Moonlight: Stars, Eclipses, & Full Moons

When You're Not Here

Kyungsoo's POV

Saturday mornings have always been my favorites because Saturday was the one day a week when I didn't have an obligation to be at work and therefore, could spend a few extra hours in bed. I could also see the kids for more than a few minutes in the morning since they didn't have school. Being able to cuddle with Jongin made Saturday mornings nice, too, since he always made it a point to clear his schedule on that day so he could spend it with us at home.

Saturdays weren't always this fantastic, though. Two times a year, the alphas gathered from all of the packs met for a huge group hunting trip. It lasted two weeks, sometimes longer because they traveled farther out than each pack would during their weekly hunts. Conveniently enough, these trips always landed on a Saturday, which meant he was gone before I opened my eyes.

Having to look after two kids and still work on my own for this long was always difficult, but simply having to go about my normal routine knowing Jongin wasn't there was worse. We talked all time during that month, both on the phone and through our thoughts, but that never compared to having him there in person. Not to mention the kids missed him like crazy, too, so that didn't exactly make coping any easier.

It was one of those weekends when he was still gone and there was only one more day until he would be back home. So, I got up Saturday after a good night's sleep and was able to go about my day happily. I was in the kitchen preparing their breakfast when they walked in and greeted me. 

"Hi, babies," I said, kissing their heads as they hugged each of my legs. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Mhmm," Jaehyun hummed cheekily, looking up at me and smiling in the same manner. "I dreamt that daddy came back home early and we all spent the day together playing and laughing."

"Aw, I bet that was a nice dream," I replied with a smile.

"Daddy's gonna be back tomorrow, right, appa?" Lily asked me, already sitting at the kitchen table.

"Yes, he is." I nodded and they gasped eagerly with glimmering eyes. "He called me last night and said he should be back tomorrow morning, so he'll be here when you guys wake up. That's exciting, right?"

"Um, of course!" Lily cheered, wearing the brightest smile in the world. "It's the most exciting thing that's happened today and I've only been awake for like ten minutes." I laughed at that, stirring the pancake batter around in a container.

"Well, maybe if you two behave extra well today and help me out with my chores, daddy might come back even earlier. Maybe tonight."

They both gasped in excitement. "You really think so, appa?!" Jaehyun asked with sparkling eyes.

"You never know what could happen..." I said. "So, let's try to be especially good today, alright?"

"Okay!" they shouted gleefully in unison, making me chuckle to myself.

"Good," I said as my laugh faded. "What do you say you start by helping me make breakfast?" They nodded and walked over to my side, Jaehyun still having to stand on the step stool because he wasn't quite tall enough to see over the counter. "Okay, who wants to do what?"

"I'll stir!" Lily said as she rolled up the sleeves on her shirt.

"And I'll add the blueberries!" Jaehyun said. "And I'll put extra in for daddy because I know he likes a lot of blueberries in his pancakes!"

"Sounds like a plan," I said with another small chuckle. 

We spent the next fifteen minutes or so making enough pancakes for us and for tomorrow when Jongin came home. Then, for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, we tidied up the house. We went to the park for a few hours after lunch and made a trip to the grocery store before coming home and making dinner.