AE: Jaime's Life - After All This Time

It's You

In the blink of an eye, five years went by. Just like that, five years passed without me even really realizing it. Within that time, Himchan and I got married to one another and now we’ve living together with our three children, Minguk, Mina, and Minwoo. Minguk is the oldest at five, Mina is the middle child at two, and then Minwoo is the youngest at a couple of months old.

                “What are you thinking about?” Himchan asks me as he comes behind me and wraps his arms around me and rests his head on my shoulder.

                “Just thinking about life,” I say with a chuckle as I look at the napping Minwoo in his crib.

                “Why? Did something come up?” Himchan worriedly asks.

                “You don’t need to worry,” I say as I turn around to look at him and cup his face in my hands. “Nothing’s wrong right now.”

                “Good,” he says with a chuckle. “I wasn’t expecting any to be.”

                “Eomma!” Minguk yells as he runs into Minwoo’s room.

                “Shh,” I say as I go over to Minguk. “Your brother is sleeping.”

                “Oh, shh,” Minguk says imitating me.

                “Here, let’s go out here,” I say as I take him to the living room with Himchan following behind me. “Do you need something, Minguk?”

                “Yongguk-samchoon is on the video.”

                “Yongguk-oppa?” I ask looking at Himchan.

                “Ah…yeah,” Himchan says as he begins scratching the back of his head. “I mentioned something about watching the kids tonight.”

                “Why?” I ask.

                “It’s a surprise,” he says with a chuckle. “Now go get ready in something pretty.”

                “Himchan-oppa,” I say as I look at him.

                “No ‘Himchan-ing’ me,” Himchan says in a stern voice, but with a smile. “Now go get ready. Yongguk-hyung already agreed to doing this. I’ll get the door, now you just go get ready.”

                I look at Himchan once more before I look at Minguk and kneel down to look at him eye-to-eye. “Now Minguk, will you be good for your Yongguk-samchoon?” I ask him.

                “Best behavior!” Minguk yells.

                “Okay, now you help Yongguk-samchoon with your younger brother and sister, alright? You know where their favorite toys are and what their favorite food is, too.”

                “I’ll help!”

                “Good boy,” I say patting his head as I stand up and take a look at Himchan before I go get changed.

                It doesn’t take me that long to get changed, and I don’t even get changed into really fancy clothes, it’s only a simple pair of dark jeans and a nice shirt that I have because of some of the things that I have to do with the company.

                “Perfect,” Himchan says with a smile as he looks at me.

                “Hey, Yongguk-oppa,” I say greeting him with a smile.

                “Hey, Jaime,” he says as he gets up and hugs me.

                “Sorry for making you watch the kids,” I apologize as I send a glare to Himchan.

               “That’s alright, I don’t mind at all. It’s the least I could do for you,” Yongguk says as Minguk runs over to him.

                “Let’s play with my dinosaurs,” Minguk says as he begins dragging Yongguk along.

                “You guys can go, I got everything here,” Yongguk says with a smile as he follows behind Minguk.

                “Okay, now be good, okay, Minguk?” I ask him.

                “Alright!” he says with a wide smile as he runs to go get some of his dinosaurs to play.

                “Let’s go,” Himchan says as he leads me towards the door.

                I still remember the moment that I told Yongguk I was pregnant and I still remember when he actually came to visit Minguk, shocking everyone. Technically Yongguk is still Minguk’s father, I mean, Yongguk is on the birth certificate and everything, but Minguk doesn’t know that and I don’t think he’ll know that until the future. Sure, it may hurt him to know that the man who he thought was his father isn’t his father at all, but I’m sure he’ll understand because Yongguk is in his life, just not as his father.

 

Five Years Ago

“Hi Himchan-oppa,” I say without looking up as I pick Minguk up from the little bed he’s sleeping in. It’s only been one day since I had a baby and it’s all still surreal. I can’t believe that I’m a mother now, but that also means that Yongguk is a father. I wonder if he even knows.

                “I’m not Himchan,” a very familiar voice says. I immediately turn around and am face to face with Yongguk as I hold Minguk in my hands.

                “Yongguk…” I say as I look at him.

                “Hello,” he says as he gives off a small smile. It’s been so long since I last saw him. To think of it, the last time I saw him was when I told him I was pregnant and that he was going to be a father. That was the last day that I saw him before today. How did he even know that I delivered a baby? “I heard from Jessica that you gave birth.”

                “Oh,” I say. I figure that someone in the company probably said something and she overheard it. Sometimes I try to forget that Yongguk and Jessica are a thing, but then it always comes back somehow. “Yongguk…”

                “Jaime…”

                “Ah, you go first,” I say as I sit back down on the bed holding Minguk.

