Chapter 66. Years

Part 2

Euna looked horrified. A few minutes ago, she was the one who noticed the blood on her umma’s dress. Joohyun panicked until pain struck her. When she realized the effect to Euna, she fought so hard to control her expression. After calling her doctor, they led her outside where the air was much cooler. Yongwa fussed over her but she told him to stay with Euna instead. That was when his daughter looked up at him with her big eyes glistening with fresh tears.

His little girl sniffed and spoke in an intended whisper, “Is my mommy gonna die too?”

He winced. Yonghwa didn’t notice that his father-in-law was behind them and before he could reply, he smiled to him and turned to Mrs. Kim.

“Bring her to her room. I will ask Mr. Han to drive her to the hospital tomorrow when her baby sister is with us.”

Yonghwa raked his fingers through his hair as he watched his wife seated on the rocking chair they brought down to the garden. Her eyes were pinched tight and her lips moved once in a while. The ambulance was on the way and any minute from now, they would be arriving to take Joohyun to the hospital. He could tell that she was just trying to be strong through this whole ordeal for him but he knew that she was on the verge of crying every time the pain came.

A small pat startled him and he turned to see that encouraging smile his father-in-law was giving him.

“She is a tough one. Like her mother,” he winked then walked to Joohyun.

He watched them from that distance, her father brushed her forehead adoringly and talked to her for a moment until the recognizable sound echoed faintly at first until it got louder as it came nearer. Yonghwa shuffled on his feet finally walking towards her and helped her up.

“I’m okay,” Joohyun smiled weakly not caring if he asked or not. She knew he didn’t believe that but he just needed to know. He kissed her, as lightly as it was she felt like he stole her air. She gasped as another pain came.

“Baby…” Yonghwa heaved and caught her arm. He sighed when she gave her another brave smile.

“This little one is quite feisty.”

He smiled and kissed her temple, “I love you. Don’t go anywhere.”

“I promise, I won’t,” she smiled back.

Their little feisty one was born before morning came. Yonghwa did not leave her even when the nurse asked if he would want to bring the baby to the nursery. He held her hand until she fell asleep in his voice where he repeated how much he loved her. That life wouldn’t have been better for him if she didn’t come to their lives— to his life. Yonghwa told her over and over again that he was dead until she came and brought him to life. He assured her that when she woke up, he would be there loving her a little bit more than he ever did.

Yonghwa cried the next day when she woke up. He kissed her. He held her hand when night fell and they both fell asleep— she on her warm bed with their younger daughter tucked on her side, and him on the chair uncomfortable as it may have been but he didn’t notice.

Euna came the next morning happy that her mommy didn’t die and happier that her baby sister was so cute she couldn’t stop her tears. Haneul came home with her appa, umma and Euna Unnie five days later.

The next year, their baby brother Yongjoo was born.

Euna complained. Nobody told her a baby brother could be that handful.

Their parents are still in love— deeply.

~~~

Four years passed…

The room attendant slowly opened her luggage while she changed into a lighter dress. The weather outside was too hot for her so she decided to have her lunch in the room. It was her first time in Spain and everything seemed so amazing, if only she was with her family or even just her husband then it would all be better. The thought of them made her nostalgic again even though it was barely a day that she hadn't seen them. Her heart longed to go back as soon as she could.

The woman hummed as she worked and she suddenly made a happy sound that Joohyun finally focused on her surroundings. She followed the younger woman’s sight and smiled when the latter handed her a folded paper. Joohyun smiled wider when she opened the paper to reveal a picture stuck in it. Her heart melted, it was taken three days ago at the ski camp before she left— the two kids on Yonghwa's lap and Euna hugging her appa’s by the neck. Below their faces spelled the words 'gomawo' with his familiar . She flipped it on the other side and it read 'saranghae.'

Her gaze lingered back on three happy faces and suppressed her laughter at how Yongjoo tried to put his little fingers in a V. His resemblance to his father was undeniable no matter how she would argue that he looked more like her. He was the naughtiest baby she knew that drove them all crazy. Euna once remarked in a flashed anger, “Who said that a baby brother is an angel?”

Haneul is a little darling. She was the total opposite of her unnie when she was her age since haneul is such a sweet and shy little girl. Euna adored her little sister very much. She is very much overprotective of her more than she is of Yongjoo despite him being the youngest. In return, Haneul is very attached to her sister that sometimes Joohyun would complain that her baby loved her unnie more and Euna would just laugh and kiss her sister.

She shook her head smiling at her little girls. Euna has her usual smile on the picture and Joohyun couldn’t be any prouder of her eldest because she is really growing up as a responsible daughter and sister. But somehow she missed the chatterbox Euna since she was slowly becoming more lady-like-- Ms. Prim-and-Proper, as what Yonghwa wou