Chapter 77

“Open. There you go.” Yuri waited until Taehyun swallowed the given spoonful of miso soup before giving him another one. Even though her voice was calm, she was having butterflies in her stomach. He was leaning on the door with his sharp gaze on her back. They hadn’t exchange a word to each other. She was waiting for what he had to say first.

A saturday morning was being ruined again. She had intended to work on the reports of teachers but with such a gloomy apartment & a husband whose eyes would never leave you, she couldn’t help but stay beside Taehyun’s bedside & as the day worn on, it seemed like an eternity sitting beside the sick Taehyun. He was still at the threshold.

As if the apartment had turned into a blue house, the phone rang from the living room. She still sat & he still stood. After three rings, she heard footsteps walking away. The butterflies in her stomach settled down. Yuri finally exhaled with an easy breath. His mumbles were heard but she couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. Three minutes after, he walked back in & stood back to his place.

Her spine stiffened. She waited for him to speak but no words came out of his mouth. With a shaky take-in breath, she asked, “Who called?”

“Mr. Lee Donghae.” Jaejoong said loudly & clearly.

She winced at his voice. Whatever they had talked about, it must have made him angry, “What did he say?” Jaejoong was silent before answering, “What he said wasn’t why he called. I even wondered why he has our phone number. You might know why, Yul.”

“I gave it to him.”

His breathing heaved. He hated her calm voice when they quarrel. His temper only rises. Pushing away from the doorframe, he walked over to her side & looked down at Taehyun, “& I guess you gave it to him & all of the other men at the school?”

She shifted her gaze to look up at him. Her eye threw him glares but still, her voice was calm, “I gave our home phone number to my friends in case of emergencies. It isn’t a big deal. You would have done the same thing, too.”

“Would I? But why would he call to ask if you made it home safely yesterday night? A male friend wouldn’t have the nerves to say that to her husband, would he, Yul?” He looked at her in the eyes, “We had only been married for two months & it already seemed like an eternity. You are getting tired of this marriage, aren’t you?”

Her response didn’t come out nor did she want it to. He grunted, “I thought you were.” He made a turn & stopped at the threshold, “I will be in the next room looking over some cases. You need rest. Your face tells it all. I will be back later & look over Hyunnie. We are taking turns.”

Yuri closed her eyes as he walked away. She took a swallow. She sunk down onto the floor & laid her head to rest on the bed. Her arms hugged herself. He was right. She needed rest. Closing her eyes, Yuri dozed off slowly & she thought she was dreaming as a man she couldn’t make out his face took her into his arms. Too tired to open her eyes wider, she cuddled herself nearer his chest. He placed a kiss on her cheekbone & whispered sweet words. Then she felt herself lying on his lap. He cuddled her like a baby. Her head rested on his chest with his arms supporting her. She moaned in her sleep. Turning her head, she buried her face into his chest. He nudged his nose against her neck. She moaned again. As if afraid to lose her, he hugged her tightly.

“Mommy, wake up. Up, mommy.” Taehyun shook her lightly but yet, impatient to get her attention that he wasn’t sick anymore. Yuri slightly opened her eyes. She brought her hands up & rubbed her eyes to make equal ness with the light.

When everything cleared around her, her eyes widened, “What are you doing up, Hyunnie?”

He grinned, “Hyunnie well.”

“You have a sore throat. Have you…?”

“Daddy gave me yummy medicine.”

She squinted & sat up. Taehyun sat on her lap, playing with her braided hair, “What time is it?”

He questionably looked at her, “It’s morning, mommy.”

Yuri smiled down at him. She had forgotten he couldn’t tell time yet. Ruffling his nicely combed hair, Yuri placed him down on the floor & got up. Walking over to the rocking chair at the window, she slipped into her black short shawl-collar robe, “Did you comb your hair by yourself?” She took his hand & headed out.

“Daddy did. Daddy say I look handsome.”

“You sure do. You look just like him when he was a kid.” Taehyun grinned up at her proudly. They entered the kitchen just as a smell of eggs began frying. Jaejoong turned around at Taehyun’s gleeful voice. His eyes caught onto her & just by looking at her eyes, he can tell she wasn’t going to forgive him of what he had done yesterday nor the day before. He smiled as Taehyun pulled on the braid he had braided yesterday night while she had been sleeping peacefully in his arms.

“Daddy cook omelet. Sit, mommy.” At her son’s commanding voice, Yuri obeyed & sat on the stool. Her eyes gazed up at her husband’s back. Was it him she had dreamed about? Was it him who had been whispering sweet words to her in the dream? She quickly scooted her gazed back to Taehyun’s company as Jaejoong turned around with the kimchi omelet, ready to eat. She innocently nodded at whatever her son was talking about, “& Hyunnie wake up happy & Hyunnie wake up daddy & daddy brush teeth with Hyunnie. Daddy comb me hair & Hyunnie wake you up, mommy.”

“That’s great, sweetheart.” Yuri looked down as Jaejoong placed a plate of kimchi omelet in front of her, “Thank you.” She whispered, picking up her fork & digging into it. She felt his eyes on her & then moved onto Taehyun. Her ears listened to everything both men were talking about but it was Taehyun who carried on the conversation. She finished her omelet & stood up.

Jaejoong’s gaze followed her, “Where are you going?” His voice was sincere.

She looked over her shoulder at him, “I forgot to wash up for breakfast before Hyunnie dragged me out.” Taehyun chewed on his omelet, not paying attention.

