Rule #45: Deductive reasoning is really just a pretentious way of saying you're hyper-observant and can draw conclusions from those observations

"Ho-How is she?" Mark asked, his voice shaking as he twisted the fabric of his white button down shirt.

The doctor sighed, "She should be fine, no long lasting effects but it's hard for me to tell how this affects her hypnotherapy."

Mark stiffened, "You think she remembered? I thought you said it was impossible."

"It's supposed to be, but your mother has been relapsing for a while, so it's safe to say that she's beat the odds." He said while pulling off her glasses.

Mark looked scared, "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Wait until she wakes up and then I guess it's up to you." He said with a shrug before turning away.

Mark stared at the door that he mother was behind and leaned his head against the door. He closed his eyes and let out a loud breath.

He took a moment to compose himself before he creaked the door. He peaked in and saw Yuan sitting by her mother's side, holding her hand with tears in her eyes.

Pushing the door open wider, he stepped in and it immediately caught her attention. When she saw him, her eyes narrowed into slits. She turned back to her mother, promptly ignoring him.

"Yuan, can we talk?" He asked hoarsely.

He saw her shoulders tense, "Sorry, I'd rather stay by her side."

"Please." His voice cracking, "I need to explain."

She scoffed as she stood up, "Explain? Explain that you spent all these years knowing that you had a family and that you chose to pretend didn't exist?"

"I was doing it because that's what she wanted, Yuan. She wanted me out of her life and I didn't have the right to disobey her. I was the reason that she lost her husband and our father. I'm the reason that you might have not even be alive." He pleaded desperately as he followed her out of the room.

Yuan bit on her lip, suddenly unsure of how she felt. She was sixteen, how was she expected to handle all this information?

She wanted to be mad, but part of her was excited, but then she'd feel mad again.

"You knew all this time and you didn't say a thing. You had dinner at our house, you were always around us. Didn't you feel bad when you saw us? Did you feel guilty?" She muttered as she leaned against the wall.

Mark stood in front of her and tried to catch her eye, "Everyday. I felt guilty  every day I saw you and the days when I didn't see you, only made me feel worse. I missed you and mom every single day. My mother and sister were at arm's reach but I couldn't do anything about it."

"So why did you still keep it a secret even after she gave birth to me? Why didn't you come clean?" She asked, tears welling in her eyes.

Mark's eyes were turning red as he tried to hold back his tears, "I'm so sorry Yuan."  

"Where were you when I had recitals that mom couldn't make because she had work? Where were you when the kids at school picked on me? Where were you when I went on  my first date? Where were you when I sprained my wrist? Where were you when I had nightmares?" She cried in frustration.

Mark's eye twitched, "I was at your first recital. You danced to the Raindrop Prelude by Chopin, I filmed it, you were literally flawless and you won first place. Those kids who picked on you? Want to know why they stopped? I threatened to arrest them and call their parents. Seung Hee was your first date and I caught him before he picked you up and threatened to hurt him if he ever crossed you. And I'm the one who paid your hospital bills and left the daisies in your hospital room."

Yuan's eyes grew wide, startled by the revelation, "You--really?"

"I know, it was creepy, but I was there Yuan, I wanted to be there, but you're right, I was never there when you had nightmares, I still missed out on all the little moments of your life that a good brother should've been there for." He said sadly.

Yuan slowly slid down the wall and hugged her knees, scared, "16 years. You were gone for 16 years."

"I made a mistake by not coming clean, Yuan, but I want to make things better. I want to make up for all the time I missed and I want us to be a family again." He said as he followed her to the floor.

Yuan's brows furrowed as she sat in silence for a long time. After what felt like hours, was probably really 1 minute, she stood up and dusted her pants.

Mark looked up at her nervously but she didn't meet his eyes, "I should go and check on mom."

Before he could say a word, she walked back into the room, leaving him on the ground with tears running down his face.  

He dropped his head into his hands as his shoulder shook.  Everything was a mess, a big, tangled mess that he created. 

And for once, he was scared that he didn't know how to make it better.

Mark gasped between his tears when he felt a pair of familiar warm arms slid around him and a familiar, comforting scent hit his senses.

He moved his hands from his eyes and blinked when strands of lavender hair hung in front of his eyes.

Even when their relationship was a giant question mark, she was always there for him.

Her heart was always there for him.

"She's young, Mark. She's young and scared. Cut her some slack, she'll come around, she just needs time to think everything over." Saera's soft voice whispered.

He shuddered in her embrace, feeling her fingers run through his hair and rub circles on his back.

"Why are you here?" He asked in genuine confusion as he wiped his face.

Saera sighed as she crossed her legs and took a seat in front of him, "Because you make it really hard to stay away, Mark."

Mark stared at her until he noticed a large bag beside her, "I brought food for you and Yuan. Jackson also gave me a change of clothes to give you."

She watched his face carefully, she was in full panic mode when Jackson called her telling her what had happened with Mark's mother and she didn't think her body had ever moved that fast in her life.

"What do I do, Saera?" He whispered brokenly.

She gave him a sad smile, "You solider through the pain. This is important to you, so you can't give up and throw in the towel. No one said it'll be easy, but things don't stay broken forever, Mark. Sooner or later you'll have to put the pieces back together."

"What if the pieces don't fit anymore?" He asked as he stared at the cut on his palm.

She reached out and brushed the tips of her fingers along his cheek, "That's not how broken things work. The pieces will always fit back together, you just need a lot of time and patience."

"Hey."

Both of them looked up at Yuan who didn't look either of them in the eye, "Mom's awake now…if you--if you want to talk to her."

-----

Mark stepped into the hospital room and quietly shut the door behind him.

He paused for a second before he shuffled towards the chair next to Mrs. Xiong's bed. He slowly dropped down next to her and stared at her hand before timidly reaching out.

Just as his fingers skimmed her knuckles, her eyes fluttered open. He dropped his hand down to his lap and stayed perfectly still.

His mother grunted while shifting before she noticed Mark sitting next to her. She took in a sharp breath as her body stilled.

"Yi En. You're Yi Eun. You're my Yi En." She rasped out.

Mark's eyes widened as he stared at his mother, he wanted to say no, make one last attempt at trying to fix what he had broken, but what was the point? Yuan was right.

"I'm--I'm your Yi En." His voice shook.

His mother gasped out a sob as her raised a hand to cup his cheek, "My little boy. My baby."

"M-Mom?" He asked tearfully as she her thumb against his cheek.  

Tears dripped down her face, "I can't believe it's really you."

"You--you remember?" He asked worriedly.

She nodded slowly. "I can't believe I did that to you. My own baby boy. I've been getting flashes but when I saw you they all triggered. Oh god, what have I done."

He sniffled as he rubbed his nose, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I sent you to the hospital."

Mark started crying, sobbing, while he held her hand to his forehead, "I'm sorry I killed dad. I'm so sorry, mom."

His mother let out a hiccup as she tried to hold him, "N-No I'm so sorry about what I did. I just…I just wanted the pain to stop. I thought that I was doing the right this. I'm so sorry, Yi En. I'm so sorry I failed you as a mother."

"I'm sorry I killed dad," Mark repeated through grit teeth as tears fell from his cheeks and dripped onto the mattress. She wiped his face with her soft hand.

"You father's death was never your fault. I--I just wanted to blame someone because I felt guilt that he protected me before he died. And I chose you. I'm so sorry." She cried as she took his hand and the cut on his palm.

"Mom." He cried, "Mom. Mom."

He never said anything that sounded so natural.

"Please forgive