They had both admitted to being scared, though their reasons were probably different. Nothing else needed to be said, though, as they remained wrapped in each other's arms. Naomi shifted slightly over in bed to make room for Kyungsoo as they lay down and finally found rest.

The next morning, they visited with the doctor who had taken over for Dr. Girard. He looked at Naomi's chart and asked a few questions about how she was feeling. He didn't seem quite as engaged in her case as Dr. Girard had, but she didn't mind. She did perk up when he said that she would be released at eleven.

Kyungsoo gathered Naomi's things in a plastic bag as she wrote a Thank You note for Nurse Danielle. He squeezed her shoulder as he watched her finish writing and then signed his name to the note, as well. They'd leave it at the nurse's station on their way out. Seeing first-hand the kind of care a good nurse provided had Kyungsoo resolving to be more appreciative of the nurses he worked with.

After providing all of their insurance and contact information, Naomi was released with little fanfare. Once they'd sorted out their rental car, they were on their way back to Agde. Kyungsoo was dutifully following the driving instructions from the desk agent at the rental company, but kept shooting not-so-secret glances in Naomi's direction.

She wore a contented expression as she sat slightly reclined in the matchbox-sized hatchback.

"Why the smile?" he asked.

"I don't know. It's just different seeing the country from the highway as opposed to the train. It's nice to get a different view." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him.

"It's weird. Even the freeway feels foreign. You know? The signs are all different, the cars are different. I'm just glad I'm not driving on the wrong side of the road." He chuckled and reached for her hand.

She sighed and relaxed further into the seat as his strong fingers curled around hers. "I'm excited for you to meet Anastasie and Ricky. I think I got really lucky as far as host families go."

"I can't wait to meet them. It sounds like they took good care of you."

"They've both become really good friends. And their little girl, Janie? She is a pistol, but so cute. We didn't quite get along at first, but now we're like this." Naomi held up her crossed fingers, indicating how closely the little girl had wrapped herself around Naomi's heart.

The drive seemed to fly by and sooner than he'd expected, Kyungsoo was trying to find a parking space close to the Chêniers building.

Naomi hadn't even taken her key out of the lock when the door to the apartment flew open. "Naomi! Oh, Naomi. You poor thing. Viens ici, ma chérie." The woman – Anastasie, Kyungsoo presumed - examined the bruise on Naomi's forehead and the stitches that were visible on her scalp. Recognition lit up on the the woman's face and she said, "Oh! And you must be Keeunsoo. Come in, please." Anastasie ushered them inside, one arm secured tightly around Naomi's shoulders.

Anastasie was a gracious hostess and brought some cold drinks out for everyone. She and Naomi both settled on the couch in a way that made it obvious that this was not the first time they'd had a chat in such a position. Thankfully, Naomi had left just enough space between herself and the arm of the couch that Kyungsoo was able to scoot in behind her. He rested one arm over the back of the couch and wrapped the other around Naomi's midsection, unconsciously covering her stomach.

With little prompting, Naomi launched into the details of the accident - or as many as she could remember. Kyungso filled in a few of the gaps, all the while rubbing small circles over Naomi's tummy. The action seemed to have caught Anastasie's attention because her gaze kept dropping down to where Kyungsoo's hand rested every so often.

"But it wasn't until Kyungsoo got there that the doctor told us that I'm…"

"Pregnant!" Anastasie whisper-shouted, clasping her hands together in front of her heart.

"How did you know?"

"It was just a guess. Ricky used to do that all the time when I was pregnant with Alec." Anastasie pointed toward Naomi's stomach. Kyungsoo stilled his hand, mildly embarrassed at having been caught fondling his wife's stomach. "Oh, Naomi. I am so happy for you."

The two women shared an entire conversation using only their eyes and facial expressions. Anastasie opened her arms and Naomi fell into them like a long-lost sister.

Kyungsoo couldn't hear the murmured exchange, but felt a renewed sense of protectiveness over Naomi when she withdrew, tears staining her cheeks.

"Anastasie, would it be okay if we went and lay down for a bit?" Kyungsoo's voice was tentative but determined. He needed to have Naomi in his arms, with no interruptions.

"Of course! Naomi's room is still hers for as long as you need."

"Thank you, Anastasie, for everything," Naomi said with sleepy smile.

Once travel arrangements were made for their return home, Naomi and Kyungsoo spent their remaining time simply enjoying each other. They went to all of Naomi's haunts: Mme. Toussaint's boulangerie, the park where the old men played their boules, they even walked all the way down to the marina. It was one of the last excursions on her list of things she wanted to see. It was an added bonus that she could check it off while holding Kyungsoo's hand.

They walked side-by-side, fingers twined together, along the quay. The pathway was shaded by large mimosa trees, their puffy flowers scenting the warm air with a distinct fragrance. Finally, they reached the edge of the sandy beach.

Naomi toed off her flats and started to bend down to pick them up but Kyungsoo was quicker and picked them up before she could. He untied his sneakers and gathered them into the same hand as her shoes. He straightened up and reclaimed her hand tugging her toward the water's edge.

There were still a number of people on the beach, enjoying the last sultry moments of the day. The sun was low, just barely kissing the horizon, but it still warmed their skin with its orangey-red glow.

By unspoken mutual consent, they walked a little further down the beach to a more secluded area. They weren't alone, but they were far enough away that no one could intrude on their privacy.

