The world narrowed to the small, warm weight in his arms. Min Jae clung to Ha-ru, memorizing the feel of him, the solid reality of his son. He was afraid that if he let go, the child would dissolve back into the phantom that had haunted his fractured memories.
It was Seo-jun's gentle, pragmatic voice that finally broke the spell. "The ground is cold, Min Jae. And there's a very important person here who has been promised pancakes."
Ha-ru wriggled at the magic word. "Pancakes!" he chirped, pulling back from the hug. He looked at the wooden train in his hand, then thrust it toward Min Jae's face. "Choo-choo!"
Min Jae laughed, the sound wet and ragged with unshed tears. He took the train, making a soft "chugga-chugga-choo-choo" sound as he pushed it gently through the air. Ha-ru's eyes widened with delight.
"Okay," Min Jae whispered, his voice still thick. "Pancakes."
