They say a parent can never hate their child, but that was only true if everything had gone beautifully and they have had a moment to bond. For Himchan, nothing went right and he never even got to hold his son. And so he was left with hate. Hate and anger and confusion and most of all, the feeling of being wronged.

            The funeral had been a quiet event. Her parents thought not doing anything would be an insult to their daughter’s memory but Himchan didn’t want to attend. Going would mean facing the truth. She wasn’t going. She couldn’t be. She had just been laughing with him and they were looking forward to their son. The baby was at the funeral and he was crying and crying and Himchan wanted to strangle it. It was because of him that she was gone, and he wanted nothing to do with it.

            The birth was going horribly wrong. The doctors weren’t there and no matter how many times Himchan called for them, they wouldn’t come. They were on dinner break. “This is ridiculous. What type of a hospital are you?”

            The nurses were flustered and rushed around, pretending to do something but in actuality none of them were ready to receive the baby. His wife was squirming and crying on the bed. “Channie, it hurts.”

            Her water broke and she had gone into labor early. The baby was not supposed to be due for another seven weeks. But when the doctors checked, they all proclaimed it as normal and healthy and put her to bed. “Just wait until the contractions come closer.”

            For two hours, everything had seemed normal. She would complain about the pain but still laugh with him. “So, did we agree on the name?”

            Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling. “Yes, we did. Himjong it is. Although I think Jongmin sounds better.”

            “We are not having this discussion again. Why would you name our son after your first character crush? That’s just weird.”

            “Hey, those books got me through a hard time.”

            “Please. At least mine is a compromise.”

            She leaned her head on his hand. “Are you ready, Himchan?” It was a question they’ve asked one another over and over again throughout the seven and half months.

            “Do you think parents are ever ready?” Same answer to the same question because even though time has passed, the answer was really the same.

            “Screaming in the middle of the night, smelly diapers to change, you have to brace yourself.”

            Himchan thumped himself on the chest. “And here’s Super Appa ready to take on the challenge!”

            The entire pregnancy, they were dreaming of being parents, of what it would mean to have to be responsible for a new life. “Are you ready?” she had asked him. It was the night they came back from the obstetrician.

            “No,” he admitted. “But then again, are we ever?”

            “Gosh, we’re going to have to sign up for parent care classes.”

            “Oh no,” he groaned. “This is where the obsessive wife syndrome comes in, doesn’t it? Do I have to prepare myself for horror?”

            She kicked him, still capable of agile movement. “Just wait until the nesting feeling comes in. Then you’re dead because I’ll have you climbing up to paint the ceiling too.”

            “Are you sure a baby’s worth all of this?”

            He had been kidding but she took it to heart. “We haven’t even had the baby and you’re already questioning?” She looked absolutely angry and Himchan backtracked.

            “Oh not at all. I was teasing. You know, a joke?”

            And she had made him promise. “Promise me you’ll love our child?”

            He had shot her a look. “Of course I’ll love anyone who’s ours.”

This is for TheJewelz

I'll be taking a short break this weekend to catch up on sleep and work and to get my writing moko back

Haha, you guys had some excellent theories and for once, I actually did have an idea of what's going on in my mind :P Normally, I let it be vague, but this time there were definitely some hints. I admit, I did waver and think of it being some sort of kidnapping thing. I even wanted him to be a creeper who stalks her. That was the very first approach. But the more I wrote, the more I wanted it to be her craziness too. So I thought, how about a prisoner scenario? But then, I wanted things to be more twisted, and so the grand reveal. The most important part is really the kissing of the ring and also the time I mentioned his voice, when not yelling is something she loved. Jongup is her husband. He's an abusive one and she's broken enough that the only time he shows any type of affection (Mondays) is welcomed and she's thirsty for anything he is willing to offer. It's a sad broken marriage and I wanted to show how crazy she has become at the very end.