The Long Fall

twelve

I took a deep breath, looking at my reflection in the mirror. The beautiful red gown flowed from my limbs and the pins slid in my hair were shimmering with the appearance of stars. It was something I'd pictured for years, but it appeared better than my dreams as I stood before myself today.

A traditional wedding was held, both of us in red and bowing before the crowd. We had kept it as simple as possible, with only family and friends allowed in, but we knew something would leak to the press despite our efforts.

After the wedding, we decided to have a reception where I'd wear a white wedding dress for more photos. Tao couldn't keep his hands off of me and constantly held my waist. I let him have his way, happy to have him in my life again despite still missing Kai a lot.

"Sheng'er, I've got a surprise for you." Tao suddenly whispered, grabbing my hand and dragging me away from the table. We left the hall and went into a smaller room, where I gasped at what I saw.

"Luhan Ge! Yixing Ge!" I exclaimed excitedly, running up to them and hugging both of them. "I haven't seen either of you for so long? How have you two been?"

"I haven't been doing much, but I've missed seeing you. I haven't seen you since you were sixteen. You're a lovely young woman now." Luhan replied, examining the pins in my hair. "You're dress was very pretty too. I made sure to take a pic to share with my girl. For ideas, of course."

"Same, I took lots of pictures of you and your happy day. I'm sure the boys will be happy to see you." Lay added, smiling happily at the mention of his group mates. "Kai says congrats, and he's happy that you'll be able to live your life from now on."

"How is he?" I asked, earning a smile.

"His solo work is amazing. He misses you, of course, but knows that there was no other way for anything to work out." Lay replied, making me smile a little.

"Tell him that she's in good hands," Tao said, hugging me from behind with a jealous pout.

"Let me take a picture of this as well, Baekhyun would love it!" Lay replied, making us all laugh while his camera flashed.

After a few more minutes, they had to return to their schedules and escape from the wedding reception without being seen by the press. Tao and I returned to the party hall and enjoyed the rest of the evening with our guests.

When we got to our house, we both collapsed on the bed in exhaustion. I chuckled at him, flipping over to look down at him as he smiled and looked up at me.

"You look very handsome in a tuxedo," I whispered, smiling as I played with the buttons of his shirt.

"And you're like an angel in that dress." He replied, flipping us over so that he was above me. "I'm very happy that you have forgiven me for everything I'd done."

"Don't bring that up and ruin the mood," I complained, sighing a bit. "I'd rather you just kiss me."

"I will obey you, Sheng'er." He quickly replied, smiling as he kissed me.

It was a few months later when I realized that I had gotten pregnant. I was worried, mostly because Tao was on a tour at the moment and wouldn't be home anytime soon. I felt alone again since his mother was also falling ill and I had to care for Chenying on my own.

"Babe, what's wrong? You seem upset today." Tao asked, looking at me with concern through the camera.

"Would you be okay if I had another baby?" I asked, making him smile and chuckle.

"The laws have changed since our births. I will gladly have three children with you." He answered, relieving some of my worries. "Is that why you look like you've lost some sleep?"

"Am I that ugly?" I asked, holding my cheeks and hiding. He chuckled again, and I revealed my face to him. "Yes, I've been so worried about it that I haven't slept well. But, Chenying can sense it as well, and it's upsetting her sleep as well, making it harder for me to rest."

"You're so strong. I believe in you, Sheng'er. We'll get through it together." He replied, smiling happily.

By the time he made it home from his tour, I gave birth to a healthy little boy, which we named Chenwei. Chenying, who was now about two years old, was happy to have a little brother. But we could tell that she was a little avoidant as well, so we made an appointment with the doctor to see if there were any issues we'd be able to help solve.

"I've examined and watched her movements as well, and I believe it is safe to say the following diagnosis." The doctor said, holding the file open in his hands. Chenying sat playing with a toy in the corner of the office, not even saying a thing.

"How is she?" I asked, holding onto Tao for support.

"The girl is on the autism spectrum." He stated, making my heart ache.

"Is it because of the failed abortion I was given during her pregnancy?" I asked, earning a solemn nod.

"Research has stated that failed abortions can lead to neurological issues in the child. It's no surprise that this occurred, but it's not a bad thing." He answered, smiling a bit. "She can still be a good human in society, she will just be her own person. There's no need to try to fit in a box, so don't force it. Let her be, and she'll bloom as a person."

After a few more minutes of talking, we thanked the doctor and made our way back home. I was anxiously biting my fingers, nervous for the future.

"We'll be okay. She'll be fine." Tao said, kissing my forehead as he pulled my hands from my lips. "Do you want to tell Kai? About everything?"