Soo Jin parked in front of the mall.

          I giggled because I saw Hoon just one aisle over getting out of his car.

          He ran to me and hugged me.  “Don’t leave me again.”

          I hugged him back.  “Oh Hoonie…”

          He pouted like a child.  “No leaving my side today.”  He took my hand and clasped our fingers.

          My friends ‘aww’ed’ at Hoon and me.

          I smiled, shaking my head as we walked behind Mina and So Hee up to the entrance.  Cho stood on the other side of me, blabbering away again.

          I took a deep breath and sighed.

          Hoon squeezed my hand gently.

          We went to the upper level and found a dress shop.

          I swung my and Hoon’s locked hands.  “What color do you think, baby?”

          “Well, you love purple.”

          I nodded.  “I do.”  I stopped in front of a selection of purple dresses.  I looked over at the girls.  “Hana, Jinnie, come here.”

          They walked to me and Hoon while the other girls were looking at blue dresses.

          I picked out two dresses.  “Hana, Jinnie, here.  Go try them on.”

          “So bossy,” Hoon tsked me.

          I pouted.  “I wasn’t being bossy.”

          “You were a little.”

          “Oh hush you.”  I broke the grip he had on my hand and started walking away.

          Hoon whimpered and hugged me from behind.  “I said no.”

          I sighed.  “Hoonie…”

          “Li,” he cooed.

          “Uh-uh, don’t you dare start that.”

          “Li-Liiii.”

          I pouted.  “I hate you yeobo.”

          “You love me,” he nuzzled my neck.

          A voice chuckled.  “Is he yours?”

          “Unfortunately,” I grinned at the person.  “What are you doing in here?”

          “I saw you…and him.”

          “Hoon, get off.”

          “I don’t wanna.”

          “I’ll call Soohyun,” I threatened.

          He released me, pouting like a child.

          I smiled and hugged the man standing in front of me.  “How are you?”

          “Good, I guess.”

          I grinned.  “Drive your amazing car here?”

          “No, hyung killed it.”

          “Are you the only one here?”

          He shook his head.  “I ran away from Woohyun.”

          I laughed.  “Oppa, that’s so mean!”

          He grinned.  “I couldn’t help it.  He dragged me into a store…with pink things.”

          “Yet here you are in a dress shop.”

          “Well it’s not as bad as the other shop was.”

          Hoon took my hand.

          “So what are you doing here with him?”

          “Dongwoo, this is my fiancé.  Don’t be rude.”

          He pouted.  “You lied to me.”

          I giggled.  “I never lied.  I said it might happen.”

          Hoon looked at me.  “What did you say?”

          “Later yeobo.”

          He slid his arm around my waist.

          Dongwoo chuckled.  “Hey, it’s cool.  I have a girlfriend.”

          I kissed Hoon’s cheek.  “So jealous.”

          “I’m allowed to be jealous.”

          “Then I’m allowed to be jealous of your fangirls.”

          “Don’t blame them.  They have good taste.”

          I looked up at Dongwoo, pouting.  “Where’s my Jongie?”

          “He didn’t come.  It’s me, Woohyun, Gyu hyung, and Hoya.”

          “Where’s Hoya?!”

          Dongwoo started laughing.  “Uhm, look over there.”  He pointed behind me.

          I looked behind me and saw Hoya holding a dress up to himself and looking in the mirror.  I started laughing.  “Yah, Hoya!  What the hell are you doing?”

          He looked up and grinned sheepishly, coming over to us.  “Nothing.”

          I hugged him.  “They treating you right?”

          He smiled.  “Just fine.”

          Hoon squeezed my hand.  “Hey, I think Jin and Hana are done.”

          Hoya looked at me.  “Huh?”

          I smiled.  “I’m getting married.”

          “To who?”

          I held up my and Hoon’s hands.  “This amazing guy right here.”  I kissed Hoon’s cheek.

          He smiled and kissed my temple.  “I love you.”

          “I know you do.”  I looked to the two Infinite members.  “Ok, you two, go find your other members.  I’ll talk to you later.”

