3 YEARS LATER

 

“Cha Hyun Tae! If you don’t get here in the next 5 seconds, I will take your XBox away!” 28 year old Hyojin shouted from the bottom of the stairs, her 2 year old son, Im Jaehyun, on her hip.

 

“I’m coming, Mom!” the child shouted from his room.

 

“Now!” she placed the child back on the floor, letting him run as he pleased. “Let’s go find Daddy,” she smiled at the toddler, pointing towards the study where her husband was working.

 

The couple had been married for three years now, and in that time, they had bought a house, welcomed a baby boy, and Jaebum had been promoted from senior police officer to inspector, one of the youngest in his precinct.

 

“Appa!” the toddler went running into the room, crashing into Jaebum’s legs to get his attention.

 

“Hey there,” Jaebum smiled, putting the file on the desk to lift the toddler into his lap, looking up at his wife standing in the doorframe. “Hello beautiful,”

 

“Hello to you too,” she smiled, walking towards him to press a kiss against his forehead. “Dinner is ready, and you’ve been working all day,”

 

“Alright, I’m coming,” he nodded, arranging the papers on the desk into a neat pile, ignoring the fact that Jaehyun was gnawing on his shirt sleeve.

 

“Daddy’s shirt isn’t food, baby,” Hyojin frowned, lifting the toddler into her own arms. “Come on, let’s go eat real food,” she walked into the kitchen, gesturing Jaebum to follow, and placed the boy in his high chair, putting a plate of chicken nuggets in front of him. “Can you call Hyun Tae? Tell him to bring his X-Box remote with him,”

 

“Let me handle it,” Jaebum assured her, walking up the stairs to the older boy’s room. “Hyun Tae, come on, dinner is ready,”

 

“I’m almost done, Appa,” the boy said, not even turning back to face him. Jaebum frowned, walking closer to the boy.

 

“Hyun Tae,” he repeated, his tone slighter firmer. The child sighed, taking off his headset and turned the game off, holding the remote towards the man.

 

“Here, I know Mom told you to take it away,”

 

“You can keep it, but just turn it off the next time your mother tells you,” he smiled, patting the boy’s head.

 

“She never takes away Jaehyun’s toys, only mine,” the boy pouted, standing up to shuffle out of the room.

 

“Well, Jaehyun is still learning, and his toys are different than yours,”

 

“I don’t like being the older brother. I always get in trouble,” Hyun Tae’s pout grew deeper, causing Jaebum to chuckle. Hyun spent the first 5 years of his life as an only child, and while he was excited to be an older brother, he was now 10 years old and had 3 younger half-siblings, something he wasn’t too keen about.

 

“Well, as the older brother, you also get to stay up longer, go out longer, and have more toys, you know,”

 

“I guess,” he shrugged. “You guys have to stop having kids now, I don’t want any more brothers or sisters,”

 

“I don’t know about your father and Dahee, but your mother and I are happy with just two children, don’t worry,” Jaebum chuckled, patting Hyun Tae’s back.

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

“Can you please babysit? Our usual babysitter canceled and I made this reservation weeks ago, it’s so hard to get a table at this restaurant,” Chulsoo’s voice came from the other end of the phone call.

 

“Yeah, of course, but can you drop off the kids? My car is at the mechanic and Jaebum is working the night shift again,”

 

“Yeah, no problem, I’ll see you soon.” The call disconnected and Hyojin opened the oven, tossing in more chicken nuggets for the guests that would be here soon. “Jaehyun, are you excited that Chansoo and Dongsoo are coming over?” she turned to the toddler who was busy building blocks on the living room carpet. He mumbled an answer back, most likely too immersed in the colored objects than his mother’s words. “Hyun Tae!” she projected her voice. “Come down!” she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

 

At 10 years old, Hyun Tae stood at her chest, looking like the carbon copy of his biological father with the exception of his dimples that he got from his mother. She had to admit that her son was cute, and would definitely would be breaking hearts once he was in high school. Jaehyun, 2 years old, was much like his older brother and father in a manner that he was quiet and didn’t talk much. He, too, looked much like Jaebum but like his older brother, he had Hyojin’s dimples.

 

“Your father is dropping off Chansoo and Dongsoo, so make sure that you look over the house, picking up anything that they could get hurt from, please?” she asked, smiling when the child didn’t object. She sat on the kitchen stool, drinking a glass of water.

 

“You okay, Mom?” the child asked when he noticed that his mother’s face was slightly pale.

 

“Yeah, baby. I’m just weirdly tired lately,”

 

“Maybe it’s because you’re growing old,” he chuckled.

 

“Yah, I’m only 28 years old! That’s still young!” she frowned. “You know that all the other moms are jealous of how youthful I am when I pick you up from school?” Hyun Tae’s chuckle made her chuckle as well as she realized what she was saying. “Whatever, if I’m turning into an old woman, that means that you’re not a baby anymore and you have to do big kids stuff around the house,” she gave him a look.

 

“I already do big kid stuff!” Hyun Tae’s eyes widened. “I don’t see Jaehyun setting the table,”

 

“Because he is a baby,” she rolled her eyes, walking towards the sink to wash her cup.

 

“I’m a baby too,” Hyun Tae pouted.

 

“You’ll always be my baby,” Hyojin cooed, walking towards him to press a kiss against his cheek.

 

“Wait, no, stop!” Hyun Tae screeched, trying to escape his mother’s smothering. “I take it back, I’m a big kid!” he managed to escape, running to his little brother. “Jaehyun, look! Mommy is the huggie monster, we have to run!” he helped the child stand up, holding his hand as they ran around the living room to escape Hyojin’s hugs and kisses.

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

When Jaebum returned from work, it was 7:30 AM. He entered the quiet house to see Hyojin sprawled on the carpet of the living room, a blanket carelessly thrown on her legs. Hyun Tae was snuggled on the armchair, comfortable with his legs hanging off the side. On the larger couch, Jaehyun crawled into a ball on one end, Chulsoo and Dahee’s 2 year old son Dongsoo mirroring his position on the other end. Now 3 years old, Chulsoo and Dahee’s older son, Chansoo, was snuggling Hyojin on the carpet, using the older woman’s chest as a pillow. Smiling at the sight, he took a picture to send a group message to his friends.

 

To: Chulsoo & Dahee

Welcome to the Im-Cha’s Day Care Centre, where naptime is a priority.

