Jiyong and Maya were invited to the Hyorin s baby shower and so were the other members. 

Jiyong watched in amusement as Maya got ready for the event, trying out one outfit after another. To Jiyong, she looked amazing in all of it but Maya didn't seem to think so. 

Just as he got out of the shower, he heard a loud ,"Aarrgghh!!!"coming from the bedroom, startling him. Worried that something might be wrong, Jiyong wrapped the towel around his waist in a hurry and opened the door, only to reveal a very frustrated looking Maya plopping herself on the bed. 

With eyes wide in confusion, Jiyong looked around the bedroom floor, to see a dozen or so dresses strewn around.

As his eyes finally landed on his wife, he saw that her eyes were b with tears.

"Nothing fits!!!!" she sobbed, "I have put on weight everywhere! See.. I can't pull the zip up on this one and only this fits me around my tummy but it's too tight around my chest!!" 

Jiyong s eyes wondered over the troublesome part that his wife was complaining about and found it difficult to breathe suddenly. 

Because of his mom s constant care and affection and of course, Maya being nearly seven months pregnant, her stomach had grown significantly bigger. But then so had other parts it seems! 

Not that Jiyong was not aware of it. Though they now slept in the same room, there was literally a pillow wall between his wife and him and Jiyong sometimes wanted to find out the person who had invented the long maternity pillow and sue it. Not only did it occupy most of the bed space but it also completely prevented the two of them to be anywhere near each other on the bed!!!

And the there was the yoga pants and tank tops! They tested his sanity every morning!! The other day morning, Jiyong had gone into the living room with this coffee in hand, only to nearly end up choking on it when he saw Maya on all fours doing a stretch. 

What kind of a ert become by a pregnant woman, he scolded himself!

And here she was complaining about her size casually to him. Lately , Maya seemed to be frustrated about many small things. Either she would burst out crying and shouting so Jiyong had been walking in eggshells all the time.

Jiyong even had a long discussion about it with Taeyang one night after practice. 

"One time, we were all good and making out and suddenly she stared crying!! I freaked out! I thought I had hurt her or something!! But you won't believe what she said!! She said she suddenly remembered a stray cat she had seen that day morning and was worried about it!! In the middle of our makeout!! She even made me go out and look for it!" Taeyang complained, as if he had been waiting for an opportunity to talk.

"Oh! Atleast be glad you guys make out! It's like the Great Wall of china is between us!" Jiyong confided his miseries.

"You got to be kidding me! Pregnancy makes their hormones haywire, yong ah!! They can be insatiable sometimes, you know!" Taeyang spoke with exclaimed.

Jiyong looked at him in disbelief and shook his head, before replying, "Seriously?? It's my hormones which are all over the place, really! It's not that I want but she won't even let me feel the baby! I mean it's not like I asked .. but I see all her friends feel the baby movements when they are around .. and that Jason.. he is always putting his hand on her tummy.. but.."

"Why are you waiting for an invitation to feel your own baby? Just go and casually put your hands and feel him!" Taeyang said as if it was as simple as that!

"Can I help you?" Jiyong came out of his trance and offered to help her pull up the zip at the back of her dress. 

Maya contemplated his question for a second and shook her head.

"It's ok. I have this maxi dress that your sister bought for me the other day. Maybe that will fit! But if it doesn't, we are going shopping before we go to the party!" Maya declared as she rummaged through her closet.

Jiyong and Maya were the last to reach the venue. Daesang had even bought a Japanese modal as his girlfriend and introduced her to the other members. 

"Wow! You guys are glowing! But I can't believe you guys can still walk around with such huge loads on you!" the slender model laughed as she commented on the two pregnant woman before her.

Though the men didn't seem to mind the comment, Hyorin could almost feel smoke coming out of her ears as Maya glared at the slim woman before her.

All through the event, Maya kept a hostile distance from the Japanese girl and she even let herself wonder if the girl was flirting with her husband. She had seen her hand on her husband s arms and shoulder once and wanted to drag Jiyong and give him a piece of her mind for flirting with another woman when his own wife was around but restrained herself.

The highlight of the evening was a  game of twister for the guests where both the fathers to be were given fake pregnancy tummies to wear when they played. 

Taeyang and Jiyong grumbled and moaned all through the game while their other members jeered them.

By the time they reached home, it was still early in the night and both Jiyong and Maya were in their bedroom. Jiyong watched as Maya moved about , as he leaned against the door frame. Her hair fell forward and she leaned forward towards the mirror and caught Jiyong s eye in the mirror. The way Jiyong was looking at her made her stomach muscles tighten. 

Jiyong stood there leaning against the door frame with his hands inside his trousers, speaking with his eyes. He didn't want to move towards her and overwhelm her with his feelings. He didn't trust himself to keep his hands to himself. Maya had been the most attractive woman in the room that day and he could take his eyes off her all evening. 

Maya tore her eyes from Jiyong s, not wanting to prolong the moment. She was feelings things that she didn't want to. Right now, things were going good. She didnt want to complicate it by doing anything ual. This way, it would be a lot easier when they separate after the baby comes, without any expectations! She quickly locked herself in the bathroom and took a long shower and by the time she came out into the bedroom, Jiyong was nowhere in the house.

Jiyong came home late at night after a long long walk to cook himself. He showered and went to bed as quietly as possible without wanting to wake Maya.

He woke up sometime in the middle of the night to Maya lying facing him. Sometime during the night, she had ditched her pillow and her leg was between his own and their son nestling just below his tummy. 

Why was this happening today of all days? Was god actually answering his prayers?

Hesitantly, against his better judgment, Jiyong moved forward and placed a kiss on his wife s forehead. 

Crowded between them, their son decided to protest and moved restlessly inside Maya s tummy. An excitement unlike any filled Jiyong as he felt the movement of his baby for the first time. 

"Jiyong.. did you feel him?" Maya whispered, her eyes now wide open.

"Y..yes.. It... does it hurt?" Jiyong stammered, flooded with a sense of pride and possessiveness over the baby he didn't know he had before this moment. This was his baby inside her! 

Her smile was evident in her voice as she answered, "No.. it's just a little uncomfortable. Did he wake you?"

Jiyong looked into his eyes and shook his head lightly.

"I was just thinking.." he whispered as he placed a hand on his baby.

So caught up in his gaze, Maya did not feel his hands on her as she looked at him questioningly, "About what?"

"You! About how beautiful you looked today!" 

"You are joking! I look huge! I know!!" Maya looked down at her stomach and noticed his hand.

"No!! I find you very attractive! You make me feel so !" Jiyong decided he might as well confess when he had the time.

"I am a very pregnant woman, Jiyong!" Maya gently chided him, refusing to look at him.

"That doesn't affect my desire for you at all, Maya. In fact, you are more attractive to me because you are carrying my baby inside you!" he whispered against her lips as he forced Maya to look up at him.

"I am not going to force anything on you! But I want you to know that I have fallen in love with you. I am attracted to you. I want you in all ways possible. I want you as my best friend , as my lover , as the mother to my children and I want to crest my own piece of heaven with you. I know I have hurt you. But I promise to make it all better if you give me a chance!" 

 Placing a quick kiss on her lips and her hair back.

"Good night!" he whispered closing his eyes, leaving Maya wide awake.