To the end

13

Try to make things right

Kim’s grip on the phone tightened when he heard Vegas’s voice, a mix of disbelief and longing filling him.

"Kimhan..." Vegas whispered, his voice both comforting and haunting.

"Vegas," Kim gasped, his heart pounding in his chest. "Where are you? I need to know. I’ll come get you, wherever you are."

"You can’t," Vegas replied, his voice laced with regret. "It’s too dangerous. I’m trapped here, and they’re watching everything... watching you."

Kim’s blood ran cold. "Who’s watching me?"

"Our enemies. The ones who want to see us torn apart," Vegas said quietly. "I can't risk you coming here, Kim. Not yet."

Kim’s frustration surged. "I don’t care about the risk! You’re my family, Vegas. I’ll tear the world apart to find you!"

"You have to trust me," Vegas responded softly. "My friend is helping. He’ll send letters every weekend, updating you on my situation. It’s the only way right now."

"Letters?!" Kim’s voice cracked, overwhelmed by the helplessness in the situation. "I don’t want letters. I want you. The kids want you!"

"I know," Vegas replied, his voice heavy with emotion. "But if you make any move now, they’ll come after you, after the kids. I can’t let that happen. Please, just hold on."

" how was our kids?"

Kim’s chest ached with every breath. "The kids... they remember your birthday.They wished happy birthday to your picture. I ...can’t keep doing this, Vegas. We need you here."

"I’ll be back, Kim. I swear it. One more month, just hold on a little longer," Vegas pleaded.

Kim blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over. "I can’t wait that long... I miss you every day. I love you, Vegas. More than anything."

"I love you too, Kim," Vegas whispered, his voice full of sorrow and longing. "I miss you all so much."

And just like that, the line went dead, leaving Kim staring at the phone, his heart shattered but clinging to the faint hope of seeing Vegas again.
....

Kim stood at the top of the stairs, watching as the kids, dressed in new clothes, excitedly prepared to leave. They were buzzing with energy, their laughter echoing through the house.

Venice looked up, smiling brightly. "Ken said he's giving us a birthday treat! Can we go?"

Kim’s heart tightened. The excitement in their voices, the joy in their eyes—it wasn’t for Vegas. It wasn’t for the man he still loved.

He swallowed hard, fighting the rising anger. "No," he said firmly, his voice betraying the tension.

leiah stopped, confused. "But, why?"asked innocently.

Kim inhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm. "We’re not going to see Ken today. We’re going outside... somewhere else."

"But we were going to see Ken!" they protested, their excitement faltering.

Kim clenched his fists. The thought of them being more thrilled about Ken’s birthday than remembering Vegas tore at him. He shook his head, his voice harsher than intended. "I said no. We're not going to Ken. We're doing something else."

The kids fell silent, looking up at him with wide eyes, sensing the sudden shift in his mood. Kim could see the confusion on their faces, the hurt they didn’t understand. His heart ached for them, but his anger at the situation—the fact they had forgotten so much about Vegas—boiled over.

He turned away, voice softer now but still tense. "Get ready. We’re leaving soon."

As he walked away, the guilt gnawed at him. He didn’t want to take his frustration out on the kids. But the pain of not remebering Vegas, of feeling like he was the only one still holding on.

Kim drove them to the orphanage, the weight of the day heavy on his heart. Venice and Leiah were unusually quiet in the backseat, their earlier excitement fading as they pulled up to the old building. The orphanage stood quietly, surrounded by an air of sadness that the kids immediately felt.

Venice wrinkled his nose as he stepped out of the car. "I don’t like it here," he muttered under his breath.

Leiah glanced around nervously, holding onto her brother’s arm. "Why are we here, Dad?" she asked, her voice small.

Kim sighed, nodding to the orphanage staff who approached to help unload the car’s trunk. They pulled out bags filled with donations—clothes, toys, food—things Kim brought every year in memory of Vegas.

"Come on," he urged, motioning for them to follow. "There’s something important I want you to know."

Venice crossed his arms. "But why here? It’s creepy."

Kim paused, glancing at them before speaking gently, but firmly. "Because I always come here on your dad's birthday. It's something he would do if he were here. You both need to know about him—about the kind of man your father was."

Leiah frowned, her hand still clinging to her brother. "What does this place have to do with him?"

Kim’s voice softened as he crouched down to their level, looking them in the eyes. "Your dad… Vegas cared about this place. He helped people here when no one else would. And today, we’re here to do the same, to remember him."

The kids shifted uneasily, not entirely understanding but sensing the deep emotion in Kim's words. Venice stared at the ground, while Leiah glanced around again, still unsure but quieter now.

Kim stood up, the weight of Vegas's absence heavier than ever. "I know this isn't what you expected, but you need to know the kind of heart your father had. He never forgot the people who needed help, and neither should we."

Kim found himself surrounded by the children from the orphanage, their faces lighting up as he shared stories, laughed, and played with them. The joy in their eyes reminded him of the times when Vegas had done the same. The kids at the orphanage adored him, flocking to him with smiles and giggles, their happiness filling the space around him.

Venice and Leiah, however, stood off to the side, clearly uncomfortable. Their expressions were sullen, and they exchanged glances of confusion. They weren’t used to seeing Kim like this—so animated, so immersed in a world that wasn’t theirs. It didn’t feel like the birthday celebration they had imagined.

Leiah tugged at Kim’s sleeve after a while, her voice soft but insistent. “Papa, can we go home now?”

Venice nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we don’t like it here.”

Kim’s smile faltered for a brief moment as he looked down at them. He could see their discomfort, their wish to leave this place they didn’t understand. But his heart was heavy with the memory of Vegas, and he wasn’t ready to go. He wanted them to understand, to feel the importance of this day as he did.

“No,” Kim said firmly, his voice gentle but unyielding. “We’re staying a bit longer.”

Leiah pouted, her brows knitting together. “But why, Papa? We don’t like it.”

Kim crouched down in front of them, his expression soft but serious. “I know this isn’t what you wanted. But this is important. This is what your dad would do on his birthday. Helping these kids, making them smile—that’s how I keep his memory alive. And one day, I hope you’ll understand why it means so much.”

The kids looked away, still unhappy but unable to argue with the sadness they saw in their father's eyes. Venice crossed his arms, clearly frustrated, while Leiah shifted uneasily on her feet.

Kim stood back up, giving them a reassuring smile, though his heart was heavy. "Just a little longer, okay? Then we’ll go home."

As Kim returned to the orphanage kids, laughter still surrounding him, Venice and Leiah remained distant, longing for the familiarity of home. But Kim knew this was a lesson they needed to learn—the importance of remembering Vegas, not just as a distant memory, but as a part of their lives they couldn’t forget.