Just Like Now

Only Friends

As the sun pierced the sky, painting the world above a bright hue, mother and child quietly sat under the wraparound porch. Along the coast of the suburban home were houses similar in model, the atmosphere often calm and private. Clouds drifted from east to west, the wind hushed and breezy. In a few hours the sun would be setting, children arriving from school, and parents from work. It was that kind of typical afternoon.

Rocking gently in her chair Namjoo gazed off into the distance as Kihoon, nearly 52 weeks old, slept against her breasts. The rise of his small body as he slept away sounded like a kitten purring dreamily. All was well and all was good.

Within a few weeks it would be her birthday; that time of the year again. This time she would be celebrating with three, not one or two. In her younger years when blowing the candles she had always wished for petty, materialistic things. As a young adult she had wished for happiness only to later realize it wasn't something that would drop into her life magically. Happiness was something she had to work for, and it had been a long way to discover what her definition of happiness was.

Right now she was happy. She was content. This, she decided, was the kind of life she would like to have after all.

8 years ago...

"I can't believe you're making me do this. This is ridiculous," Sehun grumbled through the phone as he walked down the feminine products aisle. Side-eyeing his surroundings to make sure the area was clear he continued walking. "What was the freaking brand you wanted?"

"Always," Namjoo spoke through the phone.

Turning to stare at the variety before him Sehun grimaced. He had come expecting to find the immediate pack his childhood friend wanted, but instead he'd come across hundreds of different kinds of pads and tampons in a variety of packaging he hadn't expected. Why were there so many?! What was the difference between one pack and another?! It was no wonder his dad always complained that women were so difficult. Suddenly he felt like he understood his father better as a man.

Groaning he mumbled with irritation, "Always what?"

"Always," the brat repeated again. "It's not that hard to find."

Sehun rolled his eyes and immediately felt like shrinking when he heard footsteps approaching. Shifting away in order to hide his face he waited for the woman to find whatever she'd come for then leave. He was so embarrassed! Damn Namjoo for making him do this! He was just a 16 year old with a reputation to still keep as cool kid at school. If any of the boys found out he had run an errand to buy feminine products for Namjoo they'd laugh at him. The rest of the girls would look at him weird like he was a pervert!

Once the footsteps faded he quickly turned to scan the products on the shelf with heat flooding his body. He needed to get out of here a.s.a.p.!

"Hello?!" the annoying girl screeched through the phone. "Are you still there? If you don't hurry up blood will start soaking the bed before your nose starts bleeding."

"Oh my god, shut up will you?" he rolled his eyes. Finally discovering one of the packs with the word Always he immediately snatched it off the shelf before darting away from the aisle.

Other than avoiding eye contact with the cashier it was a breeze running back to Namjoo's place, the house right next to his. They had been playmates, he'd been told, ever since they'd acquired the ability to cry as babies. Their mothers had a history of being high school classmates, gone to college together, and had always been the best of girlfriends. They were so supposedly close that even if a world war broke out in South Korea they'd want to die together. Even their fathers were inseparable, so if he wanted to run as far as he could he'd never be able to leave Namjoo behind because their families were so darn close.