The laboring process is not the easy one, Sakura realized.

It has been hours since she first sat here, nervous and shaky after delivering her heavily pregnant wife to ER. It wasn’t an easy journey either to get here, as there was a huge car accident happening, causing traffic jams due to rerouting and road blocking. Sakura was so afraid her beloved would end up giving birth in the car, out of all place.

Looking back, neither of hers nor Chaeyeon’s plans for anything regarding pregnancy ever come to fruition. Chaeyeon was supposed to be pregnant at least two years into their marriage, yet they were only successful on their fifth. They wanted a boy, yet they have a girl. They were supposed to have Dr. Yoo take care of Chaeyeon’s pregnancy, yet the elderly doctor died before Chaeyeon could even visit him. Chaeyeon was supposed to give birth by normal means, but the doctor told them suddenly that Chaeyeon was incapable of that, just a few hours ago.

Fate and Destiny play them as if they are their doll.

But it’s alright, Sakura supposes. She’s not a religious person, but she believes that the higher being(s?) have their own reason for changing what she and Chaeyeon planned. Perhaps it was some sort of protection? Sakura won’t be pessimistic and think of it as a punishment, no. She and Chaeyeon live a good life, nothing that warrants any bad karma if it ever exists.

(though perhaps her bad karma was accumulated from the peons she killed on her games?)

Protection or punishment, Sakura frankly doesn’t care. She and her wife survived and live a happy life together with only minor obstacles, so the change of plans never truly bothered her.

Though she is sure she would have sung a different tune should they were a little tighter on money, and her parents weren’t as understanding as Chaeyeon’s. But fortunately, they are loaded and while Sakura’s parents are harder to persuade into accepting that the couple’s firstborn isn’t going to be a son, but daughter, they accepted it just fine.

(Or it’s just Chaeyeon’s talking skill, which Sakura is well aware of. Sakura doesn’t remember it was this easy persuading her stone-willed parents.)

(Or it’s just Sakura lacking the ability to do so.)

(Sakura strongly disagrees with that one.)

Sakura is finally allowed to enter the recovery room and she gets up faster than the time Chaeyeon bought her a new PC for gaming. It’s an amusing sight to have the new mom (Sakura refuses to be called a father, even though it’s her doings) trying to walk inside the room with weak knees and shaky legs, until she admits to the nurse she basically has a mental breakdown and tells the cackling nurse she’s not ready.

“I’m scared,” Sakura says to the nurse on her right, who helps her to her feet and helps her adorning the gown and some other items before she is allowed to meet her newborn baby and her wife. Granted, she has the right to be inside the surgery room as moral support, but her wife actually was the one kicking her out of it, telling that Sakura wouldn’t have the heart to see her wife being cut open. It was meant as a joke, but Sakura actually broke down crying so she had to be escorted out.

The nurse smiles at her—or Sakura thought so, based on how her eyes curve upwards. “Mhm. Most parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles told me that.”

“I’m scared if I don’t love my daughter enough,” Sakura elaborates, sighing. “I’m not ready, nurse Kwon. What if I can’t fall in love at the first sight like in those family movies? What if I can’t love her enough? What if—“

A gentle tap on her shoulder immediately stops the rant she’s been spewing without stop.

“You’ll be a great mother, Doctor Miyawaki,” Nurse Kwon assures her, effectively cutting off her rambles as she gently leads the new parent to the room housing the other parent. “Congratulations,” Sakura hears the nurse says before she steps inside the room.

Sakura gulps at the sight of a groggy Chaeyeon sitting on the bed, smiling so stupidly yet weakly at the sight of her wife in sterile gowns.

“Almost can’t recognize you,” the younger drawls on, tapping her bed as a gesture to invite the older closer. She hums as her wife gently closes her lips on top of her damp forehead. “Is this what you wear during surgeries?”

“I rarely do any, love,” harrumphs Sakura. “But yes, sort of. You’ve seen your doctor.”

“He’s not you.” Chaeyeon nudges her chin in the direction of the other room. “Why don’t you look at your Hitomi?”

“Hitomi?” Sakura repeats, blinking. “I thought we’re going to name her Dahee.”

“I think a Japanese name suits her better.” Chaeyeon’s eyes twinkled, releasing a staccato of short giggles when Sakura puts her palm under her chin, rubbing it thoughtfully. “With this, I can trust that you’ll take great care of her, yes?”

Sakura reaches her hand, gently taking it up until her lips pressing against the back of her wife’s palm. It’s clammy and a little shaky. She pushes the strange feelings clawing her chest down and just focuses on the present.

“We will,” she whispers, hopeful and desperate.

Chaeyeon only smiles, her hand grasping tighter.

Miyawaki Hitomi

Sakura is someone who falls in love hard and quickly, but never has she fall in love this hard and quickly at the first sight.

At an understandably ugly being too.

But that’s alright! Sakura thinks positively. Hitomi will grow to become a very pretty girl like her mothers, Sakura is sure! Everyone is ugly when they’re right off the womb, even her beautiful self! She will do her best on raising this little bundle of joy with love and Sakura will make sure Hitomi will not lack any love until her last dying breath.

“Hello, Hitomi,” She greets the baby, still wrapped snugly in a blanket, and only moves a little. She holds back a choked sob, smiling so wide her cheeks hurt as the baby moves her chubby limbs as if attempting to break free from the bind. She fails so horribly, but she doesn’t fail to create a burst of choked laughter from her mother.

“It’s me, Hitomi. Your mom.”

How can she not cry after she utters that?