Hye-jae: Book 2 - New Loves

New Lives Part 56

A whimper...a cry...

Seon-jae stirred, feeling Hye-won toss beside him in distress, though when he opened his eyes, he saw that she was still asleep.  His first instinct was to waken her to reassure her.

'Hye-wona...love...it's ok...ssh...it's Seon-jae...I'm here.'

He placed his hand on her cheek but she was in the throes of it and his touch actually seemed to increase her fear.  His heart was thumping.  She really isn't waking up.  He sat up and switched on the little bedside light and put his hand on Hye-won's shoulder and tried again.

'Hye-wona, Hye-wona...wake up, love...it's just a bad dream.'

In the pooling light, he could see the tears that coursed down her face and her look of anguish sent daggers to his heart.  He tapped her face lightly and finally saw her eye-lids flicker open, closed, then open again, this time her frightened eyes focussing on his face, until gradually, he saw the light of recognition and then relief.  She reached to grip his arm and he felt her terror in the tightness of her clasp.

'My love, it's ok, come here.'

He propped himself against the pillows and she scooted over to bury her head against his chest, gripping him tightly around the waist.

'Oh Seon-jaea, sorry, it was just...sorry.'

He let her calm down for a few minutes, feeling her breathing quieten and the trembles fade away.

'Hye-won, tell me about it, ok?'

'There's no need, Seon-jae, everyone has bad dreams.  They can't hurt you,' though she sounded less than convinced.

'But you were so distressed, love, I almost couldn't waken you.  You were crying real tears, for one thing.  And for another, this is the second time in a week.'

She raised her head and looked at him enquiringly: 'when...?'

'After the jazz club in Hamburg, remember, the Cuban band...'

She still looked confused.

'You said that you were going to read for a few minutes while I was getting ready for bed but when I came from the bathroom, you had fallen asleep with the book on your chest.  I remember being surprised that you were soundly asleep so quickly, though of course, that little mystery has now been solved.'

He gave a wry smile and she thought of their baby and sent her her thoughts - Mommy is fine, little one - don't be scared.

'I lifted the book from your hands and turned off the light but I was barely in the bed beside you when you started to make the same sorts of sounds that you were making just now - sounds of fear and terror, to be honest - but when I spoke to you, you seemed to settle and rest more easily.'

He placed his hand carefully on the back of Hye-won's head, where she cuddled into his chest.

'What could be making you so afraid?  Can you remember the dreams?'

She didn't answer straight away, then she stirred and looked up at him.  She saw his worried face and seemed to make a decision.

'Ok, I don't remember anything about what I dreamed on the night of the jazz club - last thing I remember was feeling so tired that the English words were swimming in front of my eyes and then it was the next morning.  But...'

He waited but she didn't speak again and he could sense the tense, nervous energy running through her body where it lay against his.

He prompted her: 'but...but what?'