The car traveled along the highway, keeping up with the traffic around it. The sun was bright, but it was breezy. It was late morning, not yet noon, but close. I sat in the passenger seat, and stared at the trees, even though they were nothing but a blur as we sped along the busy road. I wondered if the numb feeling in my heart would ever go away.

Jimin had offered to drive me to Busan, telling me that I shouldn't go alone, nor should I try to travel by train, especially with a baby. That, and he knew I would need all the support I could get. 

I glanced behind him at the car seat, leaning a bit to see over the hood, checking that the baby was still asleep. I smiled tenderly as I looked at my only reason for living. 

"We've got about an hour left before we get there." Jimin said quietly.

I nodded. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I promised, and I was keeping my promise.

She wanted them to know, she just didn't want them to know until after she was gone. We had discussed it more, and I had promised I would let her mother know.

I leaned my head back on the headrest and closed my eyes, thinking about what I would say. I honestly had no idea. How did you tell someone something like this? How did you turn someones world upside down, knowing it was going to come as a complete shock to them. I hated to even think about it, and I couldn't rid myself of the painful thoughts plaguing my mind.

I must have dozed off, because I felt Jimin lightly touch my shoulder, my eye's fluttering opened. 

"We're here, Tae."

I looked to my right, at the small white house with brown shutters on the windows, a cute front porch holding two chairs with a table between them. There was a plaque next to the door with the numbers 599 on it, confirming that we were at the right house. I took a deep breath, swallowing, feeling a lump in my throat. 

"Take a minute, Taehyung. There's no need to rush."

I licked my dry lips, only to have them immediately dry again.

"I need more than a minute." I whispered nervously.

Jimin put his hand on my arm reassuringly. 

"This is the right thing to do Tae. You're doing it for Soo Ah. Take your time, and when you're ready, let me know, and I'll bring the baby to you, okay?"

I nodded, unbuckling my seat belt. I looked at him, hoping he knew how grateful I was, for everything. He, along with Jungkook, had been there for me after Soo Ah had died, helping me to take care of my daughter through my grief. I don't think I could have done it without them. 

I opened the door, and got out, turning to close it as softly as I could so I didn't startle the baby. I faced the house, took a deep breath, and started walking towards the door.  

I stood on the front porch for a few minutes, trying to build up my courage to knock. But I soon realized that I would never have the courage to do this. I just had to do it.

I raised my hand, my knuckles rapping on the door, and held my breath, waiting for it to open. After what felt like almost a minute, the door opened, an attractive lady with straight shoulder length black hair and kind eyes smiling at me from from the other side. She resembled Soo Ah, and I felt an ache in my heart, knowing that I was seeing what Soo Ah might have looked like had she lived long enough to reach that age.

"How can I help you young man?"

She even sounded like Soo Ah. My heart felt like it was breaking all over again.

"Mrs. Lee?"

She gazed at me, surprised. "Should I know you?" She asked, looking at me closely. "Oh, are you a friend of Soo Ah's? She's not here, she moved to Seoul a little over a year ago. Did you know her in school?"

I didn't want to do this. I couldn't. The pain was unbearable, and the knowledge that soon, I would cause devastation to this kind woman, made it even worse. But I had to. I was the only one who would, and she deserved to know.

"Yes, I'm a friend of Soo Ah's. My name is Kim Taehyung. I didn't know her in school though. I only met her a year ago, after she came to Seoul."

She looked at me, and something in her eyes changed, but the smile remained on her face. I stepped back as she stepped out onto the porch, pulling the door closed behind her. 

"Lets sit Taehyung, it's too nice outside to be indoors."

She moved to one of the chairs, and I followed, sitting stiffly in the other one.

I didn't know what to say, but I knew I needed to say something. I swallowed nervously, and looked at her, seeing that her smile wasn't as big as it had been at first, and it looked a bit forced.

"Mrs. Lee, I...uh-"

"Soo Ah's gone, isn't she?"

