10 YEARS LATER

PART 2

“WHAT!!!???”

Amber went to my side and gave me a kiss on my lips making me smile. She then took off one strap of the baby carrier giving our son to me.

Yes, our son. (^_^)

“Sweetie forgive your Aunties, its their first time to see a very cute and chubby fluffy cub like you~~…”

The Aunties’ mouth were all hanging while looking at us three, the usual talkative Sunyoung can’t even form words now from her Journalist mind. Biting my lips, I gave them all an eyesmile while holding my cutie little chub chub. Jinri was just staring at me, then at Amber, and finally to my son who started to wave her stubby arms in the air while looking at me.

“Aigooo… my back hurts…” your Appa is whining again tsk tsk tsk…

“Yah! You just carried him for a short time! Imagine me everyday at home… tsss….”

“We were strolling outside and went to the toy store… he took a liking in a plushie…”

“He took a liking or YOU took a liking?”

“Hehehe… can I say WE took a liking?” she grinned at me mischievously because she’s busted again. When the two of them enters a toy store, Amber doesn’t go out of the store empty handed. Tsk tsk tsk… sigh… there goes another addition to the collection of so called ‘Little Chub-chub’s Corner’ aka Amber’s Toy Collection.

I let out a wide and proud smile holding our son in my arms showing him to his Aunties who are too shock to react that they all look frozen in their seats while watching our little family. “Ummm… hahaha…. girls… meet little Philippe.”

“Its actually derived from Philippians, Philippe is his real name and his nickname is Phil. But we call him our little chub chub!” Amber excitedly exclaimed to them, wiping the drool on Phil’s chin. I grinned at Vic unnie who already snapped from her frozen state and started tearing up again while watching us, Amber sitting beside me while playing with our son’s little stubby hands making Phil giggle cutely.

“You and her… home… baby…?” she pointed at me and Amber then at little Phil getting emotional. Her eyes darted to my right hand then to me, and finally to Amber’s hand which my wife proudly showed to them three. Their expression is priceless hahaha! “Oh My GOD… you’re married now!!??”

“Of course Unnie!” I chuckled at her and showed my hand where I proudly showed my rose gold wedding band to them. “For how long?!” Vic unnie playfully pushed Amber’s shoulder while tears are streaming down her face. I’m just controlling myself not to cry because I’m already tired crying, all I did in the past is cry and cry when my parents separated me from Amber.

Sunyoung and Jinri was smiling at us tearfully, wiping their eyes with the back of their hands. Happy tears to be exact, the three of them. Awwww… I only expected Sunyoung to be the emotional one as always but to see Vic unnie and Jinri being so emotional too like her makes me emotional too.

“Oh my God… but… how??”

Amber and I shared a look and smiled at each other. The three of them deserves to hear our story…

I took my pack of tissue from the baby bag and gave them each a few pulls to wipe those tears away. If I only know this reunion will be this emotional I should have bought 3 boxes of Kleenex each for them. I can’t give them little chub chub’s wet wipes, too expensive!

Jinri reached for Phil’s little hands and my chubby cub caught her index finger not letting go of it in a tight grasp. “He’s so beautiful…” she tearfully whispered then looked at me smiling “You have a baby now Twinnie… Oh my God… I’m an Aunt now!”

“You two, spill it out! What happened all these years the two of you were missing?! How did the two of you ended up together and blessed with this little chubby fluffy cutie pie! Aigooo~~! Phil~~ I’m Auntie Luna…! How are you cutie~~…” we laughed out loud when Phil suddenly let out a loud giggle echoing in the whole coffee shop, his toothless gums showing. Seems like little chub chub likes his pretty Aunties a lot.

“How old is this cutie?” Vic unnie asked while watching Phil giggle uncontrollably as Jinri tickles his feet. He’s really ticklish on that part because Amber also does it to him when they play on our bed.

“He’s already 6 months unnie… a little heavy now and healthy.”

“Philippians huh…” she snorted at Amber who dodged Vic unnie’s smack on her head but failed.

