Epilogue (1/1)

The cherry tree has grown as long as the ground lets it. Its branches extend several meters towards the sky and are filled with small buds ready to bloom in the spring. There's still too many months left"Why do you think I can live with mom and mommy but not with Momo 'ka-chan?" Chaeyoung looks up and closes her eyes when some of the buds fall on her noseJust like the flowers and in a perfect example that time never forgives, Chaeyoung has grown. Tzuyu has too. Now Chaeyoung is ten years old while Tzuyu is eight. Their childhood innocence is still on the surface, the world changes around them: it innovates, corrupts, flourishes and withers quickly and slowly. Still in this time things are uncertain, people tremble at the idea of ​​a nuclear winter and a thick iron curtain divides the west from the eastThe sky has orange tints over the horizon when the two girls sit under the cherry tree. Tzuyu is wrapped in a thick white wool blanket, the winter breeze is chilly when there's no sun around. Chaeyoung tries to be braver so she's only wearing her pink strawberry-patterned pajamas, a gift from Momo in last christmas. On her head, the favorite baseball hat that's already wearing out"Maybe it's because Momo-chan and Sana-chan have Dahyun?"Tzuyu is focused, frowning as she tries to give her older sister the correct answer but has no idea if that's what Chaeyoung wants to hear as the girl just sighs deeply. Tzuyu can hear the confusion in her sigh“But mom and mommy had me and then you, Tzu-tzu. And we still live together""Every time we talk about that my head hurts..."Momo is Chaeyoung's favorite person: she still carries her on her shoulders and gives her long kisses, she knows about her love for strawberries so she gifts Chaeyoung everything related to the color red or her favorite fruit, it seems like Momo understands Chaeyoung like nobody ever does, even when the girl is a burst of mixed feelings caused by the change between childhood and teenage years"Argh!" Chaeyoung groans, throws her hat on the ground and pouts “I just want to see Momo 'ka-chan more times a week. She said we would travel to Hokkaido for the first snow but that was a week ago and she couldn't take me there 'cause mom told her it was dangerous""Tzuyu-ah, Chaeyoung-ah, have you seen the time?"Chaeyoung and Tzuyu look up at the front door of their house. It's wide open, they forgot to close it when they 'escaped' in the early morning to chat under the cherry tree and the noise of the whistling wind was enough for Jihyo to wake up minutes after them. A leather jacket over her pajamas and long, messy dark brown hair is clear evidence she just woke up"Oh no" Tzuyu whispers and tries to hide in her blanket to avoid being scolded"Sorry" Chaeyoung lowers her gaze "We're in trouble right?""No, of course not. You could've at least closed the door, you know? Is cold as heck out here and the heating inside isn't enough""Is mommy still asleep?""Yep""Good...we can make breakfast for her then” Tzuyu seems ecstatic at the very idea of ​​surprising Mina with some of her favorite foods"Need some help?" Jihyo says with a smile and reaches her hand to her youngest daugther. Tzuyu immediately grabs it and practically pulls the alpha towards the door. Chaeyoung, however, stays behind "Chaeyoungie? Are you coming?""Oh yeah, right" picking her hat off the ground, Chaeyoung quickly ran after Jihyo who was waiting for her despite Tzuyu whines ('Let's go~ If mommy wakes up right now everything will be ruined') The alpha takes off her heavy jacket in one swift movement and places it on Chaeyoung's shoulders.“You should wear thicker clothes when you're outside, little tiger. You can get sick and you'll end up with snot all over your chin"Chaeyoung laughs softly and closes her eyes when Jihyo leans in to kiss her forehead. She sees the alpha enter the house when Tzuyu keeps insisting they have to make breakfast before Mina wakes up since this is a surprise 'for the ages'Jihyo's jacket smells just like her, Chaeyoung sinks her nose into it as she makes sure to tuck her hands into the sleeves and stay warm. She likes the scent of her mother: oranges. It makes her feel happy and protected, like nothing else in the world would be able to hurt herIt might be greedy but...can she have two favorite people?"Tzuyu-ah, darling... Could you please not climb the trees?"Mina is immensely patient, beyond what's considered normal. Chaeyoung has seen it as the years go by. Jihyo quickly loses her temper and puts everything in its place like a drill sergeant but Mina