Side Story (Part 5)

Today, a detailed ultrasound was scheduled. Although the morning sickness had subsided and her appetite had improved. She was even in good enough condition to film. Still, whenever it was time to go to the hospital, she would get worried and her mood would drop.

Lying down in the ultrasound room, Seowoo stared anxiously at the monitor. Jiwook stood beside her, also watching her nervously.

“The amniotic fluid and fetal movements are good.”

Seowoo could feel her stomach moving even as she was being examined in the middle of a violent contraction.

“You already know the gender, right?”

“Yes, we do.”

Jiwook, who was standing next to her, smiled slightly and answered before Seowoo. He had been enthusiastic about preparing their daughter’s room, even going as far as decorating it. He had even filled it with furniture for the children to use in the future. Jiwook seemed to be such an impatient person.

“Here, the eyes, nose, and mouth. All normal. I’ve checked all the fingers too. Ten on the left, ten on the right. And I’ve also confirmed the feet.”

With twins, there was so much to check. But each time the doctor said everything was fine, Seowoo’s pounding heart gradually calmed down.

“Did you eat something before coming? The babies are moving well.”

“Yes, I had chocolate milk.”

She had read that drinking chocolate milk before an ultrasound was good.

‘They say to drink chocolate milk before the exam.’

‘I’ll buy it for you. I can even feed it to you..

‘Ugh, you’re unstoppable.’

Seowoo rolled her eyes at his mischievous remarks, but Jiwook simply chuckled. 

Remembering how he had actually fed her, her cheeks flushed slightly.

“The abdominal circumference, thigh size, and head circumference are all growing well. The diaphragm and spine are fine too. And the amount of amniotic fluid is normal.”

Those words, “everything is normal,” meant more than she could express. Seowoo’s palm was sweating from nerves. Jiwook’s large hand enveloped her small fist.

“And finally, the length of the cervix is also good. Do you have any questions?”

“Doctor, is a natural birth possible?”

“It’s hard to say until closer to the due date, but for now, it seems possible. But just to be safe, it’d be good to think about it again around that time. There are so many variables.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“Take care.”

As the doctor wiped the gel off her belly, she smiled warmly. Jiwook helped Seowoo sit up. The doctor watched the affectionate couple with a pleased expression.

“The next appointment will include a prenatal test. You can get the details when making the appointment. Any other concerns?”

“No, everything’s fine.”

“Your belly will keep growing day by day now. When you can move around, feel free to do your usual activities, but don’t overdo it. We’ll see you at the next appointment.”

“Thank you.”

Seowoo and Jiwook said their goodbyes and left the examination room.

“Phew.”

As soon as they left, Seowoo took a deep breath. Jiwook intertwined his fingers with hers. Maybe it was because she wasn’t alone. With his hand firmly holding hers, her heart felt a little more at ease.

“Let’s make the next appointment first, then let’s go have lunch. Anything you’re craving?”

“I want something spicy. Very spicy bibimguksu?”

“I’ll get my wife whatever she wants.”

Jiwook smiled faintly as they walked together.

***

Jiwook’s gaze softened. After looking around for a while, he let out a small sigh and looked up.

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not.”

“This is nothing unusual. Really, it’s fine.”

Seowoo gave him a wry smile. Seeing her smile only made him feel more saddened.

Approaching 33 weeks, her belly was protruding significantly, almost like it was full-term. It seemed even bigger than when she was pregnant with Byul. Or maybe he hadn’t paid enough attention back then and couldn’t remember. 

Since her hands couldn’t reach the end of her swollen belly, Jiwook volunteered to apply cream. But when he saw her fully rounded belly, he was at a loss for words.

“I’m still a bit embarrassed.”

“About what?”

Even though she had shown him everything, she still felt showing her swollen belly was so embarrassing.

Seowoo had been avoiding him all along, trying to escape from Jiwook’s insistence on applying cream, but eventually, with her belly protruding too much, there was no other way. Her ears turned red under his intense gaze.

Jiwook silently took the cream from her hand. With his hand full of cream, he silently applied it to her belly. Perhaps because it was too swollen, even though he was moving carefully, she could feel a tingling sensation with each touch.

“From now on, I’ll make sure to apply it properly so it doesn’t get worse.”

“As long as they’re healthy, when I give birth…….”

Seowoo’s words trailed off. Jiwook paused his movements for a moment.

“That’s all that matters. Stretch marks are nothing.”

“Seowoo…”

“It’ll be okay, right?”

As the due date approached, her anxiety grew more and more.

She was worried that something had gone wrong, what if she didn’t notice and made the same mistake again? Seowoo paid meticulous attention to the baby’s movements, almost to the point of obsession. 

After Jiwook finished applying the cream thoroughly, he helped her sit on the couch and held her hands, facing each other.

Seowoo’s face was full of anxiety.

“Don’t worry. Okay?”

“Hmm.”

Seowoo let out a small sigh and closed her eyes.

She pretended to be calm in front of Jiwook, but sometimes she had dreams. Whenever she woke up in a cold sweat, she’d have a hard time calming herself down.

“They say that when a mother is anxious, the baby can feel it too.”

“I know. I know that.”

Jiwook squeezed her hands a little tighter. There was nothing he could really do, except to assure her that everything would be alright. His own helplessness frustrated him as well.

“But I can’t help feeling anxious.”

Since twins are considered full-term at 36 weeks, they only had 3 weeks left. Her belly had grown so large that each day was pure agony. She was short of breath and couldn’t even lie down comfortably. The reflux made it necessary to eat little by little, which was also a hassle.

Her legs were swollen, and her belly was itchy. But all of this didn’t matter. She just had to endure a little longer.

If only this anxiety would go away, she could bear anything.

“Byul will protect you.”

At his reassurance, Seowoo bit her lip. Whenever she worried, she looked at Byul’s ultrasound pictures. It seemed to make her feel a bit better.

“I will protect you too.”

“…”

“I’ll be right here beside you. And from next week, I’ll be working from home.”

“Really? But you’re so busy.”

Seowoo asked, surprised. He had been working a bit too hard lately because he wanted to be with her before childbirth. There were countless nights he spent in the study after putting Seowoo to bed. Thanks to that, he had finished enough work to be able to work from home now. But most importantly, his daughters and wife were more important than anything else. He didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

“Even if I’m busy, nothing is more important than this.”

“…”

“If you feel unwell at any time, I’ll take you to the hospital immediately, so don’t worry.”

Seowoo let out a deep sigh. Jiwook raised one hand and placed it on her belly. The moment he did, the babies inside seemed to recognize his touch and moved gently. It always felt amazing to feel the babies’ movements. Jiwook gazed at the belly quietly and spoke.

“You have to move around a lot to make sure mommy doesn’t feel anxious. Can you do that?”

He had never spoken to the babies before. He had always been too awkward to do so. That’s why Seowoo never forced him to. Just this little bit of tenderness from him was enough to make her grateful. But his sudden words made tears well up in her eyes.

“Don’t move too much, though. Just enough.”

Seowoo raised her hands to cover her face. All the worries and anxieties she had been holding in burst out at his words.

“Yoon Seowoo.”

“Sob.”

“Are you crying?”

Even though she bit her lip, the sound of sobbing escaped. Jiwook reached down and gently wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Nothing’s going to happen. I’ll be here for you.” 

Those words were more comforting than any other. Seowoo nodded, sobbing.