Zayne sat on the couch, reviewing patient files, trying to focus.
Trying to stop WATCHING Nana every three seconds to make sure she was still breathing.
*She's alive. She's fine. She's been alive for the past seventeen minutes. Stop checking. You're being obsessive. But what if—*
"HUSBAND!" Nana bounced into the room, grinning. "We're going on PICNIC!"
...
* Picnic. Outside. Where accidents happen. Where fate can strike. Where—*
"With Mina and Jisu! And Guan Lin and Mark! In the PARK! With BICYCLE!"
* Bicycle. BICYCLE. The last time she rode a bicycle, she rode it through my HOSPITAL.*
"I don't think—"
"It'll cheer you UP!" She grabbed his hands, pulling. "You've been SAD since the bad dream! Picnic will make you HAPPY!"
*She noticed. Of course she noticed. I've been watching her like a surveillance system. Checking for symptoms. Signs. Anything indicating fate is coming for her.*
"I'm not sad—"
"You ARE! You keep STARING at me! And sighing! MORE sighing than usual!"
* Accurate observation. I've sighed 47 times since breakfast. New record.*
"Picnic will be FUN!" She was already packing a basket. "I'm bringing EVERYTHING! Food for EVERYONE!"
* Everything. She's packing everything. That basket is getting CONCERNING large.*
He watched as she added:
- Sandwiches (12 of them)
- Fruit (an entire fruit basket)
- Macarons (the NEW ones he bought this morning)
- Juice boxes (10)
- Cookies (homemade by the chef, NOT her)
- And... a WHOLE WATERMELON
...
*She put an entire watermelon in the picnic basket. That thing weighs at least 5 kilograms. She weighs 45 kilograms. The math doesn't work.*
"Nana, that's too heavy—"
"It's FINE! Strong hamster!" She tried to lift it. Struggled. "...Maybe husband carry?"
*Of course. I'm the pack mule. This is fine. At least if I'm carrying it, I can watch her the entire time.*
"Fine. Let's go."
They arrived at the park with the bicycle (which Zayne had INSISTED on bringing despite his PTSD from the hospital incident).
* Bicycle. In PARK. Controlled environment. No hospitals to invade. This is fine. Probably.*
"I'll pedal!" Nana announced. "You sit in BACK!"
*Internal Zayne: ...*
*She wants to pedal. With ME on the back. I'm 186cm and approximately 80kg. She's 153cm and 45kg. Physics says NO. Love says... I'm going to regret this.*
"Nana, maybe I should—"
"NO! I want to PEDAL! Show you I'm STRONG!"
*She wants to prove strength by potentially killing us both. This is love. Apparently.*
He sat on the back reluctantly. The bicycle TILTED immediately.
* This is how I die. Not in surgery. Not from ice powers. From bicycle accident caused by weight distribution failure.*
She started pedaling.
GRUNT.
Wobble.
WOBBLE.
The bicycle veered DANGEROUSLY toward the bushes.
*We're going to crash. Definitely crashing. I should intervene—*
"I'VE GOT IT!" she insisted, GRUNTING with effort.
They wobbled MORE.
The bushes got CLOSER.
*This is it. This is how the nightmare comes true. Death by BUSHES. Fate has a sense of humor.*
He grabbed the handlebars, correcting course. "Let me pedal."
She POUTED. "But I wanted to—"
"You can pedal next time. When I'm NOT on the back."
"Fine." She climbed off, switching positions.
*Crisis averted. Bushes avoided. Wife: alive. Good.*
Now HE pedaled, and she sat on the back, arms wrapped around his waist.
And started SINGING.
*"My husband is so handsome~ So tall and strong~ His ice is pretty~ His heart is good~"*
*She's. She's making up songs. About me. While we bicycle. This is. Actually very sweet. Also embarrassing if anyone hears.*
"Look!" She pointed. "That cloud is HEART-shaped!"
*It's a cumulus cloud. Standard formation. Doesn't resemble cardiac anatomy at all.*
"And that one looks like RABBIT!"
*It's just water vapor. But she sees hearts and rabbits. This is why I love her.*
A butterfly landed on her FACE.
She went CROSS-EYED trying to look at it. "Butterfly chose ME! I'm Disney princess!"
*Disney princess. With butterfly on nose. Making up songs. This is my wife. This is my LIFE.*
Then she whispered, soft against his back: "I love my husband so much."
...
*I'm going to cry. Again. She just. She says it so SIMPLY. So purely. Like it's the easiest truth in the world.*
*And after last night's nightmare. After seeing her die AGAIN in my dreams. After the ice spreading from my fear of losing her. She says THIS.*
His eyes BURNED with unshed tears.
* I love her. So much. Too much. It's going to destroy me when—IF—no. NOT if. She's not dying. She's NOT. I won't let her.*
"I love you too, hamster," he managed, voice only SLIGHTLY cracked.
