Part 3

-----

Waking even before Wendy and Irene, Joy and Sleepy-Bear Seulgi sat at the kitchen table, contemplating life and its true meaning, asking real questions that needed urgent answers: What should we have for breakfast?

Joy wanted American-Style, or in their case, Canadian-Style breakfast, with pancakes or waffles, and bacon. Seulgi often disagreed with Joy on morning food choices, but this time she approved wholeheartedly.

“We just have one problem,” Joy told Seulgi.

“What’s that?” Seulgi replied.

“We can’t cook.” Joy stated.

“Yeah….that’s a problem..hmm…”

“Should we just go and wake Wendy up? She’s our only hope.”

“I’m not sure, I don’t think I’ve ever been awake before her or Irene, or even you before, I’m not sure how she will react,” Seulgi said.

“Well there’s no better time than now to find out, am I right?” Joy asked.

“We may regret this decision, but I’m really hungry, let’s just do it.”

“Roger that!” Joy said, mimicking a radio call.

-----

The room was still dark, the curtains closed, and two figures were still huddled close together, entangled in warm sheets, hands connected, they faced each other. Little did they know, their quiet moment after waking up was about to be interrupted by a storm.

“Good Morning…” Wendy said, her eyes trained directly on Irene’s, “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, how about you?” Irene brushed her hand across Wendy’s hip.

“Very well, thanks to you,” Wendy leaned in and kissed Irene, “Very soon, can’t come fast enough.”

The back of Irene’s mind became wary, doubt crept in suddenly, something she didn’t usually feel with Wendy, her brain fired off sudden questions, “I want the timing to be right, don’t you?  Is it okay that we’ve waited? Is it…”

-----

The voice faded inside and outside the room Joy and Seulgi stood alert, listening to the sounds of the two within the room.

“Good,” Joy said, “They’re already awake, one less thing for us to do!”

“Do you think we should just barge in right now?” Seulgi asked, “Sounds like they’re having a private moment.”

“I think it’s okay, they’re probably hungry too, we’ll just walk in and let them know it’s time for breakfast.”

With little warning, Joy suddenly knocked on the door and quickly entered the room, unsure of what state the occupants would be in. Seulgi followed close behind, but seemed to be of the opinion that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

“Unnies!” Joy shouted as she paraded into the room.

At the sound of Joy’s voice, the two figures turned from their intimate moment with looks of terror on their faces. Wendy’s face resembled “The Scream,” her hands on her cheeks, eyes wide in shock. Irene was so startled that she threw the covers off of them and bounded out of bed, in only what she’d worn to bed last night.

Irene usually awakened Seulgi and Joy gently, softly, but Joy did not pay her back in kind. Seulgi grimaced as she saw the results of their plan.

“What are you two doing in here?” Irene asked, still startled.

“We just want breakfast, Unnie!” Joy said brightly, “We’re actually up before you two this time, we just want to spend time together, right Seulgi?”

Seulgi still stood at the door and grimaced, “Unnie, I tried to stop her,” she said.

Irene didn’t say a word, “…I guess there’s no stopping Joy,” Wendy said, still dazed.

“Did you not think you may be interrupting us?” Irene asked quietly, gaining a few of her senses back.

“Interrupting what, Unnie?” Joy asked slyly, she crossed her arms and waited for a reply.

Irene’s cheeks burned at the question.

“You know what she means, Joy,” Seulgi whispered.

The four stayed silent.

“Oh, you mean…that...I don’t think we interrupted did we?” Joy smirked.

“No, but we were talking,” Wendy said.

“Oh, then if you were just talking…” Joy grinned, Irene remained flustered.

“Joy, don’t go there,” Seulgi whispered again.

“I’m not going anywhere with this little talk we’re having, and it seems like they haven’t gone anywhere either, I’m just here to see if everyone wants breakfast, and ask Wendy for help, not to fight. Anyway, I’ll be downstairs.”

Joy quickly exited. Escaping Unnie’s wrath for now.

“Did you hear what we were talking about?” Irene asked Seulgi.

“I’m sure Joy did, you know how nosy she can be, her ear was practically glued to the door,” Seulgi said, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Seul,” Irene said, “Just go see what she’s doing.” Seulgi took her leave.

-----

“Well, Joy’s got a blunt way of putting things, hasn’t she?” Wendy smirked, unable to stay mad at Joy.

“Y-yes.” Irene simply stated. She still stood beside the bed.

“I’m going to guess that they need me to help fix the entire breakfast, we need to get up anyway, and get the day started,” Wendy said.

“Sure, I’ll stay behind and make up the bed, you go on and help them.”

Wendy leaned in again and pecked Irene’s lips, “We’ll finish this later?”

“Finish?”

“Our talk, right?”

“Of course,” Irene said gently.

Wendy smiled, Irene smiled back.

Wendy was out the door, leaving a sighing Irene to contemplate what had just happened. She fell onto the bed, unable to shake the questions she still needed to ask Wendy.

