Notes:

1 Pre-eclampsia: a multiorgan disorder occurring after 20 weeks during pregnancy, characterised by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Other symptoms include excessive swelling, pain around liver area, spotting in front of your eyes / headache, etc. It reduces blood flow and nutrients to the baby causing complications such as growth restriction in the baby and stillbirth (death in the womb). For the mother, if untreated, may lead to an eclamptic fit (like epilepsy) and cerebral haemorrhage (bleeding in the brain).

    “I win!”   Hyun Ah throws the remote control onto the bottom of her bed and smirks at her cursing brother.   “You cheated!” Sung Yeol seethes, dropping his remote control next to hers.   Hyun Ah rolls her eyes, “Yes, it’s possible to cheat on a car race game when you start at the same time.”   “Whatever. I’m hungry!” Sung Yeol purses his lips in a hum and raises to put the controllers away next to the TV.   “What did you bring for me today?”   “Your favourite chicken soup and rice,” he replies, beaming, taking pride in his masterpiece.   “I’m so glad you’re a chef. I get good food for free.”   Sung Yeol pushes the table over the bed for her and as they eat lunch together; him sitting on her other side, sharing the table space.   “Where’s dad?”   “He’s got some business to take care of.” He hears her sigh and looks at her. “If you call him over, I’m sure he’ll drop everything and come.”   “He doesn’t love me enough to leave his job.”   “Just because he has been doing it all his life and he doesn’t know what else to do.”   “You can give him some pensioner’s money.”   “I send him money every month, but it’s not like he says anything about it.”   “At least, you’re not useless like me.”   Hyun Ah keeps her gaze down at her food as Sung Yeol opens his mouth, “Hyun Ah-”   “When’s Amber coming?” Her question throws him off guard for a second and it doesn’t take long for him to know that she is trying to change the subject.   “Next weekend,” he answers, boring his eyes onto her knitted grey beanie. It reminds him of the huge bald patch on the crown of her head and his heart shatters again. Her once beautiful long hair is falling strand by strand every day and it hurts Sung Yeol just watching it on the sideline. Hyun Ah has really thick hair and that’s probably why she still has some on her at this moment, he reckons.   “Oh ok, that’s good.”   “Seriously,” he drops his utensils, “why are you making a pregnant woman go on an almost twelve hours’ plane trip just to see you? That’s selfish!”   Hyun Ah glares at him and lifts an eyebrow. She spits, “Oh, I’m not the one who has been hiding it from my sister that Amber is pregnant again for the second time.”   Sung Yeol lets out a desperate sigh and debates, “I didn’t want to make you upset.”   She gives him a look, “In the state that I’m in now, I have nothing more to lose. Besides, I need to return something that belongs to her.”   “Why can’t you just send it? Or give it to me to take it to her?”   “First, it’s not something that can be distributed freely like food. Second, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t want it distributed. Third, you’re not going anywhere; you’re staying here. With me!”   The way she pouts in dismay brings back memories of their childhood and once again, the one he sees is his spoiled little sister, not his sick little sister.   “What is this thing you want to give back to her?”   A sinister smirk appears on her lips before it is replaced by a wistful one as her eyes become distant. Sung Yeol feels the chill on his spine as he waits with bated breath for the worst.   “Something,” she whispers, “something that belongs to her and L oppa ten years ago and should be returned to its rightful place.”   “In that case, why can’t you give it to L?”   “Because it’s hers too. Whatever they want done with it, the decision should be made together.”   “And no other people can see it? Not even me?”   Hyun Ah holds back a chuckle. “I am pretty sure you don’t want to see it. I even think I had gone crazy back then for even taking it.”

 

∞

Amber wakes up and gets herself ready to see Yuri at the Birth Centre for an appointment this afternoon. She goes to have breakfast while Paris has a shower; the girl has been attending every visit ever since her stomach is showing to listen to the baby’s heartbeat – something she has been intrigued about. At least, no sibling jealousy there – or maybe, not yet. That, and Paris not sleeping in on the weekend.   Amber finds Sulli sitting cross-legged on the couch, a mug in her hands, as she stares at nothing in particular in front of her. She makes herself a peanut butter toast and turns the fan on in the living room before taking a seat next to Sulli. Her feet are getting swollen from the heat and she needs some cooling around here. All about those increased blood volume and fluid around the body to accommodate the baby.   “What are you thinking about?”   Sulli seems startled by her appearance as she almost jumps off the couch and stares wide-eyed at her. “Oh God, Amber! Make a sound when you’re around, will you?”   Sulli comes to the Choi’s household from time to time, in particular during Christmas. There are times when Victoria, Nichkhun, Jong Hyun, and Key come to visit them in Toulouse. When this happens, Amber, Victoria, Yuri, and Sulli usually have a heart-to-heart women’s talk, while the men sit watching sport on TV or play with the kids, giving the women a break from them – which the women always appreciate as a nice gesture. It is then that Amber gets to know Sulli Choi, the make-up artist.   Sulli and Tae Min met by chance at a book shop without knowing their mutual connections to Min Ho. One thing leads to another, one date to another, before they decided to take things a step further. It was when Sulli introduced Tae Min to her family that they realised their connections. It was obviously awkward for them initially, but Min Ho eventually came to terms with the situation. Despite working together, Min Ho and Tae Min are not as close as Tae Min is with Sulli. From what she has heard from Yuri, Min Ho realises that there are things Tae Min can tell Sulli, but not him—and it’s that emotional connection that lets him know that if Tae Min can tell Sulli everything about himself, including his vulnerability, then Tae Min must be serious about her. Amber never investigated further as she was contented with whatever she was shared with.   The couple has been married for seven years and it isn’t until last year that they decided they are ready for a baby. They have always been an adorable couple to Amber. Whenever they are together, it’s like they are made for each other, they were born to seal each other’s weaknesses and become perfect beings together. When she hears about Tae Min’s possible betrayal, she won’t lie how much her heart hurts for Sulli and what the couple has had together. She hopes it’s not true, such a shame…   “Sorry,” Amber apologises and devours her breakfast. As she swallows her first bite, she feels a kick and then a somersault in her stomach. She chuckles and cradles her abdomen. “I know. I’m hungry too. Isn’t it nice?”   Amber then becomes aware of Sulli’s penetrating gaze on her, or to be more precise, her stomach. She stares questioningly at the woman, whose jaw has dropped slightly as she looks like she is in a trance, watching all the movements from Amber’s abdomen. For a second, Amber thinks Sulli is going to cry again from the way her lips quiver, but when the younger woman averts her eyes, she manages to control herself before she does.   “Who are you pregnant with?” Sulli queries before Amber could say anything that could at least make her feel better about the situation, or maybe not as she might makes it worse. “Sung Yeol?”   “Oh no, not him,” Amber quickly answers. Does everyone know about Sung Yeol’s feeling for me except myself?   At that moment, Sulli whips back to Amber and gasps in disbelief, “Henry?”   Amber frowns and shakes her head, “No.”   Sulli’s brow wrinkles in confusion, “Then who? Did I miss something? You’re seeing someone?”   “Uh…” Amber wonders how she could explain it to Sulli about Myung Soo, but then decides to take it one step at a time. “Myung Soo. Same person.”   “Excuse me?”   Sulli is looking at her as if she has just escaped a