“Vic unnie! You know my bible verse…! I have it tattooed on my back now, wanna see?” Amber was in the act of taking off her linen shirt playfully but earned another smack from Vic unnie that made her laugh and hide her head on my back. “You haven’t changed you Llama!”

“Yah Vic! People don’t change… they just improve…” she emerged from her hiding fixing my long hair and brushing away the strands that Phil might grab and put on his mouth again. I made a funny face at Amber sticking out my tongue because of being scolded by Vic unnie. She answered it by sticking out her tongue too giving me a playful wink before diving her face on Phil’s expose tummy making funny noises that made little chub chub giggle again. Jinri took out her phone and started taking pictures of Phil and videos too while Sunyoung plays with him on my hold.

Six months and a very healthy baby, that’s our Philippe Joseph Jung Liu. A successful IVF procedure using both our eggs and a donor . It was the happiest day of our lives when we found out the procedure is a success and I am pregnant. The first time we saw him at his 6th week, me and Amber were teary eyed… our very own baby and his flickering heartbeat showing on the monitor of the ultrasound machine.

At 20 weeks, hearing his heartbeat was the most emotional doctor’s check up for me and Amber. We were so happy to hear his little heart beating normally and the doctor assured us he is a fine little boy. And now look at him… so handsome like his Appa!

Amber rested her arms around my shoulders and started the story of how we ended up together after all the things that happened. “Remember guys when I disappeared?”

“Of course! You didn’t even said goodbye!”

“Sorry about that…” she chuckled and continued. “I didn’t went to Japan like what was the talk back then. I went back to Los Angeles to get the help of my parents to find Soojung, which at first they didn’t approve because you know my Father… ‘businessman’. He still can’t accept me that’s why he also kept me inside our house in Malibu heavily guarded.”

“And then what happened?”

Little chub chub went whiny, an indication that he is really hungry now. Amber took out the feeding cover inside the baby bag and placed it around my body so I can feed Phil without anyone looking at my… you know… feeding.

“Wait girls, commercial break first! The little chub chub is hungry…” she reached for my shirt inside ing it a little. Hahaha… the hard part about feeding in public is wearing the wrong shirt. That’s why when we go out I always wear button downs. Good thing we are in the farthest corner of the coffee shop that no one can see. At least I’m covered while this little one is my milk like a hungry vampire now. Slow down little chub! No one is going to take it away from you goodness! Appa won’t even try when you are awake!

When I raised my head, I saw the girls watching me with softness in their eyes and proudness. I smiled at them while patting little Phil’s bum, Jinri being a curious one took a peek inside my cover and saw the little one hungrily. “I haven’t ran out of milk that’s why until now I’m feeding him. The doctor said its much better than milk formula and good for his immune system…”

“Oh gosh he’s a good er!” Sunyoung, me and Vic unnie almost choked when Jinri suddenly said it then she realized its a little… well… kinda had a double meaning if you know what I mean *wink*

“I it out when it doesn’t want to come out…” I suddenly smacked Amber’s arm with Phil’s towel, utterly surprised and embarrassed on her revelation. They don’t have to know it!!! This fool!

The three of them were laughing out loud because of what Amber said, Sunyoung throwing a ball of tissue at my wife in a snicker. “Yah! Haven’t you heard of pump?”

“Tsss… why would she need a pump when I’m here…”

“Amber!” this Llama… I can feel my cheeks burning in embarrassment and punched her thigh playfully under the table.

“Tsss… you Llama… continue your story while the little one is feeding. What happened when you went back to Los Angeles?” Vic asked her after taking a sip of her Hot Tea and reaching for little chub chub’s stubby feet playing with it.

Amber took a deep breath then glance at me with a smile remembering what she encountered back then. “Dad had me locked up at our Malibu mansion, all guarded 24/7 like how Soojung is in their house in SanFo. No phones, any means of communications. I can only go out of the house and have a walk in our yard with guards following me closely and the only persons who can visit me is Jackie and Mom. Dad didn’t let anyone even my cousins and friends there at L.A. who wants to see me.”

