Love After Love...

Chapter 69: "We'll be okay, right?"

~Present~

Author's POV:
"How was that argument resolved?" Dr. Lee asked.

The couple shared a look.

~7 years, one month ago~

Author's POV:
Taehyung had come to the Park household to meet their son, who was so so so close to his heart. He also hoped he could help with Jimin and Jieun's situation.

Unfortunately for Taehyung, Sungho was fast asleep when he arrived. He then decided to talk to Jieun in the living room. "Have you and Jimin resolved your issues?" he asked. "We don't fight anymore. But we don't exactly talk much. I don't know what's worse. He's out for some groceries right now. He'll be back soon. He probably has to meet his agent. The book releases a week from now," she replied. "What agent?" he asked. She gave him a 'dont-joke-with-me' look. "He fired his agent, don't you know?" he asked. Her head shot up.

"You didn't expect him to stick with that fucktard after everything, did you?" he asked. "Well, he was a pretty good agent," she said. He sighed in defeat. "Jieun, this is not you. I understand he fucked up. But, please. Please try to see this from his perspective. He got the biggest opportunity of his career, which he declined because of his kid. You know that he's loved your child as soon as you told him about your pregnancy. The second he knew that you're pregnant, he's poured his entire life into this baby. It kills him to have missed literally the most important day of his life. It was not on purpose. It is definitely not because he resents you for making him give the book tour up. But it is understandable that he'd feel dejected about not having gone to a fucking book tour, are you kidding me? That would've been so huge for him! But he happily let that go for you! You need to understand that, and empathize with him!" he tried to make her see reason.

She sighed. "Okay," she said. "Please, try to fix it," he said, "I can't see you guys like this. You guys are the best and strongest couple I know. You need to make it work." "Thanks, Taehyung. I really needed this, and I didn't even know I did," she said. He gave her a smile and left the house.

Jimin soon came in, and Jieun greeted him at the door. His steps halted to see a change in her cold behaviour since the past month. "Let's talk," she said. Jimin cracked a smile at her words, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "No, I'm sorry, Jieun. I'm sorry I took that interview gig, I'm sorry for not being there for you when you were giving birth to our son. I'm sorry," he said. She held his hand and moved closer to him. He engulfed her in a hug, and they both sobbed. "It's all okay," she said, "I understand you might have wanted to do something about your book. It's our story afterall. You'd want people to read it." He smiled. "I'll be here for you, I promise," he said. They both shared a kiss, which was much needed after a month long exile from any kind of physical contact. They both happily sighed into the cuddles given in their sleeps. They knew they'd wake up to a better tomorrow.

~Present~

Author's POV:
"Things were better since then. For about a year, Jimin handled various book signings and so many events. It was really good between us. Jimin worked directly with an agency without a private agent for a really long time. I started to work again at the clinic about six months later. We were both busy. The book sold way too well. And then about a year later, the book hype started to die down. And then..." Jieun started but trailed off. "And then?" Dr. Lee asked. "Then the agency started pressuring me into writing another book. Also the fans," Jimin said. "Understandably," Dr. Lee replied. "At first, I told them to calm down, that the book was still selling. And it had just been two years. It didn't help that previously, I had really fast releases, with the poems and everything, but I didn't want to take a step back into poems after successfully launching a novel. And the procrastination lasted about two years more. I kept telling myself that I wasn't wasting and whiling away the time, I was spending it with my family. But then, after that, that's when things went really bad," Jimin said. "What do you mean?" Dr. Lee asked.

"I had the worst writers block of my life. I couldn't write a single page," Jimin replied. "And?" Dr. Lee asked. "It really got to me. I had never faced this before. not liking something I wrote? That's okay, I can handle that, that's happened to me. But not being able to write at all? That's a first," he said. Jieun looked at him with pity.

"How was that like for you, Jieun?" Dr. Lee asked. "Bad," she replied. "For his condition, or for yourself?" "Both," she said.

Just when Dr. Lee was about to ask the next question, the timer for the session rang. "Oops, unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today. I will see you next time. Yes?" she said. The couple nodded.

Jimin's POV:
The only thing worse than reaching a stage where you and your partner have to go to couple's therapy, is the ride home from couple's therapy. It was quiet, awkward and full of silent glances. "We'll be okay, right?" Jieun asked. "Of course," I replied with a smile. I held her hand and she pulled it to her lips and kissed it. I smiled at her gesture, happy that she had as much belief in us as I did.

We will be okay, Jieun. I promise.