isn't the same. They could set the house on fire in front of her eyes and she would still take the time to listen why they did thatMaybe that's why Chaeyoung doesn't want anything to happen to her. All of her protective instincts come into place when she's aroundMomo is her number one favorite person. Jihyo is number two but Mina has a special place in her heart: a corner just for her. A place that no one could ever take away from her, not in a lifetimeAs Tzuyu climbs down from one of the orange trees being careful not to slip and fall, Chaeyoung approaches Mina to hug her around the waist. Her head rests on her mother abdomen and the omega smiles wide before leaning in to kiss the top of her daughter head“What's wrong, Chaeyoungie? Are you okay?""Mhm"“Tell me what worries you. I can see that something isn't right"Chaeyoung doesn't know what to say. Tzuyu is her best friend and confidant, her partner in crime. There's nothing in the world that she does without Tzuyu by her side so her younger sister is the only one who listens to her when she feels confused by all the things that are inside her mind going from why she has three moms to why Dahyun is also her sister and ending on why she travels to Osaka from time to timeShe's embarrassed to talk about this with her mother especially when Momo tells her that she should take care of Mina every day and Jihyo reminds her that she has to be strong to protect her sisters from any danger. How is she going to take care of Mina if she still acts like a baby that must be pampered and loved by mommy?The scent of flowers permeating Mina's clothes makes Chaeyoung feel a lump in her throat. Tzuyu already ran to another spot in the house, probably looking for a way to annoy Nayeon or Jeongyeon with their bad jokes“Is it something from school? Did your sensei gave you a bad note for drawing on your desk?"Chaeyoung shakes her head several times, her voice barely heard"Can I… Can I visit 'ka-chan before the weekend?""You want to see Momo?"There is surprise in Mina's voice, one that's perhaps quite obvious judging by the way Chaeyoung tries to evade her gaze as if she thought said request was gonna get her in trouble. The girl, however, nods firmly and Mina combs her hair in order to sort the words within her mind"I want to see her""We have to ask mom"The very thought of having to discuss this with Jihyo makes Chaeyoung feel disappointed because she knows very well what the answer will be. Jihyo is demanding, she has well defined limits and these aren't broken or bent unless it's a life and death situation. Also, it's the middle of the week and the alpha is too busy with the crops and the bakery to drop everything and take Chaeyoung to Osaka. It's a long and tiring trip from Tainano"But we can call 'ka-chan, right?" Chaeyoung insists and looks up to double the efforts of trying to convince Mina "I can tell her to come visit me before the weekend and...""Unnie!" Tzuyu yells from across the house, her hands busy carrying a small sack full of dirt "Mom said we should put this in the back of the house!"Before Chaeyoung leaves to do the mandatory activities to get her allowance, Mina cradles her face between her hands and gives her a long kiss on the forehead. The omega's red lipstick is painted on the smooth skin and Chaeyoung smiles gently. It reminds her when she was a baby"I'm going to call Momo to come over but this is just between you and me, okay?""Mommy, can I get a kiss too?" Tzuyu drops the sack of dirt to the ground and runs to Mina who, smiling, fills her face with kisses over and over again until Tzuyu is asking her to stop because there are too many for her likingChaeyoung feels less worried for the moment. After all, Mina never fails her on her promisesMore out of need than tradition, Jihyo is usually the one who takes her daughters to bed. The wood house also changed over time, now it's more spacious than before so Chaeyoung and Tzuyu have their own shared room. Their mothers bought a bed for each one but, in a harmless little prank, the girls chose to put the beds together and sleep close to each other. One half of the room (belonging to Chaeyoung) was full of Tigers memorabilia and art materials while the other half (belonging to Tzuyu) is covered with things related to space, planets and space-travel that are so popular today.Mina takes advantage of the moment of peace and quiet at home to fulfill the promise she made to her oldest daughterChaeyoung inherited her introversion. She only spoke when something interested her and usually never complained about