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All I've Ever Known

Seunghyun was a mess. He couldn't believe that he's finally marrying the love of his life. It took a while for them to convince their parents to agree to their marriage but they finally caved in, not without conditions of course. Their parents deemed them too young to be starting a family. They just graduated high school and the initial plan was for them to get married after Dara finishes Med School. However they were too in love to wait that long. They were scared that if they put it off for too long, they might not get married at all. Dara was going to the US for her medical degree and Seunghyun was set to go to Japan for his MBA. The distance scares them and the only way they will feel secure about their relationship was if they got married. They easily agreed to the condition of not having babies until both of them are settled in their respective careers (because hey, how were they going to touch each other let alone conceive a child if there are continents between them, right?).

Seunghyun feels like the luckiest man on the planet; he's marrying his first and only love in just mere minutes. In his opinion, Dara is the most beautiful and most perfect girl he ever got the pleasure of knowing. Not that he encountered many women, he was too caught up in Dara to notice anyone else around him. Both of them didn't have that much friends, they were so content with each other that their friends and family would often say that they can survive being stranded in an island with just each other as company and they weren't wrong either. It's like the couple lived and breathe each other, neither one of them able to stay a single day not talking to each other. 

Dara insisted on a small wedding, she didn't want their union to be a corporate affair. They invited a handful of guests; their small group of friends, relatives, and a few business partners of their parents. It was unavoidable and it didn't bother her that much because she knew those business partners personally anyway. She was just relieved that this day has finally arrived and she's marrying her one true love. Although she would've preferred to live with Seunghyun after they get married, they can't. She needs to fly to Boston soon and settle in before classes started and the same goes for Seunghyun.

With a final check of her appearance, Dara took a deep breath and walked down the aisle. Seunghyun was at the end of the plush white carpet dotted with pink flower petals and they can't stop grinning. This is it, the most important moment of their lives. The ceremony was quick and lovely; tears were shed, laughter shared, rings exchanged and vows made. The party that followed after was lively and full of warm kisses and hands never letting go. This was it, the beginning of their everything. 

 

Years Later

It was frustrating that they got married but only saw each other a number of times since their wedding. Seunghyun would always fly to Boston whenever he's on school break but it wasn't enough. Dara didn't get much of a break since she's taking extra units to speed up her pre-med courses. She's now one of the youngest in med school and is showing great promise according to her professors. Her tiny frame makes everyone worry about her but she just shows them her strength and determination. She wants to be a doctor fast so she can achieve her dream and stay with her husband in Korea.

She's livelier today than any other day regardless of running only on 3 hours of sleep and back-to-back shifts in the ER. The reason for her happiness? Her husband is finally going to live with her in Boston after "negotiating" with their parents. They are old enough to be responsible for each other, Seunghyun has been helping out in their family corporation since graduating years ago and has earned the trust of the board of directors as the successor of the business. They felt like they have earned the chance to live like a normal married couple, at least a normal couple with one half busy with med school. Of course they assured their parents that they won't make babies just yet, Dara can't handle being in Med School and nursing a baby too soon. 

Everything went well the first year of living together; Seunghyun focused on creating a network in the US to expand their business there and Dara was getting by swimmingly in her Clerkship. She's been really happy with pediatrics and has decided to take it up as a specialization when it's time. She's always adored kids and get along fine with them. Seunghyun has been a very supportive husband and was always beside Dara whenever she needed an extra boost. Although she was a "natural" in medicine, there were times when she thinks that she's not good enough. No matter what her seniors say, she still works doubly hard and pushes herself to the limit. She's feeling restless and worried that Seunghyun might get sick of waiting for her. She tells this to her husband one night as tears of insecurity was staining her face all she got in return was a soft yet passionate kiss on the lips and a long hug until she calmed down. Seunghyun told her that he will never get tired of her, she should never think for a second that Seunghyun is disappointed in her because she makes him proud every single day. They might not have a conventional marriage but this is their relationship and he wouldn't have it any other way. 

One would think that being in the field of Medicine, Dara would know the symptoms she's been experiencing the past week; nausea, lethargy among others. She just brushed it off as stress finally catching up with her. In all her years in Medicine, she's never once gotten sick and she thought it was high time that her body caught up with her. It wasn't until she felt abdominal pains and spotting did she realize a grave mistake. She quickly consulted a doctor during one of her breaks and true enough, she was pregnant. She was instructed to take a break but she felt panicked. She promised her parents that she would finish her studies first before starting a family. Neither she nor Seunghyun discussed about having a baby yet and she feels like she disappointed everyone she cares about. She didn't know how to tell Seunghyun but as soon as she was handed a picture of her sonogram, she felt at ease. Her husband loves her and they will figure things out together. 

