Handle My Kids With Care

Why Minho Doesn't Explain Things

"Dad, does this mean now I can take Lix with me to school?" Changbin pleaded as he woke me up, and I groaned.

"No, Lix can't go to school until he's your age. Oh shoot." I sat up in bed as I started to question what in the world I was going to do with my four kids that don't go to school. I don't think I can bring them to work with me every single day, but I'm sure it won't hurt to bring them today. Except for Seungmin.

"Since Mommy's not coming back, do I get to go to work with you every day?" He rocked back and forth on his heels, and I looked over at my clock to see how much time I had to get ready.

"Binnie, it's four in the morning. Go back to sleep, bud." He climbed up into bed with me and laid down so he was curled up facing my chest.

"Who told you Mom's not coming back?"

"Minho hyung. He told us she found someone else to love. Is that true?" We looked at me with wide eyes, and I sadly had to nod my head.

"At least you're still here." He whispered before closing his eyes and going back to sleep. I slowly relaxed back into my bed, but I just watched the four year old fall asleep.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

...

"Everybody up!" I yelled into their rooms as I tried to finish getting ready myself so I could help them.

"Why can't I stay home wit Mommy?" Hyunjin mumbled as he sat up in bed, and I paused.

"Mommy's not here. So Daddy has to take you to work with him until I can find a babysitter." Hyunjin stopped rubbing his eyes and held up his arms for me to pick him up. I entered the room fully to pick the three year old up, and he just clung to me tightly.

"Sorry, Daddy. I forgot." I swayed back and forth on my feet with the child.

"It's okay."

Since I knew Changbin was already awake, I walked into the other two rooms to wake the boys up with Hyunjin still attached to me. Though I quickly learned that Minho and Jisung were already awake.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I whispered as I sat down next to a crying Jisung, but he only clung to me on the opposite side of Hyunjin and just cried into my shirt.

"Mom doesn't love us anymore." He cried out in between sobs, and I adjusted my arm so I was rubbing his back.

"Really?" Hyunjin's bottom lip quivered and tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

"No, that isn't true. Your Mom and I had some issues that she didn't voice. This has nothing to do with you boys." I turned to try and find Minho to ask what he had told the boys exactly, but it appears as though he had left the room. Smart.

"But why she leave us?" Jisung questioned in between his tears, and that pushed Hyunjin to spill his.

"I don't know. I really don't know." I whispered brokenly as I tried to comfort the two crying children without breaking down myself. After five minutes of the two of them still crying and clinging to me like a lifeline, I knew that school wasn't something they could handle.

"Let's just stay home for today, okay?" Jisung nodded into me, and I let a single tear slip down my face.

"Don't we have to leave soon?" Minho asked from the doorway, and I shook my head.

"I think we just all need a day off today."