It felt like my blood was ice cold running through my veins, and my eyes burned as the tears tried to make their way to the surface. I stared at her, and she lowered her eyes, looking at her hands that were now clenched together.

"I knew she was keeping something from me. I had a feeling it had to do with her health. It did have something to do with her health, didn't it?" She asked, without looking at me.

"Yes," I answered quietly. 

She sniffled, and pulled a tissue from her pocket, wiping her nose. She looked up at me finally, her eyes glassy with tears.

"Ever since she got sick when she was very young, I've been so worried there would be something else we didn't catch. The Dr's kept saying she was healthy. But I could just feel that there was something they were missing. I just didn't know what."

I nodded, my own eyes now filling with tears. 

"I felt it even more strongly when she kept putting off coming back home to visit. She kept promising to come another time. Her little sister misses her so much."

She let out a small sob, and I closed my eyes, hating to see her like this, and not wanting to break down myself.

"Tell me what happened. Please, I need to know."

I looked at her, seeing so much pain in her eyes. She suddenly reached out, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I returned the gesture, feeling a bit of comfort from it.

"Her heart, she had a condition that was causing the walls of her heart to thicken over time. It kept it from working to full capacity, and eventually, it just...stopped working at all."

Her grip on my hand tightened, and there were tears running down her face.

"Was this something she was born with?" She asked, her voice breaking.

I nodded. "That's what she told me. I knew nothing about it until...well, until later. She had only told me about what happened to her when she was 5, and that it had caused her to not be able to have children."

She smiled tightly. "Yes, that broke my heart. At that time, I know she hadn't been old enough to consider if she wanted to be a mother or not, no more than I had thought about being a grandmother. But she could have died, so I couldn't be bitter about the fact that the worst that came from it was that she could never have children of her own."

I pulled my phone from my pocket, and sent Jimin a text that simply said 'now'.

"I don't know how I'm going to tell Soo Mi about her sister. She's going to be so heartbroken," she said, her voice barely there. She had her back to him, but I saw Jimin coming with the car seat. He stepped onto the porch, smiling politely at Mrs. Lee, then looking at me, giving me a look that was meant to encourage.

"Thanks, Jimin." I said quietly as he set the car seat down by my feet. 

He nodded, and just as quietly walked back to his car.

I smiled at the baby in the seat, starting to fuss and wake up after having been disturbed. I turned to Mrs. Lee, seeing the look of confusion on her face as she looked from me to the seat. I bent to unbuckle the baby, gently lifting her up into my arms as she stretched her little body, arms going up cutely over her head.

I hugged her to me, kissing the top of her head, and looking back at Mrs. Lee. 

She was watching me, a mixture of curiosity and awe on her face. 

Holding my daughter gave me a little more courage.

"I'd like you to meet Rayne. Soo Ah's daughter. Your granddaughter."

I heard her intake of breath, her eyes going wide, and then she shook her head, but her eyes never left the baby.

"That's impossible."

My eyes met hers, and I gave her a smile, understanding why she would say such a thing. 

"The doctors said she could never have children," she mumbled. "The infection damaged her fallopian tubes, making it impossible for her to conceive." She looked so torn, like she wanted to run away, but at the same time, leaning towards the baby in my arms longingly.

I held the baby out to her, and when she hesitated, I gently placed her in her arms. She smiled down at her, touching her cheek with her index finger, no doubt falling in love with her as quickly as I had.

"She looks like Soo Ah," She whispered, her voice shaking.

My heart tightened in my chest, because I had thought the same thing.

"How could this be possible? I...I don't understand. Were the dr's wrong?"

I shook my head. "They said that one of her fallopian tubes must have partially repaired itself enough to allow an egg to pass thru...in preparation for, ah, fertilization." I said awkwardly. The next sentence was barely loud enough to be heard. "If we had known, we would have been more careful." 

She looked up at me, smiling knowingly. 

"So you were more than Soo Ah's friend...I thought as much."

