"You okay, hon?" Kyungsoo's voice was laced with concern. Naomi was pretty sure his face would be full of the same, but as her head was bent over an airsick bag, she couldn't confirm her suspicion. They were on approach into Korea International Airport and were experiencing turbulence rough enough to rival a seven-point-oh earthquake.

Before she knew she was pregnant, she hadn't really paid any attention to the fleeting waves of nausea. She'd always chalked it up to something she ate not agreeing with her. Now that she knew better, Naomi was hyper-aware of all the changes in her body – including every little roil of her stomach.

The Captain's voice crackled over the loudspeaker, announcing they'd been cleared to land. Naomi tried to sit up but another jarring bump doubled her over again. Kyungsoo held on to her waist, steadying her as best he could until they'd finally touched down and slowed to taxiing speed.

Naomi burst through the door almost as soon as the flight attendant opened it. Everyone in the first class cabin had been privy to her dry heaves and so no one stood in her way as she dashed down the aisle, leaving Kyungsoo to collect all of their belongings from the overhead bin.

Kyungsoo strolled through the door of the jet way as calm as you please, and sat down next to his wife. Her face was still a bit pale, but at least she didn't look green anymore. Wordlessly he handed her a can of ginger ale. She popped the top and took a few tentative sips, finally relaxing into the seat.

"I'm never flying again. Ever."

"So when we move back to Busan you're going to endure a week of driving in a moving van with me?" He raised one cocky eyebrow.

She hadn't thought that far ahead in her plans to renounce air travel all together. "Is there something that will knock me out and get rid of the nausea that's still safe for the baby?" She wasn't too proud to make good use of her husband's pharmaceutical knowledge.

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm sure we'll think of something if need be. Besides, my residency isn't over for another couple months. By then you should be over the morning sickness." A quick peck on the cheek and he was standing again, looping her messenger bag over his shoulder.

"Come on. Let's get out of here. We still have a long drive home and I have to introduce you to our new car."

Naomi walked around the Honda Accord noting that while it was far from perfect with all the little scratches and nicks that come with having been driven around for ten years, it was still in pretty good shape.

The interior smelled clean, the carpets were freshly shampooed, even the upholstery was mostly without blemish. All in all, Kyungsoo had done a really good job at choosing a car that she would feel comfortable driving. He'd rattled off the JD Power rating and all the safety and reliability ratings he'd researched.

"So? What do you think? You're killing me here with the no talking." Kyungsoo had his hands shoved into the pockets of his cargo shorts and was shifting nervously from side to side. "You hate it don't you?" His head dropped before she'd had a chance to respond.

"Honey, it's exactly right. I know it's not your dream car, nor is it mine for that matter, but it's perfect for what we need right now. Thank you for making this sacrifice."

"I would do anything for you. I'm just sorry it took you leaving me to get me to see that." He leaned down and pecked her on the lips a few times before opening the door and waving with a flourish. "Your chariot awaits, m'lady."

It was impossible for Naomi to stifle the giggle that broke free as she settled herself into the passenger seat. After Kyungsoo was finished loading the bags into the trunk, he slid into the driver seat and turned to his wife. "Ready?"

"Yup. Let's go home."

Armed with two cardboard boxes, Naomi marched into Banner and Cope and sailed past the reception desk. She smiled cordially to the people who bothered to pop their heads over the cubicle walls to say hello.

She dropped the boxes off in her cubbyhole-with-a-door and wound her way through the corporate furniture maze to Banner Jin's office. The few moments Naomi had to wait in between when Banner's personal secretary buzzed him on the intercom and when she was admitted into his inner sanctum – the garishly decorated office covered with tacky, plastic bowling trophies and a stupid, fake singing fish – seemed too short and, at the same time, too long.

"Naomi! How'd you enjoy your vacation? You look great, by the way. Guess that tropical sun did you some good?" He his cracked lips and ran a sweaty hand over his barely-there-hair, his shiny pate peeking through the stringy strands. At least he didn't go the toupee route, though that didn't lessen his ickiness quotient by any degree.

"Uh…it was great. Thanks." She kept her distance, wanting to avoid physical contact at all costs.

