There's a typhoon outside my window and I just want it to stop so I can sleep. Is that too much to ask for. Ughhhhhhh.
Anyways, thank you everyone for waiting! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

-PB

Hae Soo

She sat before her shrines and beamed as she watched the setting sun cast radiant rays of magenta, indigo, orange, and violet into the sky. Mi and Yoon's favorite colors splashed over the heavens like watercolors on canvas and Soo sighed in content.

"Spring is coming soon, darling," she said, dusting her baby's shrine off. "And that means Yoonie and Mi will be begging to go to Kim Ah Rong's house so they can play in her pool. Our house has a little pond but Daddy and Mommy don't let the girls play in the pond because they'll disturb the fishies."

Soo's smile deepened as she heard the back door open and shut, the light slam making her heart flutter. So always came to stand beside her when she talked to Lily Flower, and it had become one of their little moments together. He would listen to her speak to her son, and then he would quietly lead her back inside.

Soo never felt lonely when So was with her.

A pair of footsteps approached and she asked Lily if he was ready for spring. "There will be flowers everywhere. They always grow right here, don't they? Your sisters love making bouquets and giving them to me."

Touching the shrine, Soo expected Wang So's hand to lightly brush against her shoulders as he moved to take his place behind her. However, the contact she expected did not arrive, and a familiar voice surprised her.

"I wish you were here to see the flowers, son."

Her eyebrows flew upwards and Soo turned to face Wook as he stood before her, a coat over his sweatshirt, and his messy hair flying around in the wind. His casual demeanor brought back memories of when they were first dating and Soo stared as her atheist husband knelt before the shrines, pressed his palms together, and closed his eyes to pray.

"Wook," she heard herself whisper.

"Bring happiness and love into our family," Wook murmured. "Let our girls grow stronger every year, and help my wife and I find love and joy in each other again."

His eyes opened and Soo smiled when he turned to look at her. Any thought of Wang So faded in her mind as Wook placed an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She moved without complaint, realizing that after five years, Wook had finally arrived to meet their son.

A rush of emotion overcame her as Wook cleared his throat and pressed his hand to her side, his warm palm smoothing against her jacket. "Lily Flower," Wook murmured to the shrine. "Daddy's here. It's been too long, hasn't it? I'm sorry it took so long for me to come speak to you."

Soo gasped in relief as her husband spoke to their lost baby. Weight fell away from her shoulders and she felt tears running down her cheeks. Wook chuckled, holding her hand. He squeezed her knuckles and Soo felt her husband shift to look at the shrine. "Lily Flower, I'm sure you remember Mommy's voice because you were inside her and she comes to see you so often, but I'd like to introduce myself to you.

"My name is Hwang Bo Wook, and I'm your daddy." Wook tipped his head and smiled at the stones before him, using his other hand to touch the small tower. "It's nice to meet you, son. I'm sorry it took me so long. Your daddy is… I was too weak to come see you."

Soo wiped her eyes and sniffed as she listened to Wook converse with their son. Pressing one hand to her chest, Soo beamed through her tears and nodded when Wook glanced her way.

"You would not believe how much more beautiful your mommy is now." His hand cupped her cheek and his thumb wiped her tears. "She's still a crybaby when it comes to you kids, but she's still so beautiful."

"Wook, stop." Soo laughed and gently shoved him.

"Why?" he asked. "I'm telling my son about his mother. He deserves to know from my point of view, doesn't he?" Wook addressed their boy with a smile. "You have another sister, Lily Flower. Her name is Hwang Bo Yoon and when she was in Mommy's belly, we called her 'Little Dinosaur'. Funny how we still call her that even though she's out and running around. Mommy refuses to call her by her name, so Daddy has to remind her that Little Dinosaur's name is Yoon. Silly Mommy."

Gasping with relieved laughs, Soo leaned her head against Wook's shoulder and listened, her senses clouding in happiness. She felt as if an old friend had arrived. Wook and Lily Flower's introductions were long overdue, but they were finally happening. "You must already know everything I'm telling you… Mommy told you everything for me, didn't she? But just for this moment, son, listen to your father, won't you?

"Lily Flower, your little sister is like a tornado of destruction and your older sister is also a tornado, except Mi knows she's not allowed to color on the walls. You would not believe how much those two fight." Wook laughed and Soo found herself laughing with him. "Yesterday, Mi had to be put in time-out because she kicked Yoon. And then Yoon had to be put in time-out because she pulled Mi's hair. Do you know how many times Daddy has to tell your sisters not to pull each other's hair?"

