PHOTOGRAPH | DAHMO

PHOTOGRAPH

Boxes laid everywhere, furniture was missing, and there was so much dust you had a difficulty breathing. The house was a mess, a yet new beggining awaiting it's previous owner.

Dahyun sighed, she couldn't remember how many times she has moved since the day she got out of university. She thought she was cursed, that she could never catch a break with her bad luck. Whenever she moved into a house, she had to move out after a while. It was annoying and always had her stressing excessively, to the point she couldn't sleep.

Today was similar. The woman hadn't slept in around a week, adding her tiredness from working all day. There weren't many things that made her smile anymore, she had lost the fun in her many years ago.

"Auntie, auntie," a small voice sounded as the figure of a little girl rushed into the room Dahyun was packing in "Mommy, momma, and I found something!"

The little girl chuckled when Dahyun spread her arms to hug her, ruffling her dark hair and leaving a kiss on her forehead.

"What's that, sweetie?" the woman asked, crouching down to look at the four year old's eyes.

With a smile, Momoko stretched her arm and gave Dahyun an old picture, missing the way her aunt frowned as she turned her head back to look at the women entering the room.

"Did you give it to her, baby?" the blonde whispered as she held her child in her arms "It's really important to auntie Dahyun."

The kid nodded, whining when both Sana and Mina covered her face with kisses. As much as she loved her mothers, Momoko liked to believe she was old now and didn't need her mothers' kisses.

Dahyun pushed herself off the floor, holding the old photograph of her from many years ago between her fingers. Looking at her half sister and her wife, she nodded. It was about time she told Momoko the story, the story that answered to many of the kid's questions such as "Why is auntie sad?" or "Where does auntie go with big bouquets of flowers every Sunday?"

"You guys should talk," Mina smiled at her half sister, letting the little girl down and taking Sana's hands in her own before shooing them out of the room "We'll pack the last few stuff."

Momoko squealed in delight, grabbing Dahyun's hand and dragging her out of the half empty house and onto the front porch. Skipping up and down, the four year old attempted sitting at the swing chair and whined when she failed.

"Here you go, Mo." Dahyun smiled bitterly, helping the girl up before joining her. The photograph she had been given now resting on her lap.

Saturday mornings were always just her and Momoko. Mina would insist Dahyun was present around her child, she wanted the little girl to appreciate and love family. Besides, the younger was the only one of her siblings she liked and trusted enough with her child. And it's not a lie Dahyun could use some company.

"So, the photograph," the woman started "Do you like it?"

Momoko nodded in excitment, pointing over at the woman with blue hair "You look so pretty, but," she frowned "Who is the lady? Why is she hugging my auntie?"

Dahyun laughed, inhaling through her nose as she looked around at the front garden of the house. She had many stories to tell about that place, many memories that she will probably carry with her forever. That picture too, meant a lot, and Dahyun didn't care about how the four year old had found it anymore, not when she started explaining the second figure on it.

"This is," she bit her tongue "Was.. your auntie Momo." her finger trailed over the face of the woman beside her in the picture, her black hair messily worn in a ponytail as her arms encircled around Dahyun's waist. They were both smiling, feeling comfortable in each other's arms.

"Where is she now?" Momoko pouted, seeming interested in the tanned woman with dark red painted lips.

Momo and Dahyun had history that went back to the days they were toddlers. They met at a park somewhere in Kyoto and would frequently play together even if at the time Dahyun wasn't capable of speaking Japanese. Their parents became bestfriends, they were all one big family.

"A happy place."

Dahyun could still remember the tears of sadness when she moved away from Momo and her family. She couldn't get over it, throwing tantrums and not wanting to be friends with other children. Only Momo made her happy.

"But," Momoko chewed on bottom lip "Auntie Momo looks happy with you."

When they met again in elementary school, Dahyun wouldn't stop smiling and telling her parents about it. She believed it was fate, Momo moving close to her again. And they got back to being friends, sharing everything and promising to be by each other's side for eternity.

"Does she, huh?" the woman asked, patting Momoko's head "I am too, baby."

Years passed quickly, Dahyun could never express her gratitude to Momo enough. Especially when she stood up for her all the years from middle school through high school, helped her with boy (and sometimes girl) problems, with her rising anxiety and recently diagnosed depression. Momo was always there for Dahyun and so was Dahyun for Momo.

"Do you love her, auntie? It looks like she does," the little girl asked "Like mommy and momma!"

Skipping the part where Dahyun liked Momo's sister for a while, the two finally got together. They were like the high school sweethearts, the couple you couldn't see breaking up even after graduating from highschool.

"I do love her," Dahyun closed her eyes "It's hard not to."

Soon they moved in together, made plans to some day get married and start a family despite the mess Dahyun's life was. Her family was being torn apart, people fighting with each other to the point she was afraid to reach out to them. However, the girls had promised to stay by each other's side forever, through the times where everything was too much, so Dahyun got over it. She became stronger.

"Do you think she will play with me some day?" Momoko scrunched her nose "I want to play with auntie Momo."

And they kept their promise. Even after Momo's health started to get really bad, so bad the doctors were constantly asking for updates on her health, and checking up on her every day.

"I don't think auntie Momo can play with you right now," Dahyun spoke, shushing the little kid who whined and questioned her "She's isn't here, sweetie. You can't play together yet."

Momo's health was a roller coaster, one day she was prefect and the other couldn't get out of bed. Dahyun didn't really mind though, she liked taking care of her, cuddling until Momo fell asleep despite the pain. As long as she was there, Momo could do it.

"Well, is she coming back soon?"

Or so they thought.

"Auntie, why are you crying?" her eyes widened when a tear unexpectedly rolled down Dahyun's pale cheeks.

Momo decided to end the pain on her own in an empty hospital room and with a handful of pills as Dahyun watched and held her hand until she closed her eyes forever.

"No, baby, she isn't coming back."

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A/N: this story means a lot to me. i wasn't planning on publishing it, but i figured the emotion put in my works is what my readers like most. so here's this. im not going to edit this as i can't really function at the moment. sorry if some parts don't make sense.

-kimwig