"So, I've got a few projects that have been piling up for you. Didn't think I could trust Kim with the job, you know?" She was pretty sure she saw some kind of projectile hurtling away from Banner's nose as he guffawed and snorted in a wink wink nudge nudge kind of way. They'd never been chummy and his banter was bordering on the disturbing.

"Yeah, about that. I..." She pulled the envelope from her pocket and slid it, long ways, across Banner's desk.

"What's this?" he asked, his tobacco-stained smile faltering slightly.

"It's my resignation," she hedged, "effective immediately."

"But…you can't…we just…I," he spluttered.

"Doctor's orders. I'm sorry, but I can't subject myself to stressful situations. I'll be cleaning my desk out and I'll make sure to return my key card and office key to HR."

He glanced over the letter and scowled. At least she'd had her OB/GYN write the note instead of Kyungsoo; that probably would've gone over a lot worse. As it was, Banner blustered and fussed for a few more minutes before he grudgingly bid her farewell.

She spent the next hour emptying her office of all the personal effects she'd collected over the years. The last addition to the second box was her faithful Phil. The little philodendron plant that had started out with just a few leaves, now coiled around the top of the box at least three or four times.

Naomi was on her way back from the car for her second box when she ran into Jacqui. Literally. She was lucky she didn't fall over backward from the way she'd bounced off of his corpulent midsection. She quickly tried to sidestep him, but he blocked her path.

"So, I hear you're quitting, Naomi. Is it true?" He was standing in her bubble; close talking to the point where she could smell the cinnamon gum he smacked in order to cover up the fact that he'd taken a few nips of something from the flask he had hidden in his desk.

"Yes. It's true. If you'll excuse me, I was just on my way to get my last box of stuff."

"Maybe you and I could have a private going-away-party?" He grinned in that slimy, lascivious way that made her skin crawl.

His pudgy fingers had only just barely brushed her shoulders, but for Naomi enough was enough. She her hands up and out, knocking his meaty paws away from her body, then planted her own hands on his upper arms and rammed her knee into his groin.

Once again the field of prairie dog heads popped up over the edges of all the cubicle walls just in time to see Choi Jackson crumple into a whimpering heap of man Jello.

"I warned you, Choi." As she moved to step over him, he curled up even more like a potato bug expecting to be squashed. She shook her head in exasperation and continued past the whispers and slack-jawed looks. She felt fresh and free and just a little bit pleased with herself. After hefting her box, she shut the door to her office and looked back toward the elevator. Mika was huddled over a still-writhing Jacqui, so Naomi opted to take the long way around to the other set of elevators.

Just before turning the corner out of sight, Mika caught Naomi's eye. If it were possible, Mika would've melted Naomi with her imagined super-powered heat vision, but since that was a ridiculous notion, Naomi mouthed the words, "He's all yours," and blew an air kiss for good measure.

She was inordinately happy as she popped the trunk and stowed her things. One of the more unhappy portions of her life was closed and she didn't even have the desire to look back.

They were almost done. Kyungsoo only had a week left before he was finished with his residency. He tromped up the stairs, exhausted from another long shift and smiled when he found Naomi asleep on the couch with her slightly swollen feet propped up on a pillow, a pregnancy book lying across her chest.

He sat down on the floor in front of the couch and leaned his head back just far enough so that it rested lightly on her slightly swollen belly. She hummed, her eyes still closed and brought her arm down over his shoulder, scratching his pectoral muscle with lazy . He felt her shift to her side and leaned up and back, searching for her lips.

When their noses slid gently across one another, she cracked her eye opened and puckered up. He turned and wrapped his arms around her shoulder and captured her lips in a smooth embrace. Their relationship had improved drastically over the last two months, despite the fact that Kyungsoo had begun training again. Things between them weren't quite effortless, but then if they'd learned anything it's that it never would be without effort.

"Sorry, I fell asleep. There's some dinner for you in the oven." She stretched her legs and propped her head up on one hand.

"I smelled it when I came in, but you looked way more delicious than food," he teased.

"Mmmm," she closed her eyes again, a mischievous smile gracing her lips. She reached up and stretched again with a groan. "I'm so tired. Like, all the time."

"It'll pass in a month or two."

"Yeah, we'll see."

"You still throwing up?"