"Not at first, and I tried not to fall for her, I tried so hard. But Soo Ah was...special." My eyes filled with tears as I thought about her. "I think I fell in love with her the first time I looked into her eyes. I only wish it hadn't taken me so long to realize it." 

"I see you're wearing a wedding band. Were you and Soo Ah...married, Taehyung?"

I nodded. 

"Yes, we got married on December 5th. We didn't even get to our six month anniversary," I said sullenly.

She reached for my hand again, looking at me sadly. I had been doing good so far, holding everything inside, but I was suddenly overcome with emotion, and I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my face. 

"I miss her so much." My chest heaved as I tried to hold back a sob.

Mrs. Lee stood, never letting go of my hand, pulling me to a stand, then releasing it to put her arm around me, hugging me as best she could with the baby in her other arm. I stood awkwardly in her one armed embrace, feeling like I was drowning in all the tears I'd been trying to hold in.

"It's okay to cry, Taehyung. It's okay to miss her." 

She moved away, grabbing my hand again, looking at me sadly. 

"I wish I could have seen her one more time, to tell her how much I love her." She glanced at the baby cradled in her arm. "How long ago did she..." She trailed off, her gaze suddenly going blank, but I knew what she was asking.

"A little over 3 months ago," I whispered. "Rayne was born on April 14, and Soo Ah lasted a week after that." My chest was burning, and everything was blurring, my eyes filling with tears. "She passed away the morning of April 21, with Rayne in her arms."

I squeezed my eyes shut, drawing in a shaky breath, not able to hold back my tears anymore. I did the only thing I could think of to do, and I walked to the opposite side of the porch, crossing one arm over my chest, my hand coming up to cover my face as I tried to cry quietly. My shoulders shook, and my heart hurt like it did the day I lost her. 

I was startled by a hand on my shoulder, and I turned, only to be pulled into Mrs. Lee's embrace, her tear filled eyes looking into mine before she pulled me close and hugged me tightly. I let her, halfway hugging her back, feeling uncomfortable because I didn't really know her. But she was Soo Ah's mom. Soo Ah had been a part of her. Just like Rayne was a part of Soo Ah.

I glanced over her shoulder, wondering if she'd put the baby back in her car seat, and I saw Jimin, sitting in the chair I had been in, holding Rayne, smiling at her tenderly. I smiled through my tears. Rayne had the best uncles, and both Jimin and Jungkook loved her so much. They'd been so helpful, and I would never be able to thank them enough.

Mrs. Lee let go of me, her hands coming to my shoulders as she looked into my eyes. 

"Be strong for your daughter. If she's anything like Soo Ah was, your life will be filled with laughter and sunshine."

I nodded, wiping my tears from my face. 

"I know it's a lot to ask, since you live in Seoul, but visit often, so I might get to know my granddaughter. I wish Soo Ah had let me know, and allowed me to be there for her. I would have loved to see her throughout her pregnancy, and been at your wedding."

I swallowed, wishing I knew what to tell her. I had asked Soo Ah once why she didn't want them to know.  She'd told me I wouldn't understand.

"I don't know for sure why Soo Ah didn't let you know-"

Her chuckle cut me off, and I looked at her, seeing her smile.

"I do. I know exactly why she kept everything from me. I'm her mother, and she knew me well. She would have said that had I known she was dying, I would have treated her as such, trying to cram a lifetime of memories into however much time she had left." She stared blankly into the space next to her, her hand coming up over her heart. "She would have been right, because that is what I would have done. But I knew her well too, and I know that she wouldn't have wanted that. I would have done that for me, because my grief would have clouded my common sense. Soo Ah knew that, so she stayed away."

I could only watch her, impressed at how well she had been handling everything. I had come here to give her devastating news, and I'd expected her to be the one crying uncontrollably, with me trying to console her and not give in to my own sadness. But instead, she'd been strong, and for that, I was so glad. 

