A Forest flowing with Milk and Honey - Chapter 9.3

“Is Chaltteok a prince or a princess?”

“We don’t know yet.”

“The doctors here can be a bit strict. When I was pregnant with Jjukjuk, they wouldn’t tell us because the umbilical cord was in the way, so I had to figure it out myself.”

“By yourself? How did you do that?”

“Well, at 12 weeks, they say you can tell by the angle, so I posted a picture on a mom’s forum and asked. A lot of people said it looked like a girl, and when we checked again at 16 weeks, it was confirmed! There was nothing between her legs. They say that if it’s a boy, you’ll see a triangle that looks like a rocket.”

Woorim nodded, intrigued as she listened closely to the conversation.

“Ms. Baek Woorim, please come into the examination room,” a nurse called out.
Taeoh, who had been standing silently beside her, reached out to help Woorim up. She offered a polite smile to the woman next to her before heading into the examination room. Inside, they drew her bl00d for routine tests and performed an ultrasound.

“The baby looks perfectly healthy,” the doctor said, pointing at the screen. “See how active he is?”

Woorim’s eyes sparkled with joy as she watched the tiny figure on the monitor. The baby had a clear human form, its small fingers and toes wiggling, and its heartbeat was strong and steady. The sight of it made Woorim’s heart race with excitement.

“The head circumference is 3.55 centimeters, and the baby weighs 179 grams,” the doctor added.
“Is that within the normal range?” Taeoh asked, his voice filled with concern.

The doctor smiled reassuringly. “Yes, it’s a little above average—160 grams is typical for this stage—but there’s no need to worry. Your baby is just a bit chubby, which is completely healthy.”

Chubby, Woorim thought, smiling to herself. The word felt so sweet, and she couldn’t help but picture their baby with adorable, plump arms and legs.

As the ultrasound image shifted, the baby’s legs came into view. Taeoh’s eyes immediately spotted the distinct “rocket” shape, clearly revealing the baby’s gender.
“Looks like you’ll need to start buying blue clothes,” the doctor said with a grin.
Woorim laughed brightly, the news filling her with happiness.

Taeoh wandered through a dense forest, following the sweet fragrance that filled the air. Between the fresh green leaves, clusters of ripe peaches hung heavily from the branches. The entire forest seemed to be an orchard, teeming with the scent of juicy, water-filled peaches.

Each fruit glistened under the hot summer sun, fragrant and beautiful. They were large, plump, and bursting with juice—each one more enticing than the last.

Taeoh moved carefully through the