anything. Not even when Jihyo cooked some food that she didn't like or when she got in trouble with one of her classmates and Mina wanted to take this opportunity that her daughter gave her, trusting her with her eyes closed, to do things rightSo the omega picked up the only phone in the house and dialed every number from a certain place in OsakaIt rang once, twice. Mina checked over her shoulder to make sure Jihyo was still in their daughters' room."Yes?"Mina was grateful that it was exactly Momo who answered. If Dahyun had picked up the phone, as she did so many times before, Mina would've dropped everything just to start a conversation with the sweet and innocent little girl with whom she had so much in common"Hey, Momo. It's me... Are you busy?""Not really. I was about to make dinner. Is everything okay?"The brief silence that Mina left on the line made Momo interrupt"Did something happen to Chaeyoung?""No, no. She is fine but... today she told me she wanted to see you before the weekend""Did Jihyo ground her again? Momo's voice darkened in the blink of an eye "I swear this time I'm not holding back even if you ask me to""She just told me that she misses you" Mina tried to fix things before the relationship between the two alphas broke down in pieces, yet again "Something must be worrying her but you know how she is... she won't say a thing unless you ask. In that sense, she's just like you and you have no idea how much it makes me confused""Okay...all right" Momo says and sighs "I'll pick her up first thing in the morning. I want to surprise her so don't tell her anything and tell her that she shouldn't go to school too so we have more time"Almost as if her best friend could see her from behind the phone, Mina nods"See you tomorrow. Say hi to Sana and Dahyun"The omega can barely hang up the phone before Jihyo's footsteps are heard on the hardwood floor and soon warm arms wrap around her waist."Who's calling at this hour? Is there something wrong?"Mina closes her eyes when Jihyo kisses her neck, on top of her bonding mark, which by this point in life is already an old, fully healed scar."You remember Serizawa?""The crazy guy from Tokyo who sometimes speaks in german?""He's not crazy, Jihyo... he's sick""Sorry Sorry. What's wrong with him?"“He said that the tools we asked for will take longer because of the winter. At least two weeks to get here"Jihyo doesn't answer immediately and Mina tries to hide the anxiety crossing her body just by thinking about the possible scenario if Jihyo finds out that she was talking on the phone with Momo. They say you shouldn't do good things that seem bad and Mina tried not to get things misunderstood so quickly"That's strange" a new kiss on her neck distracts Mina from the excuses she is building in her mind "Some days ago, I ran into Yamada, his boss, and he told me that the order would arrive tomorrow"“Well, he said this time it's because of the weather. Did you hear that Hokkaido is covered in snow?"“Mhm… too bad we couldn't take the girls to see the first snow. I highly doubt they'll be excited to be caught in the middle of a blizzard" After a wide yawn, perhaps feigned, Jihyo takes Mina by the hand "Let's go to sleep... I'm absolutely exhausted"Mina follows her wife and before going to her own room she makes sure that her daughters are tucked in with a thick blanket. Finding them sleeping soundly, she can finally go to sleep“Who was that on the phone, mommy? Was it oka-chan?"Momo thinks her heart is going to break when Dahyun looks at her with huge, innocent, hopeful eyes. It's late at night but there are only two pairs of shoes at the door: Momo's boots and a scaled-down version of them for Dahyun. The Terrier that Momo rescued from the farm where she works, Boo, rests near the door. Sana seems to have another emergency and still hasn't come home from the hospitalThe number one reason Dahyun always picks up the phone is because she hopes Sana will be on the other end of the line and tell her about her daySo Momo leans over to the little girl and takes her in her arms, lifting her as high as she can and placing her on her waist. Dahyun immediately finds her place on the alpha's shoulder"Phew, when did you grow so much, Dahyunnie?" when Dahyun smiles, Momo thinks she has at least already managed to distract her a bit "Can you grow a little slower for me?""Why?""Because at this rate you'll be taller than me and then I won't be able to pick you up!"Dahyun pouts and doesn't say a word. Momo immediately fixes her words"Forget that, Dahyunnie. Mom will get in shape so