After 9 years

 

Surely, it wasn’t just a dream that my boyfriend of four years suddenly proposed to me in front of so many people during his graduation. I was just a junior then in college—turning a senior a few weeks later from that day.

 

He was missing in action the same morning that day, so were the other eleven, because they were preparing for that impending proposal for me. And to think that he was in connivance with my family and his family too (and even with the school administrators), I was the only person that day who didn’t know what was to happen that will surely change both our lives forever.

 

When I said yes to him, and we all ate dinner together with our family and friends that same evening to celebrate our getting engaged to each other, he immediately asked my parents if I could move to his flat so we can get even closer—to discover more things about each other, and know what it feels like to live together so we can easily adjust even before getting married. He was so good with words that he easily convinced my parents to kick me out of our house and let me stay with him. Mom especially complimented him for being such a guy who plans ahead for our own future. But in my opinion, he just did that because he was being his possessive self—to think that he had already graduated, there was no way he was letting his eyes off me even for a second.

 

I had proven my theory right about him so easily because when I started senior year in college—we were already living together at that time, he still drives me to and from university and even calls Yixing and Chanyeol just to tell them to look after me. It was very sweet of him, though sometimes it becomes a little annoying, but I never complained because I know it is in his nature to be that possessive and I’ve already grown to love that part of him too—that it was never a flaw and a reason to create a rip in our relationship.

 

On the same day of our sixth anniversary together, after I graduated from college, we finally got married. Surprisingly, that same day it rained, and I felt so blessed because every time it did we always find our way closer towards each other. It’s as if rain spells were casted to always unite us.

 

At that time we were only twenty-three, but to me, it was one of the happiest days in my life.

 

“Would she really wake up if we do what daddy said?”

 

“Of course! Of course! Daddy always does that when he wakes mommy up!”

 

Exactly 11 years after I got together with him, and 5 years after I got married to him and received our cute little bundles of joy, I still can’t get enough of the fact that I can finally wake up each morning  seeing them first as I open my eyes. Receiving kisses from them as the sun rises would always be my wakeup call instead of setting the alarm clock at 7 in the morning.

 

“She’s not awake yet even though we kissed her cheeks for 5 times now!”  

 

I stifled a smile when I heard my little girl complain. I was already awake when they jumped over the bed and started showering my face with kisses, but I just pretended not to wake up since I wanted to know what they will do if I didn’t.

 

“What are we gonna do then?”

 

“How about if we just attack mommy with a hug, Najoo?”

 

“Ya! We can’t do to mommy what we did to wake daddy up! Our baby brother in mommy’s tummy will get hurt if we do that Haejoon!”

 

“Then what should we do? And wait, why aren’t you calling me oppa? I’m older than you by 12 seconds! Remember that! Besides, how do you know we will be having a baby brother?!”

 

“And what’s the difference with being born 12 seconds later, Haejoonnie oppa?! I want baby to be a boy so I can have a nicer brother I can take care of!”

 

“You’re really annoying Najoo!”

 

It’s funny how they are twins and yet most of the time ends up squabbling. Maybe, in one way or another, it’s because they are very playful and too witty for their own age that they clash most of the time. Their similar personalities yet diverse likings added to their close yet weird sibling relationship.

 

Still, with Haejoon—our little boy, being the older of the two, always takes care of his sister, Najoo, like an older brother should. He would wake up first in the morning and then wakes up Najoo so she could bathe first. They sleep in one bedroom since they are still kids, and being the responsible one, Haejoon always helps me clean their room whenever Najoo would create a mess after playing with her dolls. Their daddy and I would always send them to their preschool every morning, and Haejoon would always promise to watch over Najoo so she won’t get bullied.

 

Najoo, on the other hand, being the younger of the two is a bit more playful than her twin brother. Pretty much to say, she gets spoiled too much by Haejoon even if they don’t agree with certain things. Despite that, she’s a very obedient daughter and a daddy’s girl. She would always run to her daddy every time she would cry because of Haejoon. But whenever it’s her brother that will cry, she would immediately admit her fault if it’s her and would say sorry to him like what we would always tell them.