"No, not really. Only when I brush my teeth too far back. Now it's mostly the fatigue that's getting to me. I did pack a few more boxes in the office, though."

He growled. She knew she was not supposed to do any of that. "Naomi," he cautioned.

"I know. Calm down. It was mostly just desk stuff and it wasn't heavy." She gave him a gentle shove when his scowl didn't abate. "It has to get done by someone. You've still got a week left and then we have one week after that to be out of here."

Kyungsoo slumped back down to the floor and closed his eyes. "I'm gonna be so happy when this week is done. If we can just get past the next seven days it's…"

"Hey, don't say that. Don't give away the todays by chasing after tomorrows."

"What do you mean?" His head was getting cloudier with each minute he stayed awake and was in no shape for a philosophical discussion.

"Just that each present moment is important. If we're constantly looking past the moment we're in, in anticipation of something better happening, we miss all of the great things that are going on around us. Like…ah…right now," she finished in awe, her hand dropping to the side of her bump.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No. Everything is wonderful. I think I just felt the baby move." Her eyes were glistening as they looked to her husband. Even though he knew he wouldn't be able to feel any movements yet, he still joined his hand with hers and reveled in this most perfect of moments.

Naomi looked over her checklist. She'd become so scatterbrained as of late that she started carrying around a little notebook attached to a lanyard around her neck. She'd already checked off Tell Mom and Dad about Baby.

The day after they'd returned from France and had a chance to rest, Kyungsoo called his parents.

"Hey Mom, can you get Dad on the line?"

"Sure sweetie, what's going on?"

"We just wanted to talk to both of you, together."

"Honey! Kyungsoo and Naomi are on the phone…Okay we're both here. How was the trip home?"

"It was long," said Kyungsoo.

"And gross," added Naomi. "I couldn't stop puking on the plane."

"Why were you throwing up? Some kind of stomach bug?" Mr. Do's voice was curious.

"No, not a bug. I'm pretty sure it was morning sickness."

There was a long pause before Mrs. Do whispered,"What?"

"We're pregnant," Kyungsoo confirmed.

"But I thought…"

And that's when the screaming and tears of joy and all the questions began. Then the conference calls were made and soon the whole Do clan was rejoicing together. Naomi smiled as she ran her finger over that first item on the list.

The ER had a very quick goodbye party for Kyungsoo. Dr. Zhang was disappointed to lose Kyungsoo, but didn't make a big deal of his feelings. No one made any grand speeches. And the nurses managed to squash a cupcake on his nose and mouth, which made even the stodgiest of the doctors there chuckle. While Kyungsoo was passing around the rest of the treats that Naomi had made – putting her renewed culinary passions to good use – Dr. Zhang pulled her aside.

"Naomi, I know this is…highly irregular," he shifted on his feet, looking everywhere but at her face. "But I…Well, I wanted to apologize for any undue stress my over-scheduling Kyungsoo may have put on your relationship. He's a good man, but he's a shadow of himself without you by his side. Just make sure he remembers that."

"I uh…thank you?"

He nodded and gave her a warm, fatherly smile, before guiding her back to the festivities. Kyungsoo glanced at Naomi's pleased expression and relaxed as she took her place by his side.

Move to Busan was the next item. Seungsoo flew out a day before the Zero Hour as he and Kyungsoo had started calling moving day. They didn't take very long to load up all the boxes and furniture. It was strange for Naomi, seeing their little apartment completely empty. There was a lot of history wrapped up in those walls, not all of it happy, but the experiences they'd had, had been kind of like a refiner's fire. Impurities in their marriage had been burned and skimmed away, bringing what one could view as a 10K gold marriage to an 18K gold one.

Naomi had flown into Busan a few days before the end of September to a gaggle of teary-eyed women waiting to gather her under their collective wing.

Kyungsoo and Seungsoo arrived on the first of October. They had spent the drive from talking about all of the issues that had been brought up when his parents had come out for the disastrous Mad Marathon. They didn't go into great detail about their brotherly bonding experience, but you could tell that they, too, had come out the other side stronger than they'd ever been, both gaining a new respect for the other.

