“I'm home,” Taekwoon said when he entered his house.

 

He let his shoes into the hall and put his jacket on the coat rail. Into the living room, he put his briefcase on the sofa and unfastened his black tie.

 

“Where are you?”

“Bedroom.”

 

He smiled and rushed toward his bedroom. On the big bed lay his pretty and very pregnant fiancée Haejin who was using her round tummy as a support for her computer. She had her round glasses on the tip of her cute button nose and her long light brown hair were tied into a messy bun. He smiled even more when he saw her and came closer to kiss her.

 

“How are you?” he asked.

“Hum... I'm fine, and you?” she grinned.

He nodded, “what are you doing?” he looked at the screen of her computer.

“Hakyeon wanted me to send some files to his new secretary, apparently she's a rookie and she's not very efficient. I told him he would regret me,” she chuckled.

“The doctor ordered to stay at home and to rest for the rest of the pregnancy.”

“I know, I know,” she tsked and shook her head.

 

Taekwoon looked at her and pinched her chubby cheek. She laughed even more which made him laugh too since her loud and unique laugh was contagious and then he undressed to change into more comfortable clothes. He grabbed something to eat into the fridge and then went back to his bedroom to rest with Jin. He lay by her side and the TV.

 

“What did you do today?” he asked her.

“Nothing much,” she shrugged, “Hakyeon and I spent most of the morning on the phone and then Hongbin came here to bring me food because I was craving for fried chicken and he left no so long ago actually.”

“What did you both do?” Taekwoon frowned, wondering if she had done something crazy which could have been potentially dangerous for the baby.

“You know, played video games and we watched a movie. Couldn't do much anyway with his big stomach.”

 

She shut her computer and put it on her nightstand. She turned around to face and cuddled against him, Taekwoon's hand automatically finding the way up to her stomach.

 

“Baby kicked a lot today,” she said, “baby was awake and in great form. He or she must be sleeping now though, haven't felt something for the past hour.”

“Yah,” Taekwoon wrinkled his nose, “I'm sure baby loves you more than he loves me, he or she always kicks or moves whenever I'm away.”

“Baby loves you too, don't worry. He or she fell asleep because he or she knew you were coming home and he or she felt perfectly at ease.”

“You are really nice, but I don't believe you,” he kissed her forehead and she giggled.

 

Haejin had three weeks to go until the day the doctor thought the baby would be born. Since the young couple refused to know whether it was a girl or a boy to have the surprise, they had been calling the angel “baby” or were saying “he or she”. It was a bit annoying at first, especially for the mother who didn't really know how to address to the baby growing inside her, but she quickly got used to it and somehow forced Taekwoon to do like her. Baby was their little pride and they were both really excited about meeting him or her.

 

“Taek.”

“Hum?” he took her hand into his and intertwined their fingers together, looking at their matching engagement rings shining on their ring fingers.

“Do you realize that we are going to be parents?”

“Yes, obviously I do. Why?”

“I... I still can't believe I really have a baby in me and that this baby is ours. He or she is going to be our son or daughter, he or she is going to have your name and he or she is going to be under our cares. It feels... surreal.”

“Have you once again watched one of those TV programs with struggling single mothers?” he frowned.

“No I haven't, I swear! It just that... I only have three weeks to go and I'm scared.”

“You know you don't have to be.”

“I know but I just can't help being.”

 

He offered her an understanding smile and leaned forward the kiss her on the lips.

 

“Three weeks,” he whispered against her skin, “only three weeks left.”

“Three weeks,” she smiled and kissed him back.

 

*

 

“Jin,” Eunhee, Jaehwan's long time girlfriend, popped her head through the opening of the door, “are you alright? You've been in there for a while now.”

“I'm fine,” the older one faked a smile and breathed out when baby kicked her hard into the stomach, “baby is just having his own little party right now.”

“Do you want me to call Taekwoon? Do you think it's time?”

“What? No,” she shook her head, “I still have two weeks to go. He or she is just happy, but it will stop soon.”

“Jin,” Eunhee frowned and came into the bathroom, locking the door behind her to make sure none of the guest would enter and bothered them.

 

Eunhee squatted in front the older woman who was sitting on the edge of the bathtub and she put on hand on her tight and the other one on her friend's belly.

 

“Baby,” she said, “don't hurt your mommy, especially not tonight. She's supposed to have a good Christmas Eve with her friends and your dad's friends. Don't be too excited over this, alright?”

“Yeah, Eunhee auntie,” Jin took a higher-pitched voice and laughed along with Eunhee.