          Hoya pouted.  “But I don’t wanna go.  I haven’t seen you in forever.”

          Dongwoo grinned and hugged me, kissing my forehead.  “I’ll text you later.”

          “Bye Oppa.”  I watched him drag Hoya with him.

          “Bye Li, I love you!”  Hoya waved goodbye.

          I rolled my eyes.  “Dramatic boys.”  I called the others over to see Hana and Jin’s dresses.  “Hana, come out!”

          She walked out of the dressing room and twirled cutely in her dress.

          I smiled.  “It’s so pretty!  Jinnie Unnie!”

          Soo Jin came out and held the dress’s skirt out a little bit.  “What do you think?”

          I smiled.  “I like that one better.”

         

          Cho Hee got up.  “I’ll go talk to the clerk.  Be right back!”

          Soo Jin took Cho the dress after she’d changed out.

          Hoon hugged me tightly.  “You look like you feel better from your spa treatments.”

          “Oh it was wonderful Hoonie.  My back doesn’t hurt anymore.”

          “I’m glad baby.  How are you feeling?”

          “I’m ok.”

          “Just ok?”

          “Amazing because I’m with the man I love.”

          Mina hugged Hoon’s neck.  “Congrats Appa!”

          He smiled.  “Thanks Mina.”  He rubbed my belly.

          I leaned my head on his shoulder.  “Honey, you know if you do that then you’ll make me fall asleep.”

          “I’ll carry you if that happens.”

          I followed Cho Hee to the jewelry store next.

          “What kind of rings do you want?”

          “Silver,” Hoon and I both answered.

          “I shouldn’t have even asked.”

          We went to look at couple rings.  The first one we liked went together and made a heart.  I liked them somewhat, but then I saw Celtic knot rings.

          “Hey baby, look at these.  I like these two.”

          I looked at the rings Hoon pointed out.  They, too, made a heart together, but they were prettier than the first pair.  “I love them.”

          He smiled.  “Hey Cho, we found a pair.”  Hoon walked away to go buy the rings.  He came back with two sheets of paper.  “Be creative.  This is for my ring.”

          I smiled.  “Oh I will be.  Go away.  You can’t see.”  I wrote the inscription in English.

          What we have is a Forbidden Love and A Shared Dream. Te Amo my loving husband and best friend Hoonie.

          I handed Cho Hee the paper and took Hoon’s hand.  “I think you’ll like it a lot.”

          “I bet I will.”

          I hugged his waist.  “Baby, it’s not too long till your birthday.”

          “Six weeks to go.  I’ve got a month and then some.”

          I pouted.  “I don’t know what to get you yet.”

          He smiled.  “You already did baby.  You got me three things, in fact.  I love them very much.”

          I looked at him.  “What?”

          “Tell you later.”

          “But I want to know now.”

          “I need to take you somewhere now.”

          We separated from the others except the twins.  Hoon dragged me to a couple store.

          “Of course, I should’ve known.”

          He grinned.  “We need something.”

          “I want a new hoodie.”  I pulled him to the anime section.  “Hey Hoon look!”  I pulled out a white hoodie that said he’s my Kurosaki Ichigo.

          “What’s the other one say?”

          “She’s my Kuchiki Rukia, of course.”

          Hoon picked up a black one.  “You think it’ll look ok?”

          I smiled.  “It’ll look great.”  I kissed his cheek.

          He smiled, rubbing my belly.  “What do you think?  You think Appa will look good in this?”

          “You know the baby cannot hear you yet, Hoon.”

          “I know that.  Let’s go pay for these, then we’ll go home and get lunch.”

          “Ok.”  I saw another pair of hoodies.  “Ooh, Hoonie, look.”  I pulled him with me.  “Aw, look, they have baby sizes, too.”  The hoodies were striped and all of them had black and another color for the dual stripes.  I took out a black and green striped one.  “I think we should get green for you, purple for me, blue for Jae, and pink for Mimi.”

          “Get red for Mimi.  She likes it better.”

          I took one of the red baby sized hoodies.  “Think so?”

          “She loves strawberries, cherries, hearts, and ladybugs.  They’re all red.”