“Why don’t you get ready, too?” He found himself asking, “I have something big but yet small to show you.” “We are going somewhere?”

He nodded, “It’s a surprises. I will love it if you go with Hyunnie & me.”

Yuri gave him a look of undecided & continued walking. With a quick shower, she got dressed into a comfortable outfit. She might as well go with them for a difference. Her time with Taehyun was gone since she had begun working. She only see him fifty minutes in the morning then two hours at night on the weekdays. Spending a sunday morning with them couldn’t make a difference but maybe it can lighten up her mood.

His driving was always so careful. He drove to a part of town not so far where she had never been before. The trees grew thicker. He drove off the road & entered an unpaved driveway. She slightly frowned. Trees surrounded both sides of the driveway, making it darker with spark of the sunrays shining through. He slowly came to a stop. She turned her gaze away from the woods & looked ahead. Her eyes shined with awe. He parked the car & turned to her.

“We are here. It’s safe to get out.” With a spark of a smile, Jaejoong got out of the car. She, herself, got out, “Wow.” Taehyun worded with a fish voice, “It’s pretty.”

‘Yes, it is.’ Yuri walked over to Taehyun & stood beside him, studying the two story cabin. Its mahogany walled the cabin tightly, letting no air in. The door was arched. The windows shined brightly & two chimneys were on the two-sided slanted roof. Flower beds were planted with only red roses. A little well stood by the cabin’s side.

Yuri smiled sweetly, “Who lives here?”

Jaejoong angled his head to look at her, “We do.” She averted to look at him with her pale pink lips parted in real surprises. Taehyun ran over to the well & tried to lift the cover off with his wee hands. Jaejoong step closer to her, “I bought as soon as I saw it. It wasn’t only the beauty that caught me, Yul; I bought it for something you will never forgive me for. I notice you never did redecorate the apartment so.” He pointed his palm to the cabin, “I bought this for a surprises & maybe more. You always dream of having a little cabin in the woods. I know it’s not little but it’s a beautiful cabin.”

She didn’t speak. He smiled & took her hands, “Come on, let’s go see the inside. I got the keys.” He called over to Taehyun as he opened the door. The boy cried out in glee as he ran into the cabin. Jaejoong chuckled & let go of her hand. He walked over to Taehyun as the boy tried to climb into the fish tank with the fishes & a turtle. Yuri flexed her hand. She looked up at the staircase before her. The hard floor & the staircase were newly polished. With a deep take-in breath, Yuri walked up the dark stairs. She reached the top, turned left & turned the lights on. With clearer view, Yuri opened a door. The room was empty except for a dresser & bookshelf nailed against the wall. She closed the door & opened another, showing the bathroom. Opening the last room on the left side of the second floor, she gasped at the sight.

It was different from the last one she had seen. The wooden wall was being covered by a wallpaper background of white & red rose petals. The hard floor had been carpeted white & the ceiling was being painted white. The two windows were opened, letting in light & a little warm breeze.

She jumped as a hand circled her waist. Then a voice soothed her, “It’s just me. I’m sorry I frightened you. How do you like our room?”

She breathed easily & pushed out of his warm grasps, “It...It’s lovely.” She studied the room once more & turned around as he didn’t speak. He looked troubled.

“It’s not far away from the school & I hadn’t really asked if you are willing to move. If you are not, I will just decorate the cabin with new furnitures & we will move in whenever you want to.”

Yuri turned back away & walked to the open window. She took in a deep breath & let it out. He was thinking of her & also, the importance of her job. Just the first take-in of the beautiful cabin, she had fallen in love with it. It was in the peaceful woods like she had always dreamed of her little cabin to be. Loneliness could never be fallen over her, even if living alone in the cabin. The cabin is her dream but she can’t live without the lovely memories she had shared with him in their apartment.

Yuri closed her eyes. Oh yes, she had never left the past alone completely, even when she had vow never to think of it again. The time she had shared with him was too precious for her to leave. Taehyun wasn’t the only thing that had kept her alive in those four years alone without him. The sweet memories she had shared with him in that apartment & out had saved her life when giving birth to Taehyun. She can never leave it & move into another home. The memories of the woman that had ruin her life in that apartment, Yuri had never cared. It was her home & no other woman’s, even if her husband had made out with another woman.

“Yul?”

“This cabin is beautiful, Jaejoong Oppa.” & she wouldn’t care if he knew she can’t leave the apartment.

“It’s very thoughtful of you but I think the apartment we are living in now will do.” She turned around to look at him, “But I will love to spend some time in this cabin & decorate it.”

Relieved, he smiled, “Two homes wouldn’t be so hard to love & I won’t be selling the apartment we are living in now. I will hate to leave all of the memories behind.”

She colored, wondering if he had figured out what she had been thinking about, “Are you sure we can handle the payment?”

“I had never been so sure.” Taehyun’s callings were heard from down the hall, “& he loves the bedroom I had prepared for him. Come & see.” Yuri followed him out of the rosy room. Taehyun jumped about at the excitement of his bedroom. She smiled. Everywhere on the walls & ceilings were wallpapered with different pictures of Taehyun. He seemed to love himself very much.

Yuri walked back outside & sniffed the roses. It was beginning to die of the cool winter coming. They have nothing to worry about snow but she promise she will take good care of them when spring comes. Every rose petal was worth living if really being love.