-----

Seulgi smiled and laughed, her beautiful eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. In front of her, Irene and Joy were arguing about sunscreen. Yes, sunscreen. They argued over who used the last of the bottle they had brought with them from the cabin. Irene waved it around to prove that it was, in fact, empty. They debated the uses and effectiveness of the brand, and the pros and cons of putting it on if you were just going to jump in the water right afterward. Even through the yelling, Seulgi could only grin at the circus in front of her, and Wendy could only lay serene, knowing that their squabble was pointless. A spin-off of the morning’s debacle.

“Ladies,” Wendy said calmy, attempting to get their attention, “Let’s not fight over the sunscreen.”

Unfortunately, Joy yelled another pointless remark and covered the sound of Wendy’s tranquil voice with her own obnoxious scream.

Wendy knew how much Irene hated arguing, so this argument, though not serious, confused her a bit. She tried again to stop them, but knew it would have to work itself out. Irene hadn’t used her Unnie card yet, so she knew Irene needed to argue her frustrations away. Joy was perfect for this because she loved to argue. Wendy knew that the misguided feelings Irene was having now, were not even about the sunscreen.

“Ladies, don’t fight. Irene, baby, come here.”

A tired Irene looked to Wendy, who smiled a sweet smile. Irene was huffing and puffing from yelling at Joy, and realized that even though she was the eldest, Joy could argue until the winter appeared.

“Wendy, she purposefully used all of the sunscreen on herself, and Seulgi, now what?” Irene whined lightly.

“I didn’t mean to use the rest of it,” Joy tried to explain, “You’re obviously still mad about this morning.”

Irene had no reply, Joy was right.

“Shh,” Wendy said, “Irene come look in my bag.”

Irene walked over to where Wendy was laying and picked up the bag. She ped it, looked in, and gave a look of surprise. Out of the bag, she pulled a full bottle of sunscreen.

Joy’s eyes rolled, “Why didn’t you just tell us you had more sunscreen, unnie?”

“I bet we looked ridiculous,” Irene said.

“Definitely,” Joy agreed, “Sorry, Unnie, for now and earlier.”

“Me too, Joy.”

“I tried to calm you both down, but no one was listening, besides, Seulgi and I had a little fun watching you two, right Seul?”

“True,” Seulgi murmured, unmoving from her lounge chair.

-----

A little later, Joy and Seulgi went back to the water, Wendy asked Irene to stay behind before they joined them.

“I’ve never seen you so fired up before, baby, was the sunscreen that important?” Wendy asked.

“I just wish Joy would listen to me more, she’s ready for battle any second,” Irene said.

“I don’t think that’s the only reason why you decided to challenge her about the sunscreen, I mean, sure, she’s loud and unwavering, but there’s something else to this isn’t there?”

“I-I-I’m just a little on edge and Joy hasn’t been helping me move any closer from that edge since this morning. Remember what she said? ‘It seems like they’re not going anywhere’” Irene said.

“You’re on edge because of what Joy said to us? I knew this had nothing to do with the sunscreen,” Wendy said sarcastically.

Irene’s face blushed, and Wendy walked over to her, “She wasn’t serious, it was all in good fun.”

“…Am I moving too slow for you?” Irene asked seriously, “I stopped us last night, and now Joy has me thinking about it.”

“No, of course not, we’re neither too fast, nor too slow, it’s been perfect thus far. Anyway, Joy may be our member and friend, but she’s not in charge of us or our relationship, we are.”

“I know she’s not in charge, I want to know all your thoughts about everything, I want to be an open book to you, sometimes I feel like I can’t explain myself properly.” Irene said.

“We’re being responsible and doing what’s right for us. Don’t let what anyone else says creep into your mind,” Wendy said, “You can tell me anything, even insecurities, I want to reassure you that my feelings won’t change, we’re in this together. You were clear last night, and I agree with you. Timing is important to me too. Just tell me when you need to talk.”

“Well, to be fair, I tried to talk this morning, but pesky Joy kind of interrupted,” Irene chuckled.

Wendy smiled, “She kind of did, didn’t she?”

You’re beautiful when you smile like that,” Irene said.

Wendy smiled brighter, “Like what?”

“Like you’re carefree and relaxed. I think you have a different smile for every moment, and laugh too.”

“So do you,” Wendy said, “You laugh at unexpected moments, it makes me happy to see you smile and laugh.”

They both smiled then.

Irene interrupted the moment, “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

“Me too!” Wendy sighed with contentment, “Now that that’s sorted, do you want to go join them at the lake?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Irene said. She grabbed Wendy’s hand and they began to walk together on the path toward the shore.

“Just remember that you told me not to worry, so you better not worry either, ya feel me?” Wendy ended in English.

Irene stopped on the path and turned to face Wendy. She placed her hand near Wendy’s heart. She answered in English, her voice raw and needy, “I feel you, baby.” 

-----

Thanks for Reading!!! Be Back Soon.