          I nodded.  “That’s true.  Ok.”

          Hoon took the clothes and draped them over his right arm, taking my hand.  “Let’s go checkout.”

          I held the bag with our stuff as we went down the escalator.  “Do you want anything in particular when we get home?”

          “Not really.  What about you?”

          I giggled.  “Still only banana milk that I want.  I’m drinking green tea today though.”  I walked with Hoon to the parking lot, getting into the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               passenger seat.  I took one of my green tea bottles out and was satisfied to feel it was still cold.

          “I’m glad we have banana milk at the house, then.”

          “We always have banana milk, Hoon.”

          “Except when Jae drinks the last bottle,” he pouted.

          I giggled.  “Well that’s why we always get more whenever we get down to ten bottles.”

          “That kid drinks more banana milk than I do.”

          “More than Mir does, too.  Mir can drink a lot, too.”

          “Jae just loves it like I love you.”

          “He gets upset when he’s done with a bottle of it.”

          “I know.  He started whining when he’d finished the bottle you opened this morning.”

          I smiled.  “I can’t believe he and Mimi are turning one in two weeks.”

          “Me neither.  It’s like yesterday I was with you at the hospital waiting room, watching you pace back and forth.”

          “I couldn’t help it.  I saw the pain my mother was going through.”  I sighed.  “She would’ve been thirty-four in October.”

          Hoon squeezed my hand.  “I know it, baby.”

          “You think she’s watching us wherever her and Appa are?”

          “I bet they’re looking at us both together and smiling.”

          I smiled.  “She would’ve loved to see us together.  You know how much she’d be crying at our wedding.”

          “Your Eomma would be happy though.  I bet you’ll cry, too.”

          “I don’t know if they’ll be tears of joy or pain, though.”

          “I bet there will be more in joy, Li.”

          “I hope so.”  I bit my lip, looking down.

          “What’s wrong baby?”

          “Just the usual,” I sighed.

          “It’ll be alright.”

          I smiled sadly.  “I know Hoonie.”

          He the CD player, taking my hand again.

          Baby Don’t Cry by U-Kiss played from the speakers.  It was important in my life.  I always listened to the song when I was upset.

          “It’s hard not to.”

          Hoon rubbed my thumb with his.  “I know it is.”  He pulled into the driveway.  “Was Soo Jin expecting company?”

          I looked up and saw the car.  “,” I murmured.

          Hoon leaned over and kissed me.  “It’ll be ok.”

          “I’ll be behind you.”  I got out of his car and got into my own.  I drove in front of Hoon, actually.  I pulled into the driveway and got out, rubbing my temples.

          My fiancé came to me and took my hand.  “We’re home.”

          “I’m halfway expecting it to be chaotic.”  We walked up the steps to the door and opened it.  Surprisingly, no cries or screams were heard.

          Hoon and I walked into the living room.

          I smiled, leaning against Hoon.  “How sweet,” I whispered.

          My cousin had fallen asleep on the couch with Jae and Mimi sleeping on his chest.  He had a hand on their backs.

          I went over to him and gently picked up Jae, taking him to the nursery.  I took Mi Young from Hoon and laid her next to Jae, covering them up.  “My cousin should marry his girlfriend.”

          “Why won’t he?”  Hoon made me sit at the counter in the kitchen.

          “I have no clue.  Maybe she’s psycho or something.”

          Hoon got a bottle of banana milk out.  “You never know with women.  I’m just glad I fell in love with a sane one.”

          “A sane one you love enough to give milk to?”

          He smiled.  “Only if you ask nicely.”

          “Hoonie, can you please get me a bottle of milk?”

          He took another one out and opened it, putting a bendy straw in it.  “What do you say?”  He held it away from me.

          “Thank you yeobo.”

          “And?”

          I pouted.  “I love you very much?”

          “Are you questioning our love now?”  He made a sad face.

          I stood up and stole the milk, landing a quick peck on his lips before taking a sip.

          He smiled, kissing my forehead.  “My baby’s so cute.”