                “No, you can,” Yongguk says as he keeps his eyes on Minguk.

                “Ah, Yongguk…this is your son…Minguk.”

                “Minguk?” he gently asks and I nod my head.

                “Would you…like to hold him?”

                “Is it okay?” he asks as he looks at me with wide eyes.

                “Yeah,” I softly say. “It’s okay.”

                I hand Minguk over for Yongguk to hold and he can’t stop staring at him. I guess he can’t believe it either, and I understand that feeling. I couldn’t stop staring at Minguk all yesterday. It feels weird to finally think of myself as a parent, to think that I have a little child now that I have to take care of, another human being that will depend on me for everything. It’s different.

                “Yongguk…listen,” I say as I grab his attention. “I…I want you to be a part of Minguk’s life.”

                “But that would just make things complicated, I mean, you together with Himchan and me together with Jessica. Wouldn’t he ask why his parents aren’t together?”

                “I guess,” I say. I honestly hadn’t thought of that part and maybe it would make things more complicated if Yongguk were to raise Minguk as his son. “But I want Minguk to know who you are,” I begin once again. “Whether it’s as a father or not, I want Minguk to be able to know you.”

                “And he will know me,” Yongguk says giving a gentle smile. “I just said that I think saying I’m his father is complicated. I didn’t say that I didn’t want to be in his life.”

 

“What are we doing here?” I ask as I look out at the entrance to a hotel. “What are we doing at a hotel?”

                “You’ll see,” he says with a smile as he just pushes me inside. Without being able to object, I just go with where I’m being take before Himchan suddenly covers my eyes.

                “Why are you covering my eyes?” I ask him as I try to remove them, but he doesn’t let me.

                “Just go along with the flow, please?” he asks as he continues leading me.

                “I guess,” I sigh as I attempt to find his arms to ensure that I don’t trip over anything, even with my eyes closed.

                It feels like it takes forever, but Himchan and I finally stop walking. “Okay, when I say three, you can open your eyes, alright?”

                “Okay,” I say nodding my head.

                “One…two…three!” Himchan says and as soon as I open my eyes, I’m shocked.

                “Surprise!” everyone yells.

                “What?” I ask as I immediately turn around to look at Himchan.

                “Everyone is here for your birthday,” Himchan proudly says.

                “My birthday…” I say thinking. “Ah…I forgot about it.”

                “I figured you did, which is why I planned this surprise party, with the help of the kids and Yongguk-hyung.”

                “Yongguk-oppa helped you?” I wonder. “But isn’t he at home with the children?”

                “Nope,” Yongguk says as he comes out holding Minwoo in his hands and with Minguk and Mina by his sides.

                “Happy birthday, eomma!” Minguk  yells as he runs over.

                “Yah, Kim Minguk, you knew about this and didn’t tell me?” I ask him.

                “Yes, appa told me to keep it a secret or else I wouldn’t be able to come.”

                “But how did you guys manage to come?” I ask Yongguk.

                “We took the long way to the hotel,” Himchan says with a chuckle. “That way Yongguk was able to get the kids dressed and out of the house to make it in time.”

                “Well thank you,” I say as I hug Himchan. “I love it.”

                “I knew you would,” he says with a chuckle. “Now let’s get this party started.”

                While the children are off playing with some other children that have come to the party, I’m off talking to people and thanking them. I never knew that Himchan was throwing me a party, but I guess that that’s the charm about surprise parties. They’re surprises.

                “Noona, happy birthday,” Daehyun says with a smile as he comes up to me.

                “Daehyun, I’m glad you could come,” I say as I go over and hug Daehyun. “It’s good to see you.”

                “It’s good to see you, too.”

                “When did you come back from your honeymoon?”

                “A couple of days ago,” he says with a chuckle.

                “That’s good, I’m glad you found someone.”

                “Thanks,” Daehyun says with a tad bit of nervousness in him.

                “What? Is there something wrong?” I ask him.

                “No,” he says with a chuckle. “It’s just kind of surreal to think that I’m married.”

                “I know that feeling,” I say as I take a brief glance towards Himchan who’s off talking to some of the other guests.

                “Noona,” Daehyun says interrupting my thoughts, “I’m glad that things worked out for you in the end.”

                “Thanks,” I say with a smile. “I’m glad that they worked out, too.”

                “Daehyun-samchoon, come play with me,” Minguk says as he comes up and tugs on Daehyun’s leg.

                “Minguk, I’m talking to your eomma right now,” Daehyun says as he looks at him.

                “That’s alright,” I say. “Go play with him.”

                “Are you sure?” Daehyun asks and I nod my head.

