One More Time

12

The lamp on the bedside table was the only source of light in the entire room and Miyeon was sitting in bed, reading a book. She glanced at the clock on the wall, it was past midnight and Minnie nowhere to be found yet again, that became their new habit now. The thai woman would stay at work until late before coming home and just falling on the bed and sleeping right away; Miyeon was used to that by now. 

But that night was different, somehow.

She turns the page of the book as she hears the sound of the front door opening and the noise of Minnie's keys as she walks around the living room before locking the door again, and the older woman stayed in bed waiting for the other to come in and mumble some excuse about coming late again but there was nothing, just silence and Miyeon frowned as Minnie didn't come to their room, there was only silence and so Miyeon stood up, putting her book aside on top of the bedside table before quietly leaving the room, not wanting to wake Minji up; She was worried Minnie came home drunk, she never done that before, and couldn't walk up the stairs on her own and the idea of that happening made her worry; With a frown between her eyebrows she made her way across the hallway.

However, it was a faint light coming from Minji's room that caught her attention, the door was half open and so Miyeon made her way there and found Minnie sitting near the bed, playing with Minji's hair who slept peacefully. The Thai woman was watching their child with this strange look on her face that Miyeon couldn't quite explain, she always looked at her like her most precious treasure and it was the same now, but there was something else this time, but Miyeon didn't know what. 

"Minnie?" She called, softly and the woman didn't look at her, at least not right away but she acknowledged her presence. "Is everything okay?" 

"Yeah…" The other mumbled before she stood up. "It's just… It's been a really stressful day." 

Miyeon offered her hand. 

"Come. Let's get you something to drink before bed." 

Minnie seemed to hesitate and looked at Minji again before she felt Miyeon approaching her holding her hand.

"She'll still be here tomorrow, let's go." She told her, turning off the lamp on the bedside table and guiding the other out of the room; Minnie was unusually quiet that night, she didn't try to explain why she was late like she usually did, and she could tell from her expression that something was off. 

She took Minnie into their kitchen downstairs and the thai stood by the kitchen island while Miyeon walked around and opened the fridge and grabbed the milk carton as she glanced at her wife. 

"Did something happen at work?"

"No. Everything was fine." 

Miyeon nodded, not convinced, as she prepared some warm milk for the other, it always helped Minnie to get some sleep when she came back later than usual; Minnie on the other hand silently watched Miyeon walk across the kitchen, and Miyeon could feel her gaze on her and her moves, but she didn’t say anything until the other did; She couldn’t understand her behavior that night, quiet and she seemed to be deep in her thoughts but her eyes kept on watching Miyeon while her fingers silently tap against the kitchen island, Like she wanted to say something but didn’t know how so she only settle to staring at the other woman in silence and Miyeon had no idea how to process the sudden shift. There was never a moment of awkwardness between them since their flirting days, several years ago, now however it is like there was unsaid things between the both of them and neither Miyeon or Minnie knew how to break the ice between them.