Chapter 32. Gift

The faint sound coming from the nursery woke her and as her hand automatically reached for Euna, her eyes opened when she felt the empty sheets. Seohyun stretched when his voice, as well as the sound of him shaking the feeding bottle, became clearer. It was time to start the day and soon she would be driving him to the airport. She sighed then made her way into the restroom.

After a while, she headed to the nursery when she noticed the silence and she thought that he might have taken Euna outside. But the moment she stepped into the room, her heart clenched in her chest and she had to swallow back the tears that threatened to fall. Yonghwa was sitting on the armchair with Euna on his lap feeding contentedly, loudly at that. His eyes were closed, probably still wishing he was asleep but here he was, taking this quiet time with Euna.

Seohyun had to look away just to stop the tears from flowing.

Moving to the dresser, she collected the empty bottles and looked back at him the moment she felt him stir.

 “Good morning…”

She laughed when his voice rumbled but replied back waving the bottles in her hand, “Morning. I’ll wash these first then we’ll get ready…”

“Ne, umma…”

Moments like this she would still ask herself if everything that was happening were real— that they were not dreams or even illusions. Even when she was alone with Euna, she would still wonder if she did fall into some rabbit hole or something to be living this life.

This life that she wasn’t familiar of.

Her life was a thousand miles away from here, or the life she knew. That day she learned that she was pregnant was the day her life changed so extremely. The plans she made just disappeared into thin air when she realized the life growing inside her. The plans she made before that fateful night Yonghwa found her evaporated that she couldn’t even remember if she even made one.

Seohyun shook her head and decided to prepare breakfast which consisted mainly of the side dishes Mrs. Kim made earlier, scrambled eggs that was the only thing she could cook with utmost confidence, and rice.

As usual, the breakfast was placed on the kitchen counter. She liked eating there with him, it felt casual, mostly because it avoided this some sort of awkwardness. After a few minutes, he appeared with Euna and she walked to them realizing she hadn’t even kissed her baby good morning yet. And of course, he pouted at her asking for his share but she laughed because that was the best thing to do. Then walked away before she’d get the impulse to do so.

Breakfast was slow, they barely talked and before she knew it, the day caught up on them. She quietly prepared Euna to go outside while he was also doing his own preparations. There was this tightness in her chest that she couldn’t explain. Honestly, she didn’t want to see him off.  

Seohyun took a deep breath before taking Euna out.

When she got outside, he was still not there so she just buckled Euna on her seat and her baby was in her happy mood and was not too cheap at giving her umma her sleepy smiles. Her somewhat gloomy disposition at the moment was starting to get healed as she cooed at her baby and coaxed her to show her those smiles. She couldn’t help but kiss her baby’s cheek until she heard that ominous sound of his luggage. Euna cooed softly and tucked her hand under her chin and she smiled but when she looked up, he was right there in front of her ready to go.

“Hi…” Yonghwa smiled back at her then looked over her shoulder, “Can I hold her in the front seat?”

Seohyun sighed and nodded, “Okay, I guess that’s okay…”

“Just drive slowly,” he grinned and winked before moving to get Euna.

“Be careful what you wish for,” she said behind him at least he seemed to be unaware of her languidness. Seohyun didn’t want him to worry that he might not be able to focus on his job and even to have a downtime abroad. She was in constant battle with her hormones, always swallowing the lumps in as she drove silently.

The way he cuddled Euna was also making it even harder for her especially when he started whispering words she barely understood but her heart was already expanding inside her it was too hard to breathe.

This man— this man giving her so many complicated, conflicting, unfamiliar emotions she never wanted to welcome.

But here she was.

And as if he was torturing her, Yonghwa decided they could walk around the airport for a while and have their early lunch. Although she was still a bit full from breakfast, she just indulged him realizing that he was stretching the moment to be with Euna. Did she sound jealous? She groaned unconsciously out loud that Yonghwa looked up to her with furrowed brows. She only shook his head with a small smile and gestured for Euna who was smiling at her sleep. As usual, he took his phone and recorded that moment which only lasted for a minute.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go with me?” He asked again as he stuffed his phone in his pocket.

She laughed and nodded, “I’m sure.”

Then they fell into this comfortable silence again and both focused on the food in front of them while Euna napped in her stroller. Before she could even finish her ramyeon, her daughter whimpered and she knew it was time for her milk. She took her baby from the stroller while she noticed that Yonghwa started taking the milk bottle and thermos from the baby bag. She gave him a smile of both approval and admiration at his quick response. Before Euna could do her hungry wail that could possibly get them arrested for child abuse, Seohyun cradled her and took the milk bottle from her appa.

As their baby happily chugged down her milk, Seohyun sighed at the sight of the kimbap delivered at their table but it didn’t escape his attention. In no time, Yonghwa was feeding her kimbap which she was actually thankful for. And when Euna finished her bottle, he was quick to take her and positioned her gently that her chin laid on his shoulder. With soft taps, their little one give off a loud burp much to their amusement. And they were not the only one to notice that an old woman sitting behind them started cooing at Euna and asking them questions. Seohyun though only answered with nods and smiles and allowed him to talk. He sounded so enthusiastic in answering questions about their baby and he somehow seemed to have forgotten that he was almost about to leave.

It was just beautiful hearing him brag about how nice Euna was and that she barely cries— it was so beautiful she wanted to puke. But she let his little lies slide since he sounded so genuinely happy flaunting his daughter. They were quiet again after the woman excused herself until he looked up to her wearing a regretful smile.

“I think you should drive back,” Yonghwa spoke and laid Euna back in her stroller as he continued, “She’s been out here for too long.”

She only nodded noticing the way he was avoiding her gaze. The silence followed them all the way to the carpark and he only spoke to her again once Euna was strapped in the car seat and the baby stroller was put away.

“I’ll call once I get there…”

“Take care…” she replied unsurely since she didn’t really know what to say— or how to say what she wanted to tell him.

“You too, call me if anything…”

Yonghwa muttered again probably trying to illicit a response from her but she just bobbed her head and spoke under her breath, “Yes…”

They held each other’s gaze for a fraction of seconds until he arranged his bag on his shoulder and gestured for her to get in the car. Seohyun nodded with a loud exhale and watched him turn away.

She stood there until he disappeared from her sight.

~~~

A few hours later and they were back in the lake house. Euna seemed to be having another fits of crying spree, Seohyun almost convinced herself that she knew her appa was not around. She spent an hour just swaying and singing and begging her baby to stop crying until her little one fell asleep. She too was dozing on the chaise when her phone rang and she smiled, she knew it was him.

Yonghwa sounded so worn-out the moment he greeted her and she battled with herself not to tell him to just rest because she wanted so much to hear his voice. “How was the flight?” She asked instead.

“It was okay, just a short ride but I feel like I’m in a different continent,” he chuckled then asked, “Euna?”

“Sleeping,” Seohyun smiled, her gaze dropping on her exhausted baby. She decided not to tell him this little one’s apparent bad mood so he wouldn’t worry. “What’s the plan tonight?”

The line was silent for a moment until he sighed, “I think I’ll just have room service and sleep. I’m pretty much beat.”

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