Chapter 10. Captured

 “Did you see her nose? It was really cute.”

She shook her head with the way her husband laughed and she smiled glancing over to him. “Aiooo… I think I would be hearing that for days to come.”

“I could hardly believe it… Yonghwa…” he closed the book that he was trying to read for the past thirty minutes already. The sight of his little granddaughter played in his mind. “And she probably named her after you. Euna— she’s such a beautiful baby just like her halmom.”

Eun Suk laughed lightly then smiled when she remembered how she cried again when Yonghwa told her the baby’s name. Although Seohyun looked perplexed, Eun Suk thought perhaps it was her son’s decision to give his daughter that name. She sighed as she took her space on the bed beside her husband, “Now that you mentioned it. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m not very sure of those two…”

“What do you mean?” His brows raised towards his wife’s doubtful expression. He had always value whatever she has to say and he had proven many times that her opinions were worth taking into consideration, “Tell me what you think.”

“There is something that really bothers me…” she sat up again and faced her husband, “I don’t know how to put it to words but I know something is wrong about those two…”

“Really?” Sung Gwang took off his reading glasses and laid them beside the book on the side table.

“You don’t feel it?”

He noticed how she was scratching her right arm again when he shrugged. Every time she was not feeling good or nervous, she would sooth her arm like calming herself then he smiled and held her hand, “Don’t think about it too much… besides it was Nuna who told us about it. Yonghwa was really going to keep it from us.”

“That’s one of the reasons! Why would he do that?”

“Jung Yonghwa… he is the most irresponsible, remember?”

“It’s not that… and he’s not like that!” Eun Suk snapped.

“Arasso, arasso…” he chuckled by how she would defend him, “What I want to say is that if there is really something wrong, it won’t take long for us to find out. For now, take a rest and we will go early to the hospital tomorrow…”

She slid back to her place and faced the opposite direction when he turned off the lights and wrapped his arm on her waist. What if the woman was just lying and making things up to get Yonghwa? That really could happen. Besides, her son has a weak spot too that she feared those people with bad intentions could easily get. But she also noticed how Seohyun would look at her son, somehow, it was irritation she saw in her. Aside from that, she couldn’t seem to look straight into his eyes— both of them for that matter. It was as if Yonghwa did something really terrible to her. Then again, her sister-in-law was right about them not really in a friendly term.

Then she remembered Euna, that adorable little thing that captured the somewhat elusive heart of her husband. It was as if she showered fairy dust around them that she has taken them all. Her pretty little eyes stared deep at her for a moment, she blew an air and closed her eyes. It had been almost three years that she last held a baby in her arms and it really felt good. Perhaps, it was what Sung Gwang was feeling right there that he has forgotten how mad he was with Yonghwa.

Maybe she was really overthinking or it was another jealousy that Yonghwa finally found the woman whom he will be with for the rest of his life. It was as if losing another one of her boys, she smiled with the thought since she gets somewhat depressed every time one of them informs them that they would be settling down.

To think it was Yonghwa…

She snuggled deeper beside her husband and smiled thinking that she was to see their baby again. But still, she needed to make sure that her intuitions were wrong.

~~~

The grumbling noise woke her up and she instinctively looked at the crib beside her. When she was assured that her baby was fine, she lifted the covers up and looked at the corner where the couch was positioned. She could not see clearly as her eyes were still struggling for a normal view after a long nap, then Seohyun finally noticed upon hearing that soft snores. It was late in the night and he probably fell asleep.

She sat up and gazed helplessly at him since he was crouching on that tiny furniture. She knew that he did not get any sleep since the night before. She resigned to the idea of waking him up and letting him go home. Pretend that she did not notice him—that was exactly what she would do. Taking one pillow, she tiptoed towards him and laid it on his arm.

Euna’s angry bawl came again so she immediately sprinted and scooped her baby in her arms before she could wake the whole hospital. “Shhhhh…” she lulled softly enough not to wake the other one who finally took the pillow and covered his head, “What’s wrong? You just ate, right? Don’t tell me you’re hungry again…”

The clock told her how late it really was as she continued to sway and hum against the silence of the night. Having a baby would really test her dancing and singing skills, she laughed quietly as Euna’s eyes warned her that she needed to put more effort.

That instant she felt how it would be raising a baby alone and it saddened her. She could feel a drop was rolling down her cheek while Euna stared intently at her, “Help umma decide, please…”

The weight of the pillow coupled with the baby’s cry woke him but he remained still. Quietly, he covered his head with the pillow she placed on his chest seconds ago. He smiled at how she was talking to Euna about feeding. His old self would have attempted to take a peek while she feed her baby— a smile spread on his lips. His old self really? Did he really think he was now a new Yonghwa? He shifted on the couch abruptly and turned to the other side ignoring his own thoughts.

His aunt warned him not to go before his parents left so he was forced to stay with them. After almost an hour of discussing ‘their plans’, they left and he sprawled himself on the sofa. When he woke up, Yonghwa noticed that it would be useless to go to the office so he went back to sleep instead. And now, it was too late to drive back home. He sighed realizing that this was his body’s way of catching up with the sleep he needed.

Yonghwa closed his eyes again when Euna stopped crying and settled comfortably on his makeshift bed for the night. After all, the lullaby she was singing was also drawing him back to dreamland as much as it did to the little baby who suddenly became his as well. Maybe he’d be able to wake up early the next day and slip out of the room before Seohyun wakes up.

He could only hope he would.

~~~

The soft murmurs woke him again. He shifted a little to discreetly look at his wristwatch and winced when he realized the time. It was still too early but he could already hear his mother and his aunt’s voices. The baby too