My Writing Abilities When I Have An Entire Free Day: Twelve Words. Take It Or Leave It

My writing abilities when I have an entire free day: twelve words. Take it or leave it

My writing abilities when I have to be somewhere in fifteen minutes: I got six thousand more in the pocket

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS

What’s the lie your character says most often?

How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?

How often do they show their genuine emotions to others versus just the audience knowing?

What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

Can they cry on command? If so, what do they think about to make it happen?

What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?

What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?

How loose is their use of the phrase ‘I love you’?

Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?

What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?

If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

What’s something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

When do they fake a smile? How often?

How do they put out a candle?

What’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone?

What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?

What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they’ve been avoiding?

Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don’t like the person?

What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?

What subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot?

How would they respond to being fired by a good boss?

What’s the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?

What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?

How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

When they make a mistake and feel bad, does the guilt differ when it’s personal versus when it’s professional?

When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?

If they committed one petty crime / misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?

How do they greet someone they dislike / hate?

How do they greet someone they like / love?

What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they’ve made?

Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?

What’s a secret they haven’t told serious romantic partners and don’t plan to tell?

What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?

Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?

How do they respond to a loose handshake? What goes through their head?

What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

What’s something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?

Are they a listener or a talker? If they’re a listener, what makes them talk? If they’re a talker, what makes them listen?

Who have they forgotten about that remembers them very well?

Who would they say ‘yes’ to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn’t want to do?

Would they eat something they find gross to be polite?

What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun) personally don’t agree with?

What’s a phrase they say a lot?

Do they act on their immediate emotions, or do they wait for the facts before acting?

Who would / do they believe without question?

What’s their instinct in a fight / flight / freeze / fawn situation?

What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate?

If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

What’s a simple daily activity / motion that they mess up often?

How many hobbies have they attempted to have over their lifetime? Is there a common theme?

Original writing is saur much harder than fanfic SIMPLY bc coming up with names for EVERYTHING is a pain in the ASS

teenage heartbreak

masterlist

date | may 2019

word count | 1.9k

pairing(s) | juliet x ???, jongliet

warning(s) / includes | one curse word, crying, the guy is a huge jerk to julie </3, being given mixed signals (please lmk if i missed anything!)

summary | in which juliet realises she trusted the wrong person.

a/n | the situationship guy here is a made-up character!! for more backstory on this guy check out this post hehe it inspired her solo 🥸

“I told you already, he said he’s busy right now.”

“Can you tell him again it’s urgent? Please?” Juliet looks up at the older boy who has his hands crossed over his chest. Guiltily, it crosses her mind that she doesn’t remember his name despite practically begging him for a favour.

“Please,” she says again, sounding much croakier this time, “I really, really need to talk to him. Tell him I’ll be quick. Please.”

The boy—Jeonghui? Jeonghun? She swears it’s either one—sighs. There’s a flicker of pity in his eyes, and after some deliberation he nods. “I’ll try, but no promises. You know how he is.”

Relief flooding her body, she nods vigorously. “Okay, thank you so much!”

Lips drawn into a thin line, he offers her nothing more than a curt nod before disappearing back inside the dance studio. Minutes go by, and Juliet’s about to give up yet again and leave when the door is flung open, revealing the person she came to see.

“Can’t this wait?” Seojun asks impatiently the moment he lays his eyes on her. She hates how even now he’s still devastatingly attractive. It makes her want to backtrack, take back everything she wants to say and tell him she’ll see him another time just so he won’t be annoyed with her anymore. But a small voice at the back of her mind tells her: No, this can’t wait. You’ve waited long enough.

So she stands her ground. “It won’t take long if you don’t dodge my questions.”

He pinches the top of his nose bridge, inhaling sharply as though trying his hardest not to blow up. “Sweetheart,” he croons with exaggerated sweetness—she knows that voice, the same one he uses when he wants her to go along with whatever he says—“it’s late, hm? Go home and get some rest. I’ll call you tomorrow, promise. Okay?”