you'll be my little baby until you're thirty. How does that sound?""Good" Dahyun smiles and nods firmlyThey both walk to the kitchen. Dahyun looks curiously towards the dinner Momo continues to prepare on the stove and hugs the alpha's neck, seeking to take refuge in the scent that's been her favorite since she was a baby"When will oka-chan return?"Momo sighs and makes sure to rub her nose against Dahyun's head, using her scent to soothe her“Dahyun… remember oka-chan is out there saving all the people who come to her hospital. Sometimes she won't be able to come home""I miss her"“I miss her too, buddy. A lot"The alpha turns off the stove and arranges her daughter position on her waist so she can remove some strands of hair from her forehead."You want to give her a call? I'm sure she'll be happy to hear you"Dahyun nods again and Momo walks over to the modern wall-mounted telephone near the kitchen. Sana had bought it a few weeks ago and Dahyun was amused when trying to dial the different numbersThey tried once. There was no answer"Tomorrow, we'll go visit Chaeyoungie"The little girl immediately seemed more excited than usual. Her sad aura gradually erased"Really?!""Really! So I want you to go to bed early to wake up early and you'll have lots of energy to play with Chaeyoungie all day"Momo was about to try for a new call when she heard a set of keys by the front door. The Terrier started to wag its tail and Dahyun quickly jumped off Momo's arms."It's oka-chan"Sana sighed, exhausted, when she opened the door of the house. She greeted Boo with a smile as she took off her shoes. However, as soon as she saw Dahyun the biggest of smiles was drawn on her face and she quickly lifted her daughter in her arms, holding back a groan as her tired muscles tensed"What are you doing awake, honey?"“I was helping mommy with dinner and I wanted to wait for you. I missed you"The omega filled the little girl's cheek with kisses and caressed her hair“Oka-chan is here now, Dahyun. I'm sorry I didn't call all day long but I was really busy. Can you forgive me?"With a brief movement of her head, Dahyun rested her face against Sana's shoulder and said no more. Sana crossed the room in just two steps to run to greet Momo who immediately received her with a long kiss on her lips and then one more on her forehead."How was your day?""Better now that I'm with you""Are you hungry?""I'm more tired than hungry but whatever you cooked smells really good"Dahyun doesn't eat a bite of dinner as she immediately falls asleep in Sana's arms. Momo is so busy being happy with her family that she completely forgets to tell Sana that tomorrow they'll be leaving for Tainano."But ... why can't I go to school today?"Chaeyoung rocks her feet back and forth as she sits on the chair at the table in the kitchen. Mina is preparing breakfast just for them. She took Tzuyu to school and tried not to wake up Chaeyoung so as not to ruin the plan she made with Momo. Jihyo, as always, woke up before the sun to help Nayeon with her morning routine"I want you to stay home with me""And why couldn't Tzu-tzu stay?""Because Tzu-tzu is younger than you and I need my sweet alpha girl to help me all day"Although Chaeyoung wasn't yet presenting herself as alpha or omega (and there was the slim chance that she would end up being a beta), Mina deeply trusted her own instinct that her oldest daughter would end up following Jihyo and Momo's footsteps. Seeing the smile on the girl face, who was excited to be like the people she idolized, Mina knew she managed to convince her"It's okay, mommy. I'll help you"Mina smiled at her as she placed a plate of maple-filled pancakes in front of her along with a small strawberry milkshake. Chaeyoung immediately started eating, so fast that Mina had to put a hand on her shoulder to make her stop. Before Mina could tell her anything else, she heard someone knock on the front door"Chaeyoungie, can you open the door please?"Cheeks puffed out from her breakfast, Chaeyoung nodded and walked to the front door making sure to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand to try and look good. Jihyo always put her best image on when it came to serving a customer so she should do the sameHowever behind the door was Momo and as soon as the alpha saw her daughter, she opened her arms to her. Chaeyoung jumped into her arms, her favorite hat fell to the ground and was forgotten"'Ka-chan!""Hey, Chaeng"“Mommy didn't tell me you were coming but this is great!"Momo just smiled wider, listening to Chaeyoung as patiently as she always did since she was a baby telling her the same stories about her favorite toys."A little birdie told me you wanted to see me. Is my hime okay? Are you hurt?"