Chapter 10: Priceless – January 14, 2022
Tae was lying in bed with her. Rubbing cocoa butter across the naked skin of her bountiful belly. They were expecting their baby any time. Perhaps today. He knew she’d been fretting over missing the next semester of school. It began in a few weeks.
“I’ll help you, you know,” he murmured suddenly.
“Help me?”
“To finish school. Whatever you need to complete your senior year. But first, take some time off. You can go back when our baby is older. You should stay home with our baby, Yun. I don’t want to see you have to leave her with Yuni. Or anyone else. I think…I think that would break your heart.”
She gazed up at him. How did he know her so well?
“It would. It has. Just thinking about it. But it’s what I deserve for doing things backwards.”
“Stop that!” he ejaculated suddenly.
She glanced up at him. “What?”
“Stop punishing yourself. We all – all of us – make mistakes. Bad choices. Things we regret. Things we wish we could undo. You’re no different from me, Yun.
“At least, you owned up to them. And took responsibility. You’ve already paid a high price. I don’t want you paying for your mistake for the rest of your life. That’s no way to live. I want to see you happy. And your baby is an innocent. Does she deserve to be separated from her eomma?”
Her eyes wide, she shook her head.
His face softened. “I want you to stay home with her. I make enough money. You don’t have to work. You can finish your degree whenever. There’s no hurry. I want to see you happy, Yun.”
She stared up at him and wondered how she had finally won him. After she’d chased another guy when Tae had broken up with her. It made no sense to her.
“I don’t understand you, Tae.”
Two rough lines popped up above his nose as he drew his eyebrows together. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you weren’t that into me when you broke up with me last Christmas Eve. Then I went and slept with another guy. Got pregnant with his baby. And now you think you’re in love with me? Isn’t that backwards?”
“Yun. I never stopped loving you. Almost as soon as I broke up with you, I regretted it. But you were already with him…”
Her eyes widened. “What?! You knew you loved me back in…”
“December.”
His birthday. That was when he’d known.
“December?”
“Thirtieth.”
“Your birthday?”
He nodded. “I spent it without you. I felt so alone. Namjoon and Eunji threw me a party. But I didn’t even care. I missed you so much. But Jungkook had told me you’d already been on two dates with that guy, so I knew you’d made your choice. You didn’t want me anymore.”
His finger traced a pattern on her belly as his eyes avoided hers.
“That’s not true! I loved you still! Even then! I,” her voice broke, “I’m so sorry, Tae.”
His eyes lifted slowly to meet hers. “Do you know what I think? I think that it’s time we both stop being sorry. I, for one, would like to enjoy the rest of our lives together. No more sorrow, Yun. We’ve both had our fill.”
She nodded her head and leaned forward to press her lips against his. “Agreed.”
But the mention of his birthday had reminded her. She crossed her room and opened the bottom drawer of her desk. A drawer she hadn’t opened in over a year. She pulled out the wrapped package.
“I kept it. It was supposed to be your Christmas present last year. Your birthday present too. I spent so much on it that I couldn’t give you two. Just this one.”
He eyed it curiously. Almost like it might bite him. “What is it, Yun?”
She held it out to him. “Open it and find out.”
He accepted it and pulled the paper off the little, square box. It almost looked like a jewelry box, but it was bigger. He lifted the lid and stared down at a beautiful, silver watch. It was stunning. And expensive.
“Yun. How did you pay for this?” he asked uneasily.
She swallowed. “I sold something.”
“What?”
She wanted to cry thinking about it. “A doll collection I had. My appa gave it to me when I was little. It was quite valuable.”
She couldn’t breathe now. It was the truth that had been crushing her for months now. He had no way of knowing how much those dolls had meant to her. She’d kept them under glass forever. Ever since…middle school. A hot summer’s day.
She pushed the memory away. She would not recall it now.
His face fell. “Why, Yun? Why would you sell something so precious to you to buy me a watch?”
“You wanted it,” she murmured simply.
“What?” Confusion was bleeding into his countenance.
“The watch,” she tilted her chin towards it. “We were window shopping one day. You saw it and got so excited.
“‘Yun! Look at that beautiful watch! Someday, I’ll have enough money to buy such a gorgeous timepiece. I’ll wear it to work and look like a million bucks!’”
Of course, to her Tae had already looked like a million bucks. He didn’t need a flashy piece of silver to make him more beautiful. But it had been clear to her that his heart desired it. So the next day, she had sold her collection and walked to the jeweler’s to buy it. On another hot, summer day. Months before he’d turned his heart towards Eunji again.
Tae was broken. “Can you get it back?”
“What?” She stared uncomprehendingly up at him.
“Your doll collection. Can you get it back?”
“Oh. I doubt it. The collector was very excited to buy it. Besides, I bought the watch over sixteen months ago now.” She frowned as she looked up at him. “You don’t like it?” she asked in the tiniest of voices.
He could hear her disappointment dueling with her heartbreak for dominance.
“I love it!” he declared as his arm snaked around her and dragged her gently up against him, separated from him by only her baby bump. “But I love you more!”
His lips claimed hers in a sweet kiss. “Thank you for this,” he murmured against her mouth a moment later. “I do love it. Do you, perchance, still have the number of the person you sold your dolls to?”
She nodded. “It’s in my phone.”
“Text it to me. Will you?”
“All right.” She furrowed her brow. “But, Tae…? You’re not going to get rid of the watch, are you?”
She was feeling sick to her stomach now.
“No! No. I’m going to wear it!”
He released her and pulled the watch from the box. He threaded it onto his wrist. And then tightened it. He stared down approvingly at it. “Your childhood looks good on my wrist.” He beamed up at her.
As she burst into tears.
—
“Yun? What’s wrong?”
“Tae…there’s something I’ve never told you,” she mumbled around a sob.
“What?”
“I—”
She stilled suddenly. He felt the tension in her.
“What is it?”
“I think it’s a contraction.”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it. She remained tense for a few moments. Then he felt her relax.
“Here. Lie down in bed again. Should I get you anything?” He drew her towards the bed.
“A glass of water. And something to eat. Thank you, Tae,” she smiled at him. “And tell Yuni to come see me.”
She squeezed his fingers before letting go of him to lie down in their bed.
—
A light knock rapped on her door a moment later. “What’s up?” Yunyeong asked as she entered her room.
“I think I’m in labor.”
She confirmed it a moment later when she suddenly tensed again.
Yunyeong flew to her bed. “Are you all right? Can I get you anything?”
Yunseong shook her head. “I’m all right.”
A moment later, Tae returned with a bowl of chicken and rice. And a glass of water. He sat down on the edge of the bed and began to feed her.
Half an hour later, as Yunseong returned from the bathroom and stood in her bedroom looking around to make sure she had everything she needed for her trip to the hospital, Tae approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her before resting his chin on her shoulder and planting a kiss on her cheek. Then his hand had lovingly caressed her belly. He spoke adoringly in her ear.
“This beautiful baby is mine, Yun. She’s our baby. And I can’t wait to see her! Are you ready to go?”
But Yunseong didn’t answer him for a moment. She was in shock. Tae had just acted out the dream she’d had months ago. She turned in his arms and threw hers around him before sealing his lips with a kiss.
“I love you, Tae. With all my heart. I’m so glad you’re mine. And that you chose me. Now I’m ready to have this baby!”
—
At the hospital hours later, Yunseong delivered her beautiful baby girl while Tae held her hand and beamed down upon his daughter as she entered the world.