God, she must’ve heard this exact vow at least twenty times before. Not once has he acted on it.

“No, I’m not leaving until we talk.”

Instantly, the forced smile on his face drops and his eyes narrow. “Fine, then talk.”

Juliet’s blood boils at his indifference; she swears to herself that tonight—she’ll get answers no matter what.

“What are we?”

“Not this again. I can’t have this conversation right now, baby—”

“Don’t call me that,” she snaps. Perhaps two weeks ago her heart would’ve still fluttered at the pet name, but now it feels more like mockery than flattery. “I can’t keep doing this, Seojun. Every time I try to talk to you about this, you just push me away. You keep saying we’ll talk about it another time, but you never want to and you never seem to have the time. I’m tired, okay? I can’t go on until you tell me how you feel.”

The sound that falls from his pretty lips is nothing less than scornful, and it’s clear her words have little to no effect on him as he casually puts his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know why we’re having this conversation,” he deflects, “you’re happy with me, no?”

The resulting silence is tense and uncomfortable. Is she happy with him? He’s sweet to her when he wants to be, and he always knows exactly what to say to make her feel better… but what about the stress, the restless nights, the frustration of being brushed off every time she asks him to define their relationship?

“I was,” Juliet begins slowly, “but I’m not so sure anymore.”

“I don’t get it. I’m good to you, I take you on dates, is that not enough?”

“Then why won’t you take it seriously when I try to talk to you about us? Why won’t you do anything about our relationship when we’re… we’re…” She can’t bring herself to say it. Are they dating? Sure, he’s never officially asked her to be his girlfriend, but he would send her flirtatious texts with red heart emojis, hold her hand in the car while driving, kiss her cheek when he drops her off at her dorm… people don’t do that unless they’re dating, or at least intending to date that person… right?

Seojun cocks an eyebrow at her. “We’re what?”

“You know what I mean! Why else would you do the things that only people in relationships do?”

“Who said anything about being in a relationship?”

It takes a while for his words to sink in. Her brain scrambles to process what she just heard, her heartbeat thrums loudly in her ears, and her arms lay stiffly at her sides, suddenly feeling as though they’re weighed down by bricks. As soon as she’s able to push through the white noise in her head, tears spring to her eyes.

“W-What?” she whispers, hoping he doesn’t hear the pounding of her heart. A part of her wishes he’d take it back, tell her he didn’t know what came over him, that he doesn’t mean what he just said. She’d be lying if she said she anticipated tonight to go smoothly, but maybe if she finally got him to see things from her perspective, he’d do something.

“Minyoung-ah, I thought you were better than this,” Seojun tuts, and she doesn’t know how he can be so callous in her most vulnerable state. “Have you never heard of getting to know someone first before you date them? If I wanted you to be my girlfriend, I would’ve said something a long time ago.”

No longer able to hold back her tears, she pathetically lets them fall. The wetness streaks down her cheeks and drips from her chin, yet he makes no attempt to soothe her, instead continuing to regard her with cold, empty eyes. She wonders how she’s never seen this side of him before—or rather, why she chose to ignore it for so long.

“So you’ve been stringing me along all this time,” Juliet sniffles, “were you ever going to tell me the truth?” She hates how pathetic she must look to him, and while there’s thankfully no one around to witness their exchange, she can’t help but feel utterly humiliated.

He shrugs, another display of his cruel, cruel nonchalance. “Does it matter? Now you know you’ve been overthinking this the whole time. I was trying to see if we’d make a good fit, it’s not my fault that you assumed I was your boyfriend the whole time.”

“Because you kept brushing me off! And you’re still doing it now!” she shouts, fists curled at her sides and shaking from both anger and the sobs that rack through her body. “I’ve been trying to get you to tell me how you feel about us for weeks, and you dodge the topic every single time! And now you want to blame me for everything?”

“God, Dahee was right: You’re so fucking dramatic.” She doesn’t know who Dahee is, perhaps another dancer on his team. And what does it matter anyways? Her heart’s already shattered. “Besides,” Seojun continues, “isn’t your schedule going to be packed soon? You won’t have time for a relationship.”