“No” Chaeyoung shook and leaned her head on Momo's shoulder, smiling softly when she felt a kiss on her cheek “But last week we couldn't see each other because of the snow storm, remember? So I missed you lots like...a lot!"Momo chuckles and softly rocks the girl in her arms"Well, well, you'll tell me all about that on the way home. Bring your backpack quickly, Dahyun is waiting for us in the car"The girl didn't need a single word to run to her room and prepare things just as Momo had ordered. Mina walked over to the door, picking up Chaeyoung's hat and hanging it near the door. In a true comedic style, Momo bowed to greet her and Mina bowed back"Miss Myoui""Miss Hirai, its nice to see you again"They both laughed briefly. Over Momo's shoulder, Mina could see the beautiful black Chevrolet Belair parked a few feet away from the driveway."Hello, Mina-unnie!"Dahyun leans out of one of the windows and waves her hand from side to side to greet Mina who waved back at her in the same fashion: with a wide smile"Oh my god, Dahyunnie is so cute! She's growing up so fast"“You don't say...she was a bit gloomy yesterday so we had to carry her in our arms all day long. Sana complained about a sore back and stuff""I know, I know...Tzuyu tends to be like that too. How's Sana by the way?"“Busy. She's working all the time” Momo seemed to lose her heart when she talked about it, pouting at the thought of her absent wife. “Since the orphanage became a hospital now she doesn't have time for anything. At least we can see her at night"Mina knows what Momo is talking about, that feeling is quite common for her regardless of the day. Even when Jihyo didn't have established shifts, there were days when she didn't come home other than to sleep and a part of her felt absent, lonely, as if something was constantly missing."I'm ready!" Chaeyoung ran back from the room with a red backpack hanging from one of her shoulders. Some of her clothes were falling off through the openings of one of the zippers but Mina was quick enough to stop her and make sure everything was in order.“We'll be back on Friday” Momo grabbed Chaeyoung's hand, the girl focused on humming a song “If there's a problem you can tell Jihyo to call me. Don't worry .. we'll solve it like adults""Momo" Mina warns her. Her tone isn't severe but it is firm and it only makes the alpha give her a side smirk "No fighting""Yeah, yeah no fighting... say goodbye to your mother, Chaeng""Bye mommy! I love you" Chaeyoung ran to hug Mina around the waist and the omega kissed her head a couple of times with a soft smile on her face"I love you too, baby. Have fun. I'll tell Tzuyu to call you when she gets back from school""Okay"Mina stood at the door with her arms crossed as she watched Chaeyoung take little hops, holding Momo's hand and immediately get into the car to show Dahyun the most recent drawings she made over the course of this week. Dahyun, of course, told her about the new Terrier puppy Momo had brought home and described it in luxurious detail so her older sister could draw him perfectlyThe Chevrolet left leaving behind only a cloud of dirt and smoke, the echo of its engine lost in the airMina looked at Chaeyoung's favorite hat hanging by the door and tried to come up with a good excuse for what she just allowedTzuyu had taken things better than Mina thoughtAs soon as the omega explained to the youngest of the family that Chaeyoung was spending some quality time with Momo and Dahyun and this time she couldn't go with them because they needed time alone, Tzuyu understood without throwing a tantrum or demanding anything. She even seemed to be happier with the extra attention Mina gave her while making dinnerBut as expected it was Jihyo who acted a bit...off"Mina... Where's Chaeyoungie?"It was around eleven at night when Jihyo came back home and immediately went to her daughters' room to wish them good night as she always did. She felt guilty that she was spending so little time with them when winter was supposed to be the time she was enjoying her 'vacation'. Jihyo wanted to put everything in order for spring and then enjoy as much quality time as possible.When she found Tzuyu alone, sleeping, and Chaeyoung's bed perfectly made she immediately went to her wife"I don't want you going to make a fuss, okay?" Mina sat in front of the fireplace, a cup of tea in her hands trying to make an effort to stay awake despite the pent-up fatigue in her