New Year, New Beginnings

A new year had started at the Seo household. The home was full of happiness as the new members have arrived to their family. Celebrations are inevitable as they can't contain their happiness.

The mothers of the house has been busy through out their day taking care of their family. Si-eun is a dotting mother who always worries about her youngest for she conceived the child in her 50's which was not normal, but of course not impossible. After she gave birth her predicament on her menopausal was starting, but she was enduring of it because she doesn't want her family to get affected by it.

On the other hand, Pi-young was just happy and relieved to see her husband, Seo Dong-ma, enjoying his time with their precious baby girl.

"You are too happy to hide it." Si-eun lamented from behind while Pi-young was standing in the the entrance of the kitchen watching Dong-ma taking care of their baby.

"Ah, unn-" Pi-young chuckled, "you surprised me." She sighed with relief, "I'm just happy to see him enjoying to be a father. Look at them. Don't they look alike?"

Si-eun smiled happily for Pi-young as well as looking at the father and daughter in the table, "Who would have thought that we will be enjoying this scene? A lot had happened, and I am glad they have all passed."

"Right? It was like a dream- ani, more like I woke up from a nightmare."

Looking back few months ago, Dong-ma had a painful accident that led him into coma. While shopping for a gift for his wife, Pi-young, a part of the ceiling had fell on his head causing a trauma and blood clotting. It was also a near death experience for Dong-ma and he cherished all the time he came back alive.

On the day of Pi-young's birthday, instead of celebrating, the family rushed to the hospital where Seo Dong-ma was. Lee Si-eun assisted Sa Pi-young while the kids stayed at home. Both pregnant, Si-eun called her husband, Seo Ban to come to the hospital and so as her father in law. Dong-ma went straight to the operating room after getting appropriate examination. He needed to get treated immediately and the wound posistion was not a favorable one. 

"What happened?" Seon Ban asked as he approached the two women in dire worries. Pi-young can't even say a word to answer her brother in law, while Si-eun was trying to console her holding her shoulders to help her calm down.

"Dong-ma needs an immediate operation." Si-eun answered calmly as she always has, but with worry on her voice. "It is a sensitive operation, but they will do everything they can. We still don't know the whole story how this happened, but let's hope for the better." Ban just sighed while looking over Pi-young's exhausted and worrisome condition.

"Are you sure you should be waiting here? This is not a place pregnant women should be. You two should go home and wait for our updates."

"Dong-min," a faint call coming from their father, "Wh- where's your brother? What happened?"

"We are still in the dark about what really happened. Dong-ma is inside and having his operation." Ban sighed while looking at the operating room's door. "Let's hope for the better."

Pi-young was holding tightly on her sister-in-law's hand with tears and sweat praying that her husband will come out alive. Her belly was also aching from the stress she was going through. She was panting and heaving heavy breaths. Si-eun was also trying to be calm despite her delicate condition as a pregnant woman in her 50's. Though the baby is healthy and not giving her a hard time, she can't just stop worrying about the happenings in her surroundings.

"Ya, you two." The old man bent on the women, "You should go home now. Let us, Dong-min and I, handle this. You two shouldn't be here stressing yourselves. It will also affect your baby. The car is ready. Go have your rest home."

"Abeonim," Pi-young started, "I can't just leave Dong-ma like this." She was shaking her head in disagreement to leave the hospital while her husband was fighting for his life. "I want to see him open his eyes when he comes out of that door."

"We can wait at home." Si-eun commented, "You are in your last month, we have to be careful enough so this won't affect your baby too."

"How can I- I mean, how can I rest during this time unni? I can't let him be alone. My husband needs me."

"But your baby needs you too. Ban and abeoji are here to make sure your husband is safe. Dong-ma will not just leave you and your baby after all this time. He will fight for his life. So, lets just go home for now, okay?" Sa Pi-young looked at Si-eun with her tearful eyes and defyingly nods.

The women stood up and tried to walk out, but suddenly Pi-young gave in and collapsed. Si-eun had save her head from impact, but they both fell down. Seo ban quickly emerged from his position and called for help.

Pi-young was admitted immediately and Si-eun was the one to look up over her.

"Are you sure you won't come home?" Ban asked his wife. "We can just ask for a private nurse to look after her. You need to have a rest too."

