Eleven Months Later

Jinki gives his hand to Minjung to grip tightly when she shudders through another contraction. Gwiboon shoos everyone out of the bedroom and hollers for Jonghyun to hurry up with her bag. The fourth time around, there is no argument from anyone and everyone knows what they need to do and when. Jinki glances at the sheets and towels stacked neatly near his wife’s feet.

A few minutes later, with her bag open at her feet and Jonghyun facing her and not seeing anything he shouldn’t be, Gwiboon smiles at the tense couple and urges, “Minnie, you need to push now, I can see the head crowning. One good push and you will be done.”

Minjung does as instructed and sighs with relief when she feels the contractions stop and the newborn gives a small cry of protest at getting pushed out of her comfortable warm home. Jinki sighs just as deeply along with her. When her grip on his hand loosens, he shakes it to get blood flowing into it again. He bends down to kiss her forehead and smiles happily, “You did great, love.” He leaves her side to help Gwiboon with cutting of the cord and takes the baby to wash her in the bathroom. He can hear Gwiboon talking.

“Minnie, I think four is enough. You have no idea how lucky you are to have such short labors. You might not be so fortunate next time,” Gwiboon pouts remembering her own fourteen-hour long labor. Jonghyun pats her shoulder soothingly and when she asks him to wear gloves, he quickly dons a pair.

Minjung gives her best friend a radiant smile, “I think I am blessed. I have such easy pregnancies, not even a hint of morning sickness or any other problem that the books talked about. The smile on Jinki’s face when I tell him I am pregnant and every time he holds our new baby, hmmm Gwiboonie, I think that alone makes me want to have more. His smile lights up my heart and all I can think of is having another one so I can see his sunshine smile again.”

“You are one crazy woman,” Jonghyun chides her gently. “Why don’t you remember the terror on his face when you are in labor?”

Jinki comes out with the baby all washed, dressed and wrapped up, and lays her on the bed next to Minjung. “Hush, dino-face. Just because your wife refuses to have more children after Amber and Junghee is no reason to scare mine.”

Jonghyun understands Jinki’s silent looks and calls Jaejoong’s phone to come up and help Gwiboon with clean-up. Yunho comes into the room with Jaejoong, leaving Taemin and Jongin to look after all the kids. Both grandfathers fawn over the baby girl before beginning their respective tasks leaving Jinki to carry Minjung to the bathroom and wash her. Yunho takes the baby downstairs to meet rest of her family and Jonghyun follows him. Jaejoong and Gwiboon quickly clean up the bed and the room.

In the bathroom, as a glowing Minjung soaks herself in warm water, Jinki kisses her shoulder and sighs blissfully, “Thank you, love, for giving me a pretty daughter.”

Minjung giggles, “Just pretty? Not beautiful?”

Jinki shakes his head, “Nah, only you are beautiful. There can never be anyone as beautiful as you.” She grins and kisses his nose. He presses a kiss on her chin, “So, love, this time we get to name the baby. What do you want to call her?”

Minjung closes her eyes for a moment before opening them wide and looking at her husband, “Jinri.”

Jinki whispers the name and gives his sunshine smile, “That’s a good name, babe.”

Minjung traces his smiling lips with her fingertip, “Changmin wants to name his second sister Minah.”

Jinki works to keep his smile from slipping away. He hides his worried face in her hair to give himself time for regaining his composure. Jonghyun was right in recognizing the terror he lived through every time Minjung went into labor. With each contraction he promised himself ‘never again’, and after each delivery her dazzling face wore down his resolve.

“Babe, don’t you think three kids are enough?” Jinki whispers into Minjung’s hair.

Minjung happily shakes her head in denial, not noticing the shudder that runs through her husband. She leans into him, soaking his shirt, and kisses the mole on his neck. “I think I will give up the day I have longer labor,” she trills joyfully.

