Hye-jae: Book 4

Special Night Part 82

Later, as they lay facing each other - the bed-covers cosied up to their ears and their eyes resting easily on each other's adored features - Hye-won remembered their friends' proclamations of love on their special day: 'you know, sweetheart, I loved the little ceremony today when Julie said - know you are loved - and Ciara said - walk with me in love and gentleness and never, ever let me go...,'

Seon-jae was blissfully sunk in contemplation of the perfect beauty of Hye-won's curved brows, as he trailed a finger across them: 'mm...,'

'So I was remembering our special day...,'

'Mm...,'

'...when you said...,'

and without pausing in his meditative stroking, he recited his words again to her: 'I said - I worship you as my one and only Goddess and I will always love and protect you and our precious baby.'

For a moment, she was going to express amazement that he remembered, then an image of Seon-jae appeared in her mind's eye, Seon-jae - as he professed those words to her in the mystical surroundings of that ancient amphitheatre - and she realised that those words were engraved on his soul, just as they were on hers and she closed her eyes with how filled-up that made her feel and her tease blew away on a snow flurry.

He saw her deeply-stirred feelings and cupped her cheek, pressing the softest, tenderest kiss upon first, one trembling eyelid and then, the other: 'and you said...,'

and without opening her eyes, she recited her words: 'I took inspiration from the Irish poet Yeats' beautiful love poem and said - when I had nothing, I had only my dreams of you, Seon-jae, to live for. Now I lay those dreams under your feet and live only for you and our little one, Baby Hye-jae - and of course, little Seon-won now too.'

Now it was his turn to feel too much and his eyes were pools of feeling that she would never tire of reading. She lifted her head from the pillow and placed a healing kiss on the luscious apples of first, his right and then, his left cheek and his eyes thanked her, though he didn't risk speaking just then. She lay her head back again and they lay in peaceful quiet for some moments longer, until Seon-jae - feeling more himself - gave a little laugh and then answered his love's enquiring look: 'aish - gosh - I was just thinking of the Cuties with Cuties jumping around in the snow shower earlier - too sweet, just a perfect ending for that special day.'

She laughed too: 'it was so lucky that it started to snow, just as we were on our bright night walk, wasn't it?' and while he was grinning his agreement, she got another thought, 'actually, it was all so lucky - Ciara being Irish and wanting to tie the knot on the auld sod, as she called it, us having finalised the deal on our cottage and being finished with recording and concerts until the new year, Julie always wanting to visit Ireland, the kiddies being so excited to finally come here, after hearing so much about it - everything just fell into place for having the special day here.'

He nodded slowly: 'it's true actually, we are definitely the luckiest couple...in every way,' and he kissed the straight bridge of her nose and then popped another peck on its tip, which brought her grins again, as they both thought of all the ways that luck had manifested in their lives together. Then Hye-won remembered her yoga sessions over the last year and her voice was thoughtful as she spoke again: 'actually, sweetheart, thinking of how lucky we are makes me think of how much we have to be thankful for.'

He smilingly encouraged her to go on: 'mm?'

'And at the end of my yoga session, there is always a moment of giving thanks or what the yoga teacher calls a blessing of gratitude.'

She thought again and seemed to take a moment, before going on: 'well, as it is a special day...sorry, night...,' this as his eye-brows flicked brattishly, '...I think I'd like to do that now.  Would you be ok with that, love?'

As she knew he would, he nodded agreeably. He is always agreeable, no matter what I suggest.

'There are 3 parts to this giving thanks and we usually do it with our eyes closed so that we can really focus.'

Seon-jae had no problem with that and readily closed his eyes while Hye-won raised her joined palms and placed her facing thumbs on her own forehead and the opposite side of her hands, on her soul-mate's forehead.

'So first, we give thanks for our minds, our intellect, our understanding, our thoughts, everything that allows us to make sense of the world around us and enrich it and ourselves.'

Seon-jae thought of how much he relied on his intellect to read music and make sense of the notation, the markings, the dynamic changes, and knew that every day was richer for that and he was thankful.

Hye-won moved her palms and placed her thumbs on her lips, the other side again to Seon-jae's.

'Second, we give thanks for our voices, our words, our urge to communicate, everything that allows us to take joy in connecting with others and enriching their lives and ours.'

Seon-jae thought of the joy that he took every day in communicating with his one and their little ones and knew that every day was richer for that and he was thankful.

Hye-won moved her palms and placed her thumbs on her heart, joining to Seon-jae's also.

'Last, we give thanks for our hearts, our feelings, our selves, everything that allows us to feel the loving spirit of the universe within our souls and share that spirit with others, loving them and ourselves.'

Seon-jae thought of the infinite well of love that he felt for his soul-mate and their babies, as well as their friends, and knew that every day was richer for that and he was thankful.

'So, we give thanks for all that we have and do and are - namaste - I bow to you.'

And Seon-jae answered: 'namaste - I bow to you,' and he was thankful.

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In this deeply relaxed state, the couple lay together, the candle guttering low, feeling restful sleep beginning to steal over them. Whether a trick of the sub-conscious or perhaps the faintest echo from outside their bedroom but the couple seemed to hear beautifully ethereal singing and its ebbs and flows lulled them further towards rest, as a reward for their giving thanks. Hye-won felt the peaceful centre of each slow breath - in, out, in, out - without the need to think of the last breath or the next one and she realised that this was a true blessing - to be centred in each moment, with no regret for the last one and no fear of the next one. Seon-jae was right - it really was a special night. And then she rested - her mind, her voice, her heart - and that was the most special of all.

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