“Yah,” Jaehwan's voice echoed from behind the door, “what are you doing in here? Go out!”

“Coming!” Eunhee answered her boyfriend.

 

She helped Haejin to stand up and stayed by her side since the pregnant woman had trouble walking straight.

 

“What were you doing?” Jaehwan asked when Eunhee opened the door.

“Nothing much, just make-up touch up.”

 

He frowned but didn't say anything. They all went to the living room, Wonshik's living room since he had the biggest house of them all (the advantage of being rich) and which was decorated with very typical Christmas accessories. Next to the fireplace inside which a fire was burning and warming up the room, there was a big green Christmas tree Wonshik and his lovely three-year-old nephew Jaeho had decorated a while ago. There were also candles lighted up approximately everywhere (where children couldn't reach tough) and there were also lots of fairy lights everywhere around the house. It was beautiful and very joyful and they all loved it.

 

Haejin spotted her fiancé sitting casually on the black leather sofa, chatting and laughing with Hakyeon, his best friend, and she sat next to him, Eunhee following her closely to check on her.

 

Cha Hakyeon was the oldest of them old and was only a few months older than Taekwoon. He was a twenty-six-year-old divorcee taking care of his two-year-old daughter, Seol, whom mother had abandoned at birth. He was working as a CEO into his father's company and Jin used to be his secretary until she had to stop because of her pregnancy.

 

Lee Jaehwan was twenty-four and was still studying law at the university. He was living with Eunhee and they had been together ever since he was eighteen and she was sixteen. Jaehwan used to play basketball in high school with Taekwoon and even though they only were in the same team for a single year, they remained friends. And Jaehwan was like an overprotective older-brother for Jin.

 

Kim Wonshik was Haejin's best friend. They had known each other ever since they were babies and grew up together because their parents were very good friends. The twenty-three years old young man was working in an entertainment company as a songwriter for kpop groups. He also had sang some songs himself and was quite famous as a rapper known as Ravi. Jin had always been supporting him and was proud to have him as her best friend. When Jin first started to date Taekwoon, Wonshik didn't like him and told his best friend that he was too weird and too awkward, that he was the complete opposite of her so it wouldn't work, but it turned that he was wrong and even admitted that Taekwoon was the best for his dearest friend.

 

Lee Hongbin was Haejin's and Wonshik's high school friend. They had met during their first year and ever since they were inseparable. And Hongbin was also Haejin's little brother's boyfriend and he was living not too far from Taekwoon's and Haejin's house, so he was often visiting them and during her whole pregnancy, he had taken care of her and had made sure she was doing alright when Taekwoon was at work.

 

And Sanghyuk was Jin's baby brother. The young boy was only 21 years old and was studying medicine at the same university as Jaehwan. He had been dating Hongbin for a year only but they had been flirting for years (well, Hongbin had been flirting with the younger since he had first met him, so a few weeks after he had met Haejin). And Sanghyuk was really excited about having a nephew or a niece.

 

With them, Hakyeon's daughter and Wonshik's nephew were playing together.

 

All together, they were really close and that's why they were all reunited to celebrate Christmas.

 

“Do you want to drink something?” Jaehwan asked her.

“A glass of water please.” It took him only a few seconds to give it to her. “Thanks.”

 

When baby started kicking even more and when it started to become really painful, she started rubbing her stomach into a very casual way so that it wouldn't seem too strange. She met Wonshik's eyes and he frowned, feeling the uneasiness coming from his best friend, but she forced herself to smile to reassure him.

 

For an hour, they stayed around the sofa to have an aperitif. They drank quite a lot and ate a lot too until the children started complaining about being hungry, so the adults finally decided to sit around the big table. When Jin stood up, she stumbled but fortunately, Taekwoon was there to help and to prevent her fall.

 

“Are you alright?” he frowned and asked, concerned.

“Y-yes,” she laughed nervously, “everything's fine.”

“Are you sure? You seem pale though, is the baby kicking a lot?”

“N-no, not at all.”

 

He didn't believe her but didn't say anything not to worried the others. After all, it was Christmas, they were supposed to have a nice evening, to eat a lot and to be happy. He sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders and kept looking at her from the corners of his eyes to see if she was alright.

 

Jin was a bit too talkative usually and she was always smiling and laughing, especially when she was around her friends and family. But this evening, her smile was forced and she wasn't speaking at all if it wasn't to answer a question. Her hands were curled on her stomach and Taekwoon guessed that the baby kicking her really hard was the reason why her brows were sightly knitted. She didn't eat much either, contrary to her habits, and the young man easily saw that Eunhee was also always checking on her, looking back and forth at her face and at her stomach.