Jinki completely loses his head and blurts out, his face still hidden in Minjung’s hair, “I am going to have vasectomy. I can’t live with the constant fear of you dying during childbirth. I can’t lose you, babe. I will die with you.”

Minjung freezes in shock for a moment before putting her slim hands on either side of Jinki’s face and pulling it away from her hair. When she is able to see into his eyes, the desolation that stares back at her takes her by surprise. She immediately begins kissing him all over his face to comfort him.

Jinki is unable to stop, “I can’t let you do it again. What if something happens to you? You don’t even let us take you to a hospital. What if you hemorrhage like my mother? No, no. You can’t leave me. I cannot live without you. I will not live without you. Please, babe, no more, please.” Unbidden tears trail down his cheeks.

Minjung kisses his tears and coos at him, “I am not going anywhere, love. You can’t get rid of me so easily. I am healthy as a horse and stronger than one too. Nothing has happened so far, and nothing will. Come on, my sweet sunshine, give me a smile.”

“My mother was also healthy and still they couldn’t control her bleeding,” Jinki seeks comfort in her eyes and kisses.

“She died of heartbreak, I think. She knew Papa Yun did not love her. I think she died because she could find no other way of leaving him,” Minjung wipes his cheeks and kisses his eyes, before hugging him to her. “This is why I know nothing will happen to me. I want to be with you forever. I deliver at home because I love being in your care. I know I can do it and if there was any risk in my delivery, Gwiboonie would have warned. Don’t forget she is an obstetrician.”

“I am still getting a vasectomy. I cannot take any more risks with you.” Jinki’s jaw sets in determination, his eyes getting a stubborn look as they dry. 

Minjung looks at him woefully and her large eyes fill up. Her cherry lips quiver in dejection and her beautiful face crumbles in disappointment. Too soon, she turns her head into his neck and sniffles wordlessly. The moment Jinki hears her sniffling, he pushes aside his worry and takes her in his arms to being rocking her gently, “Shh baby, don’t cry. You know I hate to see tears in your eyes.”

She sniffles loudly and cries into his neck, “How can I not cry? All I wanted while growing up was a large family. And you don’t want us to have more babies. How can I not mourn our incomplete family?”

Jinki is perplexed at Minjung’s concept of complete family, “But babe, we already have a large family – Dad, Papa Jae, Taemin, Jongin, Changmin, Junsu, Sehun and Jinri. We don’t even fit into a normal car anymore.”

Minjung purses her lips and looks at him mutinously, “So, buy a bigger vehicle. Just last week you were gaga-eyed at that new ten-seater Toyota model. You promised me you will make all my dreams come true. Now you are telling me we can’t have more children. Please, just two more.”

Jinki closes his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts and tries not to look as incredulous as he feels. With difficulty he manages to speak, “You wanted six children?”

“Not six, a dozen,” Minjung corrects him and smiles into his neck, not daring to lift her head in case Jinki catches her smiling and turns obstinate again. When Jinki squawks on hearing about dozen kids, she attempts a loud sniffle and succeeds when Jinki tightens his arms around her to rub her back soothingly. “But I am not asking you to give me a dozen babies. Half a dozen is okay. I promise to go to the hospital and stay a week before the delivery date. We don’t need to have a dozen. Please, please, love. Just two more.”

Jinki sighs in defeat, “I can get a vasectomy after that?”

Minjung lifts her head and rubs noses with him, “You can get it done during the pregnancy itself, don’t have to wait for the baby to be born.”

Jinki pouts when he catches her large eyes b with happiness instead of tears, “You are a con artist, babe. So not fair to exploit my weakness like this.”

“Umm love, everything is fair in love and war. And, I love you,” Minjung pecks his lips and crows in delight.

Jinki returns her sweet kiss, “Someone should have warned me that shy wallflower was just a disguise.” Minjung giggles in response.

In the bedroom, Jonghyun and Gwiboon exchange glances and shake their head, resigning themselves to a life with their crazy friends.