 

Tucking his phone into his pocket, he gently lifted Chansoo’s body, taking him to Jaehyun’s room and placing him on that bed so him could sleep comfortably for a little longer. Making sure that the other three boys had a blanket, he lifted Hyojin bridal style, heart wavering when she snuggled against his chest, carrying her into their bedroom. Placing her on the bed, he was turning away to change when Hyojin latched onto his arm, pulling him onto the bed.

 

“Stay,” she mumbled, her voice thick with drowsiness.

 

“Let me go quickly shower and change, I’ll be right back,” his voice was soft, gently prying her fingers off him as he stepped into the bathroom, shedding his work clothes off to step under the warm shower.

 

15 minutes later, he was clad in sweatpants and a shirt, under the duvet next to his wife. At 31 years old, Jaebum looked slightly older than when he first met his wife, but his love for her had only grown in these years. Even in her sleep, her body gravitated towards him and his warmth, her head tucked into his chest as he pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Night night, Bummie,” she mumbled, snuggling closer.

 

“Night, my love,” he chuckled, knowing very well that she would wake up in an hour before the children.

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

A few days had passed since that night and Hyojin was still not feeling her best. She was out of breathe, tired all the time, and she was craving physical attention all the time.

 

“Do you have to go?” she asked Hyun Tae who was putting his shoes on.

 

“It’s my weekend at Ajusshi’s house,” the boy replied, before he paused. “Do you want me to stay?”

 

“No, I know that Dahee promised to take you out to the arcade, I don’t wanna take that away from you,” she replied. “I’m feeling weird lately,” she replied, gesturing for the boy to open the door when the bell rang.

 

“Hello!” Dahee’s bright voice called, taking one look at Hyojin and frowning. “Why do you look like that?” she questioned, turning to her stepson. “What happened to your mom?”

 

“I don’t know. She’s been acting weird for weeks,” the boy shrugged.

 

“Why don’t you go to the car, I’ll be there in a few minutes,” she patted his head, walking further into the house. “Hyojin, what’s wrong?”

 

“I’ve just been tired for weeks. Like no matter how much I sleep, I still feel tired and I’m always out of breath after I do things that normally don’t,” she shrugged, popping a carrot into . Dahee watched the woman, thinking for a few moments.

 

“Are you pregnant?”

 

“Pft, no,” Hyojin scoffed. “I’m pretty sure I would realize if I was pregnant,”

 

“When was the last time you had your period?”

 

“My cycle is irregular, can’t really go based on that,” she shrugged. “Don’t worry, it’s probably some bug or something, I’ll be fine once I sleep it off or something,”

 

“Let me know if anything, I’m always willing to keep Jaehyun and Hyun Tae for a few days,”

 

“You know people would consider it weird that one of my best friends is my ex's wife?” Hyojin chuckled.

 

“Well, good thing that Cha Hyojin doesn’t care what people think about her?” Dahee winked, turning to leave the house. “Take care, Jinnie,”

 

“You too!” Hyojin called, waving to Hyun Tae in the car and closed the door. Walking away, she picked up the few toys that Jaehyun was playing with, putting them back in the toy box that they kept next to the couch, folded the mini blanket and fluffed the pillows. She heard some noise from the study room, and didn’t bother knocking when she realized that the door was open. She peeked in to see Jaebum at the desk, typing away on his laptop with Jaehyun sitting in his lap, babbling to himself while holding a picture book in his hands. “Hi boys,” she said, walking in. She took Jaehyun into her arms who instantly snuggled against her. “Was he distracting you?”

 

“Not a distraction if I let him stay,” Jaebum smiled, looking up at her.

 

“I’m gonna take the little guy up for his nap now, Hyun Tae just left for the weekend,” she said, leaving the room.

 

“You coming back?”

 

“Just gonna tidy up upstairs, but yeah,”

 

“Let’s watch a movie, I can take a break,” Jaebum stood, standing up to stretch.

 

“I’ll be down in like 15,” Hyojin nodded, walking upstairs to the toddler’s room. “Let’s sleep, JaeJae,” Hyojin cooed, placing the child into his tiny toddler bed. The child fussed a little, but a few minutes later, he had fallen asleep clutching his teddy bear. Standing at the top of the stairs to make sure that Jaebum was still in the study, she made her way to her en suite, locking the door behind her as she pulled out the box that she bought last night. “Here we go,” she said, opening the box without reading the directions, and a few minutes later, she was sitting on the toilet, her heart pounding as she waited.

 

“Why are you fidgetity?” Jaebum asked his wife. They were only 20 minutes into the movie, and she had moved at least 5 times.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, moving once more until she was content, lying down on the couch using Jaebum as her pillow. Jaebum looked at her once more, but didn’t complain, wrapping his arms around the woman as he turned his attention back to the movie.

 

“You can tell me anything, you know that, love,” Jaebum said, rubbing her arms.

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

“Congrats, you are officially at 4 months!” the doctor smiled at Hyojin. “You can start telling more people,”

 

“Thank you, Dr. Hwang,” the woman smiled, standing as her hand rubbed her belly that was starting to show. “My kids have noticed that Mommy has gained a little weight, but my husband hasn’t caught on yet,”

 

“Perfect since it’s Father’s Day tomorrow,” she smiled, leading Hyojin out the office. “Take care of yourself, I’ll see you at your next appointment month,”

 

Hyojin walked to her car, sitting in the driver’s seat before whipping her phone out, immediately giving Seon Joo a call.

 

“Why, hello to you, Seoul,” her best friend’s voice came.

 

“Hey, Busan,” Hyojin chuckled. In the background, she could hear Jiyeon, Seon Joo and Jinyoung's 3 month old baby girl, crying. “Is this a bad time?”

 

“Oh no, just give me a second, I’m about to feed her,” there was a pause, some rustling, before Seon Joo spoke again. “Okay, and I’m back with a baby on my . What’s up?”

 

“I have some good news!” Hyojin’s voice was dripping in excitement, and she couldn’t wait. Seon Joo was the first person to know of her pregnancy with both Hyun Tae and Jaehyun, the first person she told when Jaebum proposed, the first for everything in her life.

 

“Oh tell me, tell me!”

 

“I’m pregnant! You’re going to be an aunt! Again!”

