Chapter 47

The morning felt quieter than usual.

Not silent—Cassie was still humming to herself as she poured cereal into her favorite bowl, and the city still breathed just beyond the window—but everything in the apartment had a slightly muffled quality, like the world was holding its breath.

Beth moved through the space with practiced ease. She made coffee. She packed the small bag Changbin had left on the couch. She picked up a pair of sunglasses he nearly forgot. Her body worked on instinct while her mind circled the same truth over and over again.

He was leaving today.

When Changbin emerged from the bedroom, hair still damp from his shower, hoodie loose around his shoulders, Beth didn't say anything at first. He looked rested, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him. Touring wasn't new. Leaving wasn't new. But this time, it was different. This time, he was leaving something behind he hadn't had before.

"You guys are going to do amazing."

Beth said it lightly, like she meant for it to sound casual, but her voice caught just slightly at the end—too soft, too sincere.

Changbin paused in the middle of tugging the zipper on his duffel bag. He glanced up at her through damp bangs, expression unreadable beneath the hood's shadow. The air between them felt full of something unsaid—warm, but taut.

He nodded once. "We try."

Cassie appeared beside him then, sock-footed and cereal-mouthed, dragging her plush tiger by one paw. She looked up at him with wide, sleepy eyes. "Will your plane be loud?"

Changbin huffed a quiet laugh through his nose and crouched to her level. "Little bit. Not too bad."

"Are you gonna sing in the sky?"

He looked up at Beth like he wasn't sure how to answer. Beth just shrugged with a smile, already feeling her throat tighten.

"Maybe I practice," Changbin said, patting his chest. "Sing in my head. Loud in here."

Cassie nodded, deeply approving. "That's smart."

He ruffled her hair gently and stood again, stretching his shoulder like it hurt. Beth caught the motion—small, habitual. Muscle memory from years of choreography and long flights. It made her want to rub it out for him. It made her want to do a lot of things she didn't have a name for yet.

"You got everything?" she asked, just to say something.

Changbin looked around, then held up his phone, charger, and passport like a checklist. "All good."

Beth nodded, wrapping both hands around her mug like it could keep her steady. "Airport soon?"

He checked the time and gave a reluctant nod. "Car come in... thirty minutes."

Cassie had wandered back to the couch, already absorbed in a picture book, her feet swinging off the edge. The space between Beth and Changbin narrowed without movement. No shift in feet. No step forward. Just a pull. A gravity.

Beth exhaled slowly, voice barely above a whisper. "It's going to feel really quiet without you here."

Changbin looked at her, really looked at her, and said nothing for a long moment. Then, carefully, his English slow but deliberate, "I feel... not quiet. Here. When with you."

It wasn't a confession. Not really. But her heart lurched anyway.

She set her mug down, tried to find something light to say. "Don't make me cry, Binnie. That's cheating."

He grinned, but it was soft. Careful. "I don't like goodbye. So I say... see you later."

Beth bit her bottom lip, then stepped forward—just one step—and wrapped her arms around him. Not tightly. Not desperately. Just real. Honest. A thank you in the shape of a person.

He hugged her back. Firm, warm, steady. His face tucked against her hair for a second longer than he probably meant to.

When they pulled apart, she cleared her throat and managed, "I'll keep your couch warm."

His smile returned, crooked and sincere. "Good. Couch like you."

They both laughed—quiet, breathy, unsteady.

Then the intercom buzzed. The driver was downstairs.

Beth opened the door for him, and Cassie came running, clinging to Changbin's leg with a force that made his eyes go glassy for just a second.

"Come back soon," she ordered.

"I promise," he said, and this time it didn't sound like anything less than the truth.

Beth walked him to the elevator, hands stuffed in the sleeves of her sweater. They didn't say anything else. They didn't need to.

But when the elevator doors closed, she realized she missed him already.

The apartment felt different once the door clicked shut behind him.

Not empty, exactly. But hollow in a way that made Beth pause mid-step and close her eyes for a beat longer than necessary. She could still smell him—clean soap and laundry detergent and the faint trace of whatever cologne he used sparingly, tucked behind his ears like a secret.

Cassie had gone back to her book, curled now beneath the living room blanket with only her curls peeking out. A small hill of stillness in an otherwise quiet space. Beth didn't bother asking if she was okay. Kids feel absences differently—less like a break, more like a pause. But Beth... she felt the edges of it already.

