October 2020/November 2020

Seonghwa was due any moment, with Halloween approaching as well as his due date, Seonghwa was in a lot of pain and discomfort. Mingi tried to help as much as he can when he wasn't at the shop, massaging Seonghwa's back, ankles, shoulders and neck.

The older couldn't even sleep comfortably anymore unless it involves taking up the whole bed by sprawling out and leaving Mingi to sleep on the couch. Many pillows cushion his belly and raise his head up, but now as he approaches the finish line of his pregnancy, he's not happy with anything.

"You think we might have a little Halloween baby?" Mingi asks, massaging Seonghwa's back as the older fights a Braxton Hicks contraction. He's been having them all day, and they've not changed their patterns any so he's not too worried.

"Possibly if she'll make up her damn mind when she's going to be here," Seonghwa sighs, pouting as he grumbles, "I want this pregnancy to be over with already."

"I know baby, but we're getting there! It'll all be over soon and then we'll have our baby girl in our arms," Mingi smiles, cupping Seonghwa's belly as he holds his husband in his arms and they rock in place together.

"She's being stubborn and won't vacate the premises," Seonghwa cups the sides of his belly, feeling her kick and wiggle around as he looks down at the top of his bump, "Get out of me."

"I don't think that's how it works babe," Mingi laughs, kissing Seonghwa's cheek before pulling away, "They're doing a deal on tattoos tonight at the parlor. I gotta be there and make a few more extra bucks before she gets here."

"Okay, well be careful and if anything happens I'll call you and let you know," Seonghwa kisses him, Mingi kisses the bump before walking to the door, "Love you!"

"Love you too!" Mingi calls, slamming the door shut and Seonghwa sighs, rubbing his belly.

"Well baby, what should we do?" Seonghwa hums, "I've got a craving for salt and vinegar chips and queso. Queso more than anything. Hmmmm... maybe I'll just eat the queso."

He walks into the kitchen and begins cooking, fighting through the cramps and occasionally has to stop what he's doing to let them ride out. Many times while he's doing this he grumbles about Mingi never touching him again. Or how he was never having a second child.

He makes his way to the couch, satisfied with his snack but drops his phone before he can even make it to the couch. He groans, setting his chips on the table and while holding his belly, he bends to the best of his ability to grab it. As soon as he touches it and straightens himself back up, he felt a pop and water coated his legs and feet. He gasps, feeling a strong cramp wrack through his back, "Seriously child!?"

He gags at the amniotic fluid that coats his legs and covers his mouth, squinting his eyes shut, "I didn't even get to eat my queso."

He fought through the contractions as he cleaned everything up before dialing Mingi's number. It went straight to voicemail. He freezes, calling again and once more it went straight to voicemail. He growls, a contraction creeping up on him when he calls a third time and thank the lord he finally answered, "Baby I'm sorry-"

"My water broke, get here now," Seonghwa growls before whining, "god Mingi it hurts!"

"Your- oh shit Marco! I gotta go Seonghwa's water broke," Mingi talked off to the side he can hear the other dude in the back arguing and Mingi argues back before coming back on, "Okay baby I'm on the way."

"Hurry," Seonghwa whines, hanging up and panting harshly as he holds his belly, "Well, you picked a lovely time to come baby girl."

{}{}{}{}******{}{}{}{}

"Well Seonghwa," the nurse smiles as she removes her gloved hand, "You're only dilated to five centimeters and the baby is about seventy percent effaced. You still got some time before she gets here."

Seonghwa groans, tilting his head back, "She's going to continue taking her time."

"Looks like it," She giggles, "But based on your records she was due in a week so she's actually a week early."

Mingi chuckles, "Well, better early than late."

"Not too early, not too late," the nurse winks, leaving the room to the parents as Seonghwa just started up on a contraction.

"Oh this hurts," he moans in pain, tilting his head back to rest it on the pillows behind him. One hand rested on his belly while the other cups his forehead, he breathed in and out of his nose calmly just like he and Mingi practiced.

"You're doing so well baby," Mingi comments, taking his husband's hand in his and squeezing gently, "Breathe."

"I'm breathing," Seonghwa whimpers, his face scrunching up in a sob, "God this hurts Mingi!"

"I know baby, I know," Mingi watches the machine that was monitoring his contractions and smiles, "It's almost over."

Those words to Seonghwa meant absolutely nothing to him. To him, these contractions felt like they were lasting an hour instead of thirty seconds. He knew he was in for a wild ride when it came to this delivery.

Halloween came and went, the first of November was here and by midday Seonghwa and Mingi still didn't have a baby in their arms. The doctor sighs, removing her glove after she finished checking Seonghwa, "Well, it looks as if she's continuing to take her time. You're not dilating quickly like we hoped so we're going to give it another couple of hours and if you're not dilated to a nine by then, we'll have to induce you."

"Great," Seonghwa sighs, laying his head back on the pillows, "I'm only at a seven and we need three more centimeters. Come on baby girl, mommy's ready to have you."