Kyungsoo plopped himself gracelessly onto the sand and beckoned for Naomi to sit between his legs. Smiling, she held his hand and settled down with her back resting on his chest. She dug her toes into the warm sand just far enough to where she found a cool spot in the grit.

The water washed in and out creating a lulling rhythm that had Naomi nearly comatose. He delighted in the weight of her relaxed body taking strength from him. It made him feel useful and proud that she was leaning on him; trusting him.

It was, he admitted to himself, positively primeval. But then he'd already come to terms with the fact that he was, at his most basic, nothing more than a caveman.

"Will you miss it?" he asked in a low, breathy voice. When he felt the shudder tremble through his wife's body, he had to resist the urge to puff his chest in pride that he could still elicit that kind of response from her.

She was quiet, seeming to genuinely consider her response. "Parts of it, yes. Others, not so much."

"Tell me."

"I'll miss the people I've met here. Madame Toussaint always asks me what new words I've learned when I stop in at the boulangerie. Ricky and Anastasie have both been, just…amazing. I'd heard of so many horror stories of people winding up with awful host families, but the Chêniers have been exactly what I needed. And don't even get me started on Olivia and Lee. Olivia was the next best thing to having my mom here."

It had been years since Naomi mentioned her mother. Kyungsoo really couldn't imagine how much she must have been missing her mom, especially now that they'd found out about the baby.

"I wish your folks were still with us. It doesn't seem quite complete, not being able to tell them about Bean," he said.

The soft sniffle told him all he needed to know. He didn't need to see her face to know that tears were b.

With each day that they'd been together, their connection grew stronger and stronger. They were almost back to that point six months into their marriage when they could practically read each other's mind.

Silence stretched between them as Naomi got control of her emotions. "Your parents are going to freak out, huh?"

"They all know about the infertility." He felt her body stiffen slightly at the matter-of-fact statement.

"I thought we'd agreed we weren't going to say…"

"I think that was a mistake, Naomi. My parents have gone through almost the same things we've gone through. They could've helped; been there more for both of us. But I let my stupid pride get in the way. I...I was so wrong about so many things."

That seemed to surprise Naomi as she leaned away and turned around to face her husband. She brought her legs over top of his, not quite wrapping them around his waist, just resting comfortably over his thighs. "What do you mean?"

He went on to explain all of the things he'd learned from talking with his parents. He shared all of his misconceptions that led to the distance between him and his family, the nascent positive outlook on his relationship with his parents, but most importantly, he apologized.

"Why?" Her brow puckered in confusion.

"Because I deprived you of those relationships, too. Don't think I didn't notice that you called my mom less and less as the years went on. Especially after we got the news from the doctors." Kyungsoo reached up and his finger softly along her jaw. He ignored how the bruising on her forehead was now draining under her eyes, giving her a raccoon-like appearance. She was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever known; olive skin, pouty lips, and small cheekbones.

"I'm sorry, too."

"And what are you sorry about?"

"I don't think I ever really considered your feelings about not being able to conceive. Anastasie helped me to see things from a different point of view. I think I was so wrapped up in my own sadness and guilt that I didn't even stop to think that you were just as involved and invested as I was."

He took a deep breath and drew his arms tighter around her torso, pulling her into his chest. He dropped a soft peck on her brown crown which fit perfectly under his chin. They always just…fit.

He loosened his grip and looked down into her eyes. "I wanted to be strong for you. I…it killed me to see you so broken. But it did affect me. I was angry at how unfair it was that I couldn't give you what you wanted, that we couldn't create that perfect little person together. I just wanted to be there for you, but I couldn't even do that right. Why didn't you let me in?"

"I…I don't know." Her eyes dropped down to his chest as she ran her hands over his forearms. He relished in the feeling and reciprocated with lazy circles over her low back. "I think mostly I was scared that you wouldn't want me anymore. Or that I'd just become a case to you, some medical mystery you felt obligated to solve because we were married."

The last admission punched through his gut, leaving him feeling hollow. He'd had no idea how much his inability to separate Dr. Do and Kyungsoo had affected her. He tilted his head back and pinched his eyes shut, just trying to get a handle on the self-loathing that was starting to overwhelm his senses.

Before he could get too deep into the mire, he felt a soft touch on his cheek.

"You've gotten a lot better at not getting all doctor-y with me. I've noticed how hard you're trying." Her warm smile brought him further back from the edge and he leaned down to kiss her. Their lips slanted together in the well-practiced dance of familiar lovers. Her arms slid around his chest and brought her even closer as they tilted and nibbled and tasted each other.

The last little arc of sun shimmered on the Mediterranean Sea as they broke apart.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I did," she whispered, her voice tremulous and emotional.

Kyungsoo reached into his pocket and pulled out the box from the jewelers that contained Naomi's engagement ring. He lifted the lid and turned it to her. She gasped, no doubt admiring the restored sparkle and brilliance of the ring that she had always described as, "the most perfect ring, ever."

"Then, come back to me." He slipped the ring on to her shaking finger and poured all the love he possessed into another kiss.

A/N: One more chapter and a short epilogue to go. I love hearing from all of you, drop me a little love!

Translations:

Viens ici, chérie : Come here, sweetheart

Boules: A game like bocce ball, also known as petanque