I would’ve made time for you no matter what. I like—liked?—you so much.

“Just go, Minyoung-ah. You’re making a scene, and I need to memorise this choreo by 11. We’re over, so leave me alone. You hear me?”

He heads back inside the studio without waiting for an answer, leaving her sobbing with her face buried in her hands. All she wants to do right now is sink to the ground and curl up into a ball, but it’s late and she’d much rather cry in the comfort of her bed, so she begins walking back in the direction of the nearest subway station.

She thinks of how she’s going to explain her shattered state when her members inevitably ask what’s wrong. She regrets being so stubborn, sneaking out of the dorm even after they begged her not to see Seojun. Her stomach churns when remembering how fiercely she defended him to the boys on many occasions, when all along they were right—he doesn’t care about her.

Maybe it’s silly to feel so heartbroken, and as unpleasant as Seojun was to her at times in their relationship, she really tried to focus on his good traits, convinced herself that everything would get better once they make things official.

Clearly, she was wrong, and now she’s left to pick up the broken pieces of her heart after he trampled over it, no longer blinded by the lies she’d been feeding herself.

It’s when she sucks in a huge breath of air that she finally notices how dry and tight her throat feels. Knowing there’s a convenience store just around the corner where she can pick up some water, she quickens her pace until the bright fluorescent sign ahead grows bigger and bigger.

The lone figure standing in front of the store turns in Juliet’s direction at the sound of her hurried footsteps and her heart skips a beat from paranoia. She squints to get a better look at his face, shocked yet relieved when she realises it’s—

“Oppa? Why are you here?” she asks weakly, too emotionally drained to hide her puffy eyes and red nose from him.

Jongho gives her a sheepish smile. “Felt a bit restless after dinner, so I thought I’d go for a walk.”

She knows it’s a lie and that really, he’s here for her because they’re currently a good 20-minute subway ride away from home, and under different circumstances she might’ve been a little annoyed that he followed her here, but now she couldn’t be more grateful that he came all the way to make sure she gets back safe.

He doesn’t ask her what happened. He knows. Instead, he holds up the tiny carton that’s been sitting in his hand the whole time. “I got you banana milk, thought you might want something sweet.”

With wobbly lips she accepts the drink and the tiny straw, but in a split second she finds herself wrapping her arms around Jongho and sobbing into his shoulder like a child. He doesn’t seem taken aback as he accepts the hug, his own arms holding her securely while he strokes her hair. He doesn’t say anything else, and he doesn’t stop her from crying into his shirt because he knows that right now what she needs most is support—support that he’s more than happy to give.

Several minutes later, Juliet’s breathing starts to even and her blubbers die down. His heart twinges at the sight of her tear-streaked face as she pulls away, and he has no doubt the other boys will feel the same once they see her. Her being upset might just be one of their least favourite things in the world.

“Thank you,” she croaks.

“Ay, it’s nothing. What brother would I be if let you go home alone at this hour?”

“No, I mean…” she pauses for a moment to contain her emotions, “thank you for being here with me, for me. You have no idea how much I appreciate it and how relieved I was when I saw you.”

“We’ll always be here for you, Julie,” he says, reaching for her unoccupied hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “You’re not alone, and you’re going to be okay.”

She cracks the first smile of the night. “I know. Man, heartbreaks really do suck, huh?” she jokes sadly in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

“He doesn’t deserve you,” is all Jongho says, his other hand clenching itself into a fist at the thought of the jerk who hurt her so badly.

