Monday Couple Stories

Chapter Fifty Two: Home At Last

After several days in the hospital, Ji Hyo was was given clearance by her doctor that she and her son may be discharged from the hospital.  Gary was there to escort her and their son to a waiting black tinted van in front of the hospital.  It was Gary who wheeled Ji hyo with her baby in her arms to the van.  Once he got to the van, Gary carefully and lovingly took the baby from Ji Hyo's arms and gently strapped him safely into the infant seat.  Once he saw the baby was secured, he gently helped Ji Hyo get into her seat and buckled her up. 

Suddenly the baby woke up and began to cry.  Gary had a ready made bottle of milk , which the hospital had given him prior to being discharged, to give to Ji Hyo to feed the baby.  As Ji Hyo fed the baby, Gary looked on which such love in his heart for new found family.  He waited until his son finished drinking his milk before slowly and carefully closing the sliding door of the vehicle.  Then he told the driver of the van that he will be the one to drive his family home, so the driver sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle.

Once Gary arrived at Ji Hyo's house, he then helped Ji Hyo and their son out of the van.  Then he thanked the driver for letting him drive his family home, paid him for his services and dismissed him. 

Ji Hyo had already prepared the nursery room prior to the arrival of the baby.  It would be the first time Gary would see the room.  Together they entered the room and Gary was astonished at what he saw.  Ji Hyo had decorated their son's room with a music theme. 

The crib was black with white sheets.  A cute music mobile with bright colored animals playing various instruments was attached to the side of the crib.  There was a black four shelf bookcase with white shelves on one side of the wall that had various baby books and stuff animals, a black changing table with white drawers near the crib, a comfortable, red, leather, rocking chair with matching ottoman in the corner of the room and a small black end table that held a lamp and an 8x10 picture frame of Ji Hyo and Gary together in one of the episodes of Running Man. 

On one side of the wall, Ji Hyo had someone paint a beautiful tree with a silhouette of a little boy sitting down underneath the tree, blowing a bubble of musical notes.  On the wall next to the crib, words were inscribed on it in which it said "Don't Give Up So Easily On This Game Called Life."  These were part of the lyrics to his song, "Pursuit of Happiness."  On another wall, there were also pictures of Gary receiving various SBS entertainment awards.  What touched Gary the most were pictures of him receiving various awards acknowledging his talent in the music industry.

When you look up to the ceiling, you see the night sky, with twinkling stars and a few clouds.  Everything was just perfect in Gary's eyes.  He was so moved how Ji Hyo had decorated the room to reflect him.

"Ji Hyo...I don't know what to say....it's just so wonderful...when did you find the time to do all this?"

She smiled and said, "when we were separated."

Gary looked down, then sadly said, "I'm so sorry for that time, Ji Hyo."

"Don't be...that's the past," she said.

Suddenly their son woke up and began to cry.  Gary, who was holding the baby at the time, took him to the changing table and changed his diaper.  Then Ji Hyo pulled another ready made bottle of milk from the diaper bag she received from the hospital.  She was just about to feed the baby, when Gary said, "I'll do it, you just relax.  Ji Hyo was so moved how attentive Gary was to their son.  Gary moved to the chair and lovingly fed his son a bottle of milk.  Ji Hyo had a little CD player on top of the end table next to the chair.  She turned on the music and to Gary's astonishment, he heard an instrumental version of his music "Rush."

This was sentimental to Gary as it was the first song that became a hit for him and Gil.  Gary looked down at his son's peaceful face as he finished the lost drop of milk from the bottle. 

After he removed the bottle from his son's mouth, he looked up at Ji Hyo and whispered to her, "where did you get this CD?"

She lovingly responded, "I had someone help me put together this special CD as a surprise to you and our little boy....the music on the CD were songs that I loved to hear you sing...I hope you like it?"

"Like it...I love it...that was very sweet of you," he said.

Then Gary gently put his son over his shoulder and burped him.  Afterwards, he gently laid his son on the crib.  Both Ji Hyo and Gary lovingly and adoringly looked at their son sleeping soundly in his crib.  Gary had his arm around Ji Hyo's shoulder and she put her arm around his waist. 

"Thank you Ji Hyo for giving me a son, I love you."

Ji Hyo then kissed  Gary on the lips.  Later, they turned on the baby monitor on, closed the door half way and quietly walked out of the room.  Gary then walked Ji Hyo to her room which was across the baby's room.  He was saying his goodbye's when Ji Hyo asked him where he was going?

"I am going home now that you and our son are safely home," he said.

Ji Hyo faced Gary, held both his hands in hers and said, "Gary, my home is your home now...stay with me....I love you."

"Shall I move in?" he said.

"Well...yes...unless you don't want to," she said.

Gary looked away from Ji Hyo.  She was surprised and then she let go of his hand and disappointingly  said, "it's okay...you don't have to...I just thought since we have a child together....uhm, it's okay...I understand."

He then quickly grabbed her hands and said, "Ji Hyo it's not that...of course I will stay with you...thank you for making room for me in your home."

"It's our home now, " she lovingly said.

"Yes, our home....yours, mine and our son's," he lovingly responded.

"Ji Hyo...I was just thinking about how to break the news to the media."

"Gary, my love...how can you think about the media?...that's not that important for now....we havent' even picked a name for our son yet...let's concentrate on that more....let the media speculate about us for a little while..we will eventually let the public soon enough...but for now, let's just focus on our family."

For the first time, Gary could truly feel he was Ji Hyo's man when she called him her love.  It was the first true acknowledgement of her love for him as a real couple.  He was very happy.

"Okay Ji Hyo...anything you want....I'll keep my apartment for now until we break the news to the media but I will live here with you and our son."

Ji Hyo was very happy and she hugged Gary tightly.  He then told her it was time for her to get some rest.

"Hmmm... we made a great baby together...I would love to have more with you," he said.

Ji Hyo looked at him surprised.

"Gary, your know we can't do it for a while."

"I know, but when you are fully recovered..."

"Oppa, let's get through our first baby for now," she lovingly teased.

He then kissed her on the lips.  Afterwards, he put his arm around her shoulders, while she put her arm around his waist and they walked happily inside their bedroom together.