She arrives home to an empty apartment, Seunghyun must've gone on another meeting. She took this opportunity to take a long bath and prepare food as well. It wasn't often that she prepares food and she wanted to pleasantly surprise her husband before she drops the bomb on him. 

The food was getting cold and Seunghyun still wasn't home. He was usually home early and Dara was starting to worry. She was about to call him on his cell when he stormed inside their apartment. Dara was shocked but was quickly enveloped in her husband's embrace. 

"I went to the hospital to surprise you but they said you were sick and was sent home. I was so worried, baby." Seunghyun said, nose still buried in Dara's hair. "How are you feeling? Did you get rest? Maybe you should be lying down?" Seunghyun was now inspecting Dara as if she was a little child and Dara couldn't help but giggle at the gesture. 

"I'm alright now. I cooked food, let's eat first?"

They ate dinner silently, with Seunghyun still fussing over Dara and refusing to let go of her hand. He feels like she's hiding something and he's worried that it might be serious. No matter how Dara assured him that she's healthy, he's still afraid that she's not as healthy as she claims to be. Seunghyun noticed the weight loss and the throwing up and also the head aches she sometimes gets. He's imagining the worst when Dara snaps him out of his internal panic and hugs him. 

"I really am not sick. But I do have something I must tell you." Dara begins, and Seunghyun stiffens. Dara chuckles at her husband's behavior but continues anyway.

"Don't worry, it's not a problem...I think. Well, at least not for me. Promise not to freak out?"

"I'm already panicking babe, just tell me? Please?"

Seunghyun can still be very child-like and adorable and Dara can't resist placing a soft peck on his pouting lips. 

"Well, I know we haven't talked about this and we promised our parents to wait but I guess things like this couldn't be planned?" Seunghyun stares at her with wide eyes, not quite processing what his wife is telling him. He blinks at her as if asking her to continue and she just takes a piece of paper from her back pocket with a small black-and-white photo attached to it. It takes a while for Seunghyun to register what's on the paper but once he finally caught up, he quickly stands up and lifts Dara into his arms. He was so happy, words fail him. All he could do was hug his wife and before he even realized it, Dara was wiping the tears from his face. He was so happy because finally, he was going to start his family with Dara. Their agreement with their parents be damned, he was going to be a father and no one's going to say he can't be one. The next day, they put both their parents on conference call and announced the good news to them. At first they were worried but then their mother's maternal instincts kicked in and they were gushing over a blurred picture of a tiny blob. They insisted that the soon-to-be parents fly back to Korea so that they will have a better support group but the couple declined. They agreed that Dara will still continue her studies and will come back to Korea as planned, after she completes her residency.

In the months that followed, the couple's love for each other strengthened as the new life they formed grew in Dara's tummy. As if one shock wasn't enough, they found out that their little bundle of joy was actually two bundles of joy! One would think that this would deter Dara from pursuing her dreams but this just motivated her to do better. She was a driven individual and with three people inspiring her, she was off to new heights. She has shown great promise in her chosen field. She was one of the rare few who got asked to participate in research despite their youth. 

In a blink of an eye, Dara was in labor and finally gave birth to their babies; one boy and one girl. Their parents flew in for the birth of their first grandchildren and were already promising to spoil the kids rotten. This scared the new parents and they insisted that the grandparents refrain from meddling in their child rearing methods. This was part of the reason why they deemed it necessary to start their family away from their in-laws, they wanted to raise the kids by themselves without the interference of their parents. They love their parents dearly but they fear that they would be better off raising the children as they see fit. At first the new grandparents were offended and waterworks took an expected appearance. But as soon as the new parents explained themselves, their fathers consoled their respective wives. They all agreed that they would need help in the first few months of taking care of the babies, to the delight of the grandmothers. Dara wanted to take a short break from school, just to recover from the strain of child birth but was granted a special privilege of just continuing her research instead of serving nightly duties in the hospital. 

The babies were delightful; Sara was a complete Papa's girl and would always smile or stop crying whenever she hears her father's voice. Jaehyun on the other hand was his Mama's little angel. When it was time for Dara to go back to her regular shifts at the hospital, he cried so much that Dara didn't want to leave his side. But a few soothing words and kisses later, he fell asleep and Dara was able to leave. Dara would often call to check up on her babies, Seunghyun included, and would rush back home once her shift ended. She didn't take additional hours anymore to up on her professors but she didn't really mind if she lost her edge amongst her fellows. What's amazing is that despite cutting back on her hours in the hospital, she was still top tier of her batch. She would still impress her instructors with her accurate diagnosis and quick mind. She maintained her competitive advantage over her comrades. Of course she would sometimes have to stay in the hospital longer than originally planned but she always makes sure that she has time for her family. 

