One week after UWT. I kept my promise. Hehe... I'm not confident at all. I suddenly found this story difficult to write >.<
But the end is not far anyway. Perhaps one more chapter and an epilogue, that's all. So, two updates away :)

Well, excuse this amateurish story. As I was writing, I noticed my bad habit in writing. I could use more research too.
It's all a good lesson for me to prepare the next on going story :)

Ok now, enough talking. Enjoy! Or I'd better say, bear with it :3

***

That afternoon, Sunny went to visit her therapist at her office again. She brought two cups of still hot latte in her hand while pressing the door handle down with her elbow and pushing the door open with her back.

Seeing her client came in with such a relaxed manner made the therapist beam. She seemed to start getting back to her old self. The therapist stopped typing on her keyboard, turned slightly to the front and clasped her hands on the table in front of her, looking rather satisfied. "I see someone's feeling happy today."

Sunny smiled. "Not exactly happy, but I had decided on something."

"And what is that?" She saw her client making her way to her office desk instead, not the usual cream-colored sofa.

Sunny placed the two cups on the desk. One was within her therapist range, and the other was right in front of her. She dragged the chair a little to the back, just enough for her to squeeze in her legs and sit down.

"I've been thinking about your suggestion."

"Which one? I thought I gave you many."

"Too many actually." Sunny joked. "Well, the one about I should tell my family. You're right. They deserve to know. And the fact that I can share so many to you but not to them makes me guilty. Well, without diminishing your effort though. I know it's your knack to get a piercing thorn out of somebody's heart."

The therapist smiled, feeling satisfied. "Good to hear that. It will help you lighten the baggage you're carrying in your heart." She raised her cup of latte and gesturing it towards Sunny, asking her permission to drink it.

The latter made a gesture of approval before saying, "I hope so. Although I'm not sure how to break the news to them. It's nearly five months after the incident. Must be weird for them to acquaint with an event that has passed that long."

"It could possibly be." The therapist agreed with her. "So how do you want to tell them, and when? Personally or assisted?"

"What would you suggest?" She asked her therapist. Her hand slowly twirled the coffee cup which was now in her right hand out of habit.

"It's up to you. Just do it how you are comfortable with. If you feel less pressure to have a discussion at home and tell them personally, then please. If you need my assistance, then I'll be gladly to help," explained the therapist.

Sunny thought for a while. "I think I want to personally tell them, but I'd like you to be there just in case. Can you?"

"Not a problem at all," the therapist smiled. "Then it will be better to hold the session here. We can use a small meeting room. Do you need more time to prepare yourself?"

"I think I do. Can I use this weekend for that? Then maybe we can hold the session next Monday. Are you available?"

She took her agenda and opened it on the said date. The therapist bobbed her head lightly in approval. "I'm free after lunch time. Should I schedule you like at two o'clock?"

"2 o'clock is okay," Sunny answered.

"Alright then. Now let me check on the other thing first." The therapist picked up the phone to call the administration. After a brief conversation about room booking, she put down the phone and jotted down on her agenda. "Okay, every thing is settled. Since the discussion is going to hold here anyway, might be better if I inform your family. It's easier for you anyway. What do you think?"

"Yes please, if it's not a bother for you." A layer of tension seemed to be lifted off her face. She smiled gratefully to the young smart therapist in front of her.

"Not a problem at all, Ms. Sunny," the therapist smiled back.

She lifted up her cup of coffee and took a little sip when Sunny sincerely said, "Thank you Kim Hyoyeon for everything you have done to me all these time. You're a good listener and adviser." She called her by her name as to show her gratitude for not only being a good therapist but also a good friend.

The therapist had to chuckle. She put down her coffee before joking, "I have to, remember? I will be kicked off this job if I don't."

Sunny joined in, chortled, "You're right."

***

"Good afternoon," greeted the therapist to the family sitting around the circular conference table. "You might wonder the reason I asked you to come here."

