PARK JIMIN | jimin x mara

chapter | 18

"What is this girl saying! You can't leave. The meeting is not done yet." Another board member caused the whole room to erupt in complaints.

I watched the room fall into chaos before I was brought back to reality again and I grabbed Yoonji by her shoulders and told her my decision, "Which hospital is she in?"

She told me which hospital then just to reassure me, she said, "Don't worry, Mr. Park. I can handle these old shits. You go."

I gave her a nod and took my first step towards the door as Yoonji tried to calm the tough crowd, saying she has a gun in her bag. I don't care anymore. I'm leaving. My wife needs me. I was about to enter the elevator when I remembered that my car keys are back at my office.

"Mr. Park, your keys!" Yoonji jiggled the car keys in her hands. She pulled her pencil skirt up and went into a position to throw my keys to me but the distance was too far. "Go long, Mr. Park!"

I caught the keys perfectly and then turned to Yoonji, "Thanks." I said before I jumped into the elevator just as it was about to close.

I saw a fraction of Yoonji's face between the doors. "Goodluck!"

•••

I drove like a mad man and arrived at the hospital a bit late. Mara was already inside the delivery room. She's gone into labor. I couldn't believe it was happening this fast. Hoseok was outside with me and Tae who just got out from school. He was crying when I arrived.

"Go in." Hoseok told me while had Tae in his arms. "Tae is fine. Go."

"Wait." I was about to enter but I stopped. I couldn't go in. I clutched at my chest. Why am I palpitating so hard?

"I'm nervous. What do I do in there?" I looked at Hoseok.

"Idiot, be her husband. Go in there!" Hoseok replied, smiling as I glanced at him one last time.

Mara's voice was empowering the whole room when I came in. She was on the delivery table, her legs up and spread apart as she gave a hard push. A nurse made me wear a disposable scrubs and mask to wear over my face before I can come close to my wife. Her face was a mess when I got close. I stood on her right side. She was crying and sweating at the same time.

"Baby, I'm here." I took her tightly fisted hand with both of mine. She opened her eyes and looked at me, her attention divided between me and the woman that's coaching her.

"What- took you so long!" She said between her gritted teeth.

"I was in a meeting. Sorry." I bent down to kiss her hand that's been crushing mine in her strong grip but I didn't say a word.

"The fuck!.. is wrong with you?" Mara said after bearing down the second time. She took a long breath between her pursed lips, "Is that meeting more important than your baby ripping my vagina open!?"

"No it's not. I'm sorry. I love you baby." I said in perfect succession. This sentence saved my life once but I don't think it'll work now. "But I'm here, aren't I?"

"Fuck it hurts!" She yelled out. "I can't survive this.." Mara added after a contraction. She closed her eyes, her chest heaving. "Let's take a rest. I want to sleep."

"Babe, you can't sleep." I spoke beside her ear. She turned her face to the sound of my voice as I held her hand, "Just a little more, baby. You can do it. For me?"

"Fuck you. I did everything for your shit!" Mara screamed again and we were back to pushing again. I'm completely shocked. I've never seen her curse so much. She's said all the curses I can think off in just a matter of fifteen minutes.

I ignored the profanities she threw at me and continued to play my role as a loving husband to my wife. The doctor joined in on coaching her to push more. Halfway through she was following the instructions that's being said to her and she calmed down a bit.

"Baby?" She weakly called for me, her hand still in mine. I kissed her knuckles and she smiled.

"You're doing great, Mara." I whispered in her ear, removing her hair from her face and wiping her sweat, "You're so strong and beautiful right now. I love you. There's nothing I'd rather be doing than being here with you."

"Okay, Mara. One last push and we're there." The doctor said to us, to everyone in the room so they can prepare for the baby. "I can see her head. Come on, you can do it. One last long push. Just breathe in and breathe out."

Her hands grabbed mine tightly again. She closed her eyes and buckled herself for another wave of pain. I prepared myself too for the birth of our daughter. "Baby, you can do this."

Mara took in a long breath before she bore down again. This time she didn't stop and kept going and going and it made me so proud of her. By the time the doctor has gotten the baby out, Mara has fallen in my arms with a smile so beautiful I can't seem to take my eyes off of her. I smiled down at her and planted a kiss on her forehead, "You did great."

•••

"She's ready for her parents." The nurse came in with a cradle that held our bundle of sunshine for us. "Here she is. Are you going to be a mommy's girl or a daddy's girl?"

I took her safely in my arms, her small body and her small face that she hid from me with her tiny fingers. I rocked her gently when she cried, "She's Daddy's girl."

"Let me see her." Mara reached her hand out, having enough time to rest in the recovery room. "My Mary."

"Our Mary." I added with a smile as I bend down to show her our newborn child. She softly touched her face and cried when Mary opened her eyes. I laid our baby in Mara's open arms and hugged her, kissing her temples again, "Thank you, Mara. For every single time you've made me so happy."

Mara wiped her tears and laughed out of nowhere, "I can't handle you and this baby at the same time. My chest is going to burst open."

I kissed her lips, holding her close as she cradled our baby to her chest. Her lips trembled slightly and I realized she was crying again so I broke the kiss softly, watching her gather herself again. "I want her to take after you, Mara because I want her grow up as pretty as you are in my eyes right now."

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