A/N. I'M SORRY, WATTPAD ISN'T SENDING EVERYONE NOTIFICATIONS FOR MY STORY. 🍳👸🏼 I think a lot of people missed Niagara falls part 4, and the part about Felix won't make sense unless you read it.~
That afternoon, Chan walked around the house, observing all his "kids."
He walked by the window overlooking a patio area.
Outside sat Mina and Changbin. The two of them had just come back from going on a run together, and now they were just peacefully sitting outside. They almost seemed like they didn't have a care in the world, like they were detached from everyone, but simultaneously gave the impression that they were both capable of solving all of the world's problems, and would come to the aid of anyone who needed them. Like the silent heroes of every movie. The ones who are always just there, neither a part of the drama nor totally avoidant of it. The ones who keep their mouths shut all the time, but as soon as you ask for help, they have the perfect solution because they've observed everything about you.
Chan smiled peacefully.
He made his way to the kitchen and peeked around the corner.
Hyunjin and JoJo had just come back from church. Hyunjin sat at the table with JoJo sitting on his knee, wrapping her arms around his neck. Love radiated from the two of them all the time. They seemed as deeply connected as any couple could possibly be. They had something special together.
Chan smiled lovingly and cringed at how cute they were, and he moved on to the living room.
Jisung and Lani sat on the floor with Teddie sitting up in between them.
They were laughing and giggling at everything he was doing. They were the definition of young love. They definitely seemed a bit immature, and they were somewhat awkward and clumsy together. But they complimented each other well. Seeing them together made one yearn to be so young and joyful.
Chan chuckled joyfully and went upstairs to find Felix.
Felix was sitting on the bed, holding Elliot, and Juno was standing in front of him with a paper that had drawings of fruit on them.
"You see? THEEEESE are fruits. I put a big "x" over the yogurt. Yogurt is not a fruit. You understand?" Juno scolded patiently.
Felix nodded his head and chuckled.
Elliott also nodded, although he looked more confused than anything.
Chan smiled patiently, not sure what was going on, and went to find Seungmin. He was in the hallway, talking with Amelia.
Compared to everyone else in the house, the two of them seemed so mature. As if somehow, THEY were the only adults here right now. Of course, not everyone was, in fact, immature, but Amelia and Seungmin both had personalities that seemed a little more experienced. Like nothing really fazed them. Despite Seungmin being the same age as Felix and Jisung, he acted more at ease with life. More calm. More content to stand in hallways having conversations about what kind of wood was used to construct the house they were standing in. Amelia, ever experienced in feigning interest in things she didn't really care about, offered nods and humms as she too looked around at the walls.
Chan chuckled a bit as he brushed past them. He went into the bedroom with the bunk bed.
"Hey." He said to Jeongin, who was sitting with Eden, telling stories about what Korea was like.
Jeongin looked up and smiled. "Hi, dad."
Chan went in and sat down beside them.
"Daddy, Jeongin told me that in Korea, he works in a really tall building and that in the morning, you can watch the sunrise from his window!" Eden said excitedly.
"Wow. That must be really beautiful." Chan said.
"Yeah. And when I grow up, I'm going to move there and work there too." Eden said.
Chan's heart pricked. He never liked the feeling he got when he thought about the fact that the kids would grow up and leave. But he put on a happy face, always trying to encourage their dreams, even if it would be hard for him. He turned to Jeongin.
"Do you like your job?" He asked.
Jeongin nodded.
"Do you think you'll stay in Korea then?" Chan asked, not wanting to sound sad.
Jeongin nodded again. "Why? Will you get all sappy because of it?" He teased.
Chan laughed. "Maybe." He said. "But I'm happy for you. I'm really glad everything is working out for you."
Jeongin nodded again. "Dad?" He whispered.
"Yeah?" Chan whispered back.
"Umm. I love you. That's all." Jeongin said quickly.
"I love you too." Chan smiled.
"And I love BOTH of you." Eden giggled, trying to feel included.
Jeongin ignored her, but not on purpose.
"I'm thankful." He said to Chan.
"For what?" Chan asked.
"That you made me go. I'm really thankful. And I mean, I'm thankful for all the things you've done, but right now, I just mean... I'm thankful that you... Were kind of hard on me. Because. . ." He started, suddenly remembering that Eden was right there. "Because it helped me to fix my life." He laughed, minimizing the seriousness of what he was saying.
But Chan understood how deep the sentiment was. He gulped and stopped his lip from trembling. "I'm just glad that you're living a good life, and you're making good choices. Do you feel happy?"
Jeongin hummed. "I feel. . . Important."
Chan nodded.
"Not that I didn't feel Important here, I-" Jeongin started backtracking.
"I know." Chan assured.
"It's just that right now it feels like I have a purpose? But I don't want you to feel bad and-"
"Innie, I don't feel bad. I wanted you to go and find yourself. What I want more than anything is what's best for you." Chan said sincerely.
Jeongin nodded, a small smile creeping onto his face. "Okay."
"You said you were going to tell me about the palace! You went to the palace!" Eden reminded.
"Oh. Right." Jeongin said.
"Were there princesses?" She asked.
"There were lots of girls dressed up in fancy hanbok. They all looked like princesses!" Jeongin said.
"Oooooooh." Eden said, nodding her head.
Chan smiled as he stood back up and walked out of the room.
~
Also, shout out to
United States 🇺🇸
India 🇮🇳
United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Indonesia 🇮🇩
Egypt 🇪🇬
For being the top five countries that are reading my story. 🤗 Thaaaaanks.
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