She wandered into the kitchen, rinsed her mug, and leaned her weight into the counter like she could press herself into stillness. The light outside had shifted again—brighter now, more insistent—but it didn't reach the corners of the apartment quite the same without him in it.

A week. Just a week, she reminded herself. He'd be texting. Probably sending selfies of hotel hallways and airport lounges and backstage chaos. He'd be tired. Busy. Surrounded by people. But a part of him would still be here. She believed that.

The apartment was quiet for a long stretch after that. Cassie eventually drifted off into a nap, her tiger still clutched in one arm. Beth straightened the blanket over her legs, brushing a kiss into the curls at her forehead before retreating to the couch. She didn't turn on music. Didn't open a book.

Instead, she sat in the dent his body had left in the cushion.

She let herself miss him.

The knock came sharp and fast—three deliberate pounds against the wood, followed by a familiar voice raised with mock impatience.

"Beth! It's Alex. Open up before I start breaking down doors."

Beth blinked out of her reverie. She'd been sitting so still, she'd almost forgotten to breathe. The apartment around her still smelled faintly like Changbin—like him and not him, like something lingering. She pushed herself to her feet and crossed to the door, ponytail lopsided and sweater sleeves too long as she cracked it open with a crooked smile.

"Well, someone's in a mood," she said, stepping aside to let Alex in.

Alex swept past her with all the drama of a Shakespearean heroine in a modern-day warzone. Her limp was more pronounced today—less hidden, less tensed through. She collapsed into the couch with a groan, one hand clutching the fabric of her oversized shirt, which Beth clocked immediately as Chan's. It slid off her shoulder with a mind of its own, revealing a constellation of love bites across her collarbone like bruised poetry. She tugged at it half-heartedly, but the fabric refused to cooperate.

"You're not even going to fix that, are you?" Beth asked, raising a brow.

Alex groaned again. "Why bother? Mac already made a Guinness World Records joke. 'Most Obvious Morning-After Look.' I hate this. I hate that he's gone."

Beth's teasing faded, softening into something quieter as she sank beside her friend. "I know. But he's not gone forever."

Alex made a sound that was halfway between a grunt and a sigh. "He's been gone an hour and I miss him like it's been a year. I sound ridiculous, don't I?"

Beth shook her head. "Not ridiculous. Just in love. And let's be honest—you've always been extra when it comes to Chan."

"I am not extra."

Beth gave her a look. "You're wearing his battlefield of a shirt, covered in love bites, sulking like you just got ghosted by royalty."

Alex dropped her head onto Beth's shoulder with a theatrical groan. "Why are you like this?"

"Because wallowing's not allowed in this apartment," Beth said, patting her head like she might a sullen child. "You need a distraction."

Alex lifted her head suspiciously. "What kind of distraction?"

Beth stood and disappeared into the kitchen for a moment. She returned triumphantly holding a bottle of red wine and two glasses.

"The best kind."

Alex gave her a flat look. "Beth, it's 7 a.m."

"It's five o'clock somewhere."

"I can't drink. Blood thinners. DVT. PE. Remember the whole almost dying thing?"

Beth froze mid-step, expression crumpling in horror. "Oh shit. I totally forgot. I'm sorry, Alex."

Alex waved her off, though the wistfulness didn't leave her eyes. "It's fine. I could use it, though."

Beth turned to search for something else, abandoning the wine on the counter like a crime scene she couldn't scrub out. "Okay, no wine. A movie, then? Or—Cassie's latest masterpiece. It's Changbin. With abs."

Alex laughed, the sound short but real. "Abs?"

"Oh yeah," Beth said, plopping back down beside her. "He flexed for her while she painted to give her 'inspiration.' I have the whole thing on video."

"Of course you do."

Alex shifted, then winced as her leg protested. Beth clocked the movement instantly.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just stiff." A pause. "Okay, no wine—but I'll take a distraction."

Beth nodded. "Alright. Apartment hunting or gossip?"

Alex leaned back with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Let's start with gossip. Because your dear Uncle Binnie? Is smitten."

Beth's eyebrows rose. "What are you talking about?"

Alex turned her body toward her fully, grinning like a cat who'd found cream. "The second I mentioned you and Cassie, he turned beet red. Full-on middle school crush mode. Blushing. Stammering. Fleeing the scene."

Beth blinked. "Changbin? No way."

