Author's Note: If I get two chapters up at any given time I think I'm doing well. On certain days I won't be able to write until my dad gets home. I won't have computer access until then. I have so much I have to do every day it's amazing I get up and remember my cup of coffee in the morning. I'm pretty sure if I left that at home, I would die before the day ends. I don't do well without coffee of a morning.

I already have this story roughly planned out in my head. It's a different take on all of my other stories. This time there is no KPOP stars in this one, but the story plot is a little darker and more emotional. I have been through what one of the characters is going through in a secondhand experience. If it makes you cry, remember I more than likely bawled while writing it. This story will be hard for me to get through. Comments are welcomed like usual, but if they're mean, there's a high probability I will yank this story. Just a warning.

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"What does Dad need?" Soohyun asked as she pushed the shopping cart through the grocery store.

Hyun Joon darted away from her as soon as the words left her mouth. She shook her head and continued to meander through the store. This always happened. When they would grocery shop for their father, he would always disappear and get the things he wanted before they bought anything for the man that raised them. That was fine. Hyun Joon had a strange palate. He liked overly spicy things their father couldn't handle.

It had always been this way. They could always figure out what each other needed by a simple look on their faces. Hyun Joon didn't even have to call before they decided they needed to go grocery shopping. Somehow they always ended up meeting in front of the grocery store at the same time. It was generally at the same time every other week.

This week hadn't been any different. They had showed up at the grocery store in their father's neighborhood at the same time after they had gotten off work. Without a word they had walked in. Now they were running around looking for food. Well, Hyun Joon was running around. Soohyun was simply walking.

She grabbed a bag of rice and tossed it in the cart. Hyun Joon went through a ten pound bag of rice a week. He inhaled everything he ate so she had to keep doubles of everything. Her pantry was overstocked with random assortments of things her brother would randomly ask for on any given day.

But what the man needed were veggies. She headed to the produce aisle and pulled onions, peppers, eggplant and anything else she knew her father would eat. He wasn't too picky. Hyun Joon was. Then again he was allergic to a few things so he tended to shy away from anything healthy. He ate more meat than anything. Meat and rice.

He popped up as she was pulling onions and cabbage for a thing of kimchi she was going to make. He dumped an armful of spices and some canned meats into the cart. She shook her head at him again as he darted off on another aisle. Soohyun headed towards the meat aisle and decided that chicken and beef were on the list for these weeks. Her dad liked beef but never got to eat it because Hyun Joon couldn't afford it weekly.

She pulled the best grade of beef and put it in the basket. Once she sautéed some onions and garlic, she would flash fry the cutlets until they were well-done. Her dad would enjoy it and that's all that mattered.

Hyun Joon was out of breath as he came up with another armload of food. He didn't seem to be as happy now that he was loaded down with heavy things. He dumped his load again but this time he sighed and took time to catch his breath. He looked tired all of a sudden.

"Go to the baking aisle and pick up some baking soda and baking powder," she said.

"Don't you have that at the kitchen?" he asked as he started off.

"I need it for my personal kitchen. Run off."

Normally it was the older sibling that was bossy, but when it came to cooking, Soohyun was the boss. Hyun Joon could boss her around any other time but when it came to the kitchen, and he did his best when he was in a mood.

He returned a few minutes later and they were ready to check out. Splitting the bill had always been their way of keeping things even. Soohyun kept wondering if it was because she always ended up with more stuff but the bills always ended up even. She never understood it, and after a day or so it never really mattered.

Loaded down with food purchases, they made the heavy two block trek to their dad's house. They talked about how their days had gone and what had happened at work. Hyun Joon had worked out a new agreement with one of the sub-companies they worked with. It had been a complete headache but somehow he had endured.

Soohyun had started on the catering order, experimenting with things she thought maybe Kim Won would like. She knew he was going to want things standard and simple, but she had to try. Whether he chose the simple option or the eclectic option was all based on how she sold it. She was going to make sure Zeus Hotel Catering always won the bid when it came to Jeguk Group's catered parties.

They walked up the two flights it took to get to their childhood home and walked in the front door. The lights were out and their dad was nowhere in sight. Hyun Joon wandered to the older man's room and peeked inside. He put a finger to his lips and crept back into the kitchen.

Soohyun started cooking as her brother put the rest of the groceries away. He tucked her two purchases into her leather bag then put the plastic bags in the recycling. He took whatever bowl she handed him and stirred or whisked its contents. When he was done, he handed it back to her and took another one to help keep the flow going.

"How did your doctor's appointment go yesterday?" he asked as he sipped a glass of red wine while sitting on the counter.

She dumped the onions into the seasoned olive oil and listened to them simmer. "It went well. Dr. Kang said I was doing well. If I stay in remission, he won't have to see me again for another three months."

"So he thinks the leukemia is gone?"

She shook her head. "Not gone, but docile. He says there are still traces of it in my system but it's not attacking me at the moment. He wants me to continue taking my medication hoping it stays away for as long as possible."

"I hope it does as well. I don't want to see you lose your hair or miss work again."