 

Both are such lovely kids we are so happy to have in our lives. Perhaps they are the greatest blessings we ever received, so is the growing little joy inside me right now. It will be the third child we will be expecting as an addition to our growing family. And though it’s true, it’s not easy to bear a child after carrying it for nine months, the satisfaction it gives to see them first after coming out of me and seeing them grow up beside us is just greater and worthwhile.

 

“Najoo-ah? Haejoonnie?” I called them with a still sleepy voice as I opened my eyes and noticed them already in a little brawl on the side of the bed that was emptied.

 

They looked up and pulled away from each other when they finally noticed me sitting up. Najoo immediately crawled towards me and gave me a light hug, while Haejoon followed after her and did the same. I giggled happily when they still kissed either of my cheeks and forced me out of bed by tugging on both of my hands with their tiny ones.

 

“Daddy said we should bring you down when you wake up so you could eat the food he made for you!” Haejoon enthusiastically uttered as he looked back at me and grinned adorably.

 

“Your daddy can cook?” I asked, a little amused, since for all I know my husband never cooked. I always cook for him ever since we started living together.

 

“Mmm!” They responded in unison as they peered at me and bobbed their heads repeatedly.

 

“He even let us help in the kitchen before he went out for work!” Najoo proudly told me.

 

“Really?” They both bobbed their heads and pulled a chair for me when we finally reached the dining area where three sets of bowls of hot ramen with sunny-side ups on top were already prepared for us.

 

It smelled really good that I couldn’t help but wonder if my husband really did prepare this all for us. But since he never stops surprising me, this one could probably be really his doing.

 

“Shall we start eating now and then we’ll do the dishes later together too?” I asked the little ones. They grinned and nodded excitedly in response since they always love it whenever we do something together as a family, including the house chores and even when playing.

 

While having a nice breakfast together, they excitedly told me how their daddy carried them up one after the other in his arms and then let them stir the pot of ramen for a while when he was already cooking. They said he really looked too troubled and too worked up for the first two tries he tried cooking the ramen—which ended up in the drain because he put too much water in it. And when he actually perfected it, he carried each of them, in turns, excitedly up in the air and ran around the table like an idiot in victory.

 

“Daddy was really happy when he prepared yours and baby’s food! He even wrote you a note on the fridge!” Najoo giggled as she pointed at the sticky note stuck on the door of our fridge.

 

“Is it really for me?” I asked them with a smile and they happily nodded.

 

After our morning meal, they helped me place the washed dishes on the rack next to the sink. I told them to go up to their bathroom and wash up since we will be leaving the house later since today is their first ballet recital in the dance school we had enrolled them in ever since summer started. I was about to follow after them when I remembered the note Najoo told me about and peeled it off the fridge so I can read what my amazing husband had written for me.

 

My lovely wife,

 

I’m just going out for work. I hope you liked

the ramen I had cooked for all of you. Aren’t

I such a good cook too? See you later and

take care of yourself and our little ones.

 

From,

Your amazing husband

 

I ended up chuckling to myself while heading up the stairs as I repeatedly read the note over and over. He just never changed. He’s still cocky and proud—but I have long accepted that side of him too since he must be another person then if he just suddenly changed overnight and became not too full of himself at all.

 

When I reached the room I share with him, I stuck the note on the side of the mirror of my dresser and helped my twins on bathing themselves. I dressed them up in their favorite pair of clothes and packed the outfit they will be wearing later for their ballet recital. I took a bath myself after doing everything that I needed to do for the kids and wore something comfortable because my bump’s starting to show since I’m already in my third month.

 

Upon hearing the honking of a car in front of our house, we were ready to go. Since my husband has a class to teach dance with in the morning, he must have asked one of the twins’ godfathers’ to drive us to the company where we will meet him.

 

“Najoo, Haejoon… uncle’s already outside, can you come down and greet him? Mommy’s just gonna get something in our room.” I asked them when I went to their room and saw them sitting down on Haejoon’s bed while playing together.

