I waited, pacing up and down in the hospital, ready for the doctor to come out and tell me something. Anything. When I the inevitable came to pass and he finally came over to me in the emergency room waiting section, I almost pounced on him.

When my parents had told me they were having another child I was slightly angry. Call me selfish, but I was ready at that time to leave home. I’d gotten a University scholarship and I was ready to start working, maybe even see some of the world. The fact that I was going to have another sibling, but I wouldn’t be around as much to take care of her/him, angered me slightly, and there was a twenty-one year . That worried me. A lot.

But I’d gotten over that initial anger.

How did I feel whilst I waited? I was ready. Scared, but ready.

Ready to be a part of it, and love him or her, and everything. Even if I wasn’t always going to be there. I brought Yongguk along because he was really the support I sorta-kinda-definitely needed. The support my new sibling needed. The doctor shot a confused glace at Guk before turning to face me.

“Junhong?” I nodded enthusiastically, “Follow me.” The doctor walked briskly ahead, I made a reach for Guk’s slightly sweaty palm. He smiled nervously at me, squeezing my fingers in encouragement.

The room was really dim; my mum lay on the bed, a bundle of pink blankets resting in her arms. She smiled like an angel when she saw me. Right now we couldn’t catch up, there were other things. More important brand new tiny things in pink blankets - to be more specific. When my Dad rang me on the phone, I took the first taxi here, I didn’t even think to bring a gift for a woman who’d spent 20 hours in labour, but I don’t think she cared. I sat on the right side of the bed; Yongguk debated whether or not to sit before parking himself on the left, squeezing my mum’s hand.

She just handed me the pink blankets, and I saw the puffy little devil that’d come out fighting. Her eyes stayed firmly shut, but she gave a big yawn as soon as I started rocking her gently.

She looked absolutely perfect.

“Her name’s Mei.”

“Mei.” I repeated softly.