Chapter 1

Yuri had laid in her bed for hours. She was trying to recover from the phone call she received when Yunho had rang her to say he had asked Jessica to marry him & of course, she agreed but who wouldn’t? She could deal with listening to him talk endlessly about Jessica but she couldn’t accept that he was to marry her. She was so shocked she didn’t even cry. Instead, she curled into a ball, hugging her long, flawless legs in her bed. Brown, almond-shaped eyes wide in a trance, she hadn’t moved except for when she felt a cold shiver from the open window embrace her. She had never wanted somebody to hold her & keep her warm & safe as much as she did now. Nor has she ever felt so frail & disappointed with herself. It could have been a whole different story is she had been honest to Yunho & so, she laid there for the rest of the day. She wasn’t thinking or feeling anything. She was just struck in a trance.

Yunho had been trying to get through to Yuri for the whole afternoon but the phone was engaged. He really needed to talk to her; he wanted to tell her that she was going to be a godmother. Jessica had just told him late in the morning that she was pregnant. He & Yuri had always promised that they would be a godparent to each other’s children. Today was probably the best day in his life, not only did Jessica say yes to his proposal when they woke up, he had planned to give her breakfast in bed with a rose that held the ring on the stem but he was so excited he didn’t sleep & as soon as Jessica opened her dark brown, almond-shaped eyes he just sprung the question upon her.

Yunho was starting to get worried; Yuri couldn’t have been on the phone for all this time so he decided to go over to her apartment to check on her.

Yunho grabbed his keys & walked to the door, pausing only to pop a gentle kiss on his fiance’s forehead.

“Sica, I just got to go check on Yuri, her phone has been engaged for the past five hours.”

“It’s probably just her being careless, the pasta is almost ready, can’t you go tomorrow?”

“Sica, Yuri is the most organized person I know, she would never leave the phone off the hook.”

“Well, go then but be back before eleven because I want to see you before I close my eyes to sleep. I have got a long day ahead of me.”

“So, I don’t exist in your dreams?” Teased Yunho, before he gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Be back before eleven.”

He closed the door then made his way to his green audi a4.

Yuri heard her front door open but she had no responses to it. Maybe it was Tiffany, her friend, letting herself in with the spare key inside the envelope that Yuri always kept in her letter box.

Yunho closed the door after him. Sure enough, the phone was off the hook, lying on the floor. Her cordless phone on a separate line was low in battery.

“Yul?”

Yuri was startled. She immediately snapped out of her trance. Why was Yunho here? Yuri chose to stay silent, hoping that Yunho would just go away. She didn’t think she could handle seeing him.

When the door opened, she used her arms to shield her oval-shaped face. Partially due to the bright light from the outside but mainly because she had become childlike again, & working with the theory that if I can’t see him then he can’t see me but it didn’t work.

“What’s wrong, Yul?”

Yunho came to Yuri; he pushed her mid-back length, black wavy hair away from her face.

Yuri loved it when Yunho touched her like that. Her hourglass body just felt warm again, warm & tingly.

“Its nothing.”

“Yul, I can tell that something is wrong. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just...just don’t feel well.”

“You are sick?”

“Yeah...um, I have a cold or something & my head is killing me.”

“Yul, what happened? You are never sick.”

“I don’t know, maybe it was because I was out in the rain yesterday.”

“Let’s take you to the doctor.”

“No. I just want to sleep. Once I have slept for awhile I will be okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, so just go home, I will be fine.”

“No, I will wait until you have fallen asleep, I don’t trust you, you might start working again, & if you start doing your work again, then you will just get worse.”

“I will be fine.”

“Shhh. Just sleep.”

Yuri turned around just to avoid seeing him as much as she liked him being here for her, she just couldn’t handle seeing him at the moment but strangely, under his presence, Yuri fell into a deep slumber.

Yunho leaned over just to check that she was sleeping. She was breathing heavily & slightly open. He liked it when she was like that, when she was cute & carefree Yuri. It disappeared when she started to get too involved in her work. She became a workaholic & lost the chirpy spirit that she had. She was tired all the time recently. She hardly saw him, she was always busy. It was almost like she was trying to avoid him, ‘Guess work is just getting too much for her.’ Thought Yunho, as he pulled the covers over her frame. He then left the room to go to the kitchen.

Yunho checked all of Yuri’s cupboards & found a past the sell by date packet of instant noodles & a few pieces of bread & a huge amount of strong coffee. No wonder she was losing so much weight recently. She lived on coffee & bread; even instant noodles took up too much time of hers.

“Time for grocery shopping.” Sigh Yunho. He glanced up at the clock to see that it was ten thirty-eight. He still had time.

He went to the nearest store & bought rice, a bar of dark chocolates, a load of vegetables, fruit & a big carton of milk.

When he got back to Yuri’s place, he unpacked everything away & started making some plain congee. By the time he was finished, it was midnight.

He went to Yuri’s room, placed the covers over her again, because she had kicked them off. He smiled at her little smile when the covers were on her again. He then left to go back home.

When Yuri woke up, it was late, almost noon so she picked up the phone & rang to tell her boss she was sick. She might as well continue with the lie but her boss already knew. Yunho must have called in sick for her. She then went to the bathroom to wash up & cleaned her face. Then when she spotted the covered bowl of plain congee, a bar of dark chocolate & carton of milk on her table, she smiled. There was a note on the table. She immediately recognized the writing. It was Yunho’s.

‘Hey Yul,

I have left a bowl of plain congee for you, I know it’s tasteless, hence a chocolate bar. Remember to drink the milk. Stocked up your cupboards, you should be ashamed with all you had in there. I got to go but I will check up on you on my lunch break. See you. Don’t even bother going to work. I called your office already. Wrap up warmly, watch bad morning tv & eat.

Love,

Yunniebear’

She smiled at the note, checked the clock & noticed that Yunho could be here any moment. She looked back at the note & smiled at the way he signed the note with Yunniebear. As a thank you, she decided to make him some pork rib soup, his favorite. Halfway through making the soup, she noticed that someone was watching her. She turned around & there he was, standing there in his tan natural stretch two-button poplin suit. The one she brought for him for christmas a couple of years back. Something special must have come up; he only wore it for special occasions.

“Hey Yunniebear, how long have you been here?”

“Not long, thought I had watch you make my favorite soup.”

“What is with the suit? Pulled off a great deal?”

“Yul, there is more to life than business. You feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I told you all I needed was some sleep.”

“Okay. Well, be prepared.”

“For what?”

“Yul, you are going to be a godmother. Sica is pregnant.”

Yuri’s smile slipped from her face just like the spatulas from her hands. Realizing that she dropped the spatulas, she quickly crouched down to pick it up.

“Wow, Yunho Oppa, that’s...well, it’s simply wonderful.”

Yuri didn’t lift her head to see him once but she developed eye contact with him when he helped her pick up the spatulas.

Yunho noticed that something wasn’t right.

“Yul, you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m so shocked & just so happy for you. Wow, you are going to be a daddy.”

When they stood up straight, Yunho spread his arms out for a hug.

“My hands are dirty.”

“Hey, my dry cleaner is only around the corner.”

Yuri dropped the spatulas again, & returned the hug. She has enough self control to keep the tears in. She nuzzled her face into his shoulder & mumbled softly, “Congratulations, you are going to be a wonderful husband & father.”