38 | Struggle is Real

 

***

 

The sun shone so brightly outside in the early morning. Tiffany's lips curved into a sweet smile as she covers her eyes with her fingers. She felt nothing besides the contentment of happiness she had at the moment. But when her eyes shifted to the space next to her, she just realized it was empty. She sits up immediately and stepped out of the bed, walking straight to the bathroom but she can't hear any water flowing.

 

"Where the heck is that man?" She retuened to her bed and picked up her phone. She checkes any messages she might have missed but there's nothing. So she called him. 

 

It rings for a couple of times before she heard his voice.

 

"Yah! Im Taeyeon! Where are you?!"

 

[Oh you're awake. I'll be back before you know it.] Taeyeon giggles next line.

 

"Where are you really? I can't wait for long." She answered in annoyance.

 

[Aish, I left only to get us breakfast. You have to stay in the hotel room, you can't go around there when it's cold and you're pregnant.]

 

"What's the connection of the weather with my pregnancy, love?" She chuckles in amusement.

 

[Just being careful. You know it's our first baby. I read first-time pregnancy is sensitive.]

 

"Whoa, you research about it?" she giggles upon hearing it. 

 

[Yes, last night.]

 

"You sleep late, didn't you?"

 

[I slept around 2 am.]

 

"What?! Seriously you don't have to stress this out. You have to take care of your body too, Tae." She got a little upset and concerned at the same time. "Look at Yoong, he lose a lot of weight because he got too stressed when Seoyoung was just months old.

 

[Can't you just let me? I'm just so excited to be a father. I want to make sure she's healthy.]

 

"Wait, she? You sure about that?"

 

[Not yet of course. But I feel like she's a she.]

 

"Is it because you have a niece?" Tiffany teases playfully.

 

[Well. I have such an adorable niece.] Taeyeon giggles from the next line.

 

"I can't blame you." She chuckled. "Come back quick! I'm already starving." she ordered firmly earning laughter from her husband. "Aish." she ended the call right away, doesn't want to be teased more. She plopped onto the sofa and let out a huge exhale. Her lips curved into a giddy smile as she recall Taeyeon's words earlier. "He's so adorable." she giggles and realizes in the corner of her eyes, that there are few gifts on the floor from their guests. "It's Christmas and honeymoon indeed." She excitedly got up and sits down on the floor, checking the gifts first before she decided to open Seohyun and Yoong's gifts for them. It's a box and got her curiosity.

 

After a minute of unwrapping the box, she was greeted by a rice cooker. "What the. Why would they gift me this?" She laughs as she opens the box and saw a card inside. 

 

Don't skip meals.

- Seohyun & Yoong

 

"Seriously? They're so funny." Her eyes sparkled however when she realized it was a pink rice cooker. "What the heck?" But she loves it either way.

 

Moving to the next gift, she opened Yul and Jessica's gift which was inside a paper bag. "Whoaaaa..." she loves their gift better. It's her first time having a famous LED skincare face mask. 

 

We're getting old, take care of your skins Tae and Tiffany

- Yul & Jessica

 

"Now this is the sweetest." She giggles, wearing the mask right away and turning it on, as she leaned her head back on the sofa. "I need some morning skincare." she mumbles as she closes her eyes and enjoys the treatment. She felt some massage on her face.

 

She was about to doze off when she heard her phone chime on the side. She lazily reached for it and take the face mask off. 

 

Taecyeon: Congrats! Taeyeon's song is topping the charts right now.

"What?! They actually released it last night?" She types on a reply right away but her friend got another message.

 

Taecyeon: It was released during Yul and Jessica's performance. Then right after, I received a video of Taeyeon singing while you're emotional. I posted it last night and that helped the song gains popularity.

 

Her eyes doubled reading his message. So instead of sending her message, she opened a portal site and her husband is apparently trending number one. "Heol, he seriously got a lot of surprises." she exclaimed, tapping on Taeyeon's name and a lot of articles came on. She smiled proudly to read the headlines; 'Chairman Im Taeyeon has a voice!' 'Im Tech's Chairman is a singer? It must have come from his wife' 'Taeyeon is topping the charts right now! What a debut from Im Tech's Chairman. 

 

"He might be reaching my dream, rather." She giggles as she finds it funny yet she's proud of it. She couldn't help herself and read all the positive comments and even like them. 

 

Just then, the door opens. Taeyeon obliviously walked in and find his wife, smiling like a fool. "Wae? What is it?" He asked curiously, placing a big plastic bag on the coffee table.

 

"Yah, what did you do?" Tiffany showed the screen on her phone. "You're freaking giving everyone some love with your song!"