                “I’m sure,” I say. Daehyun then goes and takes Minguk to go play with him somewhere. Personally, I’m glad that Daehyun found a nice wife and I’m sure he’s nervous for the days to come, but I’m sure that they’ll be the happiest days in his life.

                “I’m sorry I lied to you,” Yongguk says coming up with a smile, “but it was Himchan’s idea and the kids also wanted you to have a party, especially Minguk.”

                “That’s alright, I’m surprised, but I enjoy it. It feels like forever since everyone was able to come together.”

                “It does,” Yongguk says as he nods his head. “It feels like a long time since I was able to see everyone, too. I guess life does take its toll.”

                “I hear that Jongup and Zelo are doing well.”

                “They are, they’re off to college now,” Yongguk says, “and they’re taking a break from music now, although you probably knew that. Maybe they’ll come back in the future and help me with the company. They’re actually overseas right now together on a trip and they’re sad that they couldn’t make it.”

                “That’s alright, I’m sure they want to live their lives. I’m happy for them. I’m happy for everyone, actually,” I say with a chuckle. “I mean, you and Jessica should get married soon.”

                “I don’t know if we’re ready for that,” Yongguk says with a shy smile.

                “But you guys have been engaged for a year already.”

                “A year is good, two years is nice. Right now we’re just focusing on our careers before we decide to settle down.”

                “But at least everything worked out for everyone.”

                “Yeah, they did, but I’m sorry, Jaime. I’m sorry for everything that happened and I’ll apologize for it until the day I die.”

                “You don’t need to, you’ve already done more than enough to prove that you’re sorry,” I tell him. “You’re there for Minguk now, and maybe one day in the future he’ll find out about his father and maybe he’ll be mad, but by being there for him and by personally stepping up and being there for him now will mean a lot to him in the future, and it means a lot to me. Thank you, Yongguk-oppa.”

                “Well thank you for giving me the opportunity to,” Yongguk says with a smile.

                “Jaime, um, sorry to interrupt, but can I have this dance?” Himchan asks as he comes over. I take a look at Yongguk and he just nods his head before I go off with Himchan. “So, what were you guys talking about?”

                “Just about life,” I say as I wrap my arms around Himchan’s neck. “Why? Are you jealous?”

                “Maybe,” he says with a chuckle.

                “You don’t have to be jealous,” I say as I look into Himchan’s eyes, “because I only love you.”

                “That’s good to hear,” he says with a chuckle. “But through planning this party, I’ve come to realize everything that you’ve always done for me and the kids up until now. It makes me appreciate you even more.”

                “I’m glad to hear that.”

                “You know, after all these years, I find myself falling more and more in love with you, Jaime. Thank you for accepting me and thank you for letting me have beautiful children.”

                “You’re welcome,” I say with a chuckle. “And thank you for letting me lean on you and being by my side when I need you the most.”

                “You’re welcome,” Himchan says as he begins to close the distance between us two. “Happy birthday, Jaime, let’s spend many more together,” Himchan whispers before he presses our lips together.

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And this is it. This is the end of the alternate ending and the end of the story. 

I thank everyone for reading and for following this story through its ups and downs and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it since it is slightly...kind of based off of real experiences, well past experiences since I'm still a teenager.

Anyway, that'll be explained more in the next chapter, which is the Extra Stuffs chapter, which is next, along with some songs relating to the story and some trivia about the story.

 

So, here's Chapter 31, and the alternate ending Chapter 4. Hope you enjoyed :D

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Comments

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firstzyx #1
Chapter 32: Duh, i really like this story. Actually im in himchan team, nah i felt bad for yongguk tho. The one who date her for 4 years is him but they're like strangers to each other. I wonder how it felt, he's dated her 4 years for crying out loud and ended up marrying one night stand gurrl gah nu uh good job
YouxJr #2
Chapter 32: i'm team yongguk, but i love both ending :'D
strongbabemegg
#3
Chapter 31: This alternative endong is so gooooooooood! I'm happy for jaime & himchan!!
xchessthebest
#4
Chapter 32: I'm so sad this is over. ;_;
puing12
#5
Chapter 32: Omg this was a great ending *0* ♥
I don't know which one I liked more because both are super :)
Great job!
BYGismine95
#6
Chapter 30: The story is amazing! Can't wait for the next chapter to be out! Fighting!
puing12
#7
Chapter 30: OMO! HE SAID IT WHAAAAAAA!!!!!!
Finally after years he confessed *0*
xchessthebest
#8
Chapter 30: Himchan's so brave. ;_;
I hope Jaime gets with him!
puing12
#9
Chapter 29: OMG HE REALLY SLEPT WITH JESSICA?! O.o
Omo! Himchan go go! This is your chance *0*
xchessthebest
#10
Chapter 29: I was not expecting her to be pregnant.. Omg