They decided to stay with Kyungsoo's parents for a few weeks. They hadn't had a chance to do any house hunting before they moved, so it just made sense for them to stay with family. That, and Mrs. Do wanted to fawn over the Bean Bump, of course. Nine days after Kyungsoo and Seungsoo had returned, Kyungsoo ran in the Gong Marathon. He qualified for the next with four minutes to spare. Naomi checked Get Kyungsoo Qualified off of the list with a huge grin. Kyungsoo was riding higher than a kite for at least a week after the race, enjoying massages and other post racing perks from his wife.

After Kyungsoo had recovered from the race, he and Naomi spent a solid week looking at potential rentals.

They finally found a little house close enough to the hospital that Kyungsoo could ride his bike or even walk to work if he wanted to. They were able to check off Get our own place just before Thanksgiving. Boxes were left stacked along the walls of their new home all the way through the holidays. It was more important to enjoy spending their free time with family and, most importantly, with each other.

Christmas was a surprisingly subdued affair. It wasn't until Christmas Eve that the family got together after Kyungsoo's Gong marathon. Glasses of eggnog and cider were sipped as Grampa Do read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to the three little granddaughters sitting enraptured at his feet all decked out in new Christmas jammies.

Christmas morning was filled with all the expected chaos as presents were ripped open and shrieks of girly joy - over a giant Barbie house or a new pair of Christian Louboutin pumps - were heard throughout the house. Mayu was probably more excited than the little girls.

Once the living room was sufficiently covered in wrapping paper, Mrs. Do stood to start preparing breakfast.

"There's one more thing to open," Kyungsoo said.

Everyone looked under the tree then back to Kyungsoo and Naomi. Mrs. Do returned to her seat and looked quizzically at her son. Naomi slid an envelope from behind her back and toyed with the edges.

"We asked the ultrasound technician to keep the of the baby a secret so that we could find out with our whole family present." Naomi rubbed her blossoming stomach and smiled as she handed Kyungsoo the envelope.

They shared a silent, significant look between themselves. Naomi had a good feeling that Kyungsoo already knew what they were having since he'd had a lot more practice looking at and interpreting ultrasound images. But if he did know, he hadn't let on one way or the other. Her trembling hands turned the envelope over and ripped the flap open.

Slowly, she pulled out the black and white pictures and looked carefully at the message the technician had typed onto the image with a little arrow pointing in between the tiny pair of legs.

She in a breath and stifled a happy sob with her hand. Not that it wasn't real before, but knowing the of the baby just made it that much more real. With shining eyes she turned to Kyungsoo whose own expression matched hers. The kiss they shared was full of joy and hope and was dangerously close to moving beyond a Disney appropriate viewing audience.

Seungsoo cleared his throat loudly as Libby, and his twin daughters Mirae and Brianna giggled. "Well?" he asked with mock impatience.

"It's a boy!"

January brought with it a serious case of nesting urges for Naomi. Each day she'd unpack a few more boxes, making sure to leave the heavy ones for Kyungsoo. Mrs. Do came up often to help with unpacking. She was also a huge help in organizing things and setting up the nursery.

She and Naomi had grown incredibly close over the last few weeks. Mrs. Do had become Naomi's rock when it came to allaying all motherhood related fears. They would talk for hours about Mrs. Do's personal experiences with losing her first baby and how that experience shaped her life. It was after one of these discussions that Naomi mentioned she'd been feeling particularly tired one day.

"Go and rest. Put your feet up, dear. There's not much left. I think we're down to old high school and college stuff. You might want to just keep these in storage," she said, indicating a few old but familiar cardboard boxes.

"I think you're right. I'll just have Kyungsoo put them up in the attic." Naomi shuffled off to the bathroom, her second home, now that the baby had grown large enough to squash her bladder flat as a pancake.

She was struck with panic when she looked down and noticed the drops of bright red blood on her . All of the happy nesting feelings fled as icy fingers of fear wrapped themselves around her heart. "Joyeon! Joyeon, come quick. I'm bleeding."

It was too soon. She was only thirty five weeks pregnant.

Mrs. Do appeared in the door of the bathroom, phone in hand. "I've already dialed Doctor Wu. Are you having any cramps or pain?"

"No, nothing. Not even Braxton-Hicks contractions." She looked up at her mother-in-law with wide-eyed terror.