 

In the middle of the meal, Taekwoon's phone buzzed into the pocket of his jacket. He opened the text message and was surprised to see it was coming from Wonshik who was sitting just in front of him. “There's something wrong with Jin,” it said. Taekwoon quickly sent his answer: “I know.”

 

And while they were eating the delicious meat Hakyeon had cooked, Jin had to apologize and left to go to the bathroom. For the most foolish ones, it seemed rather normal, but Taekwoon looked at her disappearing into the corridor and then looked at Wonshik who seemed also aware of the situation. Eunhee also apologized and followed the eldest, entering the bathroom only a few seconds later.

 

“Is there something wrong with Jin noona?” Hyuk bended toward his brother-in-law and whispered.

“I... I don't know,” Taekwoon admitted.

 

But he quickly had answers when Eunhee went out of the bathroom and told him to go and see his fiancé. “What's going on?” he heard Hakyeon asked. “I think the baby must be coming,” Eunhee answered. “What?! Really?!” the older one clapped his hand rather joyfully.

 

Taekwoon entered the bathroom and found Haejin sitting on the cold ground, tears rolling down her cheeks as she had her hands on her stomach. Taekwoon didn't hesitate a single second and knelt in front of her.

 

“Taek...” she sobbed.

“I know. I'll take you to the hospital.”

“I... I don't want to, we're supposed to have fun tonight with our friends and-”

“Jin,” he found himself smiling, “you're probably about to give birth to our baby, how can you think about the party? We'll have another one once baby will be born.”

“Taek”, she jumped on him and hugged him tightly, her stomach between them, “It hurts.”

“I know,” he rubbed her back to sooth her and kissed her cheek, “I know. Wait for me here alright? I'm going to pick our stuff.”

“Be quick.”

“I'll be,” he kissed her lips and ran outside the room.

 

When he came back with his friends, they all looked at him but with different expressions: some seemed worried and some happy. Eunhee didn't wait for him to speak and she rushed toward the bathroom to stay with Jin who couldn't stop crying, the pain beginning to be more and more unbearable.

 

“I'm sorry,” Taekwoon couldn't hide his smile, “but we have to leave.”

“So it's the moment?” Hakyeon genuinely smiled, already feeling all excited about the coming birth.

“I think it is,” his best friend nodded.

 

He quickly picked up Jin's handbag and put his jacket on.

 

“I'll drive you to the hospital,” Wonshik stood up, “it's better if you stay close to her.”

“You don't have to-”

“I have to,” Wonshik smiled, “my best friend is about to become a mother, how can I not stay next to her?”

 

Taekwoon thanked him with a smile. It took them a few minutes to get ready and then he got back with his fiancée and they went to their car left outside.

 

“Be careful on the road!” Hakyeon shouted to Wonshik who only nodded before sliding behind the wheel and he the engine once Taekwoon had given him the keys.

“Oppa!” Eunhee also went out of the house, Jaehwan following her closely, “I'm going at your house to pick her stuff and the baby's stuff. You must have prepared it all already, right?”

“Yeah, it's in our bedroom, there,” Taekwoon said as he handed her the key to his house.

“Go now.”

 

He nodded, sat next to Jin who was breathing heavily and they left.

 

*

 

“The baby is coming, indeed,” doctor Yoon who was fortunately the doctor who had taken care of Jin during her whole pregnancy told them, “but it's going to take quite a long time since the cervix is only a three. However the contractions are very strong and regular, so to minimize the pain I gave you some painkillers. If in twelve hours you're still not dilated enough, we'll have to force the delivery, but you already know that, right?” he smiled and patted Jin's shoulder.

“Y-yeah, I know.”

“Alright! If you want something, just press the red button, a nurse will come. I'll come and check on you every hour. See you,” he smiled and waved at both parents before leaving.

 

Taekwoon stood up once he left and stretched his arms above his head. Because of the pressure, his muscles were tensed and his legs were shaking. In a few hours, he was going to be a father. His baby will finally be among them.

 

Wonshik entered the room not so long after and bought Taekwoon a coffee and Jin a glass of water since she didn't have the right to have something.

 

“So,” he sat on the chair next to Jin's bed, “what did he say?”

“It's going to take a long time.”