 

"Omo, so it was out?" Taeyeon hastily take his seat next to her and check the article. His eyes doubled as well.

 

Kissing his cheek, TIffany giggles. "I'm so proud of you, love. Go release more songs."

 

"I doubt I would record another one." He chuckled softly. "I was only inspired of you that's why I wrote that song. Also, I will be busy once I returned to Seoul. I mean, we." He grinned widely. 

 

Tiffany couldn't resist him and hug him. "I'm so so so so proud of my husband!" and she yelled playfully yet she meants it. Pulling back, she kissed him on the lips, sweetly.

 

"Thanks. But we need to eat now, since you said you're now starving." Taeyeon reached for the plastic bag and take out the food he actually cooked in the hotel's kitchen. They place it in a pack lunch boxes.

 

"Whoa, so many, eh?" Tiffany is amazed. "Wait, what's this?" But she noticed there are more stuff inside the bag. Much to her surprise, they are vitamins for pregnant women. "Juice for pregnant women?" She picked up two boxes of it. "Yah, you're not that serious." she laughs in amusement. 

 

"There are snacks also good for pregnancy." Taeyeon grinned as he proudly take them out.

 

Agape, Tiffany scoffed and hit him on his arm. "Don't be too protective too much." Her cheeks are blushing, however.

 

Moving closer, Taeyeon caressed her tummy and smiles sweetly. "I'm not just protecting you, I'm protecting our baby."

 

"Aish." Tiffany instantly hit his arm again. "Oh, what about naming the fetus?" She realized they haven't thought of it.

 

"Hmm, okay, let's search for names while we eat." Taeyeon handed her lunch casually before he opened his phone and search for names while occasionally take bites of his food. Tiffany also joined him which caused them quiet.

 

"What about honeybee?" Suggests Tiffany when she saw it. 

 

"Marshmallow?" But Taeyeon has a different idea. 

 

"That's too soft." 

 

"Well, she's a fetus for now."

 

"Let's search for more." Tiffany requested and they got quite again.

 

After a couple of minutes, "Sarang." They both suggested together, causing them to giggle.

 

"Sarang then." Tiffany confirmed, smiling sweetly.

 

Taeyeon placed his right hand again on her tummy. "I can't wait to see you my Sarang. Don't give Omma a hard time, okay?"

 

"She won't, I'm sure of it." Tiffany is fluttered staring at him lovingly. "Because she will be like her Appa." 

 

Taeyeon chuckles. "She should be like you." As he got shy. 

 

"No." Tiffany shakes her head, insisting it. "She should be like you. Her mama-"

 

"Let's just eat. Aish." Taeyeon cut her off immediately, feeding her with the vegetable salad. 

 

Tiffany sends glares while munching her food down . 

 

"She's our baby, she should be like us or she should be herself." Said Taeyeon, realizing that they shouldn't expect their daughter to be like them. 

 

"Yeah, that's right. Let's not give pressure on our baby once she grows up." Tiffany agreed with him eventually. She flashed a sweet smile before opening again to eat her food. 

 

Taeyeon reached for the tissue paper and wipe her lips gently.

 

"Thanks." She smiled even wider, feeling like a princess with her husband taking care of her. 

 

"I canceled the skiing activity. Let's just ride the cable car later." Shared Taeyeon as he casually took a bite of his food too.

 

"Chincha? Oh well, it's dangerous to ski for me. Anything that's safe is okay for me." Tiffany excitedly says earning his chuckles.

 

***

 

Instead of shopping for gifts, they want to give to their relatives and friends, Yul and Jessica are in the baby stuff store, bickering over what they should buy without knowing the gender of their baby yet. 

 

"Okay, let's go with uni." But Yul can't overpower his wife, who keeps insisting to buy those stuff that both genders can wear or play with. 

 

"Good." A satisfied sigh escapes Jessica's lips. She started checking on the uni section while Yul is following her movements, pushing the pushcart. 

 

"What about this?" Yul suggested a uni toy for babies. "I mean colors don't matter." It was a yellow rattle toy that a toddler can play with.

 

"Okay, just place it on the basket." Jessica agreed right away and pick up yellow and white pajamas for toddlers and days-old babies. She also grabs some t-shirts and pants, all of which are uni-colors. 

 

"How about-"

 

"Let's buy more diapers while it's on sale."

 

Yul is agape as his wife walk to the diapers shelf, where it has 50% discount signage. "It's Christmas indeed." He chuckled as he follows her and didn't say a word as he place more toys for toddlers on their pushcart. He also places pillows, socks, and blankets. They're so adorable that he can't help and take photos of those small socks. 

