Part 2 - The Active Phase

The minute they reached home from the hospital, Yonghwa immediately helped Seohyun into bed. With the help of Mrs Jung, the mattress cover had already been changed. Seohyun smiled gratefully at her mother in law and could not stop thanking her. But Mrs Jung just waived it off and kept saying that it was the least she could do to help. The conversation between his wife and his mother, left Yonghwa standing in amusement. He could not help but think that they were just too polite!

Mrs Jung had cut some peaches for Seohyun and gave it to her. Again, the changes of 'thank you's and 'it's okay's were heard causing Yonghwa to grin again. How he just loved the two women in front of him! He watched as his mother feed some peaches to Seohyun. He felt touched that he was unable to take it anymore. So he walked towards them, and laid a kiss on top of each of their heads causing the two women to look up at him in surprised.

"Uh? What was that for?" His mother had asked, her face portrayed confusion. Seohyun on the other hand just nodded, her eyes asking the same thing.

"I-I-I'm just thankful." Yonghwa stuttered unable to express himself all of a sudden. "Thank you for just being here, the two of you."

Mrs Jung suddenly understood what her son was trying to say. She got up from the bed and hugged her son. "Don't worry, omma's always here for you. Even when you're married, I'll still be here."

Seohyun bit her lips. The scene before her touched her heart. Tears started to trail down her cheeks and she quickly had them wiped away. How she suddenly wished that her own mother was here with her right now. She wanted her omma too.

As if knowing what Seohyun had just thought of, Mrs Jung said, "I called your parents already Joohyun-ah. They'll be coming soon."

Seohyun smiled widely. How she adored her mother in law so much. She seemed to know everything! "Gamsahamida ommoni. Sinchia gamsahamida."

"It's the least I could do." Mrs Jung smiled. "Hurry up, go get some rest you two."

"Ahrasso ommoni." Seohyun and Yonghwa answered as they watched the older woman walked out of their room. And minutes later, Seohyun and Yonghwa were fast asleep.

******

Two hours later, Seohyun suddenly woke up from her deep slumber. She needed the toilet very ungently. She looked over at Yonghwa who was in a deep sleep. She could not possibly wake him up. So she decided to be independent and walked to the toilet by herself. But the moment she made a move to get down from the bed, Yonghwa suddenly sprung up and the next second she knew, he was already beside her, helping her.

"Ah! Sinchia! Why didn't you wake me up?" Yonghwa asked, frowning.

"Y-You were sleeping well, I don't want to disturb you." Seohyun said, her lips forming into a little pout.

"Still, you know you need the help right?" Yonghwa shook his head in annoyment. Sometimes she was just too concerned of others and never think about herself first.

Yonghwa helped Seohyun whilst she was in the toilet to make sure that she was fine. Then he helped her back to the bed. They took small steps. Then suddenly, Seohyun stopped walking and gripped Yonghwa's hands tightly causing him to yelp in response. He looked at his wife, totally confused. A few minutes later her grip loosened and Yonghwa took a deep breath trying to ease the pain in his hands.

"Wae? What was that?" Yonghwa asked the moment Seohyun was safe in bed.

"I think I just had my first contraction." Seohyun replied, smiling tiredly.

"Ah! Sinchia?" Yonghwa frowned with worry. "Should we go to the hospital again?"

"Ani. We don't have to. It might just be the Braxton Hicks contractions."

"AH..." Yonghwa nodded his head. "But what is that? Braz-Braxton Hicks?"

"Braxton Hicks." Seohyun corrected him. "Braxton Hicks is a false or practice labor contractions."

"So you mean it's a false alarm?"

"Hm, something like that." Seohyun nodded her head as she leaned back against her pillows. "There'll be more of it."

"So you'll be squeezing my hands more often then?" Yonghwa asked.

Seohyun laughed. "Alright, I won't squeeze your hands again after this."

"Ani. It's alright. I should feel the pain of labor too." Yonghwa winked. "Aigoo. It must have been painful for you right?"

"It's not painful, just felt uncomfortable. The pain will come in the later part of the contractions."

"I see." Yonghwa nodded. "Okay, now I want you to rest. Get some sleep again. It's only eight in the morning."

"Aigoo! i slept enough already!" Seohyun whined.

"Ahrasso, ahrasso." Yonghwa said as he slipped into bed next to her. Seohyun adjusted herself so that she was leaning against Yonghwa instead in her highly stacked pillows. "Should I sing you a lullaby then?"

Seohyun's smile widened. She loves listening to Yonghwa's voice. "Okay. Sing for me the banmal song, your version. Our baby wants to listen to it too." Seohyun rubbed her belly once more.

"Okay then..." And Yonghwa proceeded to sing the song until he managed to get Seohyun to sleep.

******

"Aigoo! What happened here again?" Mrs Jung asked as she threw the laundry basket down onto the floor and rushed towards Seohyun and Yonghwa. Seohyun had her hands wrapped around Yonghwa's hands again, squeezing it tightly. Yonghwa who was getting immuned to his wife's grip just bit his lips.

"Aniyo ommoni." Seohyun finally said once she felt the contraction fading. "Just another contraction. I'll be fine."

"How long is the contraction that you're having now?" Mrs Jung asked worriedly.

"It's still around twenty minutes apart." Seohyun told her.

Mrs Jung looked at her daughter in law in awe. "You've been reading a lot haven't you?"

Seohyun smiled. "It's what I love to do. Furthermore it gives me more information on labor."

"You're such a darling!" Mrs Jung pinched her cheeks gently before going off to continue with the laundry.

"What was that about? We need to time the contraction as well?" Yonghwa asked in disbelief. "Is twenty minutes apart good or not?"

