Prologue.

Kim Tae Hee dug the tips of her red-painted fingernails into the firm leather seat as her brother drove on the verge of breaking the speed limit. He’s anxious to get to the hospital, and so was she but she would rather he slowed down. 

The baby wiggled and her stomach contracted, she held her breath, squeezing her eyes closed as he took a sharp corner. With her pain subsiding a little, she raised her eyes to the rearview mirror, her brother's eyes were fixed on the road, but there’s a tightness to them that’s unsettling. "Oppa, can't you slow down a little?" 

Her brother ignored her and kept on driving. He's probably still angry at her for not agreeing to abort the baby from the beginning. Maybe, she should have; she's poor and still young to have a child, let alone take care of it. Tae Hee knows all what she's getting herself into, yet she stubbornly refused to abort her child no matter how hard her family had insisted.

~~~

“Push,” the doctor encouraged the young woman. “You’re almost there.” 

Eighteen years old Tae Hee thought she’d never experienced such pain before, and by the time they'd arrived at the hospital, checked in, and rushed to the delivery room, she was too close to giving birth for the doctor to give her an injection to numb the pain. 

She’d wanted to do this at home and alone, she had read everything about home birth, even knew how a first baby always took forever to deliver, the reason why she'd been expecting eight hours at least or maybe much more, but her pains were coming too close, too soon, she was in so much pain and her brother; the only one who still talks to her decided to take her to the hospital and before she could decline, he was already carrying her bridal style to his car.

The doctor lifted up her back with each push and whispered in her ear, “You can do it. You’ll have your baby soon.” Tae Hee gave one more push that almost took all of her strength, and a baby slid out of her. 

“You have a daughter,” the doctor announced smiling. She clamped the umbilical cord, then cut it. A nurse took the baby, dried her off, then wrapped her in a towel. “The next one is almost here, too,” the doctor said. 

“Next one?” Tae Hee's eyes, with their fringe of long black lashes, were wide with panic and confusion. The doctor looked up at her, Tae hee seemed so young to her, almost like a high schooler.

“Didn’t you know you were having twins?” Tae Hee shook her head just as the pain started again. 

“Here we go,” the doctor said. 

“This one should do it.” She screamed at the pain as she pushed. Seconds later, the doctor held up another baby. 

“This one’s a girl, also.” the same nurse took the baby from the doctor for cleaning just as she did her sister. When they were wrapped up, both were brought to their mother, one in each arm. 

“They’re beautiful,” Tae Hee said, staring into their eyes, she felt a rush of love for them which she didn't know would happen so instantaneously. And as she held them close, she didn’t want to think about what she needed to do, now that there were two babies.

Her brother had made it clear that she would have to give the baby up for adoption, if she ever wants to go back home and she'd listened to him but even he knows she wouldn't abide by that, but now that they're two babies, it's certain she would have to give one of them up.

~~~

Tae Hee picked up one of her newborn daughters and cradled her in her arms. She was so fair, so soft, so beautiful, silky strands of dark hair covered her scalp, and she had eyes so brown, they looked like fresh processed honey. 

She’d known she’d love her child, but she was thunderstruck by how deep the connection was after just one day. She pressed her lips to her daughter’s cheek and inhaled the fresh scent of baby powder. “I love you,” she whispered, then placed her back in the bassinet and lifted up the second baby, she was just as fair, as soft, and as beautiful as her sister. 

Tears ran down her face as she held her second child. “I love you, too. I always will.” The middle-aged woman sitting on a chair in the corner rose from her seat. 

“It’s time to go now.” The woman said.

“I need to name her.” Tae Hee said without sparing the woman a glance, but the woman nodded, nevertheless.

Tae Hee stared into her daughter’s eyes, they were wide-open, staring back, as if she knew what was about to happen. "Tae ri ah, I will look for you later when I can okay, be a good girl and wait for me. I'm sorry my baby." Tae Hee busted in tears, hugging her child tight, she knew she had to make this call, knew it was a bitter pill she had to swallow. Accepting she can't take care of two babies on her own.

"I have to go, the couple that wants her are already at the church waiting for us."

Tae Hee walked over to the woman waiting. “Here. Take her.” She said handing over her baby, "I hope they're good people. "

"They are don't worry, about the other child..."

"I'm not giving up all of my babies," She cut the woman off. "And when the time is right, I will come for Tae ri too. Make sure you remember that, sister Marie." The woman nodded again, with a final kiss to the baby's forehead, she took a step back and watched as her daughter was taken away. 

When she was gone, the young mother lay down on the hospital bed and curled her body into a fetal position. “I love you, too, Tae ri.” She kept repeating, over and over again.