paste you to the pages of my heart

Chapter Fourteen

Nayeon is starting to look forward to Minji's weekends with Mina.

Mostly because of how taken Minji is with her mama to the point that Nayeon feels as though Minji has known Mina all her life, not just weeks.

But... if Nayeon is being honest with herself, it's also because she's starting to enjoy Mina's company again.

And she knows it's a dangerous slope—one that can lead to a potential heartbreak all over again, and Nayeon is sure her heart can't handle another one as devastating as when Mina left—but she's also powerless against the pull of her attraction to Mina. Helpless against the... 'affection' that threatens to swallow her whole whenever she watches Mina smile at Minji as if she's the most precious being in the world.

Nayeon is only human. And despite the real possibility of Mina being with someone that isn't her, Nayeon can't deny herself the pleasure of being in Mina's company. Even with the... hug incident last Wednesday—which Nayeon has decidedly scrubbed out of her mind.

Yup. Momo will absolutely murder her. Or bury her alive.

But this is the third consecutive week that it's just Nayeon, Mina, and Minji, and if Momo was serious about creating a safe distance between Nayeon and Mina, then she should be here, entertaining Nayeon.

But she's not, so who can blame Nayeon for spending her afternoon with Mina and Minji on a blanket in their now favorite park?

Mina's quiet voice gently pulls Nayeon out of her reverie and she's just in time to hear Mina saying, "Minji-yah, mama made this for you."

In Mina's hand is a sky blue knitted beanie that Nayeon already knows Minji will wear out with how much she's going to use it from now on—all because it came from her mama.

"A hat!" Minji exclaims as she excitedly takes the beanie from Mina's hold.

Mina's smile is fond as she gently corrects Minji, "It's called a beanie, sweetheart."

"Beanie," Minji repeats, smiling adorably at the beanie in her hands like her mama just gifted her an actual penguin. "Thank you, mama!"

Mina smiles so wide at Minji that her eyes turn into crescent moons and Nayeon feels her heart melt into a useless puddle at the love dripping from Mina's answer, "You're welcome, Minji-yah."

Nayeon being Nayeon decides to focus her attention somewhere else before she herself melts into a puddle of goo. Mina and Minji are just too endearing together and her heart can only take so much cuteness in one day.

Her eyes fall upon the beanie in Minji's hands and Nayeon realizes that it's actually handmade. Probably by Mina herself.

It even has a little penguin head on the side and Nayeon swears it's as if Mina's doing everything in her power to render Nayeon defenseless against her charms.

Because while Nayeon knows Mina has always had the affinity to make handmade gifts, it's the little details, the personalization in her crafts that make them so special for Nayeon.

It reminds her of how much Mina remembers the little things about someone and puts thoughts behind every action, every gift.

Mina's always been genuine like that.

The pang of yearning in Nayeon's chest isn't new. What is new is the sudden want to throw her hands around Mina, bury herself in the crook of her neck, and whisper how much she—

Nayeon shakes her head to rid of the intrusive thought—she's having more slips lately, shit—and simply poses a question to her daughter to distract herself. "Minji, sweetie, did you see the penguin?"