“Then one day she decided to have a hunger strike…” I added. Phil already finished the hell out of me and smiled cutely showing his gums again and chin full of milk “Chub-chub why are you looking at Mommy like that~~?” Amber wiped the traces of milk on his chin then took the baby from me and placed him on her arms patting his back to burp. “She didn’t ate anything for a week and just lived on taking sips of water that she grew thin.” I narrated while buttoning my shirt again and taking off the cover folding it and putting back on my bag. “This fool collapsed and lost consciousness that’s why they brought her to the nearest hospital due to starvation and dehydration.”

*BURRRRPPP*

“Very good chub-chub~…” until now I find it amazing to see Amber and Phil together. My heart is bursting with happiness whenever I will see them like this… Amber holding Phil in her arms and talking to him while little chub chub will stare at his Appa like he understands what she says then he will answer her with a giggle and pat in Amber’s face. It was a beautiful sight to see that I already captured with the lens of my camera a lot of times. Printed and framed, already hanging on our wall together with all the precious memories my camera has captured. “Po po Mommy…~” I gave him a kiss on the crown of his head inhaling the fresh baby scent I love to smell.

Amber made him face Vic, Jinri, and Sunyoung then smiled playfully while holding out Phil in front of them, the little one’s small eyes bulging at them like he saw some interesting sight. “So, who wants to carry little chub-chub first?!”

The three of them looked at each other first and it made me laugh aloud when they all spoke at the same time almost bickering and swatting hands away from Phil. Baby boy was just looking at them with fascinating eyes maybe thinking why these ahjummas are talking at the same time and fighting in front of him.

“Me! I should be the first one! Come to Aunt Luna little chub-chub~… aww Vic!”

“Yah! I should be the first one because--”

“Because you are older than us. Okay I get it Vic, I can go last.” Jinri shrugged her shoulders while smiling and continued on taking photos of Phil. Vic gave her thigh a pinch that elicited a whine from my twinnie making me laugh hard while covering my mouth with my hand. Until now Jinri is still having fun teasing Vic unnie about her age.

“Okay, okay… Vic unnie first since she’s our leader. She has the privilege and she’s older than us hehehe…”

“Yah Soojung!” I made a peace sign at Vic unnie and hid behind Jinri hugging my best friend’s waist. I was closer to Jinri but also close to Sunyoung, while Amber is closer to Sunyoung and treats Jinri like a little sister but all of us are close to Vic unnie because we consider her as our mentor, older sister, friend, and sometimes Mother.

I gave Vic unnie the bottle of hand sanitizer for her to lather on her hands. Hehehe… we are just too over protective that’s why. We like it clean so little chub-chub won’t get any germs whatsoever that will make him sick.

“Come to Auntie…! Aigoo… you are heavy huh…”

“Wow… he didn’t even threw a tantrum? Some babies cry when they encounter people they are not familiar with.” I nodded in agreement at Sunyoung and handed Vic unnie his rattle “He doesn’t cry and easily comes to you when you raise your arms to him for a carry. He likes being carried because Amber always do that to him especially in the morning for his daily dose of sunshine.”

“So, what happened when you were taken to the hospital Amber?” I gave Amber my remaining ColdBrew for her to finish and she continued her story playing with the straw.  

“I was rushed to the hospital with Jackie beside me. She was visiting, she found me lying on the floor unconscious and asked my guards to bring me to the hospital.”

“But… it was part of their plan.” I chuckled.

“What?!”

“Yup, Jackie and I planned it. So when I’m already in the hospital and being treated by her friend who is the doctor there, they pumped me up with enough dextrose and vitamins, made me ate healthy. I stayed in the hospital for a week with Jackie beside me, the truth is we were planning my escape.”

“Wait… your sister helped you to escape?” She nodded at Sunyoung and continued “With the help of her doctor friend and some of my friends too, they managed to take me out of the hospital without even being seen by the men that Dad tasked to guard me. Then we went to the airport and flew to Orlando… then from Orlando we drove for 21 hours and 1,287 miles t