"Oh yes. I thanked him for taking care of you and Cass, and he practically melted. It was precious."

Beth covered her mouth, laughing. The sound escaped her too easily. "He's always so loud and confident. It's hard to picture him all flustered."

Alex's grin only widened. "He's got it bad, Beth. And honestly? You deserve it."

That softened her again. The laughter drained into something smaller. Gentler. Her hands twisted in her lap—fidgeting, always fidgeting when the words got too close to the bone.

"I don't know if I'm ready," she said, voice barely above a breath. "I'm not even divorced yet."

Alex didn't flinch. "You've been separated for over a year. And your ex? Never lifted a finger. Especially after Cassie."

Beth nodded slowly. "He stopped seeing me. Wouldn't touch me. I felt like a ghost."

There was a long pause.

"Beth," Alex said quietly, "you're not a ghost. Changbin sees you. He sees Cassie. That's huge."

Beth's throat ached. "What if I mess it up again? What if I pick the wrong person—again?"

"You won't," Alex said firmly. "This time, you know what you need. And Changbin? He's the kind of guy who cries when Chan cries."

Beth's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Last concert," Alex said, eyes dancing with fondness. "Chan gave one of his speeches. Changbin tried to play it off like something got in his eye. But he totally lost it."

Beth laughed—truly laughed—and felt the sound echo into the hollowness she'd been carrying since that elevator door had closed. "Okay... that's adorable."

"He's not just nice, Beth. He's consistent. He shows up. You matter to him. So does Cassie."

Beth pressed her palm to her chest, grounding herself. "I forgot what that feels like."

Alex's expression softened. "Then let yourself remember. You don't have to jump into anything. But don't close the door just because you're scared."

Beth nodded slowly, the weight of it all pressing down—but in a way that felt less like drowning and more like settling. Like planting roots in soil that might, finally, let something grow.

Alex shifted on the couch with a muffled wince, fingers pressing briefly to her thigh like she could knead the pain away with sheer willpower. The movement was subtle but telling—less dramatics now, more real discomfort—and Beth watched her from the kitchen, hip leaned against the counter, a teasing glint tucked behind the curve of her smile.

"Of course you do," Alex muttered, catching the look and rolling her eyes like she could deflect Beth's amusement. She shifted again, slower this time, bracing herself with a breath through her nose. Her eyes finally found Beth's across the quiet sprawl of the apartment, the bravado slipping slightly. "Alright, fine. No wine. But I'll take a distraction. What else have you got?"

Beth tilted her head, letting the grin bloom wider as she tapped her finger to her chin like she was weighing world-changing options.

"Well," she said, dragging the word out like a ribbon, "we could start with some apartment hunting prep. You've got me and Cassie coming with you, so obviously we need a plan. A strategy. Color palettes. Or..." She let the pause hang for just long enough. "We could gossip about how Changbin is totally smitten with Cassie. Or how I'm beginning to suspect the man might have a crush on me."

That got Alex's attention.

She perked up with lightning precision, all mock-exhaustion forgotten. Her expression sharpened into something wicked and delighted as she pivoted toward Beth with the full force of someone who had been waiting for this exact moment.

"Oh, you think he has a crush on you, do you?" she said, voice syrupy and dangerous. "Let me tell you something about how your dear Uncle Binnie was acting this morning."

Beth raised one brow. Intrigued, but cautious. "What do you mean, how he was acting?"

Alex practically purred the answer, stretching it out like taffy she wasn't ready to snap just yet. "I mean... the second I mentioned you and Cassie, the man turned into a tomato. Full-on blushing, stammering, avoiding eye contact. It was adorable. Like a middle schooler with a crush."

Beth blinked. "You're kidding."

"Not even a little bit," Alex replied, clearly relishing the story now. "I asked how you two were doing and he turned so red I thought he was going to combust. Then, when I thanked him for taking care of you and Cassie, he mumbled something about how it's 'nothing' and practically ran away like his feet were on fire."

Beth clapped a hand over her mouth, trying and failing to smother the laugh that broke free. "Oh my God. Changbin? The same Changbin who radiates confidence like it's an Olympic sport? That Changbin?"

"Yep," Alex said, looking smug. "That Changbin. Completely undone by the thought of you."

Beth shook her head, cheeks flushed, her hand still halfway to her mouth. "I don't even know what to say to that. I mean... I thought maybe he was just being nice. But now—"

"Oh, it's not just nice," Alex cut in, voice softening with something more serious underneath the humor. "The man is smitten, Beth. And honestly? I'm here for it. You deserve someone like him. Someone who actually gives a damn."