The whole family including Sunny's parents, one of her sister and her husband were sitting with somewhat a solemn look. Sunny's second eldest sister was not there for she was in Kuwait at that time.

"I'm here to act as a mediator between my client, Ms. Sunny and her family," the therapist cast a glance to the petite woman who was fidgeting nervously in her seat right beside her, and one around her family who were as anxious knowing that this discussion was going to be serious. "There are some issue Ms. Sunny wants to reveal to her family, yet she asked me to be here for moral support. She will tell you personally. Right Ms. Sunny?" the therapist nodded at her encouragingly. She knew how hard it was for Sunny to come out. Her pride was already scarred, and her confession to her family would make it scarred even further. Besides, it would make her felt more ashamed of her current state. However, she knew that the confession is necessary for her heart to be healed.

Sunny looked back at the therapist, gulped down, trying her best to calm herself before turning to face her family and started talking, stuttering, "I... umm... C-can you promise that after whatever I'm telling you, you won't do any harm to S-sungmin?"

"Dear, what is this about?" her mother asked in a caring gentle tone, yet not without a hint of consternation.

"It- it may sound weird, but I- he- I was-," Sunny bobbed her head to her therapist, desperately looking for help.

The therapist nodded her head understandingly, "I'm sorry to break the news like this. Despite your previous request to report to you, I apparently couldn't since the client herself didn't allow me to. However, since Ms. Lee grant me the permission just last week, so now I'm able to tell you. I'm so sorry to say that she was abused and by her partner."

A loud bang on wooden surface was coming from where Hojoon was sitting. His face was red, livid from the news he just heard, when all the other faces in the room turned ashen. The news was too much for them to handle. Sunny stole glances around from under her fringe as she was looking down her hands on her lap when her therapist relied the information.

"That dickhead! I'm so going to kill him!" Hojoon cursed out loud.

"Oppa, y-you promised," Sunny finally found her voice again. She reminded him timidly.

"I didn't promise you anything! Did you hear me saying yes to your request?!"

"Oppa, please," Sunny begged.

"Don't defend him! You want us to forgive him that easily?! You want ME to forgive him that easily? Are you out of your mind?! He hurt you, Sunny! He made you went through horrible time. Heck, you almost lost your life, and who caused that?!" he shouted loudly. The therapist tried to interrupt him, to calm him down, yet without any avail as he continued. "Now tell me, is the baby in your womb the result?! Was it conceived when you were or was it not?!"

"Oppa..." Sunny's voice trailed down uncertainly.

"Answer me, Sunny!"

"Hojoon!" Sunny's father, his father-in-law hollered. His voice was stern. That shut Hojoon up at once.

"Sorry," he mumbled. His wife reached out to held his lower arm, trying to calm him down although it was clear that she had not calmed herself down yet.

Mr. Lee were looking at Sunny. He sat up straight, his eyes were soft yet unyielding, "Tell me, honey. What did he really do to you?"

Sunny was hesitant at first. But seeing her father's eyes, she couldn't help but resigned and tell the truth, "You know how he was having a hard time with his business, right Appa? That night we... had a very ugly argument about he should accept my help financially. He seemed to be really offended when I raised the topic again, and it- it happened."

"Was- was the slight purplish marks on you arms when you started visiting again his doing?" her mother asked.

She recalled the first time her daughter came for her regular weekly visit after two weeks of absence. The moment when Sunny came into the reading room where she was, with a dejected face and slight bruises on her arms shook her heart. But at that time, she thought it was because some argument the younger couple had, so she just hugged her and talked something lightly to bring smile to her daughter's face again.

As she remembered how Sunny's face had never brightened up since then, guilt started to creep in. She was thinking how bad she was a mother; she saw those bruises yet she chose to ignore. She took it lightly. Sunny smiled bitterly at her mother's question that made the old woman sat crestfallen on her seat. Her heart ached to know that her precious daughter was harmed such way.