The years quickly flew, soon enough the babies were already running around and before they knew it, they were already set to attend school. The kids' behavior still haven't changed much, Sara was still a daddy's girl while Jaehyun still clung onto his mother every chance he gets. The twins were miles apart in their behavior; Sara was a bit bratty while Jaehyun was the responsible one. He never got in trouble in play school and made friends easily. Despite her bratty nature, Sara always followed what their father says, she just doesn't make friends as easily as Jaehyun because "I only want papa!"

As the twins grew up, they decided that it was time to go back to Korea to let Seunghyun follow his aspirations. Dara had to give up the offer for Doctor's Without Borders but she feels like Seunghyun has already given up so much for her and it's her time now to be the supportive wife. She's already in her chosen field of expertise and she's even received a couple of awards for her research about *Neonatology. She found a job in one of Seoul's prominent hospitals without a problem. She never thought she gave up an amazing opportunity of being a part of Doctor's Without Borders, even if she's been dreaming of it all her life. She doesn't want to be away from her family and no matter the distinction if will bring to her career, family always comes first. She wants to spend more time with her babies instead of slaving away in the research labs and operating rooms. It was high time for her to slow down in her career and focus on her family. The hospital in Seoul offered her an amazing contract and she was at peace with her decision. 

She believed that everything between her and Seunghyun never changed; the babies were now teens but she was still as in love with Seunghyun as the day they met. They already have fine lines on their faces and a few silver hairs here and there; signs of ageing but she believes that their love never changed. Despite leaving her niche in America, she still thrived as a **Neonatal Surgeon in Korea. She still received international recognition for her medical breakthroughs and her family was proud of her. Seunghyun was now one of the top CEOs in Asia and received his fair share of recognition in the business circle. Their lives couldn't be more perfect...or so she thought.

______________________________________________________

*Neonatology - a subspecialty in pediatrics. They specialize in taking care of new borns, particularly those born with special circumstances. 

**Neonatal Surgeon - basically a surgeon focused on new borns >.< (it's really a delicate field I'm just giving you a broad perspective of the specialization >.< 

 

A/N: alright first of all, long time no see?? ^.^ I know this chapter is LONG and there are inconsistencies but I really am not familiar with the specifics of med school (time frames and stuff are a bit blurry to me...sorry!) I just wanted to portray Dara as a career-driven individual but still prioritizes her family. This story will revolve around her love for her husband and children and her future struggles. I will not reveal much here, but let me just warn you that the real story starts in the next chapter, please don't kill me? *.*v

This is like an introduction to give you a perspective of her relationship with her husband and their story before everything falls apart (yup, there you have it, things will fall apart). I already have this story drafted, and I might finish it this week and I won't change the ending...nope. 

 

Comments and feedback are very much appreciated....just please don't make me edit time frames because I at everything concerning numbers. OTL 

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missedsunshine #1
Chapter 3: great story ... made my cry but great
kang2noh
#2
Chapter 3: so much angst!
i love it.
thank you so much.
cessyliciousa #3
Chapter 3: LOL..crying since near the end of 2nd chapter up to A/N till typing this. <3
billierose20
#4
i dont like a sad ending.... it gives me a heart ache...
lorrainenightray #5
Chapter 3: Its a beautiful one c:
LoverDreams #6
Chapter 3: Wow. Just...wow. Found this fanfic minutes ago and I never regret this. This is officially going to my lost of fav. Fanfics, because this is well written.
tatabs #7
Chapter 3: Cried a river because of this TT
daraismine #8
Beautifully written. Thank you for this wonderful story
rawranarchy #9
Chapter 3: I have to admit, I hated Seunghyun so much for continuously cheating, for paying for an abortion, for just being such a poor husband. But I'm glad that they didn't get back together. Hind sight is 20/20 and he really deserved to lose it all. I'm happy that the rest of the family moved on.
strongurlx #10
Chapter 3: Love this. I felt every emotion because this story us almost the same as my life. Hahahaha except i dont have a twin brother. Thank you for making this story REALISTIC. not those stories where they get back tigether. I really love it. Thank you so much again. Keep writing author nim~~