body “Chaeyoung is with Momo. They went to Osaka this morning"The alpha looked at a small calendar on the wall. They're on the last hours of a Wednesday"But... she's not supposed to come in the middle of the week""Momo said she would bring her back on Friday""She can't take her just like that! They're meant to have a schedule""Jihyo... you said you wouldn't make a fuss"Jihyo put her hands on her waist before running a hand through her hair in frustration. Mina watched her pace around the room like a caged lion"And now what? Is she going to take Chaeyoung whenever she feels like seeing her? Mina, you both reached an agreement and said it would be every weekend. It's always been like that...Why are you changing your mind now?""Because Chaeyoung asked me to"The alpha stopped in her tracks"Chaeyoung... asked you?""Yes. She said she missed Momo so that's why I called her and you know Momo has no problem coming here. She even brought Dahyun to keep Chaeyoung company on the way"Jihyo sat on the couch a few steps from where Mina was. Traces of the toys Tzuyu had used remained on the ground. One of them was the stuffed tiger that Chaeyoung had since before she was born. Every day she used it less and by this point it was full of patches that Mina made over the years.“You should stop being so possessive with Chaeyoung. She isn't an object and deserves to visit Momo too""Possessive? Don't say that, please... I've never been possessive with Chaeyoung""Is that why you grounded her on the very day Momo would take her to the championship game?"The alpha tried to say something, whatever it was that would help preserve her dignity a bit. Said incident happened more than a month ago, Chaeyoung kept talking about how Momo promised her they would go to the stadium, with front-row seats and delicious popcorn, to one of the most important games of the year and that it would close out a great season Chaeyoung had followed minute by minute along with Momo. They promised not to miss any game and the championship match would be the end of their promise. She talked and talked and talked and her eyes lit up more and more as the day approached..."Chaeyoung got into a fight with a group of kids that day, Mina... shouldn't I show her limits?"“She's a girl, alpha. And you didn't even hear why she did it. She was trying to protect Tzuyu from those kids because they made fun of her and isn't that what you tell her every day? That she should protect her sisters?"Jihyo destroyed the career of prestigious omegas, led them to choose death more than the life of shame and misery their alphas put them through after learning of their cheating and yet nothing made her more guilty than having hurt Chaeyoung with something like thatShe could still hear how her daughter cried all night locked in the room and how Tzuyu did everything she could to try to comfort her. She still felt the punches and pleas of Mina who asked her to change her mind because this was something that she could not forgive. She still heard Momo's screams through the phone saying the words Jihyo always been afraid of."How dare you treat Chaeyoung like that when she's not your daughter?!"The alpha felt a lump in her throat as she grabbed the stuffed tiger in her hands. The unmistakable scent of Chaeyoung reached her and she clung to the toy with all her strength remembering that time when her daughter was a baby and ran towards her to hug and give her lots of butterfly kisses while putting her thumb to her mouth because the mere presence of Jihyo made her feel safe, protectedJihyo didn't even realize she was crying until she felt the salty taste of tears on her lips"I wish I could stop time" said the alpha biting her lip to keep from sobbing "That's all I want. I don't want Chaeyoung to get away from me and I'm just trying to show her how much I love her, so she knows she doesn't have to run to Momo when she needs someone but… I guess it's not something that I can change"Mina ran to her side, wiping her tears over and over again“When are you going to understand this isn't a competition? Chaeyoung loves you as much as she loves Momo and she doesn't have to choose"Jihyo lowers her gaze, still ashamed of what she did and said but she knows she can apologize a thousand times and no one will believe her until her actions exceed her words. Mina kisses her on the lips, warm and healing as only she can, and then hugs her tightly"I don't like when you cry, Jihyo..." Mina muttered as she pressed her forehead to her wife's."Then don't make me cry" Jihyo replied with a smile, taking advantage