 

“Holy , are you serious?” Seon Joo’s voice went up a pitch. “I have a baby attached to my body right now, please don’t be joking,”

 

“4 months!” Hyojin was giggling. “Just came out of the doctor, here let me send you a picture,” she quickly pulled the phone away from her ear, putting it on speaker to take a picture of the sonography picture she had gotten, sending it to Seon Joo. “Baby number 3,”

 

“Oh my gosh! Jinnie! I’m so happy for you! Did you tell Jaebum yet?”

 

“I’m telling him tomorrow,” Hyojin smiled, connecting her phone with the car’s speaker as she began driving home.

 

“Oh, best Father’s Day present he’s going to get,” Seon Joo chuckled. “The kids going to be excited?”

 

“Jaehyun is only 2, he’s not going to remember his reign as the baby of the family probably, but I’m more worried about how Hyun Tae is going to react,”

 

“Hyun Tae?” Seon Joo questioned. “What do you mean?”

 

Well, Chulsoo and Dahee have 2 of their own kids, and then Jaebum and I, that’s another 2 kids. Hyun Tae spent the first formative years of his life as an only child, and now that I’m pregnant again, he has 4 younger half-siblings. I don’t want him thinking that we love him any less because we have to give more attention to the younger ones,”

 

“Hyojin, you’re worrying for no reason. Sure, he may feel like that at first, but he also knows that he has 2 sets of parents, meaning two families that give him double the love, no matter how many siblings he has,”

 

“I hope you’re right, Seon Joo,” Hyojin frowned.

 

“Don’t worry too much! You’re going to have a baby!”

 

“I’m going to have a baby!” Hyojin smiled. “I don’t really care for gender but seeing you with Jiyeon, I really hope that this one is a girl,”

 

“Jaebum is going to spoil her, she’s going to be a Daddy’s little girl,”

 

“And I wouldn’t mind,”

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

“Hyun Tae, why don’t I tuck you into bed?” Hyojin asked, putting the dishes in the sink.

 

“I’m 10 years old, I don’t need to be tucked in,” the boy frowned.

 

“Come on, please?” Hyojin pouted, wrapping her arms around the boy.

 

“Let your mother have this,” Jaebum chuckled, lifting Jaehyun out of his high chair. “I’ll bathe and get this nugget into bed,”

 

“Fine, as long as you stop acting weird,” Hyun Tae groaned, shuffling up the stairs. Once he was under his duvet, he frowned when Hyojin sat next to him instead of leaving the room.

 

“Hyun Tae, you know how much I love you, right? Not just me, but Appa, your father, and Dahee,” her fingers weaved through his hair. Unconsciously, Hyun Tae snuggled closer to her, leaning into her warmth and touch. “I know having little brothers and sisters may cause you to think otherwise because we spend more time running around after them, but our love for you will never change. You’re always going to be my baby, no matter what,”

 

“I know that, Mommy,” his voice was soft enough for Hyojin’s eyes to tear up; Hyun Tae hadn’t called her ‘Mommy’ in years, and she sometimes missed the days when it was just Hyun Tae and her against the world. “I’m sorry that I don’t always help out with Jaehyun, and I didn’t help Ajumma with Chansoo and Dongsoo a lot, but I promise I will from now on,”

 

“That’s good,” Hyojin smiled, holding his hand in hers to bring closer to her small bump, “because there’s someone else that’s about to join this wacky family.” Her smile grew as Hyun Tae’s eyes widened.

 

“Another one?” he groaned. “Please promise me, no more babies after this.” He was almost so serious that Hyojin couldn’t help but laugh, relieved by the fact that Hyun Tae’s hand was still on her belly, rubbing it ever so gently.

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

It was almost midnight when Hyojin finally entered her bedroom. After her talk with Hyun Tae, she stopped in Jaehyun’s room to make sure he was sleeping fine because going to Jaebum’s studying, knowing that the man was in their room, to call her parents as well as Chulsoo and Dahee to give them the good news. After making sure that they wouldn’t congratulate the father to be before she told him herself, she grabbed the sonography pictures, flipping it over to write ‘See you soon Daddy!’. Making sure it was hidden behind her back, she made her way back to her bedroom.

 

Jaebum was on the bed, the bedside lamp on, as he was reading some file, on the phone with someone. “Yugyeom, make sure that those case files are submitted by tomorrow afternoon the latest. Take care, good night,” he hung up, closing the file to place on the bedside table with him phone on top. “You took so long,”

 

“I had to call my parents,” she explained, getting into bed, placing the picture under her pillow while Jaebum was distracted. “How was work today?”

 

“Stressful, as usual, nothing new,” he shrugged, stretching his arms before spreading them. “I want cuddles,” he pouted.

 

“Cute tired Jaebum is my favorite Jaebum,” Hyojin smiled, crawling closer so she was sitting in his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck to lean her head against his shoulders, Jaebum’s arms wrapping around her waist.

 

“I missed you,” his voice was muffled, his lips pressed against her forehead.

 

“I missed you too, you big baby,” she chuckled, drawing shapes on his chest. Eyeing the clock, she smiled when it read 12:01 AM. “Come on, let’s take a picture,” she said, pulling her phone out.

 

“Like this?” he asked, giving her a look.

 

“You look so cute and we haven’t taken a picture together in so long,” she pouted.

 

“Okay, okay, if it makes you happy,” Jaebum chuckled, bringing her closer as she held the phone up. “Oh, you put it in video mode, you’re recording,” he said, pointing at her phone screen.

 

“Oops,” Hyojin smiled, knowing very well that it wasn’t a mistake. “Let’s just pose like this, I can screenshot the pictures from the video,”

 

“Isn’t that weird?” Jaebum’s face scrunched together.

 

“Okay, I’ll switch it,” she extended her other hand towards the screen to stop recording but stopped right before she could do so. “Oh,” she turned to look at Jaebum. “I’m pregnant,”

 

Jaebum was taken back, blinking a few times as he shook his head, completely ignoring the phone was recording his reaction. “Wait. What?”

 

“I’m pregnant, Jaebum,” Hyojin’s voice soft, grabbing the picture from under her pillow to show him. “4 months today,”

 

“And that - ?” he pointed to the phone, laughing as everything clicked together. “Oh my god,” he wrapped his arms around her tight, causing her to drop the phone on the bed. “We’re going to have a baby,”

 

“We’re gonna have a baby,” Hyojin laughed, holding his face in her hands. “Happy Father’s Day,”

 

“You truly make me so happy,” Jaebum pressed a kiss against her lips. “I love you so much,”

 

“I love you too,” she smiled, pressing another kiss against his lips.