 

They quickly agreed and scurried past me so excitedly to meet their uncle. Giggles filled the living room and our yard as they enthusiastically greeted whoever uncle it was who came to fetch us up. I got back to our room and hooked around my neck the treasured forget-me-not necklace that was the first gift my husband ever gave me and I had in my possession for eleven whole years. There were those times I had returned it to him when we had those fights, but after having it in my possession for the third and last time, I have almost not removed it around me since then.

 

Getting out of the house, a white luxurious looking car had parked in front of our gate. Seeing the car up close, I knew it was Baekhyun who came to drive us to the company. He waved a hand at me a little when I walked past our gate and closed it behind me. And he opened the door to the passenger’s side like the gentleman he always is.

 

“You look even prettier now that I see you again after a month.” He beamed and then chuckled.

 

“Geez, seriously, when will you ever stop complimenting me?” I spouted out with a smile that escaped from my lips as I shook my head at him in both disbelief and amusement.

 

“Maybe when I get a girlfriend again?” He joked as he let me slip inside his car and helped me fasten the seatbelt around me.

 

I snorted when I heard his remark since it only meant that the last girl he dated ended up not being his taste again, like always. “So, I’m guessing that you dumped that businessman’s daughter you started dating right before your tour?” I asked him when he finally got on the driver’s sides of the car and started the engine.

 

“Well, she was the one who dumped me. She said she just can’t keep up with my busy schedule like that so she decided to end everything through a text.” He explained coolly as we started moving along the street.

 

“Wow, just because of that she’s dumping a popular guy like you?” I asked in disbelief since the girl he dated was the first girl to ever dump him like that.

 

“Anyway, your house is really nice.” He added, ignoring what I had just said. “Maybe Chen, Kyungsoo, Luhan and I should find a house somewhere here too?” He side glanced at me to ask for my opinion.

 

I just shrugged and looked out to marvel the view of our neighborhood—the place I grew up in, the place I first met my husband in, the place that became witness to the growth of our own love story, and now the place where we decided to settle down in with our own family. Our parents wanted to get closer with their grandchildren so my father-in-law decided to gift us a house just next to theirs and across from my old house—where my parents and sister still lives in, last Christmas. It was pretty much a smooth moving back from my husband’s flat in Gangnam since we really love this neighborhood so much that we want for our children to also grow in this very place.

 

“Well, Najoo and Haejoon will really like it if you will move here, so why don’t you?” I uttered out after considering what he had asked me.

 

“Is that so?” He asked with a smile and then looked back to the two behaved kids at the back seat before trailing his eyes back to the road, “Will you be happy if uncle will live somewhere close to your house?” He asked them.

 

Upon hearing her uncle, Najoo beamed a huge grin and bobbed her head enthusiastically to Baekhyun—she just grew up having this certain fondness towards him among all of the eleven godfathers they have. “Will you really do that uncle?!”

 

“Will you? Will you?!” Haejoon exclaimed too as he batted his lashes cutely at his uncle.

 

Baekhyun snickered upon seeing even Haejoon use his aegyo on him—since he seldom does (only when he is in desperate need to have something). Heaving a glance at the two’s reflection on the rear view mirror he smiled. “I may consider it if you tell uncle that he’s the best uncle out of all of us.”

 

“Okay, you are the best uncle ever, uncle Baek!” The two of them breathed out loudly in unison and then grinned at him expectantly.

 

Baekhyun couldn’t help but cachinnate because of the two’s enthusiasm towards the subject of him living in the same neighborhood as us along with the other three he mentioned, “Well, I will try my best to find a good house close to yours then.” He told them.

 

The two cheered at the back like they just won the jackpot just because Baekhyun said that, and we both exchanged looks before cackling to ourselves because of the little ones.

 

When we arrived at the company, it wasn’t surprising to see so many fangirls screaming outside the building when we got out of his car. Baekhyun actually hit it off well, along with Chen, Kyungsoo and Luhan, as solo singers when they debuted as one, four years ago under this company.