"So, dear, is what Hojoon asking true?" the old man asked her daughter. His voice was calm and compassionate that made Sunny unable to avoid the question. She slowly nodded her head.

The parents looked at each other. They didn't really know how to react to a situation so foreign like this. Hearing about this mishap some time after their daughter just got back on her track, after their lives altogether were set on the original course once again, felt so unreal. Just as Sunny thought, her parents were unsure and torn about the situation. It might be easier for them if the convict was some stranger they didn't relate with. However, that was Sungmin, their son-in-law to-be, their regarded son. The fact wasn't sink in that easily.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table Hojoon was clenching his teeth so hard with his tightly balled hands pressing the wo

oden surface of the table with such a power. Unable to hold it any longer, he pushed his chair backward roughly and dashed out of the conference room while cursing loudly along the way. Eunkyu excused herself right away to follow her husband in a haste to make sure that he didn't do something foolish.

Sunny stared at the door which was just pulled to close automatically due to the door hydraulic system. She had a bad feeling about his leaving, yet she couldn't leave to tail him. She was the object of discussion anyway, and her parents were already requesting further discussion with the therapist about the details of their daughter's current state and the next step they should take. Therefore she could only sat there and convinced herself that nothing would go wrong and that her sister could handle her husband.

***

A knock came from outside her door. Sunny who was sitting in front of her laptop behind her desk at her parents house answered nonchalantly, "Come in."

Ever since she was discharged from the hospital, she lived in her parents' house. Her parents insisted on that for the convenience point. They feared that her stupid action would recur and when it happened again, they were afraid that they would really lost their daughter. However, they could take a deep breath and relaxed that after roughly one month of constant therapy sessions, Sunny seemed to get her life back, although in baby steps.

Her mother pushed open the door and took her steps in. "Sunny dear, can we talk for a moment?

There was something in her tone that made Sunny turned her head immediately to see her mother's poignant face as she was standing near the doorway, the door was left ajar.

"What's wrong, mum?" Sunny stood up and walked to her bed. She patted her bed once after she settled herself on it, motioning her mother to do the same.

Her mother came over. She wiped her cheek before she sat down beside her youngest daughter.

"Why are you crying, mum?" Sunny asked worriedly. She touched her mother's arm.

"I'm sorry," her tears rolled down again on her cheek. This time it flowed down freely, without any intention to stop. "I'm sorry."

"Why do you apologize for? You've done nothing," said the young one. The muscles on her face tensed up as her heart ached seeing her mother crying.

"That's the problem. I do nothing. Did nothing," she corrected her words. Her eyes were gleaming with tears as she looked into her daughter's beautiful eyes. "I know something was going on with you, yet I brushed it off, thinking that you might want to deal with it yourself as usual. If only I paid more attention to your bruised arms. If only I asked you what had happened when you came home and hugged me that time. If only I persuaded you to talk, maybe you wouldn't go through those hard time alone. Maybe you wouldn't try to cut your wrist."

Sunny felt a sting in her eyes as she heard her mother blaming herself for what had happened. "Mum, I'll get mad at you if you keep blaming yourself. What had happened to me was just an unfortunate accident. It could happen to anybody. The other one was my plain stupidity. Which I regret now, for I am actually afraid to lose you all."

"Still. How could anybody want to hurt you? How could he hurt you when I trust him to protect you?"

"Sungmin was not himself when he did that, mum. I knew. I understood. I accepted that fact. I've come at peace with that fact." Sunny reached out her hands to hold her mother's. "So, don't grieve for me. Don't hurt for me, but smile and support. I need that the most right now."

Sunny leaned over to hug her mom, who were now sniffling in her shoulder.

Since when has my little baby grown into this fine mature woman. She thought. Despite the somber mood, the older woman found herself chortled a little.

"Why are you now laughing, mum? You're so weird," commented Sunny, pulling her mother off her.

"Sorry. But it's funny that I'm the one who should be comforting you, not the other way around." She wiped the streaks of tears on her cheek with both hands, and leaned across to wipe her daughter's tears off her cheeks.

