“Namjoo,” Seoyun ecstatically greeted, “hi!”

The wide smile on her face dissipated. Lips growing tight she said, “I thought you meant just you were coming.”

“Why, I’m a little hurt,” Sangki said. “Can we come in?”

Gripping onto the doorknob Namjoo reluctantly released it. Pretentiously smiling, “Yes, come in.”

The smile instantly wore off when they passed her, and she shoved the door close. Following them into the usual lounge room, she politely asked, “Water anyone?”

“I would love that, thank you.” It was Seoyun.

“Of course, me too.” Sangki already made himself at home. Sitting adjacent from his wife. His legs split open as if to proudly show off what a man he was. Pivoting away from the couple Namjoo strut into the kitchen.

Going through the cupboards for glasses. She wouldn’t take an hour of her time she remembered Seoyun promising. Namjoo had a very bad feeling about that promised hour. Filling the glasses she turned around bumping back into the counter surprised. The water sloshed back and forth in the cup, quarter of it spilling over her hands and wetting her slippers.

“Sorry,” Sangki apologized with not much sincerity. Stepping over to grab some towels he touched her hand dabbing at the wet area.

Never minding how the water would slosh out again, Namjoo yanked her hand away. Setting the glasses on the counter. Snapping, “I’m fine.”

Glaring at him. Not withholding her irritation or how uncomfortable he was making her. Stepping over to the towel dispenser she wiped her hands.

“Your sleeves are wet,” Sangki noted. “Do you need to change?”

Exactly what was he insinuating? Figuring she could play dumb. Going that route would be easier if she wanted to crush him. Only if his wife weren’t here. Only if she weren’t about to become a mother.

Spinning around to face him, Namjoo smiled too happily. “It’s just a small accident.”

Maintaining her composure, Namjoo refilled the glasses. Wiped down the glasses. Doing all this with him watching her carefully. Also feeling the shudder run up and down her spine.

“Your glass,” she handed him a cup. “We shouldn’t keep your wife waiting too long.”

“It’s all right. She’s a patient one,” Sangki followed her a little too closely. “Told her I went to use the restroom. I’ll just say I ran into you on my way back.”

Namjoo’s brow twitched when he walked past her with his hand sliding across her waist. Without looking back he walked right into the lounge room. Endearingly calling out for his wife.

in a breath, Namjoo forced herself to follow.

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Running his hands across the rim of the silver frame Sehun sunk into his chair. Admiring the ultrasound picture he’d made a copy of before arriving. Of course, he would replace it with the actual human being when he or she arrived. For now this also made him very happy.

His baby.

Laughing to himself glad. This was the first picture on his desk. He would cherish it.

Sehun rose up to go attend an annual weekly meeting, which included his father and Namjoo’s father, several other men. Dropping back into his seat when his phone rang. The call was coming from home.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Ah…sir.” He recognized the younger housekeeper’s voice.

Straightening alert, he asked, “What’s going on?”

There was no reason for a call to be made to him. Since it happened out of the blue he worried. Was it about Namjoo?

“No, it’s just…” she hesitated, her voice dimmed, “your family is over. I saw something weird happen in the kitchen.”

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Sitting next to Seoyun Namjoo watched her open one of the many pamphlets she’d pulled from her purse. There looked to be well over 20 of them. From where or how she’d gotten them Namjoo hadn’t inquired. Part of her wondering if the woman was doing this intentionally. If Sangki had purposely planned this.

The conniving bastard using his wife wouldn’t surprise her. Adjacent from them he looked very chummy in his chair. Once again his legs were split wide open, offering her a generous view. An elbow was propped up on the arm of the couch. His head lazily leaning into his fist. His eyes in the sight of her face like a vacuum.

Revenge she thought. Only if she could grab his wife’s half empty cup of water and splash it into his face. Maybe wake him up. Remind him where he was, and that his freaking wife was right next to her. Stupidly immersed in adoption pamphlets he seemed to give no two cents for. What a ty husband.

“International adoption sounds likely,” Seoyun told her. “Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“Lets ask your husband.” Namjoo said to remind her that that man was also here. Taking the pamphlet out of Seoyun’s hand she offered it to the jerk. “What do you think dear brother-in-law?”

“About what?” he ignorantly asked.

Her eyes narrowed. “Your wife,” she made sure to enunciate the word, “would like to internationally adopt.”

“Yes,” Seoyun’s voice was so timid as if she knew he would already object. “I hear it would be a good cause. There are plenty of orphanages…”

“No,” Sangki shook his head. “It’s costly. Have you thought about the travel fees? The orphanages are dirty. The children are unhealthy and starving. I won’t raise a child that needs constant medical care.”