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

“Mommy tummy big,” Jaehyun said, looking at his mother, pointing at her now six month pregant belly.

 

“There’s a baby in there, JaeJae,” Hyojin smiled, placing a bowl of carrots in front of him. “You’re going to have a baby brother or sister!”

 

“Baby?” he asked, confused.

 

“Mhm,” she smiled, walking closer to him. “This is where you were before you were born, and where Hyun Tae was too,”

 

“Hyung?” his eyes brightened at the sound of his older brother.

 

“Yes, baby, Hyung,” she giggled, ruffling his hair before walking to the sink to clean the dishes. “Hyun Tae!” she called. “Can you come here please?” She heard footsteps coming down the stairs, shuffling closer to her. “Can you keep an eye on your brother? I have a doctor appointment, and Appa is sleeping upstairs, he came home from work very late. Can you do that for me?”

 

“Why are you going to the doctor?” Hyun Tae asked, walking towards the high chair where he let Jaehyun shove a carrot into his mouth.

 

“Just to check that everything is okay with the baby, maybe even find out if it’s a girl or a boy,” she replied, drying her hands.

 

“Can I come with you?” he asked, his voice soft.

 

“You wanna come with me to the doctor?” she asked, taken back by his question. “Why?”

 

“I wanna know if it’s gonna be a girl or a boy,” he shrugged, but Hyojin could see his cheeks turning pink. “And I wanna make sure that the baby is okay,” he added, his words more jumbled together.

 

“I don’t see why not,” she replied, taking Jaehyun out of the high chair. “Jaehyun can take an early nap today, no need to drag the poor kid with us,” she smiled. “We’re leaving in 15 minutes, so go get ready,” she patted his head, taking the younger one to her bedroom. “Jaebum,” she said, shaking his body softly. “Let Jaehyun nap here, I’m going to my doctor appointment with Hyun Tae.” The man mumbled back an incoherent reply, but turned his body to face the toddler who had already latched onto his father’s body. Giving the two a kiss, she made her way back downstairs to see Hyun Tae already at the door. “You’re excited,” she commented, walking to the car.

 

“I guess,” he shrugged, getting in the back.

 

“So, you hoping for a girl or a boy?” she asked, eyeing him from the rearview window.

 

“I don’t think I really care. As long as he or she isn’t annoying,” he was looking out the window.

 

“What a great big brother,” Hyojin chuckled.

 

“I have the most siblings out of everyone in my class,” he commented.

 

“Does that bother you? That you have a lot of siblings because your father and I are married to different people?”

 

“Not anymore,” the boy shrugged. “I like being the oldest because I can boss the others around, but I wish that I could see Chansoo and Dongsoo more often,”

 

Hyojin frowned, knowing that despite never saying it, Hyun Tae did miss his other brothers. “Well, now that you’re older, you can spend more time at your father’s house now. I mean, his house isn’t far from your school, so if it’s something that you like, Appa and I can talk to your father and Dahee to see if maybe you can spend weeknights there,”

 

“Really? You’d talk to Ajusshi and Ahjumma about that?” his face brightened.

 

“Of course,” Hyojin smiled. “They’re your parents too, it’s not fair if I kept you with me all the time,”

 

“Thank you, Mom,” he smiled, leaning forward in his seat to touch her arm.

 

“Anything for you baby,” she touched his hand, parking the car in the lot before unbuckling her seat. “Let’s go, we’re here,” she got out of the car, holding Hyun Tae’s hand as the two walked inside the office. They only waited for a few minutes before they were escorted into an examination room, Hyojin on the bed with her shirt rolled up, bump out, and Hyun Tae standing next to her.

 

“What’s that?” he asked the nurse that was spreading jelly on Hyojin’s womb.

 

“It’s a gel that helps us see what’s inside your mom’s belly, in this case, a baby. We can also hear the baby’s heartbeat, and Mrs. Im, you can find out the baby’s gender today if you would like, unless you’re planning to keep it a surprise,”

 

“I was planning to keep it a surprise, but my son here is really excited to know,” Hyojin chuckled. “I think that if he can promise to keep it a secret, then there’s no harm in us finding out,”

 

“I promise, I won’t tell, pinky promise!” the boy quickly held his pinky out to his mother, and she chuckled, linking her own pinky with his.

 

“Let’s find out then,”

 

30 minutes later, the mother and son found themselves at a local ice cream shop due to Hyojin’s cravings. “Are you excited?” Hyojin asked, taking a bite of her strawberry ice cream, looking over at Hyun Tae who sat across her at the table. “You’re going to have a sister,”

 

Hyun Tae nodded, his lips smeared with chocolate ice cream. “I like having brothers, but a sister will be a change,” he replied.

 

“I can already tell that you’re going to be the overprotective type, just like your Appa,” she smiled, leaning in with a tissue to wipe his mouth.

 

“No,” the boy shook his head. “I’m just going to be really bossy like I am with Jaehyun,”

 

“Oh please, I’ve seen you snuggling that little nugget when you think we’re not looking,”

 

“But he’s so tiny and cute, I can’t help it!” Hyun Tae pouted, taking a bigger bite.

 

“It’s okay,” she smiled. “You’re an incredible big brother, this little girl is gonna be lucky. But you have to promise not to tell anyone what I’m having a girl. It’s gonna be a surprise for them. Our little secret,”

 

“Just like old times,” Hyun Tae smiled.

 

“Just like old times,” Hyojin nodded.

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

“Why can’t you tell me?” Jaebum frowned. “I wanna know,”

 

“And you will find out,” she shrugged, placing the pan of food on the table. “In three months time,” she added, causing Jaebum to groan.

 

“Hyunnie, come on, you’ll tell me, right?” the man turned to the older boy.

 

“I promised Mom, and then we got ice cream. I have taken an oath,” he replied, taking a bite of his food.

 

“I can just call the doctor,” he said, taking his phone out.

 

“And ruin the surprise that your son and I are planning?” Hyojin raised her eyebrow. “Go ahead, just know that you’re breaking our hearts,” she said, looking over at Hyun Tae who immediately pulled out his best puppy eyes and pout. Even at the age of 10, he held the power to control his parents emotions with one look.