Si-eun shakes her head, "I want to take care of her. She is a lot of stress right now, I can't let her be in agony when she wakes up." She said while wiping her sister-in-law's hand. "She was having a hard day today because of her pregnancy. She will deliver anytime this month and this happened." Si-eun looked up to her husband, "I am sure she will do the same if this happens to us too. Just call Hyang-gi and tell her to watch over U-ram and Ji-a. Tell them to not be worry and we can handle this. I don't want the kids to worry when they are in the middle of sensitive age."

"I will do that. I will ask the housekeeper to bring your and Pi-young's stuffs here. I will order some food too." Ban assuring his wife.

The operation went for hours and Pi-young went into deep sleep for a lot of stress she had been thru the whole day. The doctor told Ban and his father that the operation was successful, but they need to wait for Dong-ma to wake up first. Until the next day comes, Pi-young woke up confused and elated for she was looking for Dong-ma. Si-eun attended to her dong-seo quickly as she tried to sit up.

"Dong-seo," Si-eun strides on the side of the bed and assisted Pi-young to sit up carefully with its big belly. "You shouldn't get up like that. It will put you on stress."

"Unni," Pi-young held her sister-in-law's hand, "Dong-ma? Where's Dong-ma? Did the operation went well? Where is he? Unni, where's my husband?"

"Calm down. He is safe now. The operation was successful. We just have to wait for him to wake up. He is at intensive care unit. Ban took a leave and abbeoji is at home to tell the kids about what happened. You should have some food first. It won't do you any good if you will starve yourself at this situation."

"Unni, how could I-"

"I know, but you have to eat and survive for your baby too. It only gets strength from you, so you should have strength too. How can you take care of Dong-ma if you are struggling with your own?"

"I want to see him."

"Yes, I will take you there after you eat some food. Arasso?" Pi-young looked pitiful at Si-eun before she agreed to eat.

After having some spoonful of foods, Lee Si-eun got a wheelchair for Pi-young and she called her husband to push it to the ICU. Sa Pi-young slowly stand up as she reached her husband's bedside. Carefully she caressed his face. Softly, she touched his hair. She can't stop her tears from falling being too worried and asking for Dong-ma to wake up that very moment. The couple Si-eun and Ban left her alone to have some prime time with Dong-ma.

"How long will you sleep?" Pi-young asked the sleeping man in his bed. "You need to open your eyes. You have to welcome our child when it comes out. You promised me you will be by my side when I give birth, so you have to wake up, huh? Seo Dong-ma, you need to bring me to the delivery room and hold my hand as I am pushing thru it. You can't just sleep there and let me shout for your name."

On the other hand, Si-eun was taken by her husband to a restaurant close by to have some proper meal.

"You dont need to bring me here just to eat. The housekeeper brought enough food for me and Pi-young." Si-eun told her husband as she sat down.

"Its not good eat food at the hospital. You won't enjoy the taste of it. Everything goes bland in there."

Si-eun smiled, "You don't need to worry about the baby. Its holding on."

"Its not just the baby I am worried about. I am worried about you too. You can't just expect me to stand on the side watching you both eating unhealthily. Pi-young should get herself back too."

"She's holding on too. She cares for the baby too, that's why she eat even a little before I let her go to Dong-ma. Ah, did you ask the housekeeper to prepare U-ram and Ji-a's lunch?."

"I did, Lee Si-eun- ssi."

"Gamsahamnida, Seo Ban-nim."

After having lunch and going back to the hospital, Si-eun turned Pi-young to her bed. She was concern on how much Pi-young had looked so stress since yesterday because of the accident. The mall in the other hand had endorsed a statement and offered to pay for the hospital bills and everything that comes with it.

"Does seeing Dong-ma lessen your worries?" Si-eun asked as she sat down beside the bed.

"I don't know, unni." Pi-young answered. "It felt like I am about to lose him."

"Shh, don't say that. Dong-ma won't leave you just like that."

"Unni, I will only be calm and collected if I will see him open his eyes."

"I understand. But you have to take care of your baby too."

"I don't know. I reallg don't know what to do, unni. If Dong-ma don't wake up, what will happen to us? My baby, our baby needs him."

"He will wake up." Lee Si-eun held her dong-seo's hand tightly. "Believe in him. He can get thru this and your family will be whole when we welcome the new year."