"They never listen," Soo whispered, shaking her head. Wook huffed and pulled her closer. Soo pressed a hand to her husband's chest to keep him from dragging her too close, but she let him hold her hip as he continued to speak to their baby.

"I imagine if you were here, you'd kick and bite and fight and pull hair as well. Daddy would probably have to put you in time-out right next to your sisters. Your sisters don't know much about you… darling. But Mi knows that Mommy once had you in her belly but you decided you preferred heaven and went away. She really wants a baby brother."

Wook spoke to their child as the sun set, and when they stepped back into the house, Soo held his hand and smiled at him, genuinely proud that he had finally come with her. Her fears that Wook hated their son dissipated, and she felt a warmth in her chest knowing he cared for their dead baby.

She did not love him the way she used to, but Hwang Bo Wook was the father of her children and the man that had made her happy in the early parts of their marriage. He was an addition to her life that would forever remain as something close to an old friend.

And it was with that acceptance that she realized that it was time to move on. It pained her to part with someone she had known for over half a decade and had children with, but now that Wook had come to see Lily, Soo knew she could leave him and expect him to pick up the pieces alongside her.

She could be with So.

It was time to let go.

Wang So

His coat was halfway up his body before he noticed Wook jogging by, a jacket hastily thrown over his hoodie.

The back door slammed, and So stood in mute surprise before walking to a window to watch Wook beat him to the shrines where Soo prayed. He remembered Soo telling him Wook had never gone with her to her shrines and that he actively avoided any talk of Lily Flower, the baby she had lost before she had Mi.

The politician wrapped an arm around Soo, and So glared. He wanted to be furious. He wanted to hate Wook for touching Soo after all he had done to her, but when her expression lit up at his presence, So backed down, his pride injured.

He could be her man. He could be everything for her, but he could never be the father of her unborn child. That was Wook's and only Wook's.

Watching as Soo laughed in the arms of her husband, So felt small. His girlfriend was where she was meant to be – with her husband – yet So only wanted her to be with him, to find comfort in him.

"Mis-ter So?"

So turned at the sound of Yoon's voice and walked to where the little girl hid behind a corner.

He knelt in front of Yoon, who had obviously woken after being put to bed. Her hair was rumpled, her bumblebee pajamas untucked, and a doll discarded three meters away from where she stood rubbing her eyes.

"Yoonie, why are you awake?" So asked. He looked at her bare feet and opened his arms to her, picking her tiny body up so she would not be near the cold ground.

She weighed nothing in his arms, but Yoon smiled and hugged his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. "Yoonie needs water," she mumbled behind a yawn. "Water please."

Chuckling, So buried thoughts of Soo and Wook, and instead focused on their daughter. He pushed Yoon's hair away from her wide eyes, and he saw Hae Soo in her adorable face. Tiny Hae Soo remained silent and sleepy as he took her to the kitchen, where the cook had already turned the lights off before leaving.

So switched two lights on and walked to the white water purifier, reaching above it to grab a sippy cup and lid.

"Mister So, no," Yoon whined, squirming against him and patting his chest with her hand. So glanced at her as she reached for the purifier. "Pink cup! No yellow!"

"They're the exact same aside from the color," he protested, gesturing to the two cups.

"Yellow, no! Pink, yes!"

Rolling his eyes, So traded the yellow cup for a pink one and held it up to Yoon for approval. When the little girl nodded her head, he smirked and tossed the yellow one back onto the purifier.

He filled her cup with warm water and screwed its lid on, also grabbing a mug of iced water for himself. Holding Yoon in his arm, he watched her grip the handles of her cup and suck from the lid. So downed his cold water and set the mug in the sink as Yoon continued to hold onto her water.

When Yoon handed her cup back to him, So emptied its contents into the sink before hoisting her higher on his hip. "Shall we get you to bed, Miss Dinosaur?"

Yoon laid her head onto his shoulder and So took that as his cue.

When he passed by the back of the house, he saw Wook still holding onto Soo. She was smiling, so So made himself be happy for her. She deserved happiness – even if it did not come from him.