of the closeness with Mina to steal another kiss slightly longer than the previous one."Is okay… tomorrow you can call Chaeyoung, I'm sure Momo won't mind. You know she has no grudge against you, right?""I know""We need to rest, Jihyo. Tomorrow will be another day. I'm sorry""It's okay, love...I get it know"The long night suddenly became too short and Jihyo felt less guilty"So I asked Tzu-tzu why you couldn't come home more often if you were also supposed to be my mom and she said her head always hurts when we talk about it"Sana sighs after a long and heavy day at work. She hangs her coat near the front door, brushing off some snowflakes that barely fell after getting out of the car. The little Terrier greets her, jumping up and down and she gets down to his level to play a bit before realizing there's an extra pair of shoes next to Momo and Dahyun'sUnlike the inexpensive apartment they rented in Tainano, the house in Osaka was huge: living room, kitchen, dining room, even a guest room plus a garage big enough for both of their cars. Over the years the surrounding neighborhood had changed but their home remained intact"Momoring? Dahyun-chan? "She can barely see Momo's silhouette peeking over the sofa in the living room when Dahyun already runs into her arms asking for a hug. Of course the girl is older now and she's meant to be a 'big girl' but Sana always remembers her daughter is barely eight years old and that she needs her mother as much as any other child her ageBut that doesn't mean Dahyun has a certain dislike for the attention Sana gives her"That's enough!" the girl whines, putting her hands between her and the omega "No more, no more!"“Aww, my Dahyunnie doesn't want my kisses? I guess I'll have to give them to someone else then...""I volunteer" Momo raises her hand and Sana immediately runs towards her and her smile only grows wider when she realizes that Chaeyoung is sitting on her lap."Chaeng!" In the great way Sana has of not controlling the level of affection she gives, she pulls Chaeyoung's cheeks before kissing her on the forehead "Oh no, I completely forgot you would come...is it Friday already?!"Momo lets out a laugh and pulls Sana closer to her to greet her with a kiss before patting the empty spot on the couch right next to them"Chaeng wanted to see me because she has a question"Chaeyoung nods several times as Sana looks completely interested in whatever she has to say. Dahyun, despite whining at first, quickly snuggles into Sana's arms."Oh really? What is it?""Why can't 'ka-chan live with me?"Sana looks at the alpha with doubtful eyes but Momo just shrugs as if it doesn't matter."Do you think I should tell her, Sana-chan?"The omega nods carefully, almost unsure of her own response."It's complicated ..." Momo tapped her older daughter's nose, who never stopped looking at her with curious eyes "But you're very smart so I'll tell you""What are they talking about, mom?" Dahyun whispers in Sana's ear"You'll see" The omega responds in the same tone as if Momo couldn't hear her. She knows Dahyun might be confused with this whole relationship thing. For her, Chaeyoung has always been her older sister no matter where she livesChaeyoung is so interested as Momo talks that it's almost comical. It even seems like she's not breathing just to not miss any detail“Look, hime... sometimes things happen and you can't control them and those things sometimes separate people. The war separated me from Mina and therefore we fell in love with other people and built other lives because we thought we lost each other""Did you fall in love with Sana-chan?""Yeah, that's right""And did my mommy fall in love with my mom?""Exactly"The girl went silent for a moment. Sana had to bite her lip to keep from laughing because she could easily see the gears in Chaeyoung's mind turning around and trying to process what was being said to her. Momo just told her she was smart so she couldn't screw it up"I get it now. Go on, 'ka-chan""You realize there are many ways to love and care for people, right?" A nod from her daughter was the signal Momo needed to know she understood "Jihyo takes care of you but that doesn't mean she'll stop taking care of Tzuyu-chan""Mom always says she loves us both""That's right... therefore even if I don't live with you it doesn't mean I don't love you""It means you love me in a different way and you also have to take care of Sana and Tzuyu, that's why you should stay with them"With a face full of pride, Momo kisses the side of Chaeyoung's head.