Part IV

The next day, Siwon oppa and Kyuhyun came by. They’re planning to take Suho from us while sending us off to the airport.

Seohyun and I are leaving to the U.S. I’m going to meet my family-so exciting!

My friends were sending us off too. I’m thankful that they could spend their time for us despite their busy schedules. Seohyun and I are ready. We brought our own backpacks and a luggage.

“Attention to all the passengers to LA, please make your way to the plane right away. Once again…”

“I guess that’s our call. We’re going on the flight now. Thanks for sending us off”, I spoke. We were hugging each other. Lastly, I went to Siwon oppa.

“Thanks for sending me off. You’re a great oppa!” I showed my thumbs up. He did the same and we chuckled.

“Mom-my!” Little Suho called. He’s in Seohyun’s arms now from Kyuhyun oppa’s. I guessed my wife is sad. I went beside her.

“I’ll miss you, Suho!” my wife said and hugged the little boy. The boy cooed away. I guessed he’s sad too.

“Yah! We’re not leaving forever! It’s just a trip, Suho-yah! You’re making it dramatic!” I scolded playfully while playing with his hand. He understood what I said and responded with a smile. I melted.

“He’ll grow up handsome like his fathers!” I said and my wife nodded away.   

“Bye guys, we’ll be back in three days!” I said and we waved our hands. We took steps towards the plane, and we flied.
 

-
 

We arrived in LA airport and my sister, Michele picked us up. She then drove us to my family house.

Argh, I miss LA. I’ll pay my mom’s grave a visit later with Seohyun. As soon as we arrived, I landed on the couch. I’m jetlag, as well as Seohyun. Michelle smiled looking at us.

“Go and take a rest while I’ll cook dinner for us. Daddy will be home soon, and Leo will arrive here tomorrow from Philippine,” Michelle told me. I excitedly sat up and looked up to my sister.

“Is Leo coming here because he knows I’m here?” I asked her with my fluent English. Michelle chuckled.

“Of course he is. He misses her sister so much too! And even if you’re married, you’ll always look like a kid to me, dad and Leo, baby cake!” Michelle teased me. I blushed upon hearing my sister’s nickname for me.

It’s not like I don’t like to be pampered and called baby by my family, but I was embarrassed to be called that in front of my Seobaby. I’m older than her yet I’m much spoiled compared to her.

I saw how Seohyun stared at us in amusement.

“Ahh, I miss Leo!” I whined. My wife chuckled.

“Yah, can you stop speaking English? Can’t you see your wife’s here and would be uncomfortable hearing you guys spoke English in front of her?” I heard a voice scolded me playfully. I turned around and saw my dad. I got up immediately.

“DAD!” I whined and ran to my dad then hugged him tightly. I missed him so much. I heard daddy chuckled.

“How are you, Miyoungie?” my dad asked in Korean. I snorted.

“Why are you calling Miyoungie? We’re not in Korea though!” I pouted. My dad chuckled.

“Aigoo, you’re so cute! Oh Juhyun-ah, I’m sorry you have to see this side of your wife! As you know, she’s the maknae in the family, so we treated her like a baby and she got pampered so much!” my dad told Seohyun. I was embarrassed. I forgot that Seohyun was there too.

“It’s okay dad!” My wife approached my dad and bowed to him. My father smiled proudly.

“How long are you guys going to be here?” my dad asked.

“For a week. It’s long enough to make my desk full of files from work!” I complaint and pouted while still hugging my father. I just didn’t want to let him go because I missed him so much.

“Enough of that, baby cake. Let go of dad, your wife is jealous already!” my sister said. I looked at Seohyun and she was blushing. I guessed my sister’s words made her felt embarrassed for getting caught.

“Alright, you guys should take a rest. I bet you guys must be jetlag!” my dad said.

I yawned. “Alright dad, you’re right. I’m sleepy already. Let us rest for a while, okay!” I said and I saw my dad and sister nodded their heads. I brought my luggage and walked  to my bedroom while Seohyun followed close behind me.

“Ahh, it’s been so long!” I shouted and bounced on the bed while stretching my hands in the air. My wife chuckled.

“You looked like a kid!”

“Of course I’m a kid – your kid!” My wife smiled. She then walked closer towards me.

“You are my kid, baby cake!” she mimicked me and then my sister by calling me baby cake. I snorted upon hearing it from her.

“Ptf, don’t call me baby cake!”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a nickname from my sister. It’s not nice to hear it from you!”

“But I like it!”

“But I don’t!” Seohyun relented.

“Fine, I’ll call you my cupcake then!”

“It’s a BIG NO!”

“Why not?” My wife looked at if it’s ridiculous that I disagreed to the nickname.

“It’s cute though!”

“It’s not. Cupcake and baby cake are just the same!”

“It’s not the same!” I pouted. I knew I lost in the argument. I wondered why I started we argued over this ridiculous topic.

“Okay, enough. Let’s drop the topic!”

“It’s my cupcake then!” my wife squealed excitedly. I looked at in amusement.

“Are you that excited?”

“Finally you give in to me!” My wife was so excited as if she won a debate against a politician.