Mrs. Do brought a clean pair of pants and underwear for Naomi, who had already fished out a sanitary pad from under the vanity. In a matter of minutes the two were on their way to the hospital. "Have you called Kyungsoo?"

"Right after I got off with Dr. Wu. He'll be waiting for us at the ER entrance."

Sure enough, pacing in front of the large sliding glass doors was a disheveled looking Kyungsoo, hands buried roughly in his hair, his brow drawn into wrinkled knot. He was at Naomi's door almost instantly, gently helping her into a wheelchair.

She was taken to an exam area where she was promptly hooked up to a fetal monitor as well as a pulse oxygen monitor and a blood pressure cuff. Dr. Wu breezed in and conducted a thorough examination. When he was finished with the ultrasound he turned to the three anxious Dos and began speaking.

"Well, the bleeding isn't serious, as long as it remains a light spotting. From the ultrasound it looks like you've developed placenta previa as well as possible acreta or increta," the doctor explained. Kyungsoo blew out a long breath and squeezed Naomi's hand gently. "What that means," Dr. Wu continued, "is that the placenta is covering all or part of the opening of the cervix. That's the previa part. Acreta and increta refers to how deeply embedded the placenta is into the uterine tissue. Acreta is less serious than increta, but we won't really be able to tell until we get this little guy delivered."

"So what do we need to do?" asked Naomi.

"Bed rest, probably until you deliver. We'll schedule a C-section and be prepared for all possible outcomes."

All of the blood drained from Kyungsoo's face as he sat down next to Naomi. She looked from him to Dr. Wu to Mrs. Do, all of whom wore grim expressions. "And what are all the possible outcomes?" Naomi's voice was shaky. She didn't really want to know what all the outcomes were. She could guess, but didn't think she'd be able to deal with any surprises when it came down to it.

"Best case scenario, the C-section goes according to plan, the placenta is delivered and the acreta is either minimal or non-existent. Next best case, you need extra fluid due to slightly more than average blood loss, we resect the acreta and treat with a few different medications post-partum. Worst case scenario would be a deep increta with uterine hemorrhaging that we can't control which could end with an emergency hysterectomy."

Naomi's breathing, which was already shallow and stressed, turned into gasps. Kyungsoo circled his arm around her shoulder as she lay on the exam table, the quite thrum of their baby's heartbeat echoing in the background. She rested her head on his strong bicep and squeezed her eyes shut, tears sliding out of the corners of her eyes.

"Naomi, I will do everything in my power to preserve your uterus. I know how much of a struggle it was for you to conceive. I'd like for you to have that chance again. It won't be easy but try not to get too stressed about this. We'll also need to keep an eye on your blood pressure. Nothing has been out of the norm during the pregnancy, but in light of your prior history of borderline high blood pressure we just want to be sure. If pre-eclampsia is gonna show up, it would be around now. So, I'll want to see you once a week for the rest of your gestation. Okay?"

"Okay. I'll call the office and make the appointments when we get home."

Dr. Wu answered a few medical questions that Kyungsoo had. Naomi's mind was already full to bursting with the information she'd received. She couldn't even think about trying to follow the medical speak that was going on between her doctor and her husband.

The door opened and closed. Naomi's eyes were still firmly shut and a slow stream of tears continued running down her cheeks. She felt Kyungsoo sit down on the edge of the exam table. She felt his hands cup her cheeks as his thumbs swiped away her tears. She felt his own fear and desperation as he kissed her with trembling lips. She desperately clung to his shoulders as she poured out all of her own fears into the kiss and tried to swallow and comfort his at the same time.

"What if…"

"Shhh. Don't. We can't go there. As long as I have you both safe in my arms at the end of the day, nothing else matters. I can't lose you." He pressed his lips to hers, the kiss resolving into one of pure love.

"Today's the big day!" Mayu was chipper as ever and bubbling with positivity. Naomi was a bit more reserved. She'd had plenty of time over the last four weeks to research everything that had to do with placental abnormalities and complications. She was actually able to hold a pretty competent medical discussion with Kyungsoo when it came to that topic. He'd been impressed with her grasp of the subject. She'd even been able to enlighten him on a few points that he'd not remembered from his OB rotations.