“That's right, my beautiful Chaeyoungie. That's exactly what I wanted to tell you"Chaeyoung is satisfied with the answer. It's like the weight she carried on her shoulders for so, so long has been finally lifted off. She immediately hugs Momo and tries to forget all this conversation because she finally understands the question haunting herShe's quick to change the subject"Dahyunnie, you want to hear how Tzu-tzu and I almost crashed into Mom's broken-down truck?""What are you talking about?!" Momo interrupts her with genuine concern on her face "What kind of stuff are you doing when I'm not around?!"Sana and Dahyun laugh out loud the more Chaeyoung tells her storyChaeyoung comes home on Friday morning just like Momo promised. The goodbye is brief when the alpha realizes Jihyo is at the door waiting for her. Momo wants to avoid a fight so she just greets her arch rival with a shake of hands and kisses Chaeyoung's cheek, promising she will come for her next FridayTzuyu is still in school. Mina went to pick her up no more than twenty minutes ago"Welcome home, Chaeyoungie" Jihyo tells her while hugging her tightly. She waited impatiently for her daughter. When she feels Chaeyoung's arms surrounding her it's enough to make her cryChaeyoung let out a big yawn and walked over to one of the couches in the classic living room, leaned back on them, taking off her shoes first, and was ready to sleep even though she still had her dirty clothes on, ruined after a whole day of playing catch with Dahyun... she didn't feel like talking after hours of travel nor did she feel like eating any of her favorite foodsSoon, the girl felt a pair of hands holding her by the waist and quickly opened her eyes. Jihyo had taken her in her arms and carried her to her shared room"Mom?""Yes?""I'm dirty…""I know""I thought you hated that""Don't worry, Chaeyoungie. I know you're tired so its better you get some sleep and then you can take a bath"The little girl put her hands behind her mother's neck, burying her face in the crook of her shoulder, while Jihyo put a hand behind her back. Since that night she spoke to Mina, Jihyo promised to be less demanding of Chaeyoung. She didn't want her hero position to collapse so easily"You smell… funny" Chaeyoung muttered, more asleep than awake"Funny?""Yes… like… the tasty thing that Dahyun helped you bake and we ate on Sunday when it snowed and they were sticky and then you made us all take a bath because we were so sticky too and mommy put some icing on the tip of your nose and then she gave you a little kiss like the ones she gives us before we go to school"Jihyo quickly tried to remember what the hell they had eaten on Sunday that smelled “funny” Her memory centered on the cake she been experimenting with for a long time…"I smell like oranges?""Yes, that. You've never used that perfume before, mom. It suits you..."The alpha wasn't wearing any perfume so...That explained a few things to Jihyo. If Chaeyoung could identify scents so easily and so suddenly it only meant she would soon end up as an alpha or an omega. Mina was never wrongThey were just a few steps away from the shared room when Chaeyoung clung to her mother"Mom?""Mhm?""Can I sleep with you until Tzu-tzu comes home? I don't want to be alone... I don't like the silence in our room"Caressing the back of the oldest of her daughters, Jihyo nodded silently and they both walked to the alpha's room. Alpha knew she would have to take a bath to remove all the dirt and mud her daughter had left on her clothes but she didn't really care when this reminded her a lot of past years and happier memoriesJihyo liked the innocence that Chaeyoung showed. It was like rescuing those years of her childhood where they were so close and Jihyo couldn't let go of them so easily. At least now she could see Chaeyoung had never stopped loving her like back thenShe placed a kiss on her daughter's head and lay back on the bed with Chaeyoung curled up next to her. Like this, even Jihyo herself could fall asleep"Sleep well, Chaeyoungie. Dream about strawberries and everything you like"Chaeyoung giggles softly before closing her eyes and indulging in sleep.It wasn't so difficult to have two favorite peopleA/N: So this story officially ends here hehe and I wanna thank all the people who read and commented along this hell of a journey. I'm glad I could finish it and I'm also glad for all the love it got <3Since I found some plot holes here and there, I might publish some side stories but for now the main plot it's done. Thank you so much for reading and for being patient with every late update :) you guys are the best