 

"Yah, you're not checking the prices, aren't you?" Jessica noticed he's just randomly picking up stuff.

 

"Why would you be concerned over the prices when we can afford them?" Yul questioned as he finds it funny.

 

"I know we are but we have to save money from now on. We have a baby coming and bumble bee's future should be our priority." Jessica explained her side. "I've learned this from mom. She saved a lot of money that she was able to send us to school. We can't tell what will happen in the future, you know. So let's save while it's still early, okay?"

 

Yul is speechless yet he finds himself nodding. "O... kay." He grows up without any problem with money that he had no idea about it. It's funny being lectured by Jessica. But he is fluttering, she's thinking ahead either way. 

 

"Let's take the lower price, okay?"

 

"But how about the quality?"

 

"There are good qualities here at a cheap price, so keep looking." Jessica instructed as she casually placed big baby milk on their cart. She contemplated and place another one.

 

"Heol, our baby is still small if you buy early those milk." Yul reacted to it.

 

"The expiration date is next year, so it's okay. And also, I don't think I can feed our baby every day, you know I have a history of tumors."

 

"Will that affect our baby?"

 

"Some research says it will but there is research also that it won't, as long as I am healthy."

 

"You've been taking your vitamins aren't you?"

 

"I'm religiously taking it, don't worry. But to be careful, maybe once bumble bee is already 3 months old, let's start feeding her baby bottle." Jessica giggles and continue to the other side of the store.

 

"Okay." Yul smiled proudly as he followed her to the cradle section, where there are a lot of different colors. "Let's go with white." He recommended, grinning playfully.

 

"Our baby will have to be in our bedroom for at least three years... so, therefore, let's go with another uni-colors." Jessica agreed with him immediately. "But let's choose this 3-year-old cradle."

 

"Of course." Yul happily said. He picks up another toys on the side but only to be slapped away by his wife. "Wae?"

 

"We have enough. Let's just buy more bumblebee is a year old." Jessica reasoned firmly.

 

"I'm just-"

 

"Let's not spoil our bumblebee. Aish." She sends him a glare as she headed to the counter, following the sales guy that brought the cradle.

 

Yul rolled his eyes. But he still took the teddy bear at least and animatedly followed her. 

 

-

 

"Aigoo." He let out a huge exhale once he stepped into the car. "Thanks." He said as he took the burgers and fries from Jessica.

 

"Good job." said the young nurse, taking a bite of her burger. "Good job bringing the teddy bear." She flicks his forehead playfully.

 

"At least our bumblebee will have something to cuddle when she's a month old already." Yul shrugs his shoulders and smiles smugly. He glances at the backseat and chuckles. 

 

"Wae?" Jessica looked at him curiously.

 

"We bought a lot, didn't we?"

 

"Yeah, but that means, we don't need to buy more when bumblebee come out." She giggles, looking down to her stomach and giving it a gentle caress.

 

Yul reached for her stomach too and smiled sweetly. "I can't wait like I want her or him to already come out tomorrow."

 

"Can't you be patient?" Jessica scoffed in disbelief.

 

"I mean, 9 months is long." He pouted cutely.

 

"Silly." 

 

"By the way, I booked another theater. Let's go on a date later."

 

"A Christmas date?" Jessica giggles, feeling excited. 

 

"Absolutely. And honeymoon date, too." Yul replied with a big grin again, earning laughter from his wife. He loves it that he kissed her cheeks before taking another bite of his food. 

 

Noticing there was mayonnaise on his cheek, Jessica took a tissue paper and wipe it off gently. "Sometimes I feel like I'm married to a kid." She commented. "No, actually you got younger when we got married." she chuckles softly.

 

"After hearing you're pregnant? I think that made me go back to my twenties." Yul playfully replied.

 

"Yeah, you really are." Jessica ruffles his hair gently.

 

A big and cute smile plastered Yul's face as he slurped on his drink and put it down. "Let's get going. We still need to unwrap gifts." He said as he the engine and drives off carefully.

 

"Omo, it's snowing." Jessica immediately noticed the snow falling. "Is this a welcome for us to our new home?"

 

"Looks like." Yul giggles. He's excited to live in their new home, which he bought a month ago. It wasn't paid fully yet but he's excited to their new journey as married couples.

 

"My family will be visiting us tomorrow."

 

"Chincha? Dinner or lunch?"

 

"I... haven't heard what time, but they will celebrate late Christmas with us." Jessica happily shared. It's going to be the first time, spends time with her family with Yul as her husband now. 

 

"Aigoo, if only my parents aren't in New York right now." Yul felt envy for his wife yet he's excited as well. He has a new family which he can now call whenever he wants. 