The whole family had come to the hospital. Mayu was the last to come in and spend a few minutes with both Naomi and Kyungsoo before the surgery. Naomi had already been given an epidural and was not enjoying the sensation of dead legs. The surgical nurses came in to the pre-op room and started preparing Naomi to be taken to the OR.

"We'll see you in a few! Love you guys!" Mayu called out as she backed out of the room. Kyungsoo adjusted his protective cap and waggled his eyebrows.

"So how do I look all decked out in my fancy hospital garb?"

"Hmm, kind of like a bluish-greenish alien."

He chuckled as they wheeled Naomi into the OR suite. The anesthesiologist spent time checking her IV, setting up the blood pressure monitoring equipment, placing a little flexible thermometer on her forehead. Kyungsoo was watching with a sharp eye, doing his own mental checklist of procedures and protocol.

Naomi twisted her torso in discomfort because her arms were strapped down spread-eagle with Velcro.

Kyungsoo wished there was some way he could make his wife more comfortable, but he couldn't interfere with procedure. It wasn't long before Dr. Wu came in and began the surgery. He wouldn't let Kyungsoo watch beyond the draping, but he was detailed as he talked through the steps of the procedure. He imagined in his mind's eye each part of the surgery as he spoke. Naomi's nose wrinkled when they used the cautery tool to stop some of the minor bleeding. Kyungsoo could never get used to the smell of burning flesh, even if it was just a tiny bit. It made his stomach turn to know that it was Naomi's flesh that was smoking now.

After only ten or fifteen minutes, though, the lusty wail of their child broke the relative silence of the operating room. "Here's your baby boy!" Dr. Wu called out and held him up over the drape before handing him off to the nurses.

The new parents were both stunned silent. He was here. He was alive and healthy. He was perfect.

"I love you, so much," Kyungsoo managed to choke out through his tears.

"I love you, too. Now go get me some pictures of our baby. I don't want to miss a single moment even if I am strapped down to this stupid table."

"Are you sure?"

"Go!"

Kyungsoo grinned and walked over to the little warming table where the nurses were suctioning and wiping a very furious little boy. Kyungsoo dutifully snapped a few pictures. The baby was bright pink and squirming and absolutely beautiful. Kyungsoo watched with interest as the nurse lifted the baby and turned him and tugged on his arms and legs. He knew kids were sturdy, but still.

This was his son they were flopping around. He was half tempted to say something, but decided it would be in his best interests to stay on the nurse's good side. He was just surprised at how seemingly rough they were handling his son.

Once the baby was bundled up and safely in his arms, he walked gingerly back to his seat at Naomi's head. "Hi, Mommy!" Kyungsoo voiced for their infant son. Naomi was beaming as he leaned the baby toward her for a little kiss.

"Oh, he's beautiful. And so…fat! He's so…perfect." Naomi's voice was filled with a dreamy quality. She was smiling as wide as he'd ever seen, and more beautiful than he could've thought possible.

"He already passed his first test. So he must have his mother's smarts."

More suction! Kyungsoo heard in the background. It's not stopping. Millimeters away from full percreta. He rolled the stool back and glanced around the surgical drape. Two, three, at least four liters of fluid – blood mostly – that had been suctioned from Naomi.

His own heart nearly stopped beating. This was not good.

"He's…just…amaz…" Naomi's voice slurred and dropped off as her eyes closed. Kyungsoo stood and took the baby to the nurses and started back toward his wife. He only got a few steps when one of the surgical team pushed him back toward the door.

"NO! I need to be with her."

"Dr. Do, please, let Dr. Wu work. We need you to step outside with your son." The nurse wasn't pushing him out anymore but she wasn't letting him advance either.

"TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON, NOW!" he roared.

"It was worse than we thought. There was near full penetration of the placenta into her abdominal cavity. She's hemorrhaging and I can't stop it. I'm sorry, but we're…"

Dr. Wu was cut off by Kyungsoo's agonized plea. "Just save her. Do whatever you have to do. Please…don't let her die."

. . .

Everything felt fuzzy. Her eyes felt like they were full of sand and her body ached, especially her shoulders. And while not especially cold, she couldn't keep her teeth from chattering and her body from shaking.

