Kyungmin had always wondered about Aeri in her teenage days and had promised herself that no matter what her daughter went through, she'd make sure she was there for her.

So when she had been suspecting her daughter had been a little off the past days, she entered her room, prepared for her small pep talk when she heard Aeri's small sobs coming from Aeri's bathroom.

Since Aeri trusted her mom, she let Kyungmin in when she had knocked on the door. The first few minutes passed with Kyungmin patting her daughter to calm her down and trying to ask her what was wrong.

The next minutes, Aeri decided to finally open up to her mom despite being hesitant, feeling a little embarrassed to talk about something like this. Kyungmin listened to her as she went on about this certain guy in her school.

Aeri apologized for not having told her parents, but Kyungmin assured her that it was fine. Taehyung and Kyungmin both knew what was going on, but they wanted Aeri to take the initiative as they did not want to pry or get ahead of her.

"Mommy, you told me you and daddy had a long story, right? I never heard the whole thing," mentioned Aeri, voice a little hoarse but much better than the minutes that had passed.

"Do you want me to tell you?" Kyungmin thoughtfully asked. "He actually left me before. That jerk."

Little did the two know that at some point of their conversation, Taehyung had went inside Aeri's room and had been listening at their voices that echoed through the door.

"Yah! I came back for you!"

Kyungmin made an annoyed face, throwing a glance at her shoulders and saw her husband's shadow through the blurred glass door. "Taehyung, please go away. We're having a private conversation."

"I'm her dad."

"I'm her mom," Kyungmin retaliated, and Aeri shook her head in amusement, placing her chin on the rim of the bathtub.

There was shuffling of feet, and Kyungmin returned her attention back to Aeri.

"He broke my heart at least once or twice, and I had sulked on it before too. So you'll be fine. If it's not the guy you like now, it will be someone better." Kyungmin's lips curved upwards, nodding hopefully as an encouragement for her daughter.

"Although for your father..." Kyungmin crinkled her nose. "He came back more childish. So, I'm not sure about that part."

Aeri chuckled. She had always admired her parents and their love for one another, no matter how weird they could be at some point, as if her parents were the only one who understood themselves. But to Aeri, that only proved how her parents shared the same love for each other.

"Your real father had a different story though. You wouldn't even want to compare," Kyungmin added. "But if it weren't for him, despite all those stuffs he made us go through, you wouldn't be here now. So even if I hate him, I'd have to thank him for a fraction."

Aeri only stared, awed by her mom's heart, making her eyes well up a little.

"Mommy, did you ever regret your decision?" She subtly blinked her tears away.

"Which one? Marrying your father?" joked Kyungmin.

"Adopting me."

Kyungmin froze, mortified at Aeri's question. Then, she flicked the young lady's forehead.

"Yah!" Aeri held on the now reddened part to massage it. "What's with you and daddy flicking foreheads? Is it some kind of a ritual?"

"I'd go through the same painful thing again if I had to, just so I could be with you and your daddy right now, as is," Kyungmin told her without missing a beat. "Does that answer your question?"

Instead of answering, Aeri lurched forward and hugged her mom tightly.

"Aww, my poor baby got her first heartbreak." A tear fell on her cheeks. Kyungmin could clearly remember how Aeri was once so small and fragile, not even reaching the half of her. Now, after almost losing her, here she was, all grown-up.

How could Kyungmin regret anything now?

"I'm so lucky to have you and daddy," remarked Aeri.

"So who do I have to beat to death?" A deep voice echoed just outside the blurry glass door.

"Taehyung, I told you to get out!" Kyungmin yelled, and Aeri giggled. "Your father, really." Kyungmin sighed in exasperation.

Meanwhile, on Taehyung's side of the room, two small heads popped out of the door.

"Daddy!" The more awake of the two ran to his father. "Did something happen to noona? I can't find Mommy."

Taehyung momentarily blinked, not expecting them here since they should be preparing to go to bed. "No, your sister is okay. Mommy's with her."

"Taehyung, is that Taemin?" Kyungmin questioned from behind the bathroom door.

On the other hand, the little girl took small steps to her father, hugging her bolster. She tugged on his shirt whilst rubbing her eyes.

"Daddy, I can't sleep."

Taehyung crouched down to lift her daughter whilst Taemin began to run around Aeri's room and hopped on her bed.

"Taemin, don't mess with your sister's things," Taehyung gently scolded his son.

"Taehyung, is anything wrong there?" Kyungmin's voice called again.

"It's all fine," he informed her through the door. "I'm just going to bring the twins back to their room."

"Daddy, I want to sleep in your room with Mommy," the little girl said, leaning her head on Taehyung's shoulder.

"Daddy! Look! Noona has a cute plushie!" Taemin jumped out of bed to reach for her sister's collections—most of which were from those that Taehyung had bought when Aeri was a baby.

Before Taemin could reach it, Taehyung snaked his arm on Taemin's waist and lifted him up.

"Yaaay! I'm superman." He stretched his arms out, and Taehyung sighed exasperatedly.

Carrying two kids at once wasn't a problem, but with one of them running around all the time, it was a slight challenge.

Changing his mind, he shook his head and ambled back to the bathroom door.

"Actually, let's just gather in our room. When you two are done there, let's just watch a movie with the kids in our room. I don't think Taemin's going to calm down anytime soon."

Before leaving the room, Taehyung knocked on the door. "Aeri-yah! I'm not a girl and I don't really know how your minds work, but I'm your father. Don't forget that I'm also here for you, arasseo?"

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❝THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!❞