"Yeah. You're weird, mom," Sunny chortled along. She went quiet though when her mother reached out to touch the slight bump on her belly.

"No matter how you are conceived, I want you to know that you are one of my precious grandchild. So grow healthily, okay," her mother said to her belly.

When the older woman touched the slight baby bump, Sunny felt a rippling sensation in her belly. It was as if something was responding to the touch, which sent her into a daze.

"When will you see the ob-gyn again?" her mother asked, broke her trance.

"Oh, this Saturday."

"You want me to accompany you?"

"No need, mom," she answered. "Sooyoung and Yuri had been begging to accompany me. Besides, I need to confess to them too. I feel bad for leaving them in the dark all these time. So, we're going to hang out before going to hospital."

"All right then. I'll let you guys have your time, but you have to listen closely to what the doctor said. I won't there to accompany you nor your sister. And don't forget to try the 4D ultrasound and asked the hospital to give you the recorded video. I want to see it moving. It's amazing to see how advance medical field is now. Back when I was having you, I had to be satisfied with a blurry black and white picture of ultrasound. Only enough to see if the baby had a 'magic stick' or not," she smiled upon the reminiscence.

"I'll see it later," answered Sunny indifferently.

***

The three of them were sitting in the ob-gyn waiting room that afternoon. Sunny sat in the middle of her two friends who had intentionally taken a leave that day to accompany her. They were holding hands, their eyes were bloodshot. Sooyoung still had snot in her nose that she blew onto her tissue once or twice. Yuri was slumping on her chair, as if her soul left her.

Sunny turned her head to her left and right, feeling grateful for these two who cried their hearts out with her when she told them what was actually happened. She can't stop but to imagine having Taeyeon and Fany there with her too. She could picture in her head the way Taeyeon would curse and throw any threats she could think of. She would perhaps give a kick or two to a nearby furnitures. Among them five, Taeyeon was the quickest to get angry and she didn't mind to display her anger. Meanwhile, Tiffany was the type to cry along too, but she would not forget to make sure that every thing was under control. Thus she would shoot her this and that questions to her, making sure she was okay. The typical mother type. As for the other two, Sooyoung and Yuri, they would act as they were just now. Crying as if there was no tomorrow, hugging her, holding her hands.

I guess it's true that every storm has its silver lining, and I believe they are one of it. Sunny smile at her thought.

"Guys, cheer up a bit will you? What will those blooming women think, seeing you like this?" she tried to joke to lighten the mood.

Sooyoung snorted beside her, "I can't still believe that he did that to you? Why would he?"

Sunny sighed, "I told you like the hundredths time already now, Choi Sooyoung. I believe that it was an accident. Come on."

"But..."

"No buts. I know it is hard for you to accept that fact as it was hard for me. But I'm okay now, so lighten up a bit, please? And you, stop being a zombie, Yul!" she released her hand from Yuri's grip to give it a slap. A strong one unfortunately.

"Yah! Did you have to do that? I hurts!" Yuri complained.

"I had to. Snap out of it. My queue number is right after this. Get ready."

Just when she finished her scolding, the nurse came out and called her name. The three scrambled on their feet immediately. Right before stepping through the door frame, she let out a deep sigh. It was the first time coming for a check up alone. She usually have her mom or her sister to ask the doctor anything about the baby's progress, while she was just sitting beside them, not caring of what was going on. It was true that she had decided not to abort the baby, yet she was never confident to have it neither.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Lee. How have you been?" The doctor greeted her as she and Sooyoung were taking their seats and Yuri was waiting for the nurse to get another extra chair for her.

"Fine."

"Good to hear that. Now could you put your arm on the table, so I can measure your blood pressure?"

As she placed her right arm on the table the doctor pushed the sleeve of Sunny's shirt up and wrapped the cuff around, just above her elbow. Sunny felt the cuff tightened up to a certain level as the doctor pressed the pump, before it released its hold in rapid speed and the tight feeling was no more.

