“I’m late.” The text said.

“That’s ok. I can wait.” He texted back quickly. Ji Chang Wook was waiting for Nam Ji Hyun to finish her shoot for the day to have dinner.

“No, my period is late.”

“What?”

“For a week.”

“What do we do? Shall we go and see the doctor now?”

“No, I just need to buy a test. Can you go and get it?”

“Yes okay I’ll go buy one now. See you back home then?”

“Yes let’s just order some food in. I’ll ask manager-nim to drop me off at home.”

…

Ji Chang Wook had been sitting nervously at the couch waiting for his wife to come home. Ggoma snuggled by his feet, sleeping.

“Jagiya.” She called out to him as she walked into their home.

“Jagiya! I bought everything! I didn’t know which one so I bought everything!” He exclaimed nervously.

Nam Ji Hyun looked at the usually composed Ji Chang Wook with the coffee table filled with a variety of pregnancy test kits and exclaimed with a laugh “I only needed one!”

“Maybe use three different ones? I also ordered dinner from the Chinese restaurant including your favourite double portion seafood jajiangmian.”

She gave him a kiss on his cheek and looked at the table filled with pregnancy test kits. She took three and headed to the bathroom.

He trailed her like a puppy dog and looked worried as she closed the bathroom door on him. They had been trying for a baby for two years now. They assumed babies would come naturally after they got married but it proved to be more elusive than they had anticipated. At this point, they had even started to consider fertility treatments. Ji Chang Wook paced outside the bathroom nervously. Time and again, he would call out “How is it?”

“Go away! How am I going to pee with you looming outside?”

“Jagiya...”

They were fortuitously interrupted by the doorbell. It was the food delivery. Ji Chang Wook stalked out of the bedroom to the front door to take delivery of their dinner. After paying and settling the food on their dining table, he ran back to the bedroom.

“Jagiya, how is it?”

She slide open the bathroom door, her eyes red as tears streamed down her face and pointed at the test kits on the vanity. He walked in quickly and saw the results. They all said the same thing – “pregnant”.

“Hyun-ie.” He called out softly, pulling her in his arms, his eyes watering at the thought that Nam Ji Hyun was carrying their baby, a little baby Ji.

Nam Ji Hyun burst into loud messy sobs, burying her face in his chest, letting go of all the pressure she had placed on herself over the past two years and all the sadness she carried in her heart. He felt his shirt become wet from her warm tears.

“It’s okay Hyun-ie. It’s okay. Saranghae.” He murmured softly as he hugged her tighter.

She calmed down slowly, and looked up at him with her tear stained face. All they had hoped and prayed for over these past two years had finally happened. He held her face preciously in his hands and her cheek with his fingers.

“Saranghae Nam Ji Hyun.”

She tiptoed to kiss him tenderly on his lips.

…

Nam Ji Hyun settled down at her dining table and look at the ridiculous amount of food that Ji Chang Wook had ordered and laughed.

“What are we? Feeding a village?”

“I was so nervous just now. I just ordered everything you like. Plus it’s now the three of us? ”He tried hopefully.

She laughed at how silly he was, the father to their little baby Ji. “I don’t have anything on for tomorrow. Shall we try and see if we can get a slot with the doctor?”

“Yes, yes. I have a meeting but I’ll get Bang to push it.”

“Okay, I’ll call the clinic tomorrow.”

Ji Chang Wook reached out to hold his wife’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you Jagiya.” He said simply. Nam Ji Hyun had taken it so hard on herself during the time that they were trying to have a baby. Every time she got her period, she would cry sadly, berating and blaming herself for working too much and trying to get her masters as well. Sometimes, she would try to hide the tears from him with her usual cheerful ways but Ji Chang Wook always knew and it broke his heart. It certainly did not help when it seemed like everyone they knew was getting pregnant at the drop of a hat.

She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. “Let’s eat! I’m so hungry! I couldn’t eat all day because I kept thinking whether or not I was finally pregnant.”

He picked out her favourite sweet and sour pork and placed it on her spoon. She beamed at him and ate it happily.

…

He watched as his wife slept soundly on his lap. Her slow measured breaths, the unmistakable swell of her stomach, the fullness of her bosom, the flutter of her eyelashes. Nam Ji Hyun was close to full term now and had been having a hard time getting sleep at night. For some reason, it was much easier for her to fall asleep in the day and afternoon naps which were very much a luxury was now a necessity. He her hair gently, content to have this quiet time with her, before the baby got here.

She stirred slightly, and tried to turn her body but failed to. She opened her eyes to see her husband’s soft eyes looking down at her.

“Aish you are being creepy again!” She said with a laugh.

“I just like watching you sleep.”

“But it’s so creepy! I need to pee! Again! Help me up.”

Ji Chang Wook put one hand around his wife and another around her waist and he lifted her up from the couch. She waddled a little, as most pregnant women did at this late stage of pregnancy and waved him off as she made her way to the bathroom.

…

She slowly made her way back to her husband and sat back into the couch, putting her two hands on her ample stomach.

“It’s time, little one.” She tapped on her stomach lightly. “This is your eviction notice.”

She felt the baby kick and laughed. She held her husband’s hand and placed his hand on her stomach so that he would feel it too.

“I don’t think she wants to come out today.”

“That’s ok. I don’t think I’m ready for it yet. First, she’s a baby and next thing we know, she’s a teenager and sneaking out to go on dates? I’m definitely not ready to deal with that!”

“I’m sure you won’t allow her to date until she’s 35! And I am definitely ready for her to come out! I miss lying on my stomach so much! And I am hungry! Again! Can you please order me some food? Oh God I’m such a pregnancy cliché!”

…

The tiny fingers wrapped themselves around his index finger. Ji Chang Wook felt his heart swell as tears sprung to his eyes. This baby girl would have him wrapped around her little finger for the rest of his life and he knew it. He carried the little bundle to the bed where Nam Ji Hyun was resting.

“Jagiya, she’s perfect.” He said as he sat down on the bed beside his wife.

Nam Ji Hyun smiled and silently snuggled her husband as the two looked at their new baby with wonderment at each tiny movement.

“Saranghae.” He whispered to them both, kissing Nam Ji Hyun on her forehead gently before kissing little baby Ji’s fingers.

His girls, his loves, his forever.