 

“It’s not fair, when you guys gang up on me,” Jaebum pouted, turning to Jaehyun. “I still have you, right JaeJae?”

 

“Secret!” the toddler babbled, munching on his own food, causing Hyojin and Hyun Tae to laugh while Jaebum pouted.

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

“Keep your eyes closed, Appa,” Hyun Tae said, holding onto Jaebum’s right hand as he guided him to what was the old guest bedroom, now turned into the baby’s nursery.

 

“No peeping,” Hyojin said from behind, holding Jaehyun’s hand as he waddled next to her, her other hand caressing her protruding belly, ready to give birth any day. “Hyun Tae and I worked very hard considering we could only do it when you weren’t home,”

 

“I helped!” Jaehyun’s voice piped.

 

“Yeah, you did,” Hyun Tae smiled, his younger brother beaming up at him before letting go of his mother’s hand in place of his brother’s. Once Hyojin unlocked the room that was kept a secret from Jaebum for the last two months, she let the boys in before. “Okay, Appa, you can open them now,” Hyun Tae said. Jaebum opened his eyes, blinking a few times to let them adjust to the light before he took in the room.

 

Pale pink walls.

 

“We’re having a girl,” he said, his lips breaking into a smile. “A little baby girl,” he walked closer to Hyojin, wrapping his arms around her before bending to kiss her womb. “Hey baby girl,” he rubbed her stomach, his eyes filled with love. “It’s your daddy here, we can’t wait to meet you,” he pressed another gentle kiss on her womb before standing up to look at Hyojin. “This was worth keeping a surprise,” he smiled, pressing a kiss against her lips.

 

“Ew! Gross!” Hyun Tae screeched, closing his eyes as he covered Jaehyun’s eyes.

 

“Ew! Gross!” the little boy copied his brother’s words. Hyojin let out a laugh, caressing her womb as she let Jaebum wrap his arms around her waist.

 

“Thank you,” his voice was soft enough that the boys couldn’t hear them as Hyun Tae showed Jaehyun the toys and pictures in the room. “Thank you for giving me the perfect family, Hyojin,”

 

“Thank you for being part of this perfect family, Jaebum,”

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

It was only a week later when it happened.

 

Hyojin was at the park, sitting on the bench as she watched Hyun Tae push Jaehyun on the swings when she felt water slide down her legs. Standing up, she felt more water drip down and she quickly gathered her belongs. “Hyun Tae!” she called, waving at the boy. “Time to go!” The boy thankfully complied, taking his younger brother out of the swing as they walked closer to her.

 

“Why are we going back? We just got here,” Hyun Tae asked, holding onto Jaehyun so the younger wouldn’t stumble and trip.

 

“Something came up,” she said, unlocking the car. “Help your brother, please,” she said, taking her phone out to give Dahee a call. “Yeah, my water broke, I need you to meet me at the hospital. The boys are with me and Jaebum is at work,” were the first words to leave , not even letting the woman greet her.

 

“What?” Dahee exclaimed. “I’ll meet you there in 10 minutes, don’t worry,”

 

“Thank you!” Hyojin said, gasping as she felt a contraction. She quickly sat in the driver’s seat, turning the engine on as she put her seatbelt on, dialling Jaebum’s number

 

“Hi love, what’s going on?” he greeted when the call connected

 

“I just want you to know everything is okay, nothing to worry about. I took the boys to the park today, we had a lot of fun, right boys?”

 

“Yeah!” the two boys called from the backseat.

 

“That’s good,” Jaebum chuckled.

 

“Mhm, so just wanted to let you know that I might be home late,”

 

“Oh, you taking the boys out?”

 

“Well, my water broke so I’m on my way to the hospital,” she replied casually, switching lanes as she ignored Hyun Tae’s questions from the back. “Don’t worry, Dahee is going to meet me there, so the boy’s are going to be taken care of,”

 

“Okay, no problem, just - Wait. What did you say?”

 

“My water broke,” she said, struggling to muffle her moan as another contraction came. “Sorry, everything’s fine, just a contraction,”

 

“Oh my lord, how are you so casual about this? I’m on my way right now,”

 

“No no, you’re at work, Jaebum,”

 

“Hyojin,” she could hear the background noise getting louder, assuming that Jaebum had left his office. “I’ll be there in 5,”

 

“You can’t speed, you’re part of the law enforcement,”

 

“Yeah, well the law doesn’t pertain when my wife is in labor,” he chuckled, starting his own car. “See you in a few,”

 

“See you in a few,” Hyojin smiled. “Well boys,” she said, hanging up as she eyes her sons from the rearview window. “Ready to meet your sister?”

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

It was 19 hours later when Jaebum stepped out of the delivery room. In the waiting area, Jaebum could see Hyojin’s parents pacing around, Dahee was sitting next to Seon Joo, talking while the latter’s daughter, Jiyeon, was asleep in her arms. Her husband, Jinyoung, came back with a tray of coffee, handing them to the adults. Chulsoo was also sitting in a chair, dozing off while he held the sleeping figures of Dongsoo and Jaehyun. Hyun Tae was playing a game on Chulsoo’s phone, the first to notice Jaebum’s presence in the room. “Appa,” he said loud enough to wake Chulsoo up and get the other adults’ attention.

 

“Beautiful baby girl,” Jaebum bursted into a smile, his chest swelling with pride. “Her name is Im Haemi.” The entire waiting room was filled with cheers, Hyojin’s parents crying, Dahee and Seon Joo smiling and jumping. Chulsoo was still sitting, trapped by the sleeping toddlers, but smiled up at Jaebum.

 

“Congrats, man,” he said, holding his hand out for Jaebum.

 

“Thank you,” he smiled back, taking it. Amidst the commotion, Hyun Tae managed to sneak away from them into Hyojin’s room. Opening the door quietly, he walked to the bed, where Hyojin was smiling at a small pink bundle.

 

“Hi, baby,” she said, noticing her oldest child in the room “Wanna meet your new sister?” The boy peered over, looking at the baby with wide eyes.

 

“She’s so tiny,” he whispered.

 

“You wanna hold her?” Hyojin asked, moving over on the bed to allow Hyun Tae to sit with her. Climbing onto the bed, he sat as still as a rock as Hyojin placed the baby in his arms.