“You know what? After tonight, I’m starting to believe that too.”

a/n: we ride at dawn 🥲🥲🥲 more backstory: they met backstage at a music show during say my name era, where he was a dancer for another group and he approached her when they were at the vending machines, asking for her number. also jongho brought her banana milk bc it’s her comfort drink, especially during her trainee and rookie idol days :’)

if you liked this, i’d really love to hear your thoughts and feedback!!! <333

taglist: @moonlight-additions @shinyddeonghwa @skzfairies @bat-shark-repellant @1-800-minji @atinymonster @mythicalamphitrite @slytherinthedms @atzaria @yunascular @ggukkiedae @one16core @m00niesk7 @mocheesekimbap @utopiakys @mingis-wrld @slytherinseulgi @billboard-singer @txt-yaomi @stopeatread @kittiverse @still-astray @hyunmijung @jichukimsstuff @linsyeuxlili @cafemilk-tea @lightaflme @justmochi @fromfreesia @taestrwbrry @alixnsuperstxr @peachyaeger @enchantingbrowneyedgirl @fairiepoems @angie-x3 @satsuri3su @allthings-fandoms (feel free to send an ask/dm to be on/off the taglist <3)

eunbyeol

pairing :: eden x evelyn

word count :: 3.8k

synopsis :: eden's sister goes into labor

time :: december 19-20, 2023

warnings :: angst, mentions of pregnancies, giving birth, medicine, etc

a/n :: i apologize if this is not 100% medically accurate. i have never given birth myself and am going off what i’ve researched and have witnessed 🫡

taglist :: @cafemilk-tea @cixrosie @moonlight-additions @cosmicwintr @astraw-astro @ateezjuliet @fromfreesia @succulentmom @kimhyejin3108 @enhacolor @multiplums @alixnsuperstxr @meginthebuilding2727 @kang-ulzzang @hybesunstone @allthings-fandoms @itzy-eve @choihaneul @strmiu @angie-x3 @Kaitieskidmore1 @evaalopezzzz

Eden stares at her dark under eyes in the mirror as she brushes her teeth. She sees her phone budging slightly on the counter before hearing it vibrating. When she sees who’s calling her is Noah, her heart immediately sinks to the pits of her stomach.

Noah is not the type to just call Eden. So when he does call, it is usually something serious and necessary that is not fit to be told over text.

She quickly answers. “Hold on,” Her jaw juts forward to hold in her toothpaste as she slurs her words before spitting it out into the sink. She wipes her mouth with a towel before speaking. “Noah? Is everything okay?”

“Eden, well uhh,” He hesitates as if the words he’s trying to say are all scrambled out of order and he needs to put them back in place. “Evelyn’s water kind of broke.”

“Oh shit. Just now? What does ‘kind of’ mean?” Her body acts on its own, speed walking to her closet and pulling out a bag.

“Not kind of. Sorry. Her water has definitely broken. All over the kitchen floor an hour ago.” His words are protruding and Eden knows he is freaking out. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner–”

“Hey, don’t apologize, it’s fine. This is your first child, it’s okay to be a little nervous. You’re at the hospital now?”

“Yeah, we just got settled in our room. Well, not really settled but she is all hooked up and stuff, so I stepped out to call you. I guess she’s been wanting me to call you ever since we left the house but if I’m being honest, I can’t remember anything from the last hour. Not even dinner. I must have blacked out.”

“That’s okay, you’re there now. Is it alright for me to come?” Eden wouldn’t know what to say or do if Noah had told her no.

“Absolutely. She needs and wants you here more than anybody. I want you here too, even if it’s for my own sanity.”

Despite her heart beating out of her chest and the hairs on her head prickling her scalp, it’s endearing to hear him say that. She can tell by the way he’s speaking that he needs someone to lean on right now.

“I know. I’m packing a bag and then I’ll be on my way. Can I do anything for you? Do you need coffee?”

“Oh yeah, coffee would be fantastic. Thank you, Eden.”

“No problem. See you soon. And Noah?”

He pauses for a moment before answering her. “Yeah?”

“Everything is gonna be okay. Take a second to catch your breath because Ev cannot do this without you here in the present.”

There’s another moment of silence as he takes in everything she just said. He exhales and Eden can hear how shakey his breathing is.“Okay. Thank you, Eden.”