“A good cause is saving a child from misfortune,” Namjoo spoke up. “What are you afraid of when you have all the money at your expense?”

Suddenly lively, Sangki leaned forward so far out that he seemed to be talking right into her face. “I’d like to think about a surrogate.”

Namjoo instinctively sat back, as if he had spoken to her in code. Those shudders she experienced earlier returned. Speeding up her spine. Down and back up.

“But…” Seoyun’s thin voice.

“Saves more money.” Crossing his legs Sangki was suddenly focused on his nails. “It won’t cost as much. I want a healthy child.”

Clamping her hand over Seoyun’s, Namjoo assured, “We’ll find the right orphanage.” Eyeing Sangki, “A man keeps his promise.”

“A man?” Sangki repeated as if she’d told a joke. “I wonder. Does Sehun keep his words?”

“I’m sure he does.” Seoyun said. “Why would you talk about him that way?”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Sangki scolded. He shot her an irritated glare.

“A man,” Namjoo interjected, “holds his wife on a pedestal. He doesn’t ask her to find his watch.” Ice glazed over her eyes. She stared him down even if she was still seated. “He drinks the juice she spends her morning making. He keeps his words, Oh Sangki.”

A smile brimmed across his face. Highly amused. It ticked her off.

“It’s fine, Namjoo. Forget it.” Seoyun gave up, but suddenly the fight in her was brewing.

“What did you get married for?” Namjoo challenged him.

“Oh Sangki?” he raised his brow. The only thing that seemed to matter. Grinning happily. Touching his chin, “I like the way you say my name.”

“Stop it.” Seoyun ordered. Looking at her, “I’m sorry Namjoo.” Turning back to her husband, she stood, “Lets leave.”

He flung her hand off like she was a fly. It shouldn’t matter, but witnessing it churned the fire in her.

“You’re in my house,” Namjoo reminded coolly, “watch it.”

Leaning forward again to mock her, “It was my house before it was yours.”

“Who lives here now?” Namjoo flatly made her point. “It’s not manly to take what’s not yours.”

“You keep talking about what a man I can be,” Sangki’s eyes glinted. “Are you interested in finding out exactly what kind of man I can be?”

“Sangki!” Seoyun raised her voice for the first time.

Namjoo gritted her teeth. Irritated. Annoyed. Flabbergasted. That he would dare say these things to her in front of his wife. The nerve of this guy!

Seoyun’s face was quickly turning a shade of shame and pink. Sparing her, Namjoo leaned back. “No,” she said. “You’re not a man to me.”

Namjoo tensed when Sangki sprang up to his feet. Towering over his wife. Over her. His expression twisted. Insulted by her.

“Why don’t you sit back down.” As soon as she heard the voice she wheeled around to find her husband standing in the entryway. Relief sprung through her. Happy to see him.

Sangki’s expression stiffened. Struggling to remain calm. His smile was even more rigid. Sinking back into the chair he said, “You’re here?”

Flummoxed with embarrassment for being caught in a fight, Seoyun’s eyes flittered around the room. “I thought you were at work.”

“I took sick leave.” Sehun walked in.

“What?” Namjoo frowned. His father might say something. Worse yet, her father would. The strict businessman he was never took a day off from work. If he heard his son-in-law left before the day even started Sehun would get in trouble.

Sitting next to her Sehun glanced at the pamphlets laid out on the table. “What are these?”

“Ah…I came to talk to Namjoo about adopting. I wanted an opinion.” Seoyun explained.

“Shouldn’t your husband be doing it with you?” Sehun asked without looking up.

“Well…” Seoyun fiddled with her fingers.

“A woman would be more sensitive regarding this topic.” Sangki coldly excused. “I thought Namjoo would be more intuitive.”

“It’s your child.”

“I never promised,” Sangki told. “It was a suggestion. She seemed interested, so I couldn’t say no.”

She he said. She not his wife or her name. She as in just a person who no mattered more than a stranger on the street. Namjoo felt sorry for Seoyun.

“Why would you urge her to go looking then?” Sehun sounded upset. “When it didn’t matter to you.”

Leaning forward once again like he was the boss of this office, “Again, I never said it didn’t matter. My kid should be of my blood.”

Namjoo stared at him tersely when he shot her a glance. She didn’t like it. The way he looked at her or the way he talked about this child.

“She can have hers. I’ll have my mine.” Sangki greedily said.

Sehun scoffed at his ridiculousness.

“Why is it your problem?” Sangki questioned. “My family matters are mine.”

“Then conduct it elsewhere.” Sehun stared back. “Don’t come here.”

It was Sangki’s turn to scoff like he was just told this was not his house.

“I’m sorry.” Seoyun apologized shoving the guilt down their throats. She was still standing even when her husband had despicably sat back down.