"Are you CRYING?!"
"Allergies."
"It's WINTER! No allergies in winter!"
"Emotional allergies."
"That's not a REAL THING—"
"It is now."
* Emotional allergies. New medical condition. Caused by: wife being too perfect.*
They arrived to find their friends already there.
Mark was SPRAWLED on the picnic blanket like a cat in sunbeam, completely relaxed.
Guan Lin and Mina were ARGUING.
"You FORGOT the snacks?!" Mina was saying.
"I thought YOU were bringing them!"
"I brought DRINKS!"
"Well I brought... uh..." Guan Lin checked his bag. "...my phone and wallet?"
"THAT'S NOT FOOD!"
*They're fighting over snacks. Like children. This is normal for them apparently.*
Jisu spotted them. "NANA! ZAYNE! You're here!"
Nana BOUNCED over happily, and Zayne followed, carrying the ABSURDLY heavy basket.
*This basket weighs more than my wife. Why did I marry someone who packs entire watermelons for picnics? Oh right. Because I love her. Across a thousand lifetimes. That's why.*
He set the basket down, and Mina's eyes WIDENED.
"That's a HUGE basket!"
"Nana packed... everything," Zayne explained.
"I brought food for EVERYONE!" Nana announced proudly, opening it.
Everyone STARED at the contents.
"Is that a whole WATERMELON?" Mark sat up, cat-nap interrupted.
"For SHARING!" Nana beamed.
*She brought enough food for fifteen people. We're six. The math. It doesn't. Why do I even question anymore?*
They settled on the blanket, and conversation started.
Mark talked about his latest orthopedic case. Guan Lin discussed hospital politics. Jisu shared gossip from her work.
And Nana?
Nana was CLIMBING A TREE.
...
*She's climbing a tree. At a picnic. This is normal. This is EXPECTED actually.*
"Nana, what are you DOING?" he called.
"FEEDING SQUIRRELS!" she called back. "New squirrel! Needs WELCOME GIFT!"
*She's welcoming squirrels to the park. Like she owns it. Like she's the squirrel ambassador.*
But she was HIGH. Very high. In the tree.
And the nightmare flashed through his mind—her fading, disappearing, DYING—
*Tree. She could fall. Break her neck. Die. The nightmare said—*
"Nana, come down. NOW."
Something in his voice made her obey immediately. She climbed down quickly, dropping into his arms at the bottom.
*She's down. She's safe. She's ALIVE. Breathe. Just breathe.*
He pulled her onto his lap, keeping her CLOSE.
* If she's on my lap, I can monitor her. Keep her safe. Prevent fate from taking her.*
"Hungry?" he asked, reaching for the basket.
"YES!"
He fed her carefully—pieces of sandwich, fruit, making sure she was eating properly.
*She needs nutrients. Energy. Needs to stay HEALTHY. Healthy people don't die. Usually.*
Then Mina asked, grinning: "So! How was visiting Nana's parents' house?"
Nana opened her mouth—
Zayne FLICKED her forehead preemptively.
"OW! I didn't even SAY anything yet!"
"You were GOING to."
"You don't KNOW that!"
"I know you."
* She was about to mention sunflower. In front of everyone. Including my cousins. This was preventive medicine.*
She POUTED, then TACKLED him, trying to flick his forehead back.
She couldn't reach.
She jumped.
Still couldn't reach.
* She's 153cm trying to reach 186cm forehead. Physics: impossible. Her determination: admirable. Success rate: 0%.*
Everyone was LAUGHING.
"Come ON!" she complained, jumping again. "This is NOT FAIR!"
"Life isn't fair, Mrs. Li."
"THAT'S what you ALWAYS say!"
Mina was CRYING with laughter. "Wait wait wait—what were you going to say about the visit? Something about sunflowers?"
Oh no
"Pink sunflower!" Nana said innocently. "We have pink—"
FLICK.
"OW! STOP FLICKING ME!"
"Stop talking about flora."
"But there WAS pink sunflower—"
FLICK.
*She's determined to expose our private life. This is war. Flick war.*
Mina looked SUSPICIOUS. "What kind of sunflower is PINK? Sunflowers are YELLOW."
*She's connecting dots. Guan Lin is grinning. Mark looks confused. I want to disappear. My dignity is STILL on Saturn.*
Before Mina could pursue this line of questioning, Nana suddenly ROLLED away.
Like a log.
Down a slight hill.
Still holding the WATERMELON.
* She's. She's rolling. With a watermelon. Down a hill. This is. Why.*
"NANA!" He stood immediately, ready to chase—
She rolled to a stop at the bottom, GRINNING, covered in grass and leaves.
"I'M OKAY!" she called, waving.
*She's okay. She's. She rolled down a hill with a watermelon and she's OKAY. My heart can't take this. I'm going to have a cardiac event. Ironic for a cardiac surgeon.*
She rolled BACK up the hill—somehow—now covered in MORE grass and leaves, hair full of twigs.
