FIFTY THREE

Yonghwa rushed to the hospital. It took him about three hours to get on a plane so it was in the dead of the night that he arrived. Thankfully, not too many people were sauntering the airport so he didn’t have a hard time sneaking away. He debated on calling Seohyun to check on her since there wasn’t any hint of trouble from her voice when they talked a few hours after his mother’s call. Thus, he figured that it was one of his parents since his brother would have called him first before his mother does.

The whole time he was just nervous of what he would discover at the hospital. Maybe there was an accident. He couldn’t stop thinking and panicking as he waited for his mother to pick up her phone while he was inside the taxi. She didn’t answer his calls but minutes later after he gave up calling, she sent him the room number. The worry just heightened as he looked up the door but the patient’s name on the card was empty. Yonghwa knocked softly and his mother answered.

“Umma…” his gaze traveled on his mother’s form. She looked okay.

“Yonghwa,” Mrs. Jung embraced his son briefly and pulled him inside then closed the door.

The room was empty like there was no occupant. He passed his mother a confused look as she stood in front of him. “What is this? What happened?”

“Yonghwa, have a sit…” she sat on the edge of the bed and tapped her side. Her son sat gingerly without taking his eyes off her. Worry enveloped her as she took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, “Umma did something really really bad…”

It was then that he furrowed his brows wanting his mother to continue but she was just smiling nervously at him so he muttered impatiently, “Tell me…”

There was this huge lump in ; she sniffed, “It’s about your girlfriend.” She squeezed Yonghwa’s hand again when he was about to open his lips, “I-I liked her when you first brought her home but… but I found out things about her, you know… and I changed my mind.”

“What things?” Yonghwa stiffened.

“Her mother… her biological mother.”

Somehow, that created this little jump in his chest, “Go on…”

“And I thought she was not good for you.” She started crying softly, “Please listen to me first before you say anything, okay?” Yonghwa only nodded unsurely as she related her first encounter with Seohyun.

A flash of recollection crept to his face, “She broke up with me because of that?”

“Yes,” she nodded, “I wanted her to—I ordered her to, and she followed me.”

“Oh, mother!” He cried softly pulling his hands away imagining those nights of pain and uncertainty.

“A-and… I-I learned that you got back again…”

His eyes widened. This was about Seohyun! Seohyun was in the hospital!

“What did you do?! Where is she?!” Yonghwa stood panic-stricken.

“Yonghwa—Yonghwa-ya…” she held on to his shirt, “I didn’t mean to—I didn’t know that… oh god…” she fell on the bed crying.

His jaw clenched looking at his mother in tears. It was the first time he saw her like that but all he was feeling was anger and worry, “Tell me why we are here and where is Seohyun.”

And, in broken voice, she told him what she did a few days ago. Mrs. Jung clung to her son as she told him that Seohyun was okay and the baby too, but he was already dragging his feet across the room. He could easily find Seohyun there and the danger of being found out didn’t even come to his senses. His mother gripped his wrist tight.

“Please, Yonghwa-ya… please forgive your mother! I didn’t mean to hurt them,” she clung to him helplessly. “I will do everything you want, please, just please—”

He swallowed hard. It was like he never knew his mother. She was not the gentle woman who took care and watch him grow. The one who supported him in every decision he made in his life. She was someone else—not the woman he knew.

Pulling his arm off her grip, he held on the knob and silently spoke, “I-I think I can never forgive you for this…”

~~~

The echo of his mother’s cries rang in his mind as he walked hurriedly along the halls. She sent him a message with Seohyun’s floor and room number; that was all. Yonghwa didn’t have the energy left to think about his mother, all he wanted was to see Seohyun and assure himself that she and their baby were okay.

He felt the small drop of tears on his cheeks and he brushed them away when he found the right room. The lump on his throat grew bigger seeing her name by the doorway. Yonghwa didn’t even remember or cared to knock as he pushed the door open and the two women looked up to him with surprise. The sight blew all his worries away—she was there on the bed with a bowl of grapes laughing midway at something that Taeyeon said. She looked like she just woke up from a deep sleep, it was clear to see that Taeyeon just arrived too. Seohyun's face softened at the sight of him rushing to her side and ended up crying as he took her in his arms knocking the bowl on her lap and the grapes rolled all around them but they didn’t notice at all.

Yonghwa held her tight not saying anything at all just happy and relieved to be there finally. He kissed the crown of her head, her temple, her eye, her nose, her cheek, her lips. He nuzzled on the side of her neck and he was so close to crying while he held her. Then he lifted his gaze thankful for that smile Seohyun was giving him and slid his hand on the bulge of her stomach soothing it gently, “How are you? The baby? Did she hurt you? I’m so sor—”

Seohyun shook her head resting her hand at the back of his that was holding their baby and in a gentle voice that was holding back her own tears, she assured him, “Oppa… oppa… I’m okay… we’re okay.  I’m just so glad to see you.”

“It must have been hard for you,” he insisted but she held his face.

“How did you know?”

“Umma called me, she was here…”

“Oh, Oppa…” Seohyun shut her eyes tight for a moment. She didn’t expect his mother to do that and it was probably out of guilt but now she was feeling that the woman was really apologetic for what happened.

“I’m so sorry with what she did,” Yonghwa muttered as if he was hearing her thoughts.

She shook her head again, “It’s okay… she didn’t mean to.”

“You almost lost your baby, Seohyun,” Taeyeon spoke vehemently. That was when she realized that the two just took notice of her sitting there the whole time.

“I did but almost…” Seohyun countered squeezing Yonghwa’s hand to assure him. Then she smiled wider as she spoke, “We didn’t lose our baby girl, Oppa…”

Yonghwa tilted his head questioningly since they have played this game for so long it became normal. However, Seohyun’s smile was giving it all away so he breathed, “Baby girl?”

“Yes, the doctor had a good slip,” she nodded her lower lip and continued, “She assured me too that  our baby girl is safe and is a tough little fighter.”

"Like her mom..." a smile curled on his lips then he took it back with a playful growl, “I lost?”

Seohyun nodded as he cupped her jaw and brought their heads together. “I think you did…” she whispered against his lips.

He kissed her gently like their separation was longer than a week—longer