20 - unravel

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CHAPTER 20 

UNRAVEL

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You woke several hours later, exhausted and disorientated, though your migraine had largely subsided. You were parched, in desperate need of water, and felt like you might vomit.

For a long moment, you forgot who or where you were. And then the seizing panic of any parent set in.

Where was Nari?

After a few heart-racing moments, you remembered that Taehyung was collecting her from school. You sighed in relief, but then realised it was already dark outside, and Taehyung hadn't woken you up.

You climbed out of bed, descending the stairs into the living room, and stopped in your tracks.

The apartment was spotless.

Each and every one of Nari's toys had been put away, the living room floor finally in view once more. The laundry basket was empty, and you could hear the gentle humming of the tumble-dryer coming from the utility room. Even the floors looked mopped, and peeking through to the kitchen, you could see that it was gleaming, used dishes from dinner washed up and drying on the rack.

From the couch, Taehyung looked over his shoulder and shot you a boyish grin in greeting. On the TV, in muted tones, was a David Attenborough documentary. The time on the clock behind him read 9pm. 

You had slept for nearly twelve hours.

"Tae..." you trailed off, glancing around you at the pristine apartment. "Did you...?"

But Taehyung was holding his finger to his lips, pointing down at his lap, where a dozing Nari was gently snoring. 

"She's dead to the world," he grinned up at you, whispering. "Shall I take her upstairs?"

You nodded and gazed down at your daughter, who looked well and truly out for the count, as Taehyung scooped her up into his arms, making for the stairs up to Nari's bedroom. He came back down a minute later.

"That kid knows a lot of stuff about animals," he said with a smile. His long blonde hair was messy, and you just knew that Nari had insisted on braiding it or putting it in bunches earlier. "Did you know that the only mammal capable of flight is the bat? Cause I sure didn't, but my four year old daughter does."

You laughed, realising that for someone new to Nari, her intelligence could be pretty surprising. "She's curious about stuff. It makes for a lot of questions, trust me."

Taehyung nodded, looking a little worn out. "Yeah, tell me about it. She had more questions about acting and television than I was even able to answer," he laughed.

You glanced around the apartment again. You couldn't quite believe he'd done all of this.

"I gave her some chicken pasta and vegetables for dinner," he explained, seeing your inquistive stare. "I hope that's okay. She told me she was allowed a yoghurt after."

UNPLANNED | namjoon ✔️Where stories live. Discover now