"Twenty minutes is quite long, so in other words, i'm still not ready for birth yet." Seohyun explained.

"So how long must the contractions be in order for us to know the right time for birth?"

"Hm, if I'm not mistaken, if the contractions is within three to five minutes."

"Okay, call me immediately when that happens." Yonghwa reminded.

Seohyun laughed. "Ahrasso yeobo. You'll be the first one to know."

Just then a car horn sounded just outside the house. Yonghwa immediately got up and went to take a look. He smiled the moment he saw Seohyun's mother and father getting off the car.

"Ommonim, abeonim!" Yonghwa went out to greet the couple. They were smiling as they saw their son in law coming their way.

"Yonghwa-ya, how are you?" Mrs Seo asked when Yonghwa took hold of the bags which were in her hands.

"I'm fine ommonim. Please come in." Yonghwa led them towards the front door and waited for them to go inside. "Joohyun-ah, your mother and father are here."

Seohyun smile brightened the moment she saw her mother and father entered the house. She held out her hands to her mother who scooted towards her in a hurry. Her father lingered back with Yonghwa, quietly observing the loving exchange between the mother and daughter.

"Hyun-ah, you've been well?" Mrs Seo asked as she caressed her daughter's cheeks tenderly.

"Ne ommoni. I'm doing fine." Seohyun replied.

"Have you had your contractions yet?"

"Ne. It's still quite far apart."

"Good, good."

Seohyun turned her head to look at her father. "Abeoji, aren't you going to hug your pregnant daughter here?"

"Of course I have too!" Mr Seo exclaimed as he walked closer towards Seohyun. "I'm giving your mother a chance to hug you first."

"Ah jeongmal!" Seohyun grinned.

"Aigoo! I can't believe you're going to be a mother soon!" Mr Seo sighed. Both him and his wife were already seated on either side of Seohyun on the sofa.

"Someday I have to give grandchildren to the two of you right?" Seohyun leaned her head onto her father's shoulder.

"I'm proud of the two of you." Mrs Seo said, gesturing to Yonghwa and Seohyun. "You've gone through a lot to be together, until you're married and even now, going to be a mother and father soon. I just envy you."

"Ommoni, wae? We should be the ones to envy you and not the other way round." Seohyun said.

"What we've gone through is quite easy and simple. I met your dad and we fell in love and then we got married. Then we have you. And finally, we live happily ever after." Mrs Seo continued. "But the two of you have to go through with the singer's contracts first, then the underground dating, facing the wrath of your fans, wait for a few years first and then when things were quiet enough, you got married, then wait for another few years again, then have a child. Isn't it adventurous enough to you?"

Seohyun and Yonghwa laughed. It was so true! And they had never thought of their relationship that way, an adventure. A perfect adventure!

The conversations carried on throughout the day. At the same time, Seohyun still felt the contractions during the late mornings and also in the afternoons but she still kept her calm and regularly check her contractions timing.

Finally it was dinner time. The whole family were gathered at the table; Yonghwa, Seohyun, Yonghwa's mother and Seohyun's parents. Seohyun's mother and Yonghwa's mother worked hand in hand to produce the mouth-watering dishes prepared on the table. Most of it were Yonghwa's and Seohyun's favourite food.

Yonghwa was eating well at dinner. However Seohyun suddenly had a lost in her appetite. She knew her contractions were coming at a regular pace now. Her last timing was about six minutes apart. The time range was getting shorter whereas the contractions were lasting longer than before.

"Please excuse me for a moment." Seohyun stood up, her hands holding at the side of the table tightly.

"Where are you going?" Yonghwa asked as he stood up beside his wife as well.

"I need to go to the washroom." Seohyun whispered.

"I'll just go and help Joohyun for a moment." Yonghwa informed the elders around the table who just nodded their heads and smiled.

Yonghwa quickly escorted Seohyun to the toilet. "I'll be fine." Seohyun said the moment they reached the toilet door.

"Let me come in with you." Yonghwa persuaded as he tried to push himself in into the toilet together with his wife.

"No need. I can manage." Seohyun told him, pushing him back out.

"Ahrasso, just don't lock the door." Yonghwa told her and she nodded.

Seohyun went in and closed the door behind her. Yonghwa on the other hand had leaned his body against the wall beside the toilet door. He waited patiently and worriedly for Seohyun to come out.

"AHHHHH!!!"

Yonghwa straightened up the moment he heard Seohyun screamed. He quickly forced himself into the unlocked toilet door to see his wife seated on the toilet bowl with her maternity dress rode up to her waist and her pooled around her feet. Usually, that kind of sight would make him grinned in amusement followed by a tinge of arousal but at that point of time he was enveloped with another feeling, feeling of worry.

"Love! What happened?" Yonghwa asked as he knelt down in front of his wife.

Seohyun looked at her husband and sobbed. "B-b-blood. There's blood on my !"

Yonghwa gulped as he looked down. And true enough there were stains of blood on her and that made him scared.

"How long is your contraction now?" Yonghwa asked again, now fully understanding Seohyun's explanation on contractions earlier.

"I-I-I lost count." Seohyun stammered. "Less that six minutes? Five? Four? Three? I'm not sure."

"Let's get you to the hospital." Yonghwa said as calmly as possible. He helped Seohyun with her cleaning and got her ready to go out of the toilet. He was not going to allow his wife to walk and so he mustered all his strength to lift her up bridal style.

"OMMONI!" Yonghwa cried as he passed the dining table, with Seohyun in his hands. Their parents had shocked expressions on their faces upon seeing the scene before them. "OPEN THE CAR DOOR FOR ME! JOOHYUN'S IN LABOR!"