"105/60. It's below normal but it's not abnormal, though," the doctor commented while he was removing the device from her arm and taking notes on his patient's maternity health card.

"Oh, so it is normal to have low blood pressure during pregnancy?" Sooyoung asked curiously.

"Yep. It usually happens during the first and the second trimester, and it will go back to normal, or if not, getting a bit higher during the last trimester."

Sooyoung nodded. Pregnancy always fascinated her.

"Now if you could move to the bed. I'm going to measure the baby."

Sunny and the doctor stood up and headed to the examination bed on the side of the room. The doctor palpated her lower abdomen once she was settled on the bed.

"Hm.. The development is good, although it is a bit small. Have you been eating properly since your last visit?"

"It's getting better," Sunny answered.

"Is the morning sickness bother you still?"

"A little."

The ob-gyn seemed to catch on what was disturbing her, for he was briefed about her state before hand. "You shouldn't get stressed, Ms. Lee. It's not good for your health. Besides, the baby will be sad if he feels her mommy's sad."

Sunny just nodded. She didn't really care.

"Do you have any other complains beside your appetite and morning sickness?"

"My back pains sometimes," Sunny said nonchalantly.

"Hm... I see that your posture is already good. Maybe you should exercise a bit more."

"The shorty here is such a lazy bum, doc. But now that you say it, I'll drag her to the gym with me," Yuri volunteered from her seat.

"Yah! She shouldn't go to the gym. She should be with other pregnant women doing the maternity exercise," Sooyoung scolded her darker skin friend. "Or if you want to attend that class, then be it."

"Meh."

Sunny smiled at the bickering. No matter how old they were, they would always bicker each other and such thought comforted her. Like she has something to root her to her previous state, to the time when everything was well.

"Yes. It might be best to go to maternity exercise program rather than regular exercise, because they know which moves are allowed and which one isn't. Swimming is safe though. Now, I'll suggest you to do ultrasound to check the condition of your baby? If the position allows, we can see the gender too," the doctor asked her, bringing her back from her daze. He walked to his desk once again to note down the newly acquired data.

"Ah, yes. By the way, could I opt for the 4D?" asked Sunny.  She sat up, turned her body so her short legs was dangling on the side of the bed.

"You can, but mind you, 4D is best when viewed between 26 and 30 weeks pregnant. If we do it now, there's possibility that the bones may show through because your baby has very little fat under her skin."

"Whatever. My mom's request anyway," she hopped down the examination bed.

The doctor looked at her quizzically for a split second before answering, "Alright. Nurse Jo, could you please inform Mrs.  Kim? Let's go to the ultrasound room."

The doctor escorted her and the two tall friends to a room three doors apart which only has an examination bed, a monitor with linked devices beside the bed, a chair for the medical staff to sit when he or she performed the ultrasound and a wide plasma TV in front of the bed to display the 4D imaging to the parents and guests. It was not a gloomy room though, for it was adorned with artificial potted plants, pretty wallpapers and so on which made it comfortable instead, just like the other rooms in that maternity wards. A sonographer was already waiting inside.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Lee. I'm Kim Sun Min, the sonographer who will perform the ultrasound imaging. Now, could you please lay down on the bed?" The sonographer introduced herself with a gentle smile as he gestured her to the bed.

After Sunny was settled on the bed, Mrs. Kim lifted up the blouse Sunny was wearing so her slightly bulging belly was revealed. She took an ultrasound gel tube and squeezed out a good amount of it onto Sunny's belly after she inserted a piece of cloth under her jegging to prevent staining her clothes. Then she turned to pick a transducers probe, a marker pen shaped instrument which sent and received the sound waves, and started to glide it across her belly, carefully spreading the ultrasound gel evenly.