She almost wants to stay on the phone with him while she’s on her way to the hospital but she knows he needs to let what she said to him sit for a while. She packs essentials that she’ll need for a few days since Noah and her will be the only family supporting Evelyn until after the holidays. Their parents wanted to visit around her due date but plans fell through and they could only come after New Years.

It had been a few years since Eden had been back in a hospital. It was difficult trying to navigate the building, finding the right elevators and whatnot. She thought she would feel sick but the maternity ward feels oddly cozy to her. That is until Noah comes into view. He’s kneeled in front of Evelyn’s room, his back against the wall as he rotates the wedding band on his finger.

“Noah!” Eden calls out and he shoots to his feet. Her heart aches when she can finally see him up close. He is pale, sweaty, and in obvious distress. No one would be surprised if he came out of this experience with forehead wrinkles.

“Hey.” His voice trembles and before he has time to process it, Eden is wrapping him into a big hug. He is tense and shaking, which makes her tighten her grip. He hesitates before hugging her back. It’s the last thing he thought he would ever need.

“Are you doing okay?”

“Well, I… not really.” Eden lets go of him to get a good look at him.

“What’s wrong?” She frowns with her eyebrows drawing together.

“I am so scared. She didn’t want the epidural, and she says she’s fine and wants nature to take its course, but god, she’s in so much pain. I know she is.” His voice breaks and she starts to feel tears well in her eyes. “For as long as I’ve known her, I’ve never seen her in this much physical pain. She’s trying to hide it but I know. I feel so helpless.”

“I know. For months she’s been telling me that she’s been debating on getting an epidural. Evelyn is a very strong woman. Even without the epidural, she will come out of this perfectly fine. You’re doing great, Noah. It’s going to be alright. Is this all that’s bothering you?”

He sighs, rubbing his face with his palms. “It’s never just one thing. I’m scared seeing her in pain, knowing I can do absolutely nothing about it or to take it away from her. I’m scared that watching her writhing in agony is gonna haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. I am so scared to be a father. I’m scared there’s gonna be more complications than the doctor is letting on. I am so scared that she will resent me for this.”

“Noah, look at me.” Eden snaps her fingers, crossing her arms and looking up at him intently. He complies, pressing his fingers into his palms. “We both know how stubborn she is. She wants nothing more in this life than to start a family, and with you. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her complain once. She’s seen the beauty in all of this, even the parts that most women would hate. She could never resent you, especially not for this. You’ve given her the one thing she’s wanted her entire life. She picked you to build the rest of her life with. This will be the hardest part but I know she’s excited to finally meet the joy you’ve created together. We just have to be there for her and try our best to make it easier for her, okay?”

She looks up at him, waiting for him to nod before patting him on the back. “Let’s go in then.”

Noah pulls the door open for her and she’s met with a spacious room. A nurse is charting, blocking her view of her sister until she steps closer. Evelyn is gripping the hospital bed, her face contorted in pain with her eyes shut. She’s trying to act like she’s fine but she is fooling no one. She’s making her best effort not to make any noise, even forgetting to breathe while she’s at it. She is so tense, completely unaware of the fact that Noah had stepped back in and Eden stands before her.

Noah was right. Eden has never seen her in this kind of distress ever. Not even the times she doubled over in pain from period cramps or trying to make sense of her body’s inability to make a child.

“Evelyn?” Eden rests her hand over her sister’s white knuckles. When she opens her eyes, she manages to force a smile.

“Eden, you’re here.”

“Of course I’m here.” Eden leans down, wrapping one of her arms around her sister and doing her best to be gentle. “How are you doing?”

“Never been better.” Lie.

“I can see that.” She raises her eyebrows. She feels Noah tap on her shoulder, letting her know he pulled a chair up next to the bed. “Are you ready?”

Evelyn rolls her eyes and they both know that her answer is no. 

They spend the next hour catching up, trying to distract Evelyn from her pain for just a little while. They make light of her water soaking the entire kitchen floor, no matter how embarrassing it is. Her sister eventually zones out of their conversation, leaving Eden and Noah to talk about things that have been happening recently. She doesn’t tell them, but she is thankful that they can provide her a little distraction to keep her here in the present.