 

“Oh,” Hyun Tae’s voice was a whisper, studying his baby sister. Jaebum entered the room, carrying a sleepy Jaehyun in his arms.

 

“Hyun Tae, meet your sister, Haemi,” the man smiled. The little girl cooed, waving her arms in the air until her tiny hand caught Hyun Tae’s fingers, holding onto it tightly. “I think she’s found her favorite family member,” Jaebum smiled, patting the top of Hyun Tae’s head. “Your parents made it up from Busan with Seon Joo, Jinyoung, and Jiyeon, but it’s late, so I’ve arranged from a taxi to take them to a hotel, they’ll be back to visit tomorrow,”

 

“Thank you,” Hyojin smiled, leaning back against the bed, looking over at Hyun Tae who was still fascinated by the bundle in his arms. Jaehyun had woken up by the sounds, squirming in Jaebum’s arms as he whined for Hyojin. “Come here to Mommy,” she said, extending her arms towards the toddler. Holding Jaehyun in her lap, the little boy was leaning against her, using her chest as a pillow as he studied his brother.

 

“Baby,” he said, pointing at Haemi.

 

“She’s our new sister, JaeJae,” Hyun Tae looked up at the toddler. “Look!” He turned his body slightly so Jaehyun could take a better look at her. “Haemi, we’re your brothers, Hyun Tae Oppa and Jaehyun Oppa,”

 

Hyojin smiled at the sight of her children, looking up at Jaebum to see that he was recording them. ‘Thank you,’ she mouthed to him.

 

Jaebum put the phone down, walking closer to the bed to press a kiss against her temple. “I love you,”

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

TEN YEARS LATER

 

“Daddy!” a voice was heard throughout the house. “Daddy!” the voice called again, louder this time.

 

“Coming, princess,” Jaebum sighed, taking his glasses off to place on the table, leaving his study to walk to where the voice asked for him. “Yes, my princess?” he smiled at Haemi.

 

At the young age of 10, Haemi looked almost exactly like Hyojin. Unlike her brothers, she didn’t inherit the woman’s dimples, but she did have her mother’s personality.

 

“Jaehyun Oppa won’t play with me,” she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as she stood in the boy’s room.

 

“I’m doing homework, Haemi, I said I’ll play with you later,” Jaehyun, 12 years old, said, looking up at his father for help.

 

“He’s right Haemi, he has to finish his homework before he plays,” Jaebum said, walking further into the room. “Did you finish your work?” he questioned the girl. At the age of 41, Jaebum’s salt and pepper hair didn’t take away from his handsome looks, but rather much more attractive according to Hyojin.

 

The little girl pouted, but shook her head. “It’s hard and it’s the weekend, we can do it later,” she replied.

 

“If we do our homework today, then we play all weekend, Haemi. How about I help you?” The girl nodded, running out of the room before returning moments later with her backpack, settling on the bed.

 

“No more fighting now,” Jaebum said, walking out to go back downstairs. He saw Hyojin in the kitchen, humming as she cut vegetables. At 38 years old, his wife was still the most beautiful person in the room, no matter where they where. He walked towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, leaning his head on her shoulder. “Hello, my love,” he said softly, pressing light kisses on her jaw.

 

“Hi,” she replied, giggling as the kisses tickled. “Thank you for dealing with the kids,” she replied, moving the chopped vegetables into a bowl. “Work was stressful today,” she sighed, leaning against Jaebum’s body for a few moments.

 

“Hyun Tae is coming home today,” Jaebum commented. “Is that why you’ve been cooking so much?”

 

“He’s home after an entire semester abroad, and then stayed with Chulsoo and Dahee for a week first because he knew that I was going to smother him with my love and affection,” Hyojin laughed. “I’m just happy to have all my babies at home after a long time,”

 

“Who’s a baby?” a deep voice called, causing Hyojin and Jaebum to turn.

 

“Hyun Tae!” Hyojin exclaimed, escaping Jaebum’s arms to walk towards her son, wrapping her arms around him tightly. “Oh, my baby is back!” she exclaimed. At the age of 20, Hyun Tae stood two heads taller than his mother, his deep laughter vibrating in his chest as he hugged his mother.

 

“Not going to join us, Appa?” he called to Jaebum, opening his arm to let his step-father join the hug.

 

“Come here, you brat,” Jaebum laughed, wrapping his arms around his step-son.

 

“I’ve missed you guys, no one knows how to cook Korean food in England,” Hyun Tae said later that night at the dinner table, leaning back against the chair as he let out a burp.

 

“Good, because you’re never going abroad again,” Hyojin rolled her eyes, taking the dirty plates to the sink.

 

“So Oppa, did you meet any girls there?” Haemi asked, her eyes bright. Like her mother, she was obsessed with watching dramas and the idea of love.

 

“No,” he chuckled, although Jaebum could’ve sworn that he saw his cheeks turn pink. ‘We’ll talk later,’ he thought to himself, helping his wife as he let the kids move into the living room. Hyojin and Jaebum stood side by side washing and drying the dishes together before making their way to the living room. The T.V. was playing but the three children had fallen asleep while the adults where in the kitchen. Hyun Tae was in the middle, his feet up on the ottoman. Jaehyun was on his right, his head against his brother’s shoulder, Hyun Tae’s arm around the boy, with Haemi’s head on his lap.

 

Unwilling to disturb the peaceful scene, Hyojin placed blankets on them, turning off the TV as she made her way upstairs with her husband. A quick shower later, she was under the duvet next to Jaebum, smiling at how content she was. “Good night, Jaebum,” she said, pressing a sleepy kiss against the man’s lips.

 

“Good night, my love,”

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

5 YEARS LATER

 

“I wanna go back to Seoul,” Jaehyun, 17 years old, announced, walking into his parents' room at 10 PM. The family were on their annual summer trip to Busan, and this was the first time that the boy had complained about it. It was one of the first times he complained about anything in general. Much like his father, he kept to himself, and even when fooling around with his siblings, he was still quiet.

 

“What’s wrong, Jae?” Hyojin asked, putting her book down. The teenager stood quietly, not replying. “Would you rather talk to your father?” she asked, her voice gentle. Hesitantly, the boy nodded, avoiding eye contact. Jaebum nodded at his wife, assuring her that everything was probably fine, as he got out of bed.