“Well, at least you're there. So we can talk about me being the godfather,” he raised a brow and looked back and forth at Jin and Taekwoon.

“Wonshik,” his best friend sighed, “we've already talked about it...”

“But why can't it be me?” he whined, “why does it have to be Hakyeon hyung?”

“I'm Seol's godfather, so obviously he has to be my baby's, understand?” Taekwoon sighed but yet, he was slightly smiling, amused by the situation, “you'll be baby number two's, alright?”

“Which baby number two?” Jin suddenly reacted, “what are you talking about?! Do you know how much I'm suffering right now?!” she glared at her fiancé, “there's no way I'm going through this a second time!”

“But the painkillers-”

“Painkillers my !” she cursed, “it still hurts!”

 

Wonshik laughed and Taekwoon just stood still, looking at Jin with knitted brows.

 

Wonshik had to left one hour later. He kissed his best friend's forehead and wished her good luck before leaving, ordering Taekwoon to send them news which the older promised he would do, especially once the baby would be born. Taekwoon felt exhausted but he didn't fall asleep (even though he closed his eyes and lay his head against the back of the chair at some times), he always remained conscious and spoke with Jin to make her forget about the pain which finally disappeared a bit in the middle of the night, around four am. She didn't fall asleep either but the pain was keeping her awake, otherwise she would have left for Morpheus' arms a long time ago.

 

Doctor Yoon came indeed once an hour to check on her and to make sure the baby was keeping the good position and nurses were coming more often to check if she needed something.

 

During those long hours, Taekwoon sent text messages to all of their friends. Hakyeon was at Wonshik's place with its owner who had came back safe and sound. Jaeho and Seol were asleep and the adults were taking care of them. Eunhee and Jaewhan were on their way to bring them Jin's and the baby's suitcase, but because of the night it was taking them a long time to reach the couple's house since they were living outside Seoul. Hyuk and Hongbin had left Wonshik's place to go to Jin's and Huyk's parents just to warn them about their daughter being about to become a mother though they had planed to come back at Wonshik's later in the morning.

 

Jaehwan and Eunhee arrived around five am and just had the right to greet their friends and to let the suitcase and also the very cute elephant plushy they bought as a present for the baby. “We'll be at Wonshik's, don't forget to send us a message, alright?” Jaehwan told Taekwoon. “I will, don't worry.”

 

The sun rose and the baby wasn't there. Doctor Yoon, concerned about his patient's strength who was weakening because of the pain decided to do an epidural anesthesia. While Jin lay on her side with her back completely exposed, ready to welcome the big long scary needle into her spine, Taekwoon sat in front of her and only looked at her face. She closed her eyes when the needle pierced through her skin and bone but fortunately it didn't last too long. And a few minutes later, the product started to act and the pain but also feelings and sensations in her womb and legs completely disappeared. She couldn't even feel or move her legs and it was really scary.

 

Jin cried a lot because she was both physically and mentally exhausted. At seven am, the doctor who perfectly understood her decided that it was time to give birth now, otherwise it would become more and more complicated for her. Nurses surrounded her and Taekwoon had to put an ugly blue gown and a hat on his hair. Jin would have made fun of him normally, but she was too tired to even pay attention to him. He held her hand, the doctor injected one last product into her body and one hour later, it was finally the right moment.

 

Nine long months of morning nausea, weird cravings, pains, lot of weight gained, hardships, mood swings; a lot of hours spent into the hospital feeling only the pain; and it took ten minutes for the baby to come to their world. Ten minutes.

 

Taekwoon couldn't believe it at first. It seemed so easy from his father's point of view. He was there, holding his fiancée's hand and thought it would take hours, but it only took long pushes and ten minutes. Ten minutes was exactly the time that it took him to find the vending machine where he bought his coffees during the whole night. Ten minutes was nothing.

 

But when he heard his baby cried for the very first time and when he saw the doctor put her on her mother's chest, he didn't know how to react. He just stood still and speechless while looking at Jin crying and kissing the baby's head who was still covered with blood and whatever liquid there was in her stomach.

 

“Congratulations, Mr. Jung,” the doctor patted his shoulder, “it's a healthy baby girl.”

 

A girl. His girl. His daughter. His precious little treasure was a girl.

 

“Taek,” Jin sobbed, “it's a girl... it's a girl...”

“It is,” he smiled like a happy fool, “it's our girl.”

