Ethereal

Spending Christmas with your love one is priceless. The memories are ethereal.

With his baby daughter cradled in his arms, Minho stares in fascination at the tiny face looking back at him with huge brown eyes, so like his own. This is the first time he holds his daughter. Not certain what to say and absolutely unwilling to give up the pleasure of holding his baby for the long queuing line of friends behind him, he decided to carry him over to the window of the hospital room, away from them. He reaches down and touches the tiny hand with his little finger, his brow furrowed with alarm. Right then he glanced over his shoulder.

“She seems…small.” He announced with fatherly concern.

His wife chuckles. A strong woman, she is. Not a single scream was let out when she gave out this little one a few hours ago. However, ten hours of pain and physical exertion managed to take a lot of her strength. Her face is now pale and weary, yet not her smile. She still wears the smile that he loves on her. Lying on a bed of white satin, Minho watches his wife as her expression filled with amusement.

“A little small at the moment,” her husky voice gently . “To rule the castle that you made for her.”

Wonder lit his eyes, “She might never be able to wear the dresses Key had designed for her.”

With a careful gentleness, he plants a chaste kiss on his daughter’s soft cheeks.

“You, little one, really know how to make a grand debut.” He said, smiling down at the little creature in his arms. The girl wailed, causing Minho to grin. “I can see that you agree with me. Clever girl.” He then buries his face inside the crook of her frail neck and with tender, he whispered,

“Merry Christmas, darling.”

It took him awhile to register his mind. Just a few moments ago, they were preparing for Christmas. He was decorating the tree with his brother when all of sudden his mother screamed out his name, his wife apparently had a terrible fall half way down a flight of steps, three weeks before her due date. More than terrified he had ever been, they quickly sent her to the hospital and was swiftly relieved to find out that both mother and the baby was perfectly fine – up till the brink of Christmas. She had utterly erratic contractions ever since and we spent the eve inside the birthing room. Everyone else ate roasted turkey and minced pies for Christmas dinner whilst he managed to swallow down a few chips Sooyoung brought for him - only when his wife insisted on it. His wife, on the other hand, ate nothing at all. The pain destroyed her appetite, she claimed.

But all of that did not matter anymore when his daughter’s cry majestically echoed around the room. Everything seems unnecessary except for those exact moments, the moment when his small family is finally complete.

“Yuri?” He called his wife with ample adoration as he crosses to her bed.

Yuri, looking drowsy, barely opens her eyes to see him as he lies down next to her at the bed.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, her smile became a puzzled frown.

“Nothing serious.” He smiled, “I just remembered that we haven’t talk about names yet.”

Smiling again, she studies his grin as he continues to stare at their child, unable to take his eyes of her.

“Do you have any suggestion?”

Lifting his head, Minho looked at Yuri and his heart was in his eyes.

“Yes.” With tender solemnity, he whispers, “Ethereal. Because...because..." Honestly, there are no words or name to describe his perfect daughter, "because I think she's the most beautiful baby ever. She seems so unreal. It feels like heaven.”

She gently nods in mutual agreement.

“It’s a beautiful name.” Yuri said in an aching whisper.

Both of them savour their precious moments with their daughter. They coo the little child with amusement as if she understands them. And the baby simply stares at them, enraptured. It was a wonderful moment for them. Happiness plastered all over their faces. Until a moment later when he felt his shoulder was being patted aggressively.

He spins around.

“It’s our turn!”

It was Jonghyun…and Sooyoung and Boa and Key and Jessica and Yoona and Taemin and Hyoyeon and Seohyun and Taeyeon and the list goes on and on till the end of the room where his ‘Kyu-line’, Kyuhyun and Changmin, groan impatiently at him. He looks back at his wife and both of them chuckles at the scene.

Minho and Yuri were utterly thankful that their friends, the whole SM town specifically, came to share this piece of happiness that they just received, spending what’s left of the Christmas with the new parents.

It is a jolly Christmas. An ethereal moment indeed.

*****

Enjoy