The Flowers We Saw

Lost Roads

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"Flowers!" Kihoon exclaimed when they got home.

"That's right," Namjoo smiled at him. "Flowers. Are they pretty?"

"Pwetty!" following her like a cute puppy, Kihoon repeated. "Daddy buy for mommy."

He clung onto her jeans. Staring up at her with a gleam in his eyes. Adorable Kihoon completing a half of her life. Namjoo touched his small back affectionately. Couldn't say she wasn't surprised with the flowers.

She knew Sehun had a sweet side, but flowers all of a sudden and so randomly. Giving them to her now. When they were divorced.

The timing was a little off, but Namjoo had to admit it made her happy. The unexpected part about receiving the flowers made her endogenously shy. It had been difficult meeting eyes with Sehun. Unprepared to see what might be hidden in his brown eyes. Especially after a long day of pondering over cooking for him or not.

From the moment she woke up it was all she wondered about. Struggling not to let it weigh on her mind that Sehun would like a meal cooked by her. Walking into work and debating if she should. If she shouldn't.

The picture of him in his doorway unable to come any closer disturbed her. A part of her wondered if it had been hard for him to ask. Since the divorce neither of them wanted to burden the other. Sehun did his thing. She did her thing. No longer asking after another.

Strange how it made her heart ache when it came to food.

In the end, she let Junhee leave early. Didn't want the cook to know she was using the kitchen for personal purposes. Didn't want to make it obvious in front of Junhee or Eunkyung that she planned to cook something for her ex-husband.

Hadn't wanted to let it out that cooking for Sehun made her jittery and nervous, because going through those swings meant something.

For an hour she dug through her fridge. Products reserved only for restaurant use, but here she was. Using them for herself.

She shouldn't, but she was.

Her eyes had swung between the clock on the wall to the stove fired up. Not knowing when Sehun would arrive with Kihoon. Afraid she wouldn't have the food ready by the time they did. And then the door flew open when she set the table. Kihoon flying toward her with something a little too big for him in his arms.

"Mommy!" he excitedly called out. "Flowers! Daddy buy! Daddy love mommy!" Grinning goofily, he had shoved them into her hands. Giggling as he clapped.

So, it had been more than difficult to look Sehun in the eyes. The gesture of giving her flowers was not very simple.

He wasn't saying sorry or thank you. It wasn't just a token of appreciation.

Cooking a meal for him had not been an easy feat either.

The two of them were traveling different roads that somehow forked together.

Namjoo stroked a petal. Imagining how hard it must have been for Sehun to just give them to her. The silly way he intentionally lingered in front of the restaurant brought a smile to her lips. She wanted to laugh. The emotion bubbled inside her. Rising up her chest.

Controlling herself, she held a hand out to her son. "Should we go take a bath?"

Shrieking excited, Kihoon swirled around to run away. His way of telling her to chase him first. Leaving the flowers, she ran after him.

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Sehun had to control himself the second he got into his car and drove the distance home. Entering the building coolly. Riding the elevator up with a neighbor fighting with his entire sanity to keep a straight face. In case they perceived him as manic and deported him to a hospital.