.

Selina turned toward him then glanced at her arm. Selina quickly rolled down her sleeve.

“I bumped into something hard,” Selina lied.

Chun found that he wasn’t able to say anything more. He wasn’t able to tell if she was ignoring him or was trying to make him feel better, but he was positive that he’d given her that bruise.

They went back to the apartment. While Selina prepared dinner Deshi watched and Chun searched around in his room for an ointment. Finding it tucked way back in his drawer he quickly headed out.

“Selina can you come here?” he asked.

“Just wait. We can talk after eating,” Selina told.

Chun wondered if she thought he was going to yell at her again.

“Just for a bit come here first,” Chun told.

Selina put down the veggies she’d been working on and wiped her hands dry then walked toward Chun.

“What is it?” Selina asked.

Chun lightly pushed on her shoulders and Selina sat down. Chun reached for her arm and Selina pulled it back.

“What are you doing?” Selina asked feeling awkward.

Chun reached for her arm again and rolled up her sleeve, “I sprained my ankle when I was younger. My mother brought this ointment for me and rubbed it around my ankle. The bruise that had formed there disappeared a few days later.”

Selina watched as Chun lightly rubbed it on her bruise. As she winced Chun apologized.

“Sorry,” Chun apologized. “I’m not stupid if you try to lie to me. I know I gave you this bruise.”

Selina felt her hurt form into tears. She was sure then that their easy friendship hadn’t been broken yet. She had yet more time to spend with Deshi, but couldn’t help feeling more and more distant from Chun. It was obvious she hadn’t known him well enough in the first place, yet she thought they had a connection. It was after he’d gotten so angry when she’d taken Deshi with her she felt so confused and lost. Maybe he didn’t like her as a person, but only as someone who was able to calm Deshi down. In his eyes maybe she was nothing more than a babysitter.

“Thanks,” Selina thanked and got up returning to the kitchen to finish cooking.

They ate a silent dinner afterward. Chun wasn’t sure what he should say. What if he said something wrong? Selina seemed as if she didn’t want to be bothered and he didn’t want to violate her private space. He had no choice, but to stay silent and watch as Selina fed Deshi little pieces of food which he seemed to enjoy with delight. He wanted to talk to her and figure out what was wrong, but he’d experienced times like this before with Ella when she would unknowingly ignore him. Chun decided it must be a girl thing. A little afterward Chun changed his clothes and left for his night job.

“I didn’t offer to babysit,” Selina said as she watched the door close.

+++

“We can set up flowers on the tables, have pink tablecloths…” Calvin’s voice droned on.

They were sitting at their usual spot at Calvin’s favorite restaurant. At first Ella wasn’t able to bring herself to adapt to the dim over-relaxing atmosphere, but over time she started to fall in love with what Calvin liked. She loved everything about him and he had everything she wanted. A good house, a good career with a sturdy job, and he would be able to provide her with anything she wanted and needed. It was only that day that she found her mind was elsewhere.

Ella was recalling those shabby moments where Chun had taken her to those cheap restaurants or those stalls outside. Even in the cold they had enjoyed each other’s company and nothing else mattered. She thought she was so committed to him and maybe she was wrong about that. She hadn’t seen Chun for a year after leaving and hadn’t wondered much about how he was doing. Seeing him again just made her feel shaken up. He’d done fine without her. Just looking at him he was still trying hard at life. Those bags with creases under his eyes told her how weary he was, but he didn’t quit at trying like she had. That was one thing she had loved about him at first. Chun never stopped trying. Ella began wondering if the baby missed her. Probably not, he was just only a baby without knowing. He’d gotten chubbier over the past months which were good news to her.

“Ella?” Calvin asked reaching his hand forward and letting it down on her hand.

Ella turned away from the window, her past quickly vanishing as if it didn’t want to leave a trace behind.

“Yes? I’m sorry,” Ella apologized. “I’m not feeling very well these days.”

Calvin smiled his soft smile that always comforted her no matter what situation she was in.

“Seems like we’ve been out long enough I’ll deliver you back to Hebe,” Calvin told.

Ella smiled and clutched onto his hand.

+++

Chun entered his apartment to find Selina curled up on her side on the couch like a baby. The first thing he noticed was that Deshi was not in her arms. Hurrying into Deshi’s nursing room he found Deshi tucked delicately under his blanket sound asleep. Chun ran his finger across Deshi’s cheek and smiled. Selina always did a good job with him. Chun walked out into his room and grabbed the blanket Jiro always used. Walking out slowly he slipped it over Selina tucking it around her. He had not noticed how close he was to her until Selina turned, her nose barely touching his cheek. Selina made a small sound and opened her eyes. Everything seemed blurry at first until her eyes fell into focus. She and Chun stared into each other’s eyes for a while not sure of what to do next. Chun was so close to her she wondered if he could hear her heart racing. For a moment it seemed as if he would kiss her, but turned away and stood up straight.