Yuna Inspired: Our Virtual Family

099

"Hana."

Hana's eyes fluttered at the whisper of her name, but she was too sleepy to distinguish who was calling her, so she flipped her body around on the uncomfortable object her body laid against. "Yeah?"

"Give me your keys," the person continued to whisper, and a hand calmly patted her arm. "I need to put Lucas in his bed."

She shot up at the mention of her son's name. In front of her was Logan, and they, along with Lucas, were in his car. She had fallen asleep during the car ride back home because today's walk on memory lane had not only been emotionally exhausting but physically too.

Especially when they had stayed at the Daycare for the rest of the day to catch up on old times. They did origami, played with clay, and Logan invited a clown to entertain the kids. He even dropped off a few of his company's toys—new and not yet on sale—for the kids and the center. After the tiring day and before the kids were to leave, he made sure he fed them with their favorite foods.

"Sorry, I fell asleep," said Hana, rubbing her eyes. She rummaged through her purse for her keys and told Logan that she could wake Lucas up instead and for him to head home, for it was late already, but he wouldn't allow her and offered to take Lucas in.

With no energy to say otherwise, she agreed and followed his suggestion. They got inside the house, and she stood at her son's bedroom door to watch Logan put him to sleep on his bed, making her recall the mixed emotions she had encountered today, specifically regarding the Daycare Center.

Logan released a satisfied sigh after the hard labor of tucking in a child almost half his size. To the sleeping boy, he whispered, "Night, little buddy." He then smiled at her and walked her out of the bedroom and to the door.

"Why didn't you use the key you had secretly copied?" she asked him, blandly. She was sure he had made multiples of it because they knew he wouldn't be satisfied with one copy.

"I gave it back to you. On top of your dresser."

"What about the rest?"

"I only made one." He flashed a smile. "Honest."

She lightly scoffed in utter surprise. "What made you do that?"

He stood still at his spot and locked eyes with her. "I don't want the key to your house anymore. I want something else."

"What?"

"The key to your heart."

She looked away in dismay, and a thorn throbbed in his chest.

To change the subject to not leave on an awkward note, he said, "I hope today wasn't too much. If it was, I'm not apologizing." It was in a joking manner, but they knew he meant it too.

"You don't have to. Lucas enjoyed it."

A momentary pause.

"And...me too," she quietly added.

He slightly smiled. "But it didn't look like that though."

She furrowed her brows at him, wanting an explanation.

"I know there were a lot of reasons for what you must have felt today, but it looked like you were forcing a smile."

Her stomach churned at his blunt but true, sharp-eyed commentary.

"Even if you were enjoying your time with us, you weren't with us—emotionally and mentally."

"Logan, I—"

"You don't have to say anything, I know." This time, he forced a smile at her. "You don't want to have anything to do with what we had." His hand reached for the doorknob, and her hand rapidly covered his.