‘We’ll get you scheduled for your first prenatal exam, and I’ve already written you a prescription for vitamins. How are you feeling?’

Gia was seated downstairs in the living room at the Lee’s residence as she had her first home appointment with the Ob-Gyn. Much to her discomfort she was alone with Taemin’s mother Seoyeon while Taemin was currently at college. She would’ve much rather have him there with her or even her own mother if she’d actually decided to ever speak to her again.

She’d now been living at Taemin’s house for two weeks and a half, and even though they had wanted her to see a doctor sooner, a lot needed to be dealt with beforehand.

It had seemed like Gia’s parents couldn’t have wanted her out of their house any sooner, so as she packed the few things that she had to make the move, Taemin was busy getting their marriage license and a wedding date.

They knew they couldn’t hope for much in their situation so they ended up only signing papers at the Lee residence in the presence of a notary as Taemin’s parents were against going to Seoul City Hall. This was how they became husband and wife, without ceremony, an official announcement, nor ring.

It was also then when Seoyeon had decided to completely remodel the 3rdfloor of the house on which Gia and Taemin were now living on.

Instead of just moving into Taemin’s room which had previously been on the 2ndfloor along with a guestroom and Kai’s room, the 3rdfloor was reconstructed to a master bedroom with a large walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom, an office for Taemin and a nursery which they had yet to finish furnishing.

One would’ve thought that this project alone would keep Taemin’s mother occupied, but Gia found that the woman still managed to constantly be on her case.

Taemin had just recently started college and was busy. And when he wasn’t attending lectures, his father would drag him to the office to introduce him to important people and attend meetings.

Therefore a lot of the hostility that his mother would express against his wife was going unnoticed.

‘Nauseated.’ Gia finally answered the doctor, making a face.

‘Pretty much constantly. Or maybe I should say, unpredictably. I thought it was called morning sickness. Shouldn’t I feel great in the afternoon?’

Dr. Park, the private specialist laughed.

‘Unfortunately, it’s called that only because nausea on first rising is common. There are women who tell me they feel dandy in the morning and then can’t eat dinner, and others who suffer from a certain level of nausea pretty much all day. I take it you’re one of those?’

Gia nodded.

‘I’m trying to keep eating. I know it’s important. But it’s hard. Every so often I’m suddenly starved, but if I eat very much I throw it up an hour later.’

‘She doesn’t eat well, either. I keep telling her how to be healthy, that it would help but she doesn’t want to listen.’ Seoyeon chimed in.

‘Actually at this point, we only want you to eat. Whatever you can manage, really. The good news is, morning sickness usually only lasts through the first trimester. But it’s really important that you’re able to keep some food down.’

She talked for a few minutes about eating small amounts, what foods were least likely to cause nausea and which were most important for the fetus’s development.

Later that evening after Gia’s homeschool teacher had left, Taemin finally came home and sat next to where Gia was resting on their four-poster bed.

Without even saying anything, he just leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, one hand gingerly caressing her midsection.

Voice soft, Gia asked, ‘Do you know how often you touch my stomach?’

Surprised, he looked down to see that, indeed, his hand was splayed over her abdomen. His fingers curled, and he lifted his hand only slightly to then slip it under her top and touch her bare skin.

‘Just saying hello you know..’ he smiled, looking at her.

The two enjoyed the silent exchange for a moment, until Taemin asked her about the doctor’s appointment.

Gia came to a sitting position and gave him the summary.

‘So you will start feeling better?’

‘That’s what she and all the books say’ Gia sighed.

‘But most women don’t seem to feel this lousy the first trimester, either, so who knows?’

Trying to lighten the mood, Taemin leaned in and grinned at her.

‘Maybe my is toxic.’

Despite rolling her eyes, Gia smiled.

‘Yeah, maybe your DNA has mutated.’

He flashed her a cross-eyed look with his tongue dangling out of his mouth.

‘Maybe he’ll look like me.’

She was startled into a laugh.

‘Oh yeah? Or maybe she’ll inherit my unmanageable hair and sickly pale skin!’

His hand moved away from her stomach and came up to her cheek.

In a more serious tone, he added, ‘She would be beautiful, just like her Umma. With hair this soft and skin that is so smooth and smells amazing.’

Tears filled her eyes and not able to help herself, she threw herself forward to bury herself in his chest.

‘Oh Taemin…I miss you so much during the day.’ She whimpered, holding onto him tightly.

‘Me, too. You can’t even imagine…’ he signed heavily.

They were interrupted when they heard a knock on the door.

‘Who is it?’ Taemin called out, clearly annoyed.

‘I’m supposed to inform you that dinner is ready, Master Taemin.’ the resident maid answered scared.

Letting out another sigh, Taemin looked at Gia apologetically and helped her to get off the bed.

Back in their room about an hour later, Taemin could see that Gia was not feeling well at all.

Her expression had changed, and as they stared at each other for a wondering moment, she couldn’t help but let out a tortured moan.

‘I knew I shouldn’t eat dinner,’ she said, then dashed to the bathroom.

By the time Taemin got to his feet, she’d already dropped to her knees in front of the toilet and was heaving up what she’d just eaten. Even as she puked, she was poking behind her with one foot trying to shut the bathroom door. He didn’t let her. Because he couldn’t get into the bathroom, Taemin sank to his haunches behind her and laid a gentle hand on her back. He waited until she was done and her body sagged, then rubbed. She d with one hand until she found the lever and flushed the toilet.

‘I’m disgusting!’

‘It’s not the first time I’ve seen you puke,’ he reminded her.

Gia never had handled alcohol well. They hadn’t been dating a month when she barely had two cocktails at a party and had been violently ill.

‘Thanks, Ace…’ She began to struggle to her feet.

‘I’ll feel better once I’ve brushed my teeth.’

He hated taking his hands from her, but rose, too, and let her shut the bathroom door.

It seemed like this continued for the next few weeks, so he never found the right time to finally have the special moment with her that he was planning for.

After what appeared to be the start of her second trimester, he was surprised to find that for once Gia wasn’t in bed when he got home but was sitting at her vanity in their room, brushing her hair.

‘You look better.’ He smiled at her as he walked up to her and leaned down to kiss her soft hair.

‘I actually am feeling much better, too. How was work?’

‘Oh you know..’

Shrugging, Taemin quickly diverted the subject, not in the mood to talk about it and run the risk of showing her how much he hated it.

No, definitely not. She was only feeling slightly better now and he wasn’t going to make her feel guilty by complaining about the job that was protecting her and their baby’s future.

‘Anyway, my parents are gone until tomorrow noon and I told the maid that we don’t need her so we’ve got the house to ourselves. So, tell me.’ he grinned at her knowingly.

‘Tell you what?’

Chuckling, Taemin wiggled his eyebrows.

‘Tell me already...’

Finding herself smiling as well, Gia her lips and stated the obvious.

‘Order of spicy fried chicken with a side of French fries and ice cream sundae as dessert?’

He nodded his head proud that she totally understood what he was on about.

‘Food is on its’ way. Come on, let’s watch something nice downstairs and relax.’

Seeing her eat this comfortably gave Taemin a sense of security that she was really finally on her way to feeling better.

Also, the fact that they were alone at last, and spending quality time together just like they did before they were married and had a child on the way, gave him the resolve that he needed.

It was the familiarity of feeling just like he did when they were happily dating without all the complications that gave him the push to do what he’d been wanting for weeks now.

Encouraging her to go was