"Look! I'm NATURE!" she announced.
*She's nature. Covered in nature. IS nature. This tracks.*
Everyone was DYING with laughter.
Then she spotted the shallow river nearby.
Her eyes LIT UP.
"FISH! I can catch FISH!"
*Oh no. OH NO. Water. River. She could drown. Slip. Hit her head. DROWN. The nightmare—*
She started running toward it.
He GRABBED her hand. "Nana, wait—"
"But FISH—"
"There's... there's a big bad fish in there."
She stopped. Blinked. "Big bad fish?"
*I'm lying. To protect her. Making up monsters. This is parenthood. Wait. She's my wife, not my child. Same principles apply apparently.*
"Very big. Very bad. With LARGE TEETH. Likes to eat... cute hamsters."
Her eyes went WIDE. "HAMSTER-EATING FISH?!"
"Yes. Very dangerous. You should stay away from the water."
* There's no hamster-eating fish. Rivers don't work that way. But she doesn't know that. And it keeps her SAFE. From water. From drowning. From FATE.*
She looked at the river, then at him, then CLIMBED him like a tree, wrapping around him completely.
"PROTECT ME FROM BIG BAD FISH!"
*Mission successful. She's not going in the water. She's clinging to me. She's SAFE.*
Everyone was HOWLING with laughter now.
Guan Lin was on the ground. "BIG BAD FISH! WITH TEETH!"
Mark was wheezing. "HAMSTER-EATING FISH!"
Mina couldn't breathe. "SHE BELIEVED IT!"
Jisu was CRYING. "Zayne's FACE when he said it! So SERIOUS!"
*They're laughing. At me. At us. At my protective lies. This is fine. As long as she's safe. As long as she's ALIVE.*
Nana was still clinging, looking suspiciously at the river.
"You'll protect me, right? From big fish?"
"Always," he said seriously. "From big fish. And everything else."
* From fish. From fate. From death itself. I'll protect you from EVERYTHING. Even if I have to lie about aquatic predators.*
She hugged him tighter. "Best husband."
* Best husband. Who makes up fish monsters. Who watches her constantly. Who's terrified of losing her. But she doesn't need to know that. She just needs to stay ALIVE.*
He held her close, breathing in her scent (currently: grass, leaves, and macaron), and silently renewed his vow.
*You're not dying. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not EVER. I'll protect you. Even from imaginary fish.*
*Especially from imaginary fish.*
They'd eaten, laughed, and Nana had rolled down the hill THREE more times (with different objects: a frisbee, Guan Lin's jacket, and somehow Mark's shoe).
Now she napped on Zayne's lap, exhausted from chaos.
He stroked her hair gently, watching her breathe.
*Breathing. Good. Alive. Healthy. No signs of. Anything. She's fine. She's FINE.*
"Zayne," Mark said quietly, "you've been... intense today. Everything okay?"
* Intense. I'm being intense. Watching her constantly. Protecting her from rivers and trees and gravity. This is noticeable apparently.*
"Fine. Just... want to make sure she's safe."
"From... hamster-eating fish?"
* He's judging my protective fish lies. Fair.*
"From everything."
Guan Lin studied him. "Bad dream last night. Wasn't it."
* He noticed. They all noticed. I'm not subtle.*
"Yes."
"About her?"
"Yes."
*About losing her. About watching her die. AGAIN. About the cycle never ending. About fate taking her from me. About being alone forever.*
"She's fine," Jisu said gently. "She's HERE. She's HAPPY. She's rolling down hills with watermelons."
*She IS fine. Right now. But the nightmare. The dream that ALWAYS comes before. Before they die. Before fate takes them. Before—*
Nana mumbled in her sleep. "...protect husband from fish too... bad fish... eat husband... not allowed..."
...
* She's. She's dreaming about protecting ME. From the FISH I INVENTED. This woman. This perfect, chaotic, completely ridiculous woman.*
His eyes BURNED again.
*I can't lose her. I WON'T lose her. Whatever it takes. Whatever I have to do. She's STAYING.*
"She loves you," Mina said softly. "SO much. Anyone can see it."
"I know."
"And you love her."
"More than anything."
* More than life. More than duty. More than fate itself. She's everything.*
Guan Lin grinned. "Even when she believes in hamster-eating fish?"
*Especially then.*
"Especially then."
Meanwhile - Mr. Fluffytail (In The Park Tree)
Mr. Fluffytail watched from his branch.
"The tall human is very protective today."
Mrs. Fluffytail nodded. "The nightmare. He fears losing her."
"Will he lose her?"
"Unknown. Fate is... complicated."
"Should we help?"
"We're SQUIRRELS. What can we DO?"
"...Watch. Bear witness. Remember their story."
"Good plan."
.
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🌻🌻🌻
To be continued.