“I’m tired, let’s sleep for a while!” she said and lied down besides me. She cuddled closer to me. And soon, we fell asleep.

-
 

Tiffany unnie’s family and I were eating dinner together in the house. Michelle unnie cooked and I heard my father in-law did too. Guess what’s for dinner?

It’s bloody medium steak! It’s America, people! And I really loved it!

“Hmm, it’s good, Michelle unnie!” I praised. Michelle unnie beamed proudly. Tiffany unnie smiled gratefully at me for getting along well with her family.

“Nah, it’s daddy who cooked this! I was just helping!” Michelle unnie was being too humble. I really liked to be around Tiffany unnie’s family. My father in-law chuckled sheepishly.

“Daddy is a really good cook. He even good at making Korean dishes!” Tiffany unnie bragged proudly.

“How strange?! The father is a good cook, but the daughter is the worst?!” I decided to tease Tiffany unnie. She looked flustered at my words. She couldn’t believe her own wife just commented about her in front of her family. My father in-law and Michelle unnie laughed. I joined them.

“Yah, Seo Juhyun! Whose wife are you – daddy or me?” she pouted. Gosh, this side of my wife was just too cute.

“But she’s the best wife ever!” I suddenly felt like bragging about Tiffany unnie in front of her family. Her face was reddening hearing her wife’s boldness. I enjoyed seeing her like this.

“Really? Then is she good in bed?” my father in-law asked. This time, I was the one who’s blushing.

No one knows just how good she was in bed except for me.

“Have you guys ever planned to have a child? I heard technology nowadays can do anything including making a woman gets pregnant possible,” daddy suddenly brought up topics about having a child. I looked up to look at Tiffany unnie’s reaction, but I saw she was nonchalant.

“We don’t have any plan like that. Besides, I don’t think having a child is necessary at the moment!” she spoke. I looked surprised at her. I never thought she thought like that. I was hurt because she decided on her own without telling me when she knew how much I love kids.

“Why do you think you shouldn’t have one by now?” Michelle unnie asked. I guessed she was surprised too to hear the words came out from her sister.

My wide didn’t answer. She must be feeling guilty after slipping the words.

“It’s all on God’s hand. If He wants to give us one, then we’ll get one. If not, then we have none!” I replied calmly on her behalf. Tiffany unnie was grateful.

“You should give it a try. I want a grandchild from you!” daddy said. And we quickly dropped the topic to avoid any tense atmosphere.
 

-

It was left me with Michelle in the kitchen to wash the dishes. Seohyun’s with daddy at the living room, probably were talking about our marriage.

“I knew what you said back there, Steph!” Michelle suddenly spoke. I looked at her confusedly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” I asked innocently.

“About having a child – you said it’s not necessary at the moment!”

I could sense Michelle was disappointed in me.

“Look, it’s not like I’ve never thought about it, but I have a career…”

“You and your career! It’s always like that, isn’t it? Steph, from what I can see, Seohyun loved kids and I don’t think you want to hurt her like this. About your career, you can achieve higher later. Having a child is a blessing from God. If you’re still thinking like that, then what’s the point in marrying Seohyun if you’re not ready to have a child with her?”

I knew it’s no point in arguing with Michelle because what she had said earlier was true. There’s no point got married if I didn’t plan to have a child with her. I sighed.

“Think about it, baby cake!” she patted my shoulder walked off from the kitchen. I felt hopeless.

-
 

The next morning, after having breakfast, Michelle and daddy went off to work. I took this chance to bring Seohyun to my mom’s grave.

I stopped by a flower shop to buy my mom’s favorite – the pink carnation. Mom was just like me – we both were crazy about pink. My father said, every time if my mom was sulking with my father, he would buy a pink flower to persuade her. At the end, mom always gave in to daddy.

We arrived about 10 minutes after buying the flower. We walked hand in hand as we stopped in front of the graveyard. I put the flower on.

“Mom, how have you been?” I asked while cleaning the grave. My wife was helping me.

“I miss you so much, mom. I’m sorry for not visiting sooner!” I was feeling sorry to not pay a visit for a long time. It’s just me – who’s busy all the time in Korean.

“Mom, this is my wife, Seo Juhyun? She’s pretty, isn’t she? I’m sorry for not bringing her here earlier after we got married”

“Hello, mother! I’m Seo Juhyun, Tiffany’s forever love. I heard many good things about you from Tiffany unnie. I hope you give us your blessing. Rest in peace, mother. P/s – Thanks for giving birth to a beautiful daughter like Tiffany unnie. She’s a good friend, unnie and wife to me, thanks to you mother!”

Tsk, my wife was being cheesy, isn’t she?

Suddenly, I thought of Michelle’s words last night.


“What do you think if mom decided to not to give birth to you because she thought it didn’t necessary since she already had a girl and a boy and was busy catching up with her career? Hurt, isn’t it? Then, the same goes to your future child. They’ll think – mom thought it didn’t necessary to give birth to me because of her career, which means she didn’t love me and instead, she loved career more!”


Her words were like a sharp blade pierce through my heart. It hurt so badly.

TBC