Soohyun smiled over her shoulder at him. Two years ago she had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia after she had felt strangely tired and had a bruise that wouldn't disappear after a few weeks. Her oncologist/hematologist, Dr. Kang Si Won, had put her on a rigorous course of chemotherapy and radiation. She had missed nearly three months of work and lost all her hair.

To keep from showing the tiredness that followed chemo and radiation, she had started wearing colored contacts and wearing a blond wig to cover up her bald head. Luckily her job hadn't held it against her and her position had been waiting for her when she had returned nearly a year ago.

When she had gone into remission nearly eight months ago, they had put her on a medicine regiment. They had surmised she wasn't high-risk at the moment so her dosages were low. She had been going in for blood work every month just to make sure all of her white blood cells were normal and in high count. So far she had passed with flying colors so she had been given a lower dosage of medication with strict orders not to do anything strenuous.

During everything, Hyun Joon had stood beside her. He had picked up her medicines when she couldn't move out of the bed. When she had puked her guts up because she was sick from chemo, he had sat beside her in the bathroom and held her hair back from her face as she leaned over the toilet. He had been the one to shave her head when her hair had started falling out. He had bought her first wig, a bright green piece that she still wore from time to time even though she was getting hair real hair back.

Hyun Joon grabbed her arm when she lifted her hand to rub her face. "Did he ask about this bruise?"

She nodded. "He did. I only got it two days ago so we weren't too worried. I'm to keep an eye on it. If it deepens and refuses to disappear in the next week, I'm to go back for blood work."

"Maybe you should keep a picture documentation of it."

"I'm way ahead of you."

Hyun Joon started to do the dishes as the breakfast stew simmered and the beef cooled on the racks. She packaged the kimchi and put the date on it. She separated the rest of the food into meals for the evenings. Their dad's friend made him lunch and Hyun Joon made breakfast. He was taken care of on all aspects.

"Soohyunie." She turned around as she shoved her feet into her shoes. She needed to head home to start on preparations for the next day. Hyun Joon shoved a paper bag into her hands. "Take it."

She looked down into the bag then looked up. "Why are you giving me some of this? It's for you and Dad."

"You're going to be working crazy hours in the next few days to get this birthday party ready. I know how you eat. You snack on whatever leftovers you have. Hors d'oeuvres and sweets aren't going to be enough. You have to maintain your diet." He pushed her hand to her chest. "Take it. Don't argue with your oppa. I worry about Dad. Don't make me worry about you as well."

Soohyun nodded and waved goodbye. Her brother had always been the one to shoulder all the burdens. When their mom had died and their family had gone down to one paycheck, he had gotten a couple of part-time jobs to make sure the bills were paid and she had a little bit of spending money when she wanted to go out.

He had taken on way too much at a young age so she always did what she could to ease his agony. Taking some of the food she had made for him and her dad was a small way of doing so. She would do that for him every chance she got. It didn't matter that she may not eat what he had given her.

She stopped at the coffee shop right before her bus. She rarely drove her car unless she absolutely had to. It was an unneeded appliance she had to take care of as well. Hyun Joon had gotten it for her when she had graduated culinary school. It had taken her six tries to pass her license test and now she rarely used it. She didn't like the traffic of the city enough to drive through it.

"Lee Soohyun?" She turned around to see Kim Won standing at the ready order area. She smiled at him, bottom lip tucked between her teeth. "What are you doing out this late?"

"I was over at my father's making meals for the next week and a half. I was just about to head home. This coffee shop is in front of my bus stop," she answered. She accepted her ready coffee and turned to him fully. "Why are you here? Isn't it a bit far from your house and office?"

"I was meeting with a client on this side of town. We just let out." He tilted his head. "Would you like to sit with me? I heard the bus was going to be slightly late."

She followed his hand to an empty table, sitting with her back to the wall so she could people watch. He sat in front of her with a piece of bread.

"I thought you didn't like sweets," she said.

"This is banana bread. It's not too sweet," he replied.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "There's a cup of sugar and a tablespoon of vanilla extract combined with bananas that are naturally sweet."

Won laughed at her confused expression. If anyone knew about sweet things, she would be the one. He took a bite just to make a point. She shook her head at him then looked out the window.

"How is your dad doing?" She looked at him. "Hyun Joon told me that he was a dementia patient."

"Oppa has a big mouth, but he's doing fine. He has his good days and bad days. Today was a good day. Tomorrow may be different."

"Is there anything the company can do to help?"

She shook her head. "He's under Oppa's insurance so your company is taking care of him anyway, but thank you." She looked out the window. "My bus is here."

He caught her hand as she stood and tried to walk by him. "Why don't I take you home? I don't feel right sending you home on the bus."

She smiled. "Do you even offer this to your fiancé?" His face fell a bit. "I didn't think so. I know Oppa gave you my number. If you have anything you'd like to ask about your party, feel free to call or text me."

Won watched her walk outside and get on the bus. She was sweet and even-tempered even though she ripped into her brother on a regular basis. She didn't have to take on his party, but she had. He was certain she was going to do well with it too. He may end up hiring her for his wedding since he didn't have a caterer for that either and that was his job to find.