"The hardest part now is going to be figuring out how to tell her father, and her sister. Soo Mi is such a soft, gentle soul, and she will take it hard. But I think she'll be happy to know she has a niece. It'll be like having a little piece of Soo Ah, and hopefully one day soon she can meet her." She smiled, her eyes almost closing as her cheeks plumped up.

I nodded. "Of course. I'll come back as often as I can. I want Rayne to know you. You're the only family she has besides me."

The smile dropped, sadness filling her eyes as she gazed at me. "Oh Taehyung, you don't have your family?" Her mouth turned down in a frown, and her eyes seemed to frown as well.

Tears filled my eyes again, and I shook my head. "My parents and younger siblings were killed in a car accident 4 years ago."

I glanced at Jimin, still sitting there, making faces at Rayne, watching her smile at him, and my heart filled with so much love for my tiny daughter that I thought it might burst right out of my chest.

"That's one of my best friends there, Jimin. He and my other best friend Jungkook are like brothers to me. They've been helping me out a lot. I'm not sure what I'd do without them. They are my family, they're all I've got now."

She looked sad.

"I'm so sorry you lost her. But even so, I believe you were meant to find each other."

Tears filled my eyes.

"She saved me. I was so bitter over the loss of my family, and I continually pushed everyone that tried to help me away. I think Soo Ah came into my life when I needed her the most. I just wish I could have saved her as well."

"I think you did save her Taehyung. You saved her in a way that mattered. Instead of dying alone, which is exactly what she would have done, she had you by her side. Your love for each other was strong enough to create that beautiful baby over there. I know what you said, but the doctors were very clear, there should have been no possibility for her to become pregnant. That precious little girl is a miracle. Believe me when I say that Soo Ah knew that."

I swallowed, glancing at my daughter in Jimin's arms again.

"I know." I responded.

"She would want you to be happy. You're going to have a lot of fun times and smiles as Rayne grows up, enjoy every second. Live your life, and don't push people away. Believe in miracles, Taehyung. You never know when someone that has come into your life might just be someone that had a nudge from Soo Ah."

I felt a chill run down my spine. Her words were something I would remember. 

I sighed. "We should get going. It's a long drive back to Seoul."

She nodded. "Please visit again soon."

"I promise I will."

We turned to take the few steps towards Jimin, and he stood, handing Rayne to Mrs. Lee. She kissed her cheek, hugging her to her, pressing her nose to her head to smell her sweet baby smell.

"Thank you, for coming to tell me about Soo Ah, and letting me meet my granddaughter."

She handed the baby to me, and I bent to put her in her car seat, buckling her in securely. Jimin bowed politely to Mrs. Lee, and took the car seat, heading to the car. I turned to the woman who was my mother in law, smiling at how I could see Soo Ah when I looked at her.

She stepped forward, and hugged me tightly, and I hugged her back. She was part of my family now. 

"Take care, Taehyung. I'll see you soon."

I nodded, but before I walked away, I pulled an envelope out of my hoodie pocket, and handed it to her. 

"I printed these for you, I thought you might like to have them."

She teared up, taking the envelope from my hand.

"Thank you..."

I smiled, and turned to step off the porch, walking back to the car. I got in, just sitting there for a minute.

"You okay?"

I nodded. "I think so. I'll be better, though. It'll take some time, but I know Soo Ah is watching over me. I don't want to disappoint her."

"You won't. You're already an amazing daddy to Rayne. Soo Ah's smiling right now, I guarantee it."

I smiled, feeling a little of the numbness fading away, a tiny warmth growing in the middle of my chest. It was a start.

I reached for my seat belt, pulling it across me and buckling it.

"Let's go home, Jimin." 

He pulled away, and as we reached the highway, and he merged into traffic it started to rain, lightly at first, the drops landing on the windshield and blowing every which way as he picked up speed.

I opened the window, sticking my arm out, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I opened my hand, the rain landing in my palm with a bit of a sting. I closed my eyes, seeing Soo Ah's smiling face.

You're welcome, baby...

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A/N follows, please give it a read, and don't miss the bonus chapter!