Beth's laughter faded, her expression shifting as something more vulnerable worked its way in. She moved toward the couch slowly, letting her body fold down beside Alex like she was trying not to jostle the thoughts still heavy in her chest. Her hands twisted together, fingers restless in her lap.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I mean, yeah, Changbin's great. But it feels... too soon, you know? I'm not even officially divorced yet."

Alex's voice lost its sharpness. It went gentle, grounding. "Beth, you've been separated for over a year. And your soon-to-be ex-husband hasn't exactly been lining up to fight for you or Cassie."

Beth let out a bitter laugh, short and breathless. "That's putting it lightly. He hasn't lifted a finger since the day we got married. And after Cassie..." She trailed off for a moment, eyes going distant. "It's like I stopped existing. He wouldn't even touch me. I felt like a ghost in my own home."

Alex reached across the cushion, her fingers curling around Beth's hand with quiet intent.

"You're not a ghost, Beth," she said, firm but kind. "And you deserve to be seen. To be loved. Changbin might be rough around the edges, but he sees you. He sees Cassie. That says a lot."

Beth looked down at their joined hands, her thumb brushing instinctively across Alex's knuckles.

"I don't know if I'm ready for something like that again," she whispered. "What if I mess it up? What if I pick the wrong person again?"

"You won't," Alex said without hesitation. "Because this time, you know what you need. What you deserve. And Changbin? He's not your ex. He's the kind of guy who cries when Chan cries. All macho on the outside, biggest softie on the inside."

Beth blinked, caught between amusement and disbelief. "Changbin crying when Chan cries? That's adorable and ridiculous."

"Totally happened," Alex said with a grin. "Last concert, Chan gave one of his speeches. Changbin pretended something got in his eye, but he lost it."

Beth let out a watery laugh, brushing at her cheek like she could scrub away the swelling in her chest. "It's hard to imagine him like that when he's always so... loud and confident."

"He's got a big heart under all that bravado," Alex said, leaning back into the cushions. "And he's consistent. He shows up. He didn't have to, but he's been there. For both of you."

Beth exhaled slowly, her ribs tight with the pressure of things she hadn't let herself feel in a long time. "I guess you're right. It's just... hard to remember what it feels like. To be really cared for. It's been so long."

Alex's tone gentled again, the way it always did when she slipped from friend to sister, from snark to safety.

"You deserve it, Beth. And if you're not ready, that's okay. But don't close the door just because you're scared. Changbin will wait if you need him to."

Beth nodded, the motion slow, deliberate. The weight in her chest didn't vanish, but it shifted. Became something else. Something like hope.

"I'll think about it," she said after a long moment. "I guess I don't have to figure it all out today, right?"

"Exactly," Alex replied, her smile soft now. "One step at a time."

Beth smiled too, though the ache didn't fully leave her eyes. "Okay. So, what's next on the distraction list?"

Alex perked right up, the pivot smooth as ever. "Oh! Apartment hunting. You, me, and Elliot. Same building. We're forming a commune of chaos, and I refuse to do it without you."

Beth laughed, head falling back against the couch. "Hell yes, I want to join. Apartment hunting with you two sounds perfect. But I'm warning you—I will judge your taste in real time."

"I'm counting on it," Alex said, giggling. "I need backup. And maybe someone to stop me from buying a place with no closets."

Beth raised a brow. "You? No closets? That's a lawsuit waiting to happen."

Alex smirked. "Elliot and I are looking at two in the same building. And I want to get a third one—for you and Cassie. My treat."

Beth's jaw dropped. "Alex. No. I can't let you do that."

"You can and you will," Alex said without blinking. "This is about building something. You're part of that. Cassie too. And this business we're about to build? You're not doing it from someone else's couch."

Beth's voice softened. "I just... I don't want to take advantage."

"You're not," Alex said simply. "You're family. And this? This is me showing up for mine."

Beth leaned into her friend without fully realizing she'd done it. Shoulder to shoulder, warmth shared between bodies and between lives.

Alex's voice dropped to a murmur.

"Ready to build something new?"

Beth turned her head slightly, the ache in her chest settling somewhere deeper. Somewhere steadier.

"Yeah," she whispered, the answer as fragile as it was true. "I think I am."