[kyle's notes]: OMG! I don't have any idea what I'm doing with this story anymore hahaha JK.. it's kinda short chap.. hmm.. and the shortest, I think? I'll make it up to you some time :P

WARNING: LOTS of ERRORS ahead

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Twenty-two years ago…

“No! I don’t want you risking your well-being by going against this storm.” Elvie Jung clutched the phone closer to her ear and clutched her other hand to her aching stomach. Why did her husband have to be trapped in some other country at the time she needed him the most?

(“Honey, I want to be there.”) Alvin Jung was only twenty-four, yet he was already exhausted with all the work bestowed on him. But before he was a businessman, he was a husband first. And soon to be a father.

Heck, his wife was only a few minutes away to delivering their baby and there he was, stuck in the four corners of his hotel room in Georgia where he just finished a business deal. Whatever happened to his wedding vow to be there for better or for worse? ‘Damn it!’

It hadn’t helped that she never had an ultrasound and routine check-ups throughout her pregnancy. She wanted to do it the natural way – food, exercise, sleep, vitamins. And now, he was starting to have regrets over it. His wife couldn’t bear travelling to the hospital in this kind of weather. Oh, the unfortunate things for this child!

But his wife, as stubborn as she was, didn’t want him to push it. Any airline that would pursue a flight in this kind of weather should never be allowed to run their business anymore. She wanted him to be there—any wife would want their husband’s support when they’re about to give birth, especially if it was to their first child; but she didn’t want him to risk it that could result in losing him.

“I’m doing good, Alvin,” she lied through gritted teeth. Her insides seemed like they were being gyrated and every heavy feeling fell down on her womb where the baby kept on pushing itself out. “I need to—I have to go. I’ll call you later and let the baby talk to you.” A weak I love you too came out of before passing the wireless landline to the man in the room.

The man took it from her and signaled the midwife to do her job whilst he stepped outside and closed the door. (“Please take care of my family for me”) the long distance caller said on the other line. (“Victor, are you still there?!”) Panic was evident in his tone upon hearing some screams of pain. How devastating it could be when you hear your wife’s suffering without you by her side, and you perfectly know that you should’ve been there?

Victor Hwang struggled down the stairs as he tried to keep his gait steady. He was tasked to get more blankets for the coming little one. “I hear you, Alvin! I hear you! I’m trying to remain calm here. You’re lucky Edward’s girlfriend is a midwife.”

(Yeah. Tell Edward I owe the two of you and Jaya big time. Please update me as soon as you can.”)

Victor ended the call immediately, throwing the phone on the cushions of the sofa. He gathered all the sheets his hands could handle and hurriedly ran up the stairs again. “Edward! Come help me here!”

The said other friend met him on the top of the stairs upon hearing his name being called. “There are two! Two!” he happily jumped, taking half of the fabric from his friend’s hands.

“What do you mean two?” Victor clarified, his feet steadied in front of the room where the new mother has given birth.

Edward grinned widely. It was a kind of grin that could be compared to the happiness of the real father. It was as if he was the father. “She gave birth to twins!”

***************************************

“I woke up with only a daughter by my side. And since then, I believed that I gave birth to only one child,” Elvie sobbed as the narration ended.