They were such a pair of headache. Namjoo wanted to rub her forehead, bury her face somewhere. Maybe in the floor below their feet where Sangki deserved to be. Instead she let Sehun deal with his family members.

“Why is it your fault?” Sehun asked. He sighed tired of them. “Never mind. If you’re done here, you should go.”

“I’m sorry, Sehun.” Seoyun apologized again. Gathering the pamphlets she tucked them back into her expensive purse.

“We’ll see each other again.” Sangki tucked his hands into his pocket and rose to his feet. His eyes trailed over her as he walked out, stealing a last glimpse before disappearing around the corner.

When Sehun returned from walking them out Namjoo rose to standing. “Why are you home?”

“Nothing. I just didn’t feel well.” Sehun told.

She eyed him.

“Everything fine?” he wondered.

“Yea, of course,” she said. “It’s just like she said. She wanted opinions on where to adopt.”

“If they’re going to do that they should’ve done it long ago.” Sehun sat down. She did, too. Just to feel him close by.

“Why hasn’t she left him?” Namjoo asked.

“She loves him.”

“It doesn’t seem like he feels the same way.”

“He did,” Sehun told her, “once upon a time. An eon ago.”

Namjoo thought back to the wedding picture she’d seen in their room. Of a happy couple on their wedding day. A long time ago. Don’t people get married because they love each other Seoyun had said to her that day.

“Good things don’t always last, you know,” Namjoo sympathized. Again, she was the living remnant of it.

“It can.” Sehun turned to look at her. The gentleness in his eyes touched her. Somehow it made her confident that happiness could persevere.

Looking at his hand she asked, “Did you really come home because you weren’t feeling well?”

“Yes.” He answered.

Namjoo grinned. She knew better, but she’d let him have it if she pretended not to know.

It was peaceful now that his family was gone. Giddiness erupted through her when Sehun touched her hand. The tips of his fingers brushing the back of her hand very softly. She thought about the books he had in his office, that he had tried to hide them from her.

There were many small things about this man that surprised her. She was actually quite blissful that he was excited to become a father. In his own way, he was helping her prepare. It made her so soft for him. How lucky she was. To have the good man on her side. Resting her head on his shoulder she listened to the backdrop of silence become music with their beating hearts.

ꜛꜛꜛꜛꜛ

Sehun took her out for lunch. He even included Hyesoo and Auntie Park. They enjoyed Thai cuisine downtown. Spent an hour walking the streets and tasting street food. Ending the short outing with grocery shopping.

“No, no, no,” Auntie Park chided them when they stopped at the meat department. “Too much oil is unhealthy for you. Don’t you know meat is packed with fat? Chicken is a better alternative.” She started walking away turning when they didn’t follow her. “Well, come on.”

“Did you know that?” he quietly asked as they shifted to go after her.

Namjoo shrugged, “Maybe.”

They caught up to the shopping cart where Hyesoo was currently going through lemons and throwing them into a clear plastic bag. In the end, the two of them really had no say in what to buy for the house even if they were all out together.

“So, this is how it’s done,” Sehun murmured when they returned to the car.

He helped unload the bags when they got home. Auntie Park’s husband was waiting for them out front. Immediately offering to lend a hand.

“You bought so much!” he exclaimed hefting a heavy bag.

“It’ll be gone in a few days,” his wife said climbing the stairs ahead of them.

“You need help?” he asked Namjoo when she reached the stairs with four bags dangling off her arms.

“I’m not weak.” She replied.

“Never said you were,” he said passing her and hurried into the house. Pretty sure that she was snarling at his back.

They helped the housekeepers unpack before they were shooed away. Alone on the third floor they cuddled on the circle couch. Rewatching a movie from the collection on the shelf they had added to the third floor. Then they put on another movie and another. Hyesoo brought up snacks for them to enjoy. Another hour relaxingly drew by. Swooning him near slumber while Namjoo seemed entirely immersed with what was on screen. She didn’t sit too far from him, so always knowing she was nearby was contentment for him. The hours so precious while doing nothing at all.

Another hour ticked and they headed downstairs. He stood as aid while Namjoo helped Auntie Park prep dinner. Wondering as he watched her ease into the role of madam of the house if ever he could imagine her not being here. No, he decided, because he liked her.

A smile trickled over his face. He would give her heaven, the entire world, her mother if he could, but those things were impossible dreams. He’d aim for what was more rational. He would just give her himself and all the love he could offer.

If their life together could last for a long time he would even give her his life, because he couldn’t imagine not having her.

Sehun’s heart fluttered then turned when the doorbell rang. Taking a last glimpse of Namjoo he headed down the hallway to open the door for his and Namjoo’s fathers.