 

“Let’s go out,” he said, his arm around the boy’s shoulders. The walked down the stairs of Hyojin’s parents’ house. Their own bedroom door was closed, but looking into Hyun Tae’s od old bedroom (which had been turned into a room for the brothers to share when they visited), he could see the older boy, now 25, on his phone, presumably texting his girlfriend. Haemi, 15, who usually would sleep in the sunroom so she could “go to sleep under the stars without the mosquito bites” was spending the night next door Seon Joo and Jinyoung’s house, spending time with their sixteen year old daughter, Jiyeon. Once the father son were out of the house, Jaebum led them the beach near the house, sitting side by side on the sand at the summer breeze blew around them. “So why do you want to go to Seoul?”

 

The teenager turned his eyes away, mumbling a few incoherent words.

 

“What?” Jaebum asked, leaning his head closer to the boy.

 

“Because of Jiyeon,” Jaehyun repeated, hues of pink on his cheek.

 

“Jiyeon?”the man questioned. The daughter of his wife’s best friend was an absolute angel, the only one that could keep his own daughter sane. What could she have possibly done to a quiet kid like Jaehyun?

 

“She confessed to me,”

 

“Confessed what?”

 

“That she likes me!” The boy exclaimed. “She just came up to me after dinner saying that she likes me and wants to be my girlfriend! Who says exactly what they’re thinking?”

 

Jaebum sat there, looking at his son in a mix of confusion and amusement. While he was concerned for his son’s feelings, he couldn’t help but smile at his words. “How do you feel about Jiyeon?”

 

“Well,” Jaehyun quieted down. “I like her too, but she lives here, in Busan, and I live in Seoul. A relationship between us doesn’t make sense because when would we even spend time?”

 

“Jaehyun, sometimes, you think too much like me. You need to be like your mother sometimes, and just do without thinking for once,” Jaebum chuckled, patting the boy’s back. “If you like her, just go for it. Who cares that you guys live far? You’ll never know until you take the chance,”

 

Jaehyun sat quietly, studying the ocean waves crashing. “You’re right,” he stood up. “I need to go talk to her,” he ran back towards their house, leaving Jaebum on the beach alone, laughing as he watched his son.

 

“He’s got this,” Jaebum said out loud, strolling back towards the house. “He’s Hyojin’s son, afterall,”

 

Jaehyun stood in front of Seon Joo and Jinyoung’s house, hands on his knees as he was panting, trying to catch his breath. It was 10:30 PM and he was hoping that his older brother’s godparents wouldn’t be sleeping. Ringing the bell and knocking on the door, he stood there for minutes that felt like hours until the door finally opened.

 

“Jaehyun honey,” Seon Joo greeted, opening the door wide for him. “Come in,”

 

“Ah, no, it’s fine Auntie,” Jaehyun said, still catching his breath. “I was wondering if Jiyeon is up, I had to talk to her about something,”

 

“Who is it?” Jinyoung’s voice called, getting louder as he stood next to Seon Joo. “Jaehyun, hello to you,”

 

“Hello, sir,” Jaehyun bowed at the sight of the man.

 

“She’s upstairs, but I’ll go get her,” Seon Joo said, backing a little. “Come wait inside.” The teenager complied, stepping into the entryway but not moving as he felt Jinyoung’s eyes studying him.

 

“So what brings you to our humble home at this time?” Jinyoung asked, arms crossed at the chest.

 

“I, uh,” Jaehyun scratched the back of his neck, not sure how to reply. “I had to, um, talk to Jiyeon,”

 

“At this hour?”

 

“Stop harassing the boy,” Seon Joo called from the stairs, Jiyeon and Haemi behind her. “Jaehyun, you know that Jinyoung can be crazy, just ignore him,”

 

“Oh, I’m the crazy one now,” Jinyoung rolled his eyes. “Don’t be out for too late,” he gave the kids a look, a smile playing on his lips.

 

“Have fun, Oppa, nut not too much,” Haemi winked at the two, hiding behind Jinyoung when she thought Jiyeon was going to smack her.

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

“So,” Jiyeon said.

 

“So,” Jaehyun said.

 

The two teenagers found themselves back at the beach, sitting apart from each other as they studied the ocean waves. Jaehyun moved closer to her, turning his head to study her. Jiyeon was the perfect mix of her parents. She had her mother’s soft nose curve and eye shape, but like her father, they crinkled when she smiled. Her long black waves were blowing behind her, a few stray hairs in front of her face, but she did nothing to stop them. Jaehyun leaned in, one hand extended forward to push the hairs behind her ear, Jiyeon turning to face him. Realizing just how close they were, Jaehyun pulled back, about to move away from her but stopped before he could do so.

 

“I’m sorry that I ran away before,” he mumbled.

 

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “I should’ve known that you don’t think of me like that,”

 

“No!” Jaehyun said loudly, scaring the girl a little. “I like you, a lot,” his voice softer now. “I didn’t say anything because I live in Seoul, and you live in Busan, I thought that us in a relationship wouldn’t be practical because of how far we live but - ”

 

A giggle. Jaehyun turned to see Jiyeon giggling to herself, looking at the boy. “You’re like an old man stuck in the body of a 17 year old boy. It’s cute,” she smiled.

 

“I - ” Jaehyun’s face was blank, before he too broke into a smile and a laugh. Taking this as a good sign, he scooched over closer to her, placing his hand on top of hers , their fingers against the soft sand as the moon shone brightly on them. “Let’s give this a try. Us,”

 

“I would like that,”

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

5 YEARS LATER

 

20 year old Haemi paced her room back and forth. She had been doing this for the last 20 minutes, drawing looks of concern from both her parents. Long gone were the days of when she lived with her parents and older brothers. Her eldest brother, Hyun Tae, was now 30 and he had moved out a year ago after getting married to his girlfriend. Her other brother, Jaehyun, 22, was attending college in Busan, owning a small apartment there so he could be closer to his own girlfriend. Still living in the same house that her father carried her home to the day after she was born, it was quiet, lonely. Haemi was used to hearing her brothers, albeit they were on the quiet side, she was used to them being around. Her parents were older now as she was, she didn’t need their constant attention.

 

“What do I do?” she said to herself, stopping her pacing to flop onto her bed, stomach first. Letting out groans that were muffled by her pillow, she picked up her phone, going through her contacts to see who she could call.