So crept up the stairs to the second floor. The stairs creaked but they were silent beneath his feet. Anywhere he went, So instinctively sought out the most quiet pathway. He did not have to think twice about placing his feet on different parts of the staircase, making Yoon giggle at his strange movements.

When So opened the door to Yoon's bedroom, he gazed around at where nightlights cast soothing images of swimming fish on her walls and stars on her ceiling.

When he set her down onto her bed, she popped onto her feet and jumped off the mattress, grasping his fingertips with her fist and dragging him along. So wished he could turn in, but his girlfriend's insistent child took his attention. "Yoon, I can't pla—oh."

So shook his head when the little girl led him to her bathroom. "Havta potty," she declared, standing on the tips of her toes to reach the doorknob.

The door slipped open and So turned the light on to reveal the bathroom he had not set foot in since his first tour of the house. Like the rest of the Hwang Bo home, it was opulent. Glass encased the shower while the bathtub beside it was made of stone.

However, this bathroom was—like its owner—unique… and young. The shower floor was decorated with stickers to prevent slipping. Ducklings in rain boots danced around the shower while prancing unicorns decorated the bathtub. There were toys piled in the tub for when the little dinosaur felt like drowning plastic animals while her parents washed her hair, and the towels were all white with green polka dots.

He glanced around as Yoon directed him to sit directly across from the toilet with the bright purple child's seat attached to it.

"You want me to stay?" he asked tiredly, doing as the little girl commanded. He knew Yoon kept her parents or Chae Ryung hostage when she needed to use the bathroom, but this was a first for him.

He rubbed his eyes and waited for Yoon to sit on the toilet and finish her business. All the while, she swung her legs back and forth, laughing when she managed to kick her pants and undies off.

"I like Mr. So's pants," she said.

So glanced at the little girl and then down at his sweatpants. He frowned before peering at Yoon's yellow and black striped pajamas that lay discarded on the bathroom's fuzzy, purple bath mat.

"Mister So likes Yoon's pants too," he replied.

"But mine are prettier."

"Yes, they are."

Once Yoon finished, So wiped her off and helped her into her underwear and pants before standing beside her as she climbed up the step stool in front of her sink.

She turned the water on and So held his palms out as she squirted soap onto them, using her hands to create a mess of bubbles. "Scrub, scrub," she sang. "Bubbles, bubbles!"

So thought about Soo as her daughter's tiny hands used his as a canvas to create bubble art, shaping mounds of froth and calling them snowflakes. Spending time with Yoon made him wish he was Soo's husband—that her children were his children.

"Scrub, scrub, bubbles, bubbles!"

Yoon was a handful and caring for her was tiring, but So felt happy when he was with the little girl. She made him laugh with her silly antics and strange remarks, and whenever she smiled and hugged his legs, that was reward enough for their time spent together.

When their hands were sufficiently covered in froth, So used his elbow to turn the water back on and encased Yoon's hands with his to make sure she thoroughly rinsed them off.

Cool water slid off of their palms, and So counted each of Yoon's fingers as the bubbles disappeared. "Finger one, finger two, finger three, finger four, and?" He turned to Yoon and held her thumb up.

"Six!" she proudly declared. "Finger six!"

He laughed too hard at her certainty before shaking his head. "Five," he gently corrected, shutting the water off. He picked Yoon up and carried her, dripping hands and all, to the towel that hung on the wall.

After wiping their hands, it was finally time to sleep, and Yoon went easily. So laid her onto her bed and smiled when she pulled at his neck for another hug.

What he did not expect was the wet kiss she left on his cheek. So looked down at the toddler that sucked her thumb and gently removed the finger from her mouth as he tucked her into her blankets. "Now kiss Yoonie," she ordered, stabbing a finger into her large cheek.

"Do you really want Mr. So to kiss you?" he asked, wondering how this little girl had managed to wrap him around her littlest finger. He did not know when he had begun eagerly doing Yoon's bidding, but it seemed as though he was hers to play with.

"Night night… kisses," Yoon said, pausing only to yawn.

Smiling, So patted Yoon's head and brushed her bangs back to reveal her forehead. He did not know if Soo would want him being too close to Yoon or if he would even be able to evade Wook if Yoon continued to trail after him.

So, he pressed his fingertips to his lips and lightly touched Yoon's forehead with the same hand. "There," he whispered.