Slowly the image of fetus appeared on-screen. It wasn't clear at first for it looked like a pile of always moving fats thanks to the sephia colored image. However as the sonographer found a better angle, the image became clearer. They could see the head, the two tiny arms, two tiny legs which kept moving slowly inside the amniotic sac. It felt like the baby was ready to show his perfect development as he was facing to the front in curling position. The two eyes, the two ears, nose and mouth were in the perfect condition although the eyes were yet to developed fully. And as the doctor had advised before, they could see bones, heart, and other organs through the baby's skin.

"See, the baby is in the right development stage. Everything seemed to form perfectly. The fingers and toes are well-defined. As you can see, the organs are complete. See, this is the heart, you can see it beating steadily, although a little weak," the doctor commented. "Now, about the gender. Hmm... Too bad his leg is covering the area."

"Try to talk to the baby. Usually the baby will respond," suggested the sonographer. However, Sunny's eyes were glued to the screen, she wasn't even paying attention to what the sonographer said, so she instead tried to talk to the baby.

She leaned closer to Sunny's belly and conversed with the baby. "Hello, sweetheart. How are you inside there? This is Aunty Kim. Would you say hello to us, dear? Wave your hand." She kept trying.

The image on the screen stirred a bit, the head pulled up a bit. The teeny baby was yawning then raised his hands to rub his eyes.

"Oh my God! Look at that Sunny! He's so cute!" Sooyoung squealed happily. "The baby gives respond to you Mrs. Kim."

"Most babies who come here love her. They will do whatever she asked them to do," the doctor joked.

"No. Not really," said Mrs. Kim humbly. Then she looked at Sunny, "Why don't you try to talk to your baby?"

"I-I?" Sunny choked on her words, her eyes never left the wide TV. "What should I say?"

"Say that we want to know if he's a boy or a girl. Tell him to move his leg because it gets in the way and we couldn't tell," urged Mrs. Kim tenderly.

Sunny was unsure at first. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. The tiny woman looked up to find Yuri was smiling at her, encouragingly. She gulped down before saying, "H-hi! This is the first time I talked to you, right? C-could you give us a little help here? Could you move your right leg a little so we can have a clear view of how to address you?"

The image was moving mindlessly at first, before the tiny legs were raised up. The cute little motion brought up mixed emotion in Sunny's heart. The baby was indeed cute and he listened to her words. The baby was hers, and was then inside her belly, moving easily even though she couldn't feel the movement just yet. Then the realization dawned on her. This time the fact was deeply planted in her mind. There was something alive in her belly and it was hers, curling safely from the harsh world. As she saw her baby kept moving, a surge of emotion welled up, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it out.

"Ah, look at him moving his leg. Now let see if we can tell the by now," said Mrs. Kim. She changed the screen view from a 4D sephia screen to a blurry black and white. "There, there." She adjusted the view so they were seeing it from the bottom of his body. "You see, this is the area." She pointed out with the cursor. "And this, should be the part where we can see the "magic stick" should the baby is a boy. Yet, we don't see any stick, magic or not. So, congratulation, Ms. Lee. You're having a baby girl."

Yuri and Sooyoung squeezed each other hands and squealed in excitement beside her. "It's a baby girl." They said over and over again.

"We have to inform Fany and Taeyeon immediately. They must feel ecstatic! We're gonna be aunts for a baby girl!" Yuri exclaimed, clapping her hands joyously.

A new wave of emotion came into her, this time it wouldn't stop that the tears welled up in her eyes before fell down like a waterfall. It was overwhelming. That very moment, Sunny made a resolution.

I'm so sorry for the stupid thing I did which nearly cost your life, baby. And I'm so sorry for being such an ignorant mother these past five months. Sorry for self-pitying without paying a littlest attention to you. But since now, I will change it. I will protect you. Mommy will fight for you, sweetheart. She talked to herself.

***

That evening when she sat down in the dining room with her family, enjoying her dinner for the very first time, she made a big decision.

"Mom, Dad, I want to go to America and deliver the baby there."