 

She would normally call her older brother, Hyun Tae, in this situation. Despite a 10 year , the two were very close, but she knew that he was still stuck in the honeymoon phase of his marriage, and didn’t want to bother him or her sister-in-law.

 

She wasn’t as close to her other brother, Jaehyun, despite the fact that he was dating her best friend, Jiyeon. He was the complete opposite of her dramatic and loud personality, and she knew that asking him for advice would be too awkward. She could ask Jiyeon, but she would tell Jaehyun, making everything too awkward for her.

 

She couldn’t ask her parents for help. Maybe her mother, but she would definitely tell her father, which is what Haemi wanted to avoid. “He’s going to be so mad,” she groaned, rolling around on the bed before realizing that someone was looking at her. “Oppa,” she said.

 

“What are you doing?” Jaehyun asked, standing at the door frame as he gave his sister a look.

 

“What are you doing home? You should be in Busan,” she sat up, fixing her clothes.

 

“And miss Mom and Dad’s anniversary?” he shrugged, placing his carry on bag on the floor. “So, what were you doing?”

 

“Suffering,” she sighed, flopping back down. “There is no meaning to life anymore.Everything is a mess,”

 

“I highly doubt that,” Jaehyun replied, causing a frown to appear on her face. She wasn’t sure where things went wrong, but for most of her life, it seemed like Jaehyun didn’t like her much. Growing up, he was always annoyed at her, never wanting to play games with her. She thought she could tire him out and spent many afternoons to bother him, but he never gave her that attention. When she was 16, she convinced her parents to let her dye her hair blonde. She was excited to show off the look to her brothers, but Jaehyun didn’t say anything until a month later when he said, “Your hair looks different,”

 

“You never understand,” she said quietly to herself, turning away to she wouldn’t face him. She thought that he would pick up his bag and leave the room, but he surprised her when he walked further into the room, pushing Haemi over slightly so he could sit on the bed.

 

“So why would you try explaining to me?” he asked. He knew that he wasn’t the best older brother, especially in comparison to Hyun Tae, and his girlfriend often complained that she wished that he would get along with Haemi better.

 

“Why do you even care?” she asked.

 

“Because, I’m your brother, and siblings care for each other,” he said. “Come on, Mimi, just tell me,” he poked her arm. Sighing, Haemi sat up next to her brother.

 

“So this guy that I really like asked me out, and we’ve been seeing each other for awhile,” she started.

 

“And? Shouldn’t you be happy about that?” Jaehyun asked.

 

“We’ve been seeing each other for over a year, and he wants me to introduce him to Mom and Dad formally as my boyfriend,”

 

“I’m not seeing the problem here,” Jaehyun asked, his face painted in confusion.

 

“Jun is the one that I’ve been dating,” she whispered.

 

“Jun?” Jaehyun’s eyes widened. “Kim Yeongjun, as in Uncle Yugyeom’s son?”

 

“Say it louder, will you? Dad can’t hear you yet,” she rolled her eyes.

 

“You’ve been dating him for a year? You never told me,” Jaehyun said, studying his sister. He wasn’t quite sure when, but his little sister had grown up. He doesn’t have memories from before she was born. Haemi was always there in his memories, and he couldn’t forget that. She was very loud, always demanding tea parties and someone to dance with her when the radio was playing. Their older brother, Hyun Tae, doted on her and despite being dramatic, she wasn’t spoiled. She was slightly naive, yes, but she wasn’t the little girl that Jaehyun always saw her as.

 

Her hair was still blonde, just like the day she turned 16, but there was a fading pink hue visible if you look carefully. Her facial features had matured, and if she had dimples, she would look exactly like their mother. Despite being a young adult, Jaehyun saw her face and still saw the 10 year old girl that would prance about his room, asking him to play with her.

 

“You never seemed to care about me,” she shrugged, bringing her knees to her chest to hug them. Jaehyun moved closer to the girl, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. Taken back by the sudden affection, Haemi stiffened for a moment before relaxing, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Sorry I was annoying when I was younger,”

 

“Was implies you aren’t annoying now,” Jaehyun chuckled, ignoring the fact that his little sister smacked his thigh. “I’m sorry that I was pretty ty towards you, but I wanna change that now. 20 years late, but still,”

 

“You’re no Hyun Tae Oppa, but you could make your way up the ladder,” she giggled.

 

“So, this Kim Yeongjun. How did this happen?”

 

“Okay, this was enough sibling bonding, let me suffer alone now,” she pushed the boy off her bed, resuming her position from before.

 

“I’m here if you wanna talk,” Jaehyun laughed, standing up to return to his old bedroom.

 

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

 

Hyojin sat on the chair, smiling at the sounds around her as she was knitting. Looking up, she could see her husband standing at the grill, drinking a beer, as he was talking to Yugyeom. Jinyoung and Chulsoo walked towards them, holding up bags of ice, laughing at something the latter said. Yugyeom’s wife, Yisoo, was standing off to the side, talking to Seon Joo and Dahee. At the table, she could see her elder son, Hyun Tae, next to his wife as he cradled his brother’s 5 month old son in his hands. His wife was sitting next to him, holding their 3 year old daughter in her lap as the little girl munched on chips. Away from the table on the grass, she could see her middle son, Jaehyun, running along side Chansoo and Dongsoo, her other grandchildren behind them. She saw Jaehyun turn the other away, stopping behind his wife, Jiyeon, wrapping his arms around to rub her 7 month pregnant belly, pressing a gentle kiss against her lips. On the patio swing that was slightly isolated from everyone else, she saw her daughter, Haemi, sitting on her fiance’s, Yeongjun, lap, giggling at something that he was whispering to her. Every so often, he would press a kiss against her lips, causing the girl to turn into a blushing mess.

 

“What are you thinking about?” a masculine voice asked, and she looked up to see her husband sitting on the armrest of her seat, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.

 

“Just about how much I love this,” she said, gesturing to their large extended family. “Thank you so much for giving me the most perfect family, one that I could’ve only dreamed of,”

 

“My love, you have nothing to thank me for,” he smiled, one hand caressing her cheek. “I would do anything that you asked me to do,”

 

“I love you, Jaebum,” she smiled, leaning up to press a kiss against his lips.

 

“I love you too, Hyojin,” he smiled, his eyes bright with love. “Thank you for being my perfect family,”