 

*

 

Far away from the hospital, in Wonshik's living room, they were more and less asleep. Wonshik had his eyes opened but wasn't moving at all and his breathing was too steady for him to be awake. Next to him, Hyuk was fast asleep and snoring on his boyfriend's shoulder, while Hongbin's head was resting on top of his. Eunhee was curled against her sleeping boyfriend and she was talking with Hakyeon who was still awake even though he was terribly exhausted and seemed ready to fall at any moment. They were talking to stay awake while waiting for Taekwoon's message.

 

And this message came at seven thirty am. Hakyeon's phone buzzed and he jumped of the sofa to grab it. He quickly unlocked his phone and read the text. It was single word, a little single word, but it meant everything.

 

“It's a girl!” he shouted loudly and everyone quickly woke up, “it's a girl!”

 

Eunhee jumped and clapped in her hands while hugging the older boy.

 

“It's a girl!” Hakyeon felt tears coming to his eyes, feeling the happiness for his best friend who was finally a father.

 

*

 

A nice nurse had taken their baby to clean her but also to do some tests to make sure she was perfectly healthy. Taekwoon had the right to follow her and he gladly accepted after he had made sure it was alright for Jin if he was letting her alone with the other nurses and the doctor for a while.

 

He followed the nurse to the nursery. His daughter was very beautiful (he wasn't saying that only because she was his daughter, but also because some babies were really ugly at birth, which wasn't her case) and she had only a few black hair on her head. She wasn't crying anymore but was peacefully sleeping or stirring when the nurse was manipulating her too harshly. Taekwoon had often wanted to tell her to be nicer, but it was her job and she was only making sure his princess was fine, so he didn't say anything and kept looking at her.

 

“There she is,” the nurse smile when after the baby was all clean and had a pink beany on her head, “do you want to hold her?”

“W-what?”

“Do you want to hold her?”

“Can I?” he blushed.

“Obviously you can,” she giggled, “it's your daughter.”

“Oh... oh yes, alright.”

“Can you take off your shirt first please?”

“Why?” he frowned.

“You'll see.”

 

He didn't ask much and listened to her. She told him to sat on a chair at the back of the room and she slowly gave him his baby, his daughter. She lay against his bare torso and then the nurse put a pink cover over them.

 

“It's called 'skin-to-skin',” the nurse explained, “the father's body heat makes sure the baby doesn't have hypotermia and it's also good for the father who spends a unique moment with his newborn. Enjoy, Mr. Jung.”

 

She left but only went to the other side of the room. So Taekwoon looked down at his daughter who was sleeping all against him, her fists curled on her face. Because he had seen many pictures of Jin while she was a baby, he could say she looked at lot like her mother and he wasn't mad at this at all: it meant that he was going to have two beauties living with him and this two beauties were his and his only. Because Jin was his fiancée soon-to-be wife (they were supposed to get married earlier but because of her pregnancy, Jin asked to postpone the wedding because she didn't want to wear a dress while looking like a whale she had said) and this pretty little girl was his daughter. Taekwoon didn't even know what to think anymore, the feelings were just too strong and it felt too unreal for him to describe how he felt.

 

“Welcome, Haneul,” he whispered, slowly caressing his daughter's face as if she was made of glass ready to break at any moment, “dad is finally happy to meet you and... and you're the best Christmas present I ever had. Thank you for finally being born,” he started crying.

 

*

 

“Taek,” Jin mumbled into her pillow, “your daughter is crying.”

“It's also yours,” he mumbled back and sighed.

“Just go, I'm too tired.”

“But-”

“Go.”

 

He sighed, cursed against Jin in his head and stood up. Haneul's cribble was in their bedroom, so he didn't have to walk into the whole house with his eyes shut to go and hug her, but he only had to do one step. Jin the light of her nightstand and then hid under the cover.

 

“There,” Taek whispered while taking crying Haneul into his arms, “there. Daddy is here.”

 

He kissed her forehead and rocked her. The two-month-old baby was still very young, but she had perfectly understood how to disturb their parents who hadn't had a complete night ever since she was born.

 

Because she was in her father's arms, she stopped crying.

 

“Aigo,” Taekwoon chuckled, “you're such a comedian. Come on.”

 

He lay her down between her mother and himself and looked at her smiling and wiggling her little yet strong legs into the air.

 

Their life may be tiring because of the baby, but they had never been this happy before.

 

“You know, Jin,” he said, “Haneul was the perfect Christmas present.”

“I know,” she mumbled, half asleep, “she was for me too.”

 

Jin turned around and kissed her daughter's chubby cheek and then her fiancé's lips. Haneul giggled and then they fell asleep all together.