Was this normal? she wondered. was dry and everything was heavy. She tried moving her legs, but they were still numb from the epidural. After a few minutes of awareness she was finally able to open her eyes.

"Naomi? Hon? Hey, baby. You're starting to come around. Do you need anything?"

"Water?" she croaked.

"I can get you some ice chips. I'll be right back."

She closed her eyes and tried to remember what happened. One minute Kyungsoo was showing her the baby the next…nothing.

"Here you go, sweetheart." Kyungsoo held a small spoonful of ice to her lips. She opened and on the little cubes until the ice was melted.

"Where's the baby? Is he okay? What happened?" Naomi fought to stay awake. She needed to know what had happened.

"He's in the nursery. He's perfect, actually. Has my temper, though." The smile didn't quite reach his eyes. He reached out and took her hand in his.

"Tell me, please?" But he didn't really need to say anything. As his chin quivered, and the tears fell down his cheeks, she knew. She felt the all too familiar stinging in her eyes and the way her nose tightened up as she ran her tongue over her teeth.

"It was worse than they could tell from the ultrasound. You lost nearly your entire blood volume. They had to transfuse seven pints of blood. I thought you were…it was touch and go for a few minutes."

"So, worst case scenario, then?" Naomi asked, her voice flat.

"He was able to leave your ovaries, so there won't be as many hormonal complications down the road," he whispered.

"I want to see him." Naomi wiped her nose.

"As soon as you're out of recovery. They just need to make sure your blood pressure is stable."

She nodded and held on tight to her husband's hand. They knew it was a possibility. Because of the surgery she'd had to alleviate the endometriosis, she'd been at a higher risk for placental complications. She'd tried to prepare herself. But how can anyone really prepare for something like that?

Nothing could hold back the bitter sobs as they overtook her. She covered her face with both hands and just bawled.

She grieved her loss, grieved for the other children she'd never get to bear. She was torn by a love/hate relationship with her uterus. She loved that she'd been able to conceive and carry her baby safely – for the most part – to term. But she hated that that one pear-sized organ had been the cause of so much stress and heartache.

After what felt like a lifetime, they finally wheeled her to a private post-partum room. She anxiously waited for the nursery to bring the baby to her room. The nurse was diligent in checking the numbers on Naomi's bracelet against the numbers on the baby's and then left the little rolling bassinet next to the bed. Kyungsoo scooped out the snoozing infant and placed the swaddled bundle into her arms.

At that moment, when she bent her head and took in that delicious smell of clean baby and soft cotton, all of the horror of his delivery melted away and faded quickly into the background. At least for now, she put all of the sadness and pain firmly behind her.

"So are we still going with Ichiro?"

Naomi nodded, not taking her eyes off of the tiny infant, and murmured, "Do Ichiro." He began to squirm and a loud noise rumbled from his diaper. Naomi smiled.

Kyungsoo chuckled. "Well, I guess that's his vote of approval."

While Kyungsoo was changing Ichiro's diaper, he was whispering to the wiggling boy. "You know, your mom is a pretty amazing woman. Just wait until you get to eat more than milk. She makes the best cupcakes – ever."

"Hopefully he's inherited your charm and not my sense of equilibrium," Naomi murmured.

"We're pretty lucky to have her around, buddy," Kyungsoo continued. "I'm just glad she came back to us." He walked over to the bed, lowered one of the side rails, and settled on the edge resting next to Naomi.

"I'll always come back to you, Kyungsoo. Always."

A/N: Only the epilogue left. Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I mean, for a story that only has less than 100 subscribers and 40+ comments is pretty good. Sure, the same people comment, but still! I'm very grateful; more comments than the number of chapters is awesome-sauce~ Thanks, loves ^^

Oh, and I had so much doctor mumbo jumbo, so lemme explain:

Bascially Naomi had a problem with her placenta - the supply of the baby's food and oxygen - and the risk is dangerous bleeding.

This can lead to hysterectomy -  the removel of the uterus. Meaning, there's no chance to conceive. At all. Again.

If you want a better explanation let me know, since I don't want to turn this into a bio lesson here. ^^

By the waysss, Ichiro means "first son" in Japanese :)