But as the hours progress into the night, Evelyn’s pain intensifies. It’s becoming extremely difficult for Eden, Noah, especially her nurses to watch. But she is still insistent on no epidural. Even when her nurses tell her their own experience with epidurals and how much it helps, her sister cannot be convinced.

Eden decides to keep quiet for the sake of her sister, no matter how much it hurts to see her in pain. She can see how overwhelming it would be from her point of view to be talked into something she swore she wouldn’t get. She knows that Evelyn wants that sense of normalcy and authenticity for her birth. She can’t tell if she’s doing this to hang on to her independence or her pride, maybe even both.

A nurse asks Evelyn one more time before she excuses herself from the room, saying she’ll be back to check in. Eden waits till the door latches to get up from her chair, approaching the bedside to brush her fingers through her sister's hair. She leans down, kissing her forehead and paying no mind to the layer of sweat.

“Ev…” She smiles down at her, masking her own uneasiness from watching her.

“Eden.”

“You know, It’s okay if you want the epidural. No one's gonna shame you for getting it.” She pushes the hair stuck to her forehead back, tears forming in her eyes.

Eden feels terrible once Evelyn turns her head from her, her chest shaking as she begins to cry. She worries that she might’ve said the wrong thing. Noah quickly drags the swivel chair to her bedside, sitting down and grabbing his wife’s hand. He kisses the back of her hand before bringing it to his cheek, his own eyes becoming glassy.

Eden wipes her sister's tears away, her hand falling to rub her shoulder. “Why don’t you want it? It’s hard for us to see you like this.”

Evelyn does her best to collect herself so her words can be heard clearly. “I..I don’t know, I just—there’s so many pros and cons—I’m just so scared. I thought i was ready but I am so fucking scared, Eden. I don’t know if I can do this–”

“No, hey hey,” Noah envelops her hand in both of his palms, trying to stay strong. “You’re doing amazing. I’ve never been more proud of someone than I am of you right now.”

Eden smiles, quickly swiping her own tears away so her sister can’t see. “See? The fact that you’ve been doing all of this unmedicated for hours is mind-blowing.”

Evelyn squeezes her eyes shut, her crying only making her pain worse. “I don’t want to take the easy way out. I want to be brave.”

“Oh, Evelyn.” Eden drags a chair up to the bed, sitting down and holding her other hand. “You’re the bravest person we know. Look at everything you’ve been through from the day you were born. You are everything I aspire to be. All the trial and errors you both have been through to get to this moment is unthinkable. Getting an epidural does not discredit you from all you’ve had to endure up to this point. I think you deserve that much. This will be the hardest and greatest thing you go through, medicated or unmedicated. I will support whatever you choose to do because once this is all over, you will have gone through all the obstacles to give birth to a beautiful child that you both worked so hard to create, and you will be the best mother ever.”

The three share tears and Evelyn squeezes both their hands with all she has left in her. She cries harder after Eden has finished talking, only adding fuel to her pain. She takes two minutes to calm herself down, and another three for the words to sit and digest in her mind. When she’s finally ready, she opens her eyes and nods her head at both of them.

“Do you want it?” Noah’s eyes are red and her cheeks are stained from tears, but anyone can see the look of hopefulness in his features.

Evelyn can only nod. She watches her husband and sister release some of the tension in their bodies as she confirms it.

“It’s all gonna be okay, Ev.” Eden stands to her feet, leaning forward to kiss her temple. “I’m glad you said yes because this is the worst I’ve seen Noah ever. If you waited any longer, I was afraid he’d be hospitalized as well.”

Evelyn tries her best to keep from laughing but it’s no use. She snorts, covering her mouth and clutching her bump. Her face turns sour as she tries to minimize her laughing. “She’s right, honey. You look terrible.”

“Hey!” He lays his head flat on the bed, covering his face.

“He’s gonna be the type to pass out when you start to push.” Eden jokes.