Days passed and Dong-ma was still in coma. The agony around the house and the stress on Pi-young have been heavily affecting the kids, most of all her daughter Ji-a. Tho she never said anything, Ji-a always made sure that she wouldn't worries her mother about her studies and emotional and mental health. She's going to be a big sister and she wants to welcome her baby with happiness.

"I know I haven't been able to attend to you or your needs lately. I hope you won't held this against me, Ji-a." Sa Pi-young talking to her daughter as she visited her in her bedroom.

"Of course not." Ji-a smiled at her mother, "I am a big girl now and I understand what situation we are in. Appa (referring to Dong-ma) needs you more than I do. I can eat on my own. I can do whatever I need to do to be healthy, but he doesn't. I wish he wakes up now. I miss him."

"I am glad and blessed because you are my daughter. You know that, right?"

Another day had passed and Pi-young was just able to visit her husband once a day for her doctor advised try not to be stressed out too much. Their baby is doing fine, but she needs to gather more energy for her delivery.

At the living room, Sa Pi-young and Lee Si-eun were trying to relax their backs on the couch. Si-eun's belly is getting bigger that it was putting pressures on her back just like Pi-young.

"Are having pain every now and then?" Si-eun asked.

"Just when the baby was kicking. But earlier when I got up from bed I felt a little contraction." the younger sister-in-law answered.

"Omo, we should start preparing your baby's stuffs."

Pi-young let out a little smile, "Unni, you are like a mother indeed."

"Obviously. You are due this month so we have to be prepared."

"I should be doing it with Dong-ma, but he was still lying in that damn bed."

Si-eun holds her dong-seo's hand, "We are here for you. We might not fill his space, but we can cover it up to warm you up a bit. Don't be too hard on yourself. The baby will feel it."

"Ahh...!"

"Wae? Waeyo?"

"Unni, ahh, it hurts."

"Are you having a cramps?"

"Yes." she breathe deeply.

"Ajumma." Si-eun called for the house helper.

"Yes?" the house helper came immediately.

"Go up to their bedroom. Prepare the baby's stuffs."

"Its all in the bag. The white bag in the closet." Pi-young said as she was trying to calm herself down.

The cramps come and go and they were counting its frequency. An hour or two later, Si-eun decided to call Ban quickly to drive them to the hospital. Si-eun left the house helper with notes of what to do when their kids arrived.

At the hospital, Si-eun was the one sitting by Pi-young's side. Another hour more and Pi-young went into heavy labor pushing to delivery. Ban and Si-eun waited when Chairman Seo arrived.

"How is she?" the old man asked.

"We still don't know. She is still under delivery." Si-eun answered.

"Wait, why are you still here? You should be resting at home."

"I won't be able to rest not knowing what happens to Sa Pi-young."

"She was the one who called me about Pi-young. Don't worry, I will take her home once we know Pi-young is safe." Ban picked up.

The chairman sighs, "You shouldn't be under any stress with your condition. I just don't want all this problems burden you and your unborn child."

Si-eun smiles, "Abbeoji, don't worry too much. I just came from my doctor schedule yesterday and she said everything is fine. The baby is healthy and so I am."

"That's good to hear. By the way, didn't you ask about its gender? They can see it now, right?"

"Anio, we'd decided to just see it when she gives birth." the firm answer from his son, Ban.

"Ban wanted to have it as surprise. That is why we bought only white baby clothes for now." Si-eun lamented in addition to her husband's statement.

An hour or so of waiting, finally the doctor came out announcing the birth of a baby girl. Si-eun, Ban and the chairman came into the room to check upon the baby and Sa Pi-young. Pi-young was reallt exhausted but she was awake as she was holding her baby.

"Chukahae, dong-seo." Si-eun greeted her sister-in-law with a big smile.

"Unni," the younger in-law smiled back, "Gumawo."

"Aren't you tired? Shouldn't you be taking a rest?"

"De."

The newborn child wasthen brought to the nursery and while Pi-young was in her bed taking a rest from stressful delivery, Seo Dong-ma opened his eyes indicating his has woken up. Si-eun was left at her dongseo's room, while the chairman with Ban came to Dong-ma's aid.

Remembering those days left bitter taste in Pi-young, but now her husband and child were together, nothing but sweetness was left.

A/N: always used shift+enter if you are going to do or make a new paragraph... let the credits remain...just pm me for the code that is if you want to use this one...

layout by: mambokinoki