FIFTY FIVE

The story died down a week after his mother answered a reporter who stalked her on her way to one of her boutiques. After her statement that her lawyer released, Yonghwa’s management backed the story up by saying that his mother was lightheaded that night she called him and didn’t know he was abroad. He rushed to her side after the incident. Seohyun’s agency too made a press release denying her confinement in the hospital and announced that she will be travelling back abroad after finishing her local projects for the agency. They added too that she was currently dating a Korean businessman based in France and would be joining him soon. That enraged Yonghwa since he was not given a heads up for that release. Seohyun just laughed it off assuring him that it was Taeyeon’s way of preparing the public for her baby.

Yonghwa himself, drove her to the airport and they spent almost half an hour inside his car crying and holding each other. It took a good deal of getting used to when she arrived in Paris and spent her lonely time taking care of her bed-ridden mother until Seohyun decided to continue her studies and she applied for a short program in a university close by. Not a day passed that they didn’t talk on the phone. The remaining four months of her pregnancy was spent in school, her other projects and her mother. Hyoyeon was mostly based in their New York office so she also helped in running the agency in Paris. It was tough for her especially with the baby growing more enormous by the minute and surprisingly active every day. She realized her little girl liked Paris more.

Everything turned out well when she left but the big hole of the physical distance had always been there. His parents, particularly his mother, made several trips to check on her and they had gotten even closer. Seohyun would go shopping with her unofficial mother-in-law for baby stuff and they would both love it and spend the remaining time binge-eating together with his funny and charismatic father.

Probably because of the hype the rumor caused them, Yonghwa was never allowed to make personal trips anywhere. They both understood and accepted that it was the consequence of their carelessness. President Han, in his good grace though, allowed Yonghwa a month break for the delivery of their baby.

Yonghwa arrived a week before her due date. They spent the whole day in her room holding each other and making up for the times that they weren’t together. They both cried again and seeing Yonghwa cry for her made her love him even more. He was just so adorable little baby.

Her adoptive mother was also very responsive to Yonghwa so Seohyun knew that she had given them her blessings. Yonghwa helped her out in those little tasks she would do for her mother and would even stay late at night by her bedside making sure she was comfortable.

Every morning, Seohyun would wake him up early and take long walks along the narrow stream that ran around her mother’s villa. They would talk about everything but mostly centered on their baby. After the rumor though, the future of their relationship became an unspoken deal not to be discussed. It worked well for Seohyun since what her unnie said before she left Korea was deeply engraved in her mind— they were not ready to come out. And she couldn’t tell if they would ever be.

Their walk would culminate in this quaint bakery and pastry shop that served her with breakfast and snacks in the middle of the day and Yonghwa’s beloved coffee. They loved that little place and they would spend another hour sitting out and enjoying the early morning sun.

On their way to the shop that morning, Seohyun complained about her legs that she slumped on the steps and urged Yonghwa to go ahead and get breakfast as she would just wait for him on one of the tables outside. It was not the first time it happened so he didn’t take it seriously. But his heart seemed to sink the moment he opened the door on his way out— Seohyun was wincing in pain and clutching her belly.

“Baby… you okay?”

Seohyun looked up suddenly terrified. She reached out to accept his hand and squeezed it tight as sharp pain shot through her.

“Oh my god…” was all the Yonghwa could say as the bag of bread and pastries dropped on the sidewalk.

“I-I think it’s t-time…” she whispered then bit her lower lip when another gripping pain took over. Yonghwa paced unsurely and crouched on her but she shook her head gasping, “I can w-walk… just—just give me a minute…”

“There’s no ing way I’m making you walk!”

Seohyun heaved, “I don’t have the strength to argue, so stop… please…”

He groaned but dropped on his knees easing the hair that fell on her face, “I’m sorry for yelling, baby…”

“Just get the car…” Seohyun breathed through .

“Okay, don’t stand… stay still…” he stood but remained looking at her worriedly.

“’Kay…” she murmured and shut her eyes tight.

Yonghwa jogged to where he parked meters away. As he did, he called Hyoyeon and she assured him that the hospital is ready for them and she would be taking the earliest flight to France. Yonghwa was confused for a moment, it wasn’t until three more days for her due but she was already on labor. She told him that the doctor said it could come earlier or later and that must be it.

The night before, Seohyun complained about a stomachache that she blamed for the excessive cheese and cream he put on the Fettuccine Alfredo they had for dinner. They both didn’t take it for early signs of labor but now, he realized that she may have been having the contraction pang since last night. The walk they just took finally brought her into this hard labor and it was actually making him lose his mind feeling very much unprepared.

Yonghwa found her in the same spot but this time, she was leaning back against an elderly woman who was obviously giving her comforting words in gentle French. He rushed to her side and some other passersby helped him get her in the car. He thanked everybody and drove off.

He was a mixture of panic, thrill and confusion as he maneuvered the car. Every once and awhile, Yonghwa would look at her gripping her seatbelt and breathing through . He urged himself to stop asking if she was fine because he knew that she wasn’t. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Seohyun wiping her tears and his jaw tightened. The pain must be unbearable and all he wanted to do was to get to the hospital fast and stop her from hurting.

“It’s going to be alright…” Yonghwa said when he could no longer keep his silence as he reached out to touch her hand.

“Uh-huh…” she entwined their fingers together and smiled despite the pain then asked, “Are you okay?”

Yonghwa managed to laugh, “I should be asking you that.”

She was about to reply when another contraction hit her that all she could manage was a strangled breath.

Yonghwa winced that even the sight of the hospital ahead did not give him any relief.

As soon as they reached the emergency, she was wheeled in and sent straight to the delivery room and the doctor confirmed that she was more than ready as her water just broke. Seohyun clutched his arm tight and gasped frightened, “Don’t go…”

Yonghwa shook his head and smiled at her reassuringly, “I won’t… ever.”

The nurse ushered Yonghwa to dress properly and sent him back to where she was. There was almost a graceful chaos in the room. The doctors and nurses paced in rehearsed accuracy barking orders, and moving with unprecedented calm. But nothing seemed to register in her but the pain that seem to swallow her whole in the pits of the unknown. She whimpered and cried out loud unable to determine where exactly that surge of pain was coming from as each contraction was growing in intensity.

The doctor’s soothing order to push and the encouragement she had been getting were not really important because it was just too painful. After a few minutes, Yonghwa whose French was non-existent looked worriedly as the doctor spoke rather panicky. The baby seemed to have moved and was positioned in a wrong way that they needed to use forceps as Seohyun was getting weaker and weaker.

He could do nothing but to stay by her side, holding her hand wiping her sweat and whispers sweet nothings to assure her that it was going to be okay and she was doing great and she looked so beautiful. Behind those, Yonghwa was worried sick of the commotion he barely understood. Just then, a nurse placed an ether mask on her to a