Noah huffs, kissing Evelyn’s knuckles despite how embarrassed he is. “I’ll go tell the nurse.”

He leaves to hunt down the nurse, leaving Eden and Evelyn by themselves. They look at each other as soon as the door shuts and start laughing.

“Please don’t make me laugh. It hurts!” Evelyn inhales and exhales with her eyes closed to calm herself down.

“Sorry, sorry.” She makes her best efforts to stop laughing. When they both are back to normal, Eden can feel her heart ache from how much she cherishes her family. “I love you, I’m so proud of you.”

She began to grow worried as nurses and the doctor kept coming in and out of Evelyn’s room. She took no offense when her sister kicked her out of the room when it was time for her to push. She wanted to preserve the little bit of modesty she had left.

Noah hadn’t peeked his head out once to give her an update. She wasn’t sure why she was hoping for one when she knew that they were both on edge for the birth of their first child. So she roamed.

She went down to the lobby, coming across the gift shop that was just opening up.

“We’re opening, you can come on in!” The young woman smiled at Eden, gesturing inside. She didn’t realize she was staring into the window.

“Sorry, thank you.”

She only went in to look and managed to come out of the gift shop with two bags of items. She set her things down at a vacant table, taking a seat and staring off again. She felt pressure in her chest and she knew if she didn’t hear anything in the next hour, she would start freaking out. She set her purse on the surface, laying it out and pressing her cheek against the leather. She intended to count her breaths, but instead dozed off for 30 minutes.

Eden finally heard her phone ring, feeling the vibrations from inside her purse. She shuddered awake fast enough to give her a headache before searching her bag for her phone and answering.

“Hello?”

Noah sighed through the phone. “Hey, Eden. Sorry, I didn’t mean to leave–”

“It’s okay. It’s alright. How is she? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is perfect. She’s good. A little low on oxygen right now but she did it. I came out to grab you but you were gone. Are you ready?”

She grabbed her things, trying her best to walk as fast as she could without running, in fear that a hospital staff would scold her for rushing. “I was just in the lobby. I’m on my way.”

When she made it back to the maternity ward, Noah made it easier on her behalf when she saw him waiting at the elevators for her. He had a little bit of color to his face again, but he looked more drained this time.

He ushered her to her sister’s room. He took a deep breath before pushing and holding the door open for her. When she stepped in, she swore her heart stopped beating for a moment. She walked forward until Evelyn came into view, holding her newborn.

She gasped, dropping her bags carefully to the floor. The baby started cooing and Eden quickly covered her mouth with both hands, not realizing how loud her gasp actually was. Evelyn looked up with a smile on her face and that’s when Eden could feel the tears start to form.

“Evelyn, oh my god.” She whispered against her hands, slowly approaching the hospital bed.

“I know.” Her sister looked down at her child, running her thumb across the baby’s cheek.

Eden held her breath, holding her hair to one side as she leaned forward to get a closer look.

“Park Eunbyeol.”

Her eyes widened more, looking at her sister as the tears finally fell down her cheeks. “A girl?”

“Eunbyeol Evangeline Park. Born at 7:14am. Six pounds.” She tapped her fingers along the blanket that was swaddled around her.

“I-i don’t know what to say.” Eden’s lips quivered, pressing a kiss to Evelyn’s temple. “I mean, you look fucking–”

She stopped herself, sealing her lips shut once she realized she cursed.

“It’s fine. You should’ve heard all the profanities I was saying earlier.” Evelyn chuckled, causing Eunbyeol to stir in her arms. “Do you want to hold her?”

In her mind, the answer was already yes. She thought that it was maybe too soon for her to hold her yet. “Ev, I…”

“Come on, she wants her aunt to hold her.”

“I can’t possibly–”

“Eden, there is nothing I want more right now than to see my baby sister holding her little baby niece. Hold her before Noah snatches her away and neither of us can get her back.” She held Eden’s attention with a stern expression.

“Hey…” Noah pouted from behind Eden.

“I don’t know how… to hold a baby. What if I drop her?” She felt her hands start to sweat, her eyebrows sinking to a frown.

“You’re not going to drop her. Hold her like I am. See?” Evelyn nudged her head down, patting her hand against the baby blanket. Eden looked back at Noah, hoping he would show any objection, but he raised his eyebrows to encourage her.

She was so ready to be an aunt, she was counting down the days to Evelyn’s due date. Now that the time has finally come, she feels scared. She’s not afraid of Eunbyeol. She is more fearful that the second she holds her niece, she will begin to cry. She’s terrified it will shatter her trust in herself and ultimately establish her compatibility with children.

Eden pursed her lips, reaching her arms out to slip underneath Eunbyeol’s blanket. She is so careful with the baby, like she is the most fragile person on the face of the earth.

Eunbyeol coos from feeling the loss of her mother, but easing back into her peaceful state in seconds. Eden mimics the way her sister was holding her a moment ago. To her surprise, she fits in her arms just perfectly.

Eden studies her niece’s features, starting with the soft cotton of her hat. Her cheeks are flushed pink and she takes on Noah’s warm toned skin. She has the cutest nose and lips, shaped just like her mother’s. She sees the tiniest bit of hair sticking out from her hat.

She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until Eunbyeol opened her eyes, babbling as her tongue stuck out to press against her lips. That single noise alone was enough to bring her emotions to the surface. She couldn’t believe how calm she was for being held by a new person. Eden’s muscles relaxed and she clearly felt how tense she was in the moment. She pouted her lips, holding back her cries as more tears welled up in her eyes.

“Oh my god.” She whispered to herself, adjusting the blanket so she could see more of her face. “Ev, she’s perfect.”

“That’s all I’ve been saying since I met her.” She smiled, picking up her cup of ice chips while her hands were free. “She likes you.”

She looked back at her, feeling a little more hopeful. “You think?”

“I know. Call it mother’s intuition.”

Eden turned back to Eunbyeol, holding her in her arms and studying her mannerisms. “She’s so sweet. I just want to pinch her cheeks.”

Noah snickered, taking a seat beside the bed and beginning to massage Evelyn’s legs. She yawned, the exhaustion catching up to her from giving birth.

“Honey, why don’t you get us all some breakfast before I go into hibernation?” She tugged a stray strand of his hair. She pouted her lips into a frown, knowing he couldn’t resist her requests when she made that specific face.

“Are you two gonna be okay by yourselves?”

“Of course! Please, I’m starving.”

They all agreed on a food, leaving Eden and Evelyn together with Eunbyeol.

“It’s too bad he doesn’t get to have his N name legacy.” Eden joked, slowly rocking the girl in her arms.

“I think he completely forgot about it. All he wants is for both of his girls to be happy and healthy.” Evelyn tried to turn her body towards her sister. “It was so hectic. I thought he was going to pass out at one point.”

Eden pursed her lips, trying not to laugh too hard to disturb the baby. Her lips curled upwards as she traced imaginary lines of Eunbyeol with her eyes. “She’s so beautiful. I think I could watch her like this for hours.”

“Wait till you have a baby of your own.” She spoke softly with a smile.

Her mind wandered for a second, daydreaming about what having her own child would be like. She is positive that she’ll be immensely attached to them. She’s having a hard time even beginning to fathom what her sister feels when she looks at her daughter. She imagines it’s what Eden is feeling right now, but times an infinity.

She thought she had the tears at bay, but she could feel them escape once again.

“What’s wrong?” Evelyn reached out to stroke her head.

“I’m just… so happy for you. For the both of you. I know how difficult it’s been. No one deserves this more than you. She’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

“Trust me, I know. She pouted, swiping her tears away before they could fall down her face. “You’re gonna make me cry.”

“Sorry. Being sleep deprived makes me emotional.”

“You can try taking a nap on Noah’s bed.” She pointed towards the pull out bed. It looked anything but comfortable.

“Yeah…I’ll pass.”