Chapter 31. Waiting

It was the day she was not really looking forward to. Seohyun passed by the master bath and noticed the lights were on in the walk-in closet. She sighed and decided taking Euna with her, her daughter had always been a really good buffer especially when things turn awkward between them. When she walked in the room, Yonghwa looked up to them in between folding a shirt and she asked, “Need help?”

He smiled almost carelessly rolling his shirt and putting it in the luggage with the rest of his clothes. By the corner of his eyes, Seohyun positioned herself on the ottoman in the center of the room, setting Euna on her lap facing him.  He started folding a pair of jeans as he asked, “You driving me to the airport tomorrow?”

“Uh-huh,” she promptly replied while bouncing her knees to entertain her somber-looking infant.

“She’s bored,” Yonghwa chuckled when Euna yawned. Gently, he took her from her mother and placed her on top of his folded clothes in the open luggage. Seohyun frowned but her smile was obvious so he took his phone and took a picture while Euna stayed still. She yawned again and rubbed her eyes with her fists. “Fall asleep, Euna, and you’ll wake up in China.”

Seohyun laughed by the way he was cooing while Euna was starting to get cranky as her brows furrowed and her lips twitched like she tasted something bitter. She kneeled beside him and scooped her baby up, “Sleep time. Come here, sweetheart. Appa is making you his toy again.”

“Not yet, come to appa, Euna-yang,” he retrieved his baby and cradled her on his stretched legs. One hand under her head and another on her bottom, he continued speaking to the little girl who was frowning heavily at him, “Are you going to miss me?”

To their surprise and amazement, Euna’s lips moved as she cooed back then smiled. They both smiled especially Yonghwa who afterwards kissed Euna's forehead. Then he asked again with rather a softer tone this time, “How about umma? Do you think she will miss me?”

Seohyun rubbed her arm smiling softly as she watched Euna’s scrunched up face getting ready to cry. Slowly, she moved to him again and took the baby. Laying her on her chest, she stood slowly ready to leave the room. Maybe the question should better be unanswered although he probably knew the answer.

He watched her back slowly moving out of the door. Yonghwa smiled to himself, then asked softly, “At least tell me you’ll miss me, even if it’s a lie…”

She felt the shiver running down her spine. Seohyun kissed Euna’s head as she stopped by the doorway, and without turning, she replied, “Of course, I’ll miss you and it won’t be a lie.”

The smile that spread on his lips was almost involuntary. Yonghwa stood and followed her into the nursery. “Are you sure you don’t want to come along?” He asked behind her while she swayed gently to encourage her baby to sleep a little faster.

Seohyun only laughed then replied instead, “Gomo’s coming tomorrow but she said she can only stay for three days.”

He sighed as he sat on the armchair which was her usual spot in the nursery, “Are you sure you’re okay to stay at my parents?”

“Are you sure you’re okay with it?” She chuckled when he groaned.

“What I’m not only okay with is if they let you stay at my old room.”

“Which would definitely make you happy,” Seohyun added with mischief in her eyes, “I can almost smell it… and it’s somewhat disturbing.”

He chuckled, “You’d be sleeping at my boyhood bed—”

“Is it worse than your manhood bed where I’m sleeping right now?”

“You’re killing me,” he deadpan while she laughed tapping Euna’s bottom the moment she jerked. Yonghwa shook his head upon remembering, “I honestly don’t want you to stay there.”

“Why is that?”

“My parents would definitely insist we do that once a month.” He knew he sounded like he was grumbling like a boy again but he just liked that way she snickered at what he was saying so he went on, “Like my married brothers do.”

She shrugged casually, “But we’re not married…”

“We might as well be…” he murmured and watched her eyes smiled like she was giving him the encouragement he needed. That moment he realized how much he was going to miss this, this moment where they would just talk and laugh about something so mundane and simple. He sighed resting his back on the chair and looking up in the ceiling, “I’ll call as often as I can…”

“So I should carry my phone even in the shower?” Seohyun grinned when he rolled his eyes at her then focused back on the ceiling like he was looking at something more interesting.

“Is there anything I can say that you won’t have any comeback on?”

“Hmmm, let me think…” she pondered then smiled, “That would be no.”

He almost laughed but noticed her turning her back on him and carefully laying the baby in her crib. Yonghwa spoke in a small voice, “For ten days my life will be boring…”

“You’ll just miss teasing me,” Seohyun added while she worked on the player until the soft music enveloped the room. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes without leaving the small corner where she was standing. The air felt suddenly heavy. This would be the first in weeks she won’t be seeing him. It’s like her very own security blanket was about to get missing. These past days she relied heavily on his presence, always waiting for him to wake up and waiting for him to return from work— always waiting.

But this time, she would be waiting for a little bit longer.

She didn’t realize it soon but when she felt the cold on her cheek, she found the tears rolling down her cheeks. She hurriedly brushed it away and heard him say something about taking his shower. Seohyun only nodded as he walked out of the room.

Of course, she was being silly and it would also be safe for her to blame her hormones doing things to her feelings. He was only going to be gone for a few days but it somehow felt like her world was about to tilt sideways.

She swallowed the pain back because she couldn’t admit anything else at this point.

She was not really one of those girls… really not.

A smile formed on her lips and decided to comply with this sudden urge that rushed through her. Picking Euna up, she carried her baby to the bed and swaddled her in her blanket. After making sure Euna was comfortable, she laid on her side and waited— waited for him and waited for the urge to subside.

But it didn’t.

It only heightened.

After a few minutes that felt like a long time for Seohyun, he emerged from the shower with his hair still wet and a small towel clung to his shoulders. He wore nothing but this drawstring lounge pants that she noticed as his preference when just idling in the house. 

And it was seriously making her uncomfortable.

Seohyun tore her eyes away from how he looked as he started rubbing the towel on his hair. He was still facing away from her looking at his phone so she decided to get on it and spoke, “Would it be nice to wake up in the morning on your own bed?”

It definitely caught his attention as he turned to her and raised a brow with his lips curling, “Seohyun-ssi, are you inviting?”

She laughed knowing too well that smile he was wearing but gave him a small nod, “Only if you want to.”

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