          “Just don’t pinch my cheeks like Jiyong does.”  I rubbed my right cheek.  “I’m lucky he hasn’t permanently bruised my face.”

          “Are you going to tell him we’re engaged?”

          “Of course I am, Hoon.  I’m not going to keep it from my first love.  Seungri will probably be talking about it nonstop once we tell him.”  I sighed.  “I just hope Ji will take it ok.”

          “He took your relationship with Joon fine.”

          I sat down again and stared down at the counter.  “I don’t like hurting him, you know that.”

          Hoon wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder.  “I know you don’t baby.”

          I leaned back against him, turning my face towards his neck.  “I love you Hoon.”

          He kissed me softly.  “I love you, too, Li.”

          “Hoon, can you promise me one thing?”

          “Sure.”

          I hesitated.  “Don’t let me leave like I did him if history repeats itself.”

          He kissed my forehead.  “Never,” he whispered.

          I idly played with his hair.  “You know, everytime I think of the past, I always say one thing.”

          “What’s that baby?”

          “I was in love with him the whole time.”

          “Referring to me?”

          “It’s always been you, Hoon.  I felt things for Ji, but it was always you I loved more than anyone.”

          He smiled a little.  “Even if Ji wanted to go out, you’d never go if something was troubling me.”

          “Just like you’d never leave even when I’d ask you to.”

          “I did one time.”

          “You came back, though.”  I remember being sick with a bad cold.  I had a three day migraine because of it.  The doctor put me on bed rest, and Hoon would hardly leave my side.

          “Plus, I made your brother stay with you while I was gone.  Wait, how’d you know I left?”

          “I couldn’t sleep at all.  You’d be surprised how bad insomnia was for me back then.  That migraine was bad.”

          “You never told me.”

          “I didn’t want to worry you more than I knew you were.”

          He kissed my forehead.  “Worrying is natural.”

          I brushed at the tears that came to my eyes.  “I hate you.  I’m all emotional and vulnerable now because I’m pregnant.”

          Hoon only chuckled.  “It’s nothing we can’t handle.”

          I held my pinky out.

          Hoon pinky swore with me while he held me with one arm.  “Are you hungry at all?”

          “Not really,” I admitted.

          “Want to go upstairs and lie down?”

          I nodded and stood up, walking with Hoon upstairs.  “I wanna watch NCIS and hold Jasper.”

          “I’ll put NCIS on for you and get Jasper.”  Hoon rubbed my back as we walked.

          I got onto my bed and took the big stuffed white tiger I’d had for years.  I waited for Hoon to turn on the dvd player and squeezed my stuffed animal tightly.

          “If you’re not careful, that thing’s head is gonna come off, baby.”

          “No it won’t.  Besides, I can always get another one.”  I kissed the tiger’s nose.  “Tell him he’s crazy Jasper.”

          Hoon smiled, shaking his head.  He got onto the bed with me.  “Can you even see over him?”

          I laid the stuffed animal on its back and laid back to where my back leaned against its stomach.  “What do you think I use him for?”

          Hoon pouted.  “Replaced by a stuffed animal.”

          “No you haven’t been.”

          He laid his head against my stomach, looking at the tv screen.

          I his hair.  “I love you Hoon.”

          “I love you, too, baby girl.”  He kissed my hand and pressed it against his face.

          I giggled.  “Appa needs to shave.”

          “I do not.”

          “I feel the start of a moustache, Hoon,” I teased.

          He sat up and started tickling me.

          I laughed.  “Hoon!  Stop!”

          “Nope, this is what you get.”

          “Ahh!  STOP!  You’re gonna kill me!”

          He put his arms under me when my back arched up.  He pulled me up and held me against him, lying down on the bed with me in his arms.

          I closed my eyes.  “I feel sleepy, Hoonie.”

          He kissed my forehead.  “Then sleep if you need to baby.  It’s good that you get plenty of rest.”

          I listened to NCIS while I laid against my future husband.  I fell asleep before they figured out who the killer was, but I’d seen it already so I didn’t mind.  My last thought before I drifted off was, “How can my life possibly get any better than this?”