 

"Your parents are the busiest. Even on holidays, they do business trips? That's totally stressful." Jessica shakes her head, couldn't imagine that kind of life.

 

"Well, it's also a vacation for them after their work." Yul shrugged his shoulders, glancing at the young nurse on the passenger seat. He reached for her hand and gently give it a sweet kiss.

 

Jessica just smiled back and finally finished her burger and fries.

 

***

 

After confirming their tickets to the cable car ride, Taeyeon and Tiffany hold each other's hands as they walk together with the others to the cable car. It was a bit crowded which is fun to see. And there are people handing hot tea and coffee. They took two before stepping into their cable car and enjoying their drinks while they move forward.

 

"Whoa, look at that." Taeyeon noticed performers on the ground, creating fire and led lights. 

 

"It's Christmas indeed." Said Tiffany as she giggled and took a sip of her tea.

 

Opening his phone, Taeyeon opens the camera and holds it forward so they can see each other on the screen. They smile brightly at the camera before he click the capture, and took more pictures with different poses.

 

"I rarely really see couples getting married in winter. But when there is, it's always this special." Taeyeon shared his thoughts. 

 

"Why?" Tiffany raised her eyebrows.

 

"Because it's a double celebration." He grinned. "Christmas and Wedding."

 

"Oh yeah." She chuckled lightly. "And soon New Year. This Honeymoon holiday is really full."

 

"And we will start the new year with a new journey, as a married couple." Taeyeon couldn't be more excited. He had been imagining things since he knew about his wife's pregnancy. Things that he wants to do with his wife and their unborn child. He might be able to make a bucket list later because of it.

 

"Married life is not going to be always good just when we were dating but I know we will make it the best time of our lives."

 

"Yeah, I'm positive about it." 

 

Tiffany giggles before taking another sip of her tea. Then she realized Taeyeon hasn't sipped on his drink too. "Aren't you cold, love?" she wonders.

 

"I am, but let me drink when we reach the end of this ride." Taeyeon explained himself.

 

"Eh? Why?"

 

"I want to watch you first and enjoy this ride."

 

She chuckled in disbelief. "Silly. You can do all of them." 

 

"Yup. But feeling warm by your gazes and in my hand right now is already enough." He explained further, looking down to the cup that gives him warmer hands against his gloves.

 

"Aish." Tiffany couldn't help and pinch his cheeks. She leaned her head on his shoulder and exhales loudly, smiling at the magnificent view of Jeju, where the mountains are as white as the clouds. 

 

They got quiet until they reached the end. Taeyeon however suddenly had blurry visions and his eyes hurt. He dropped the coffee as he dropped on one knee and close his eyes tight. "Ah."

 

"Omo, What's happening?" Tiffany hastily lowered herself to check on her.

 

"I think... some dirt went inside my eyes." He explained as he tried to open his eyes but it was still blurry, so he rubs them. The slight pain is still also there. 

 

"Don't rub it, just keep on opening your eyes slowly and close them for a couple of minutes." Tiffany instructed worriedly.

 

Taeyeon gently nodded, feeling his wife's hand holding his. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to calm himself. And took his time while closing his eyes. 

 

"It'll be fine." Tiffany comforted, patiently waiting for him until he slowly opened his eyes. "It doesn't hurt anymore?" She asks although she can see his eyes reddened.

 

"Yes, it isn't anymore." Taeyeon flashes an assuring smile. He felt so relieved that he can see clearly again. The blurry visions seem just from the dust. He get up with her and continue their walk hand in hand to the restaurant. 

 

"Yah, I told you I don't need to eat a lot." Tiffany complained after learning he ordered a lot.

 

"It's not only for you, I know you are being careful with food too." chuckled Taeyeon softly. "I was craving ribs suddenly so I add it to the order." he explained.

 

"Okay." Tiffany smiled as she nodded. She slightly widened her eyes when she realized the snow is falling again. "This winter will really be longer, isn't it?"

 

Taeyeon nodded. "Absolutely." while his gazes are outside as well. He usually feels gloomy if it's winter but now it's like the best season for him. The snow looks like they're pouring their support into his marriage with Tiffany. They may be cold but it's just temporary.

 

"Give me your hand." Tiffany softly says.

 

He complied, placing his hand across the table. She hold it and gently give them some squeeze. "What's wrong?" He chuckles.

 

"You didn't drink your coffee earlier, it must be the reason your eyes reddened when you rub them."

 

"What's the connection?"

 

"Your hands were cold when you rub it on your eyes." She reasoned. 

 

"Are my eyes still red?" Taeyeon blinks a couple of ti