He left the door slightly open as he departed, his heart fluttering with happiness. He wanted to tell Soo about his strange night. He wanted to tell her about how her daughter had clung to him like gum.

But when he heard soft music playing from the record player in the living room, his gait grew heavier, and his smile fell away. "I'm sorry I haven't been a good husband these past few months," he heard Wook say.

So sucked in a breath and waited for Soo's response. Alone in a hallway, eavesdropping on two people's conversation, So wondered if he had reached a new, different sort of low.

"Wook," Soo said. So listened intently, wondering what his girlfriend would say. "We're not the same people we were when we married. We've both done things that aren't…" she trailed off before heaving a sigh. "A lot of things have changed. I think… I think we just need to move forward with our lives."

He wondered if he had imagined Soo saying 'lives'. He knew she loved her husband. Wook fathered her children and married her before she and So could even meet. So knew of Soo's affection for Wook only because it pertained to their children.

So found solace in knowing that though Soo was not legally his wife or family, he had her heart, and that was enough. If there was one person he trusted in the world not to hurt him, it was Hae Soo.

So crept along the walls to peek into the sitting room. His eyebrows rose when he spotted Wook pressing a kiss to Soo's forehead while staring at his phone. "Ah, I'm sorry, Soo, I have to go to the office… something's happened in the Middle East."

"Go, I'll be in bed when you come back."

"Goodnight, my dear."

So stood back and hid in the shadows as Wook rushed past him and towards the master bedroom, removing his hoodie as he went.

It was a long wait until Wook's bodyguard was roused and the two left for the Blue House. After that, the house fell silent, the record player in the living room fading into the quiet night.

So stepped in as Soo settled herself on the sofa and reached for the TV remote. The living room was centered in the massive house and far enough away from the servants' lounge that if anyone wanted to find Soo, So would hear their footsteps before they had the chance to arrive.

He settled beside her on the sofa and tipped his head back onto the smooth cushions as Soo turned an action movie on. So had seen it before, but he smiled and kept quiet as Soo clasped his hand and leaned herself against him. She did not speak, but she pressed his hand to her lips and set it down onto her thigh.

"I put Yoon to bed while you were outside," So said as the opening credits appeared. He let his thumb skim over her pants and turned to look at Soo as she chuckled.

"Did she come out for a drink?" Soo mumbled. She smiled as So nodded his head.

"We had water together and then she used the bathroom. She sang her hand-washing song for me."

So smirked when Soo shook her head and laughed. "Did you give her a goodnight kiss as well?" she asked. Soo hugged his arm and So paused for a moment.

"I did this."

He pressed his lips to his fingers and mimicked the kiss he had given Yoon. He touched Soo's forehead and watched her smile. She did not speak, but when she pulled him closer, So nuzzled against his girlfriend and accepted the kiss she gave him.

"I love you, Wang So," she murmured against his lips. So chuckled and returned the sentiment.

In the quiet evening, when the lights were dimmed and demons fought robots onscreen, the scene was perfect for a small date night. So watched the movie until Soo moved away. He kept his eyes on her as she leaned to the other side of the couch and pulled a throw off of the armrest.

His partner threw the blanket over their thighs and yawned, cuddling closer. So smirked when Soo nudged herself under his arm and held his shirt as she made herself comfortable. So moved the way his girlfriend wanted him to until she was on top of him, her head against his chest. She was warm, and her weight was comfortable against him.

As they watched their movie, So's thoughts drifted, and he pressed light kisses to Soo's forehead and cheeks as she continued to watch.

"You're being a very annoying movie partner," Soo said as she turned to meet his lips with hers. So snorted and let himself kiss her harder.

"Let me take you on an actual date sometime," he murmured, ignoring the movie to hug his partner and dot kisses against her shoulders. "I want to go out with you… I don't want our love to just be trapped in place."

He looked up at Soo as she smiled and nodded. So grinned when Soo's lips mashed against his cheek, her kiss lasting six seconds. "I would love to go out on a date with you," she said immediately after.

So's spirits soared and he chuckled as he played with Soo's short hair, feeling the silky locks that were treated by an aesthetician every other week. Using a finger, he tapped his lips and raised his eyebrows at Soo.

"I want a better kiss."

So smirked when Soo fulfilled his wish, her hands holding either side of his face and her lips pressing against his.

As always, Krysyuy is my savior and is the bestest editor in the worldest.