Call Me Noona

Chapter 68 - Nikki's Arrival

A couple of weeks later the of them, with me on Facetime, were on Jeju Island, standing in the foyer of a modern beach mansion. Our beach mansion. It was huge. Bigger than I had realized. It was in really good shape too, there wasn't much that we needed to do. But of course, there were things we wanted to do.

Minhyuk walked through, showing me all the rooms as they each picked their room. There were 8 bedrooms and a couple of bonus rooms. One would be a music studio, one an office, and one an art studio. One of the bedrooms would be for the baby. There was also a gym area already. It just needed equipment. There was no pool, but there was a beach. That would only be good in summer, but that was ok. Beachfront. Mansion.

As "we" walked through, we each made suggestions of things to change and how to decorate the common areas. I asked Min a few times to show me something closer or to go back to certain things. It amazed me how the guys were able to agree on things even with such distinctively different styles, albeit with some arguments involved. But they had lived together for so many years that they had learned to compromise... mostly. There were some minor cosmetic repairs and a couple of things they all agreed needed to be completely removed or redone.

Since I was part of the family now and there was a mini-Minhyuk on the way, they asked me to make some decisions as well. I had some ideas already, but I needed to think about it a bit more, especially since I was only seeing it through a phone. I also thought it would be good to keep it neutral for everyone. Kihyun promised to go through and film each room of the house and the cottage for me.

I called Nikki after we hung up and told her how big the place was and reminded her that she would be coming to visit us there after the baby was born. It was at that moment I realized our house would be empty for a few weeks. We hadn't planned on this when we invited them to stay, but it would be perfect. She and Tori could stay in the house while we were here. We would all have our privacy, but she would be just a short plane ride away. Plus, she would have to show her around.

It wasn't quite how we had thought things would go, but I felt it was a good plan. She agreed that it would probably be better this way, and it would give her plenty of time to find a place... or decide to stay with Kyun for a few months. I didn't mention that. I was staying out of his business, even though I wanted to tell her. It was hard keeping secrets from your best friend, especially when it involved her boyfriend.

I wanted so badly for her to be happy. I wasn't sure what that looked like for her, and I don't think she did yet either. She told me she cared deeply for him and that he had made her feel things that only Robert had before. She also confided how she felt guilty for having those feelings for someone else. "Nik, I am pretty sure that is normal. It is also okay to feel them," I tried to appeal to her sense of logic.

"I know that. I really do. But that doesn't change the fact that I feel it. Robert was my world, Sunny. When I lost him... I didn't think I would survive. If you and the kids hadn't been there, needing me too... well I might not have pulled through it." I heard the pain in her voice. It had been five years, but she hadn't stopped loving him.

"You don't think he would want you to be lonely forever, do you? Do you really think he wouldn't want you to be happy? You don't have to remarry. You don't have to be in a relationship. You just have to let yourself live again." This wasn't the first time we'd had this same conversation, but it was the first since she had started dating Changkyun.

"No, he would not want me to be lonely. He would want me to be happy. I know he would. Damn it Sunny, why does Changkyun have to be so amazing? I need to be sure he is the real thing. That what I feel is the real thing. I am so scared that I am just projecting my feelings for Robert onto him." That was the first time she had said that, and I wasn't sure how to respond.