 

Seeing the commotion outside, Baekhyun waved to his fans and made a heart over his head with his arms, leaving all of the girls swooned by his undying charm. He spun around and chuckled heartily as he picked up Najoo and heard her asking why those people were still outside when she just saw them all from the other day waiting for him and her other uncles too.

 

“Don’t your fans go home and sleep just to see you uncle?” She asked curiously as her probing eyes focused on Baekhyun’s face.

 

Baekhyun smiled as he caressed Najoo’s cheek and answered her, “They go home and sleep too, Najoo. They just love seeing your uncles that’s why they always come here.” He told her that, but my daughter looked like she wasn’t satisfied about his answer.

 

“If they always come, you should always remind them to go home and also eat so they will have energy when waiting for you. Or you should just let Najoo bring them food too.” She told his uncle as she clapped her hands over his face and stared intently at him.

 

Baekhyun, stunned at her wittiness, awkwardly chuckled and ruffled her hair, “Well, remind your uncle again about it when we meet those people again, okay? You’re such a cute and smart little girl.”

 

He then looked at me and smirked meaningfully, “It’s no wonder where you got that cleverness you have.” He winked at me and muttered out words he probably didn’t want me to hear, “You definitely didn’t inherit that from your daddy.”

 

“I heard you clearly Baek.” I chided, but he only threw a fit and said sorry.

 

We got inside and took the lift to reach the 5th floor where Chanyeol, Yixing and I work as music producers and composers for the company. The twins greeted the two enthusiastically when we found them still busily working on the songs that will soon be put into works for Chen’s newest album since his last one sold out pretty well last year and ranked on top of the charts for 18 consecutive weeks.

 

“Hey, are you two picking up your uncles now?” Chanyeol asked as he let the two sit on each of his lap and placed his arms around them.

 

Haejoon threw his arms around Chanyeol’s middle and nodded. “We are! Didn’t you promise me that you’ll come and watch our performance today?!” The little boy beamed.

 

“Oh…” Chanyeol feigned ignorance, “Did I?” He asked again and Haejoon frowns as he thought his uncle actually forgot about their recital.

 

Yixing suddenly pushed back his swivel chair and knocked on Chanyeol’s head to nag at him like always, “Stop playing dumb, Yeol. You’re seriously going to get beaten up by Jongin if you make his boy cry again.”

 

“Why is it always me?!” Chanyeol complained to the latter and then looked back at Haejoon, “Alright Haejoon-ah, uncle was just joking, okay? Of course we are coming!” He beamed and as if a switch has been clicked in Haejoon, my poor boy, smiled again at him.

 

It was a little later after playing with their uncles that Chanyeol and Yixing decided calling it a day from work. We headed out of the room and leisurely trudged our way towards the elevator while Yixing makes a call to Tao and Kris who were both apparently just coming back today from China since they just finished a shoot for a very popular magazine there. The two actually managed to debut successfully as actors two years ago and snagged good roles in dramas and movies in and out of Korea. They also work for the same company as us since this place pretty much served as our second home and second family.

 

“They said they will just meet us outside the two’s school since they just arrived. Will that be okay?” Yixing uttered out and I nodded in agreement. He went back into speaking with Tao and Kris over the phone and told them the other details about the twin’s recital today.

 

After riding the elevator up to the 8th floor where the CEO and the Vice President’s  office is, we walked past their secretary without having to be asked whether we have an appointment with the two since she saw the twins already hopping their way towards their uncles’ office. The boys and I followed the kids inside and there sat CEO Suho on his leather chair with Najoo on his lap, while the Vice President, Xiumin, was already out from his office with Haejoon in his arms.

 

Actually, Suho and Xiumin were the ones who started the company from scratch. They wanted to do business as partners—due to the degree they finished with from college, and since building a company that will hit off well was their main goal at that time, 5 years ago, they decided to create an entertainment company that will produce great performers in many fields.