They waited and did everything they could do in the hospital to speed up labor. Seonghwa and Mingi were both tired at this point and ready to just go home when the doctor enters again after the two hour mark. A smile was on her face as she enters, "Let's see if princess is ready should we?"

"God I hope so," Seonghwa pants, he already knew the drill and was ready for her to check him. It didn't take her long, she smiles before removing her hand, "Looks like someone is ready to see her mommy and daddy! I'll go get the nurses and let's get this baby out of you!"

"Fucking finally!" Seonghwa sighs, looking to Mingi, "We're having a baby!"

Mingi chuckles, kissing his husband's forehead. Before they know it, a team of nurses and the doctor enter the room, and ready the room for a baby. Mingi has taken a few videos and pictures, ready for the moment his little girl enters the world.

And before Seonghwa knows it, they're commanding him to push and he does so. The first one was the worst. He could feel MaeLynn moving down and he could feel the intense pressure from her head and body, but the strain and pushing caused him to be tired already.

Everything hurt, his hips, his back, his stomach, his insides. It felt as if he was being ripped open from the inside out, all because their little girl is making her way.

"You're doing so good baby," Mingi whispers in his ear, kissing his temple, "You can do it keep pushing!"

He releases a powerful groan, which then turned into a grunt and soon he was crying out as his head tilted back. The doctor's voice could barely be heard in front of him, "The head is crowning nicely Seonghwa! Give me another push just like that one!"

"I can't," Seonghwa sobs, "I can't do it!"

"Yes you can baby!" Mingi encourages him, "I'm right here I'm not letting you give up."

Seonghwa felt the water in his ears build up as he strains again. Why was this taking so long? It's nothing like the movies where he pushes once or twice and the baby is here.

He suddenly felt a pop and gasps, looking up to see the nurses and doctor cheering, "The heads out Seonghwa! Push again!"

Seonghwa groans, he thought he was finished. Mingi took this opportunity to have a peek down at their little baby and his eyes water. She was so beautiful, it was hard to tell who she looked like but her head had matted down dirty blonde hair. Just like Seonghwa.

The younger sniffles, "Seonghwa baby she's so beautiful! Keep pushing so you can see her!"

Seonghwa growls, hooking his hands under his knees and pushing with all of his might. Everyone cheers him on and it gave him enough will power to do one more strong push and a sudden release was washed over him. His ears were ringing and his heart was pounding in his head.

But it all washed away when he heard that little sharp cry.

He smiles, seeing her tiny body squirm in the doctor's hands as a nurse placed a blanket on Seonghwa's chest and lays his baby on it. He sobs, wrapping an arm around her to hold her still, "Hi baby girl! Oh hello my beautiful angel!"

"She's perfect," Mingi whispers, his thumb brushes against her tiny forehead. She continued to squall and cry, not liking that she was removed from her home one bit.

The doctor instructs Mingi where to cut the cord, and once she is released from Seonghwa they take her over to the sink and began washing her off. Mingi walks over there and takes in her information while Seonghwa delivered the afterbirth. Song MaeLynn was born on November 1st, 2020 at 6:39 p.m. She weighed seven pounds and six ounces, and measured nineteen inches long. Perfectly healthy.

Once they bathed the amniotic debris off of her and swaddled her in a blanket and hat, they handed her to Mingi and his heart swells. Everything about her screamed Seonghwa. Her face shape, her plump little lips, her nose, her faint eyebrows, even her little ears belonged to Seonghwa. She looked like all she got from Mingi was his eye shape, her eye color will be determined when she gets older.

He brings her over to Seonghwa, who was patiently waiting for them both to join him in his bed. Mingi sits after Seonghwa scooter over carefully, both looking down at their beautiful creation, "Hello sweet angel," Seonghwa coos, brushing a timid finger against her soft, pink cheek.

She wiggles in Mingi's hands, her tiny lips purse before her tongue sticks out then disappears back in her tiny mouth. The parents laugh as they study her, not wanting to take their teary eyes away from her for even just a second.

"You did so good baby," Mingi whispers, kissing Seonghwa's temple, "She's perfect."

"I can't give myself all of the credit," Seonghwa giggles, wincing at the pain in his stomach, "I couldn't have done it without you."

Mingi smiles, connecting their lips briefly for a small kiss before MaeLynn grunts and makes them pull away from one another with chuckles. Mingi nuzzles his nose against hers, "Don't start becoming a cock block already."

"Mingi!" Seonghwa hisses, smacking his husband's arm.

"What?" Mingi laughs softly, "She will be!"

A nurse clears her throat and enters with a clipboard. She gives the parents a warm smile, "We're making this little one's birth certificate and we were wondering what her official name is?"

Mingi looks to Seonghwa and the older smiles, taking his daughter's tiny hand with his index finger as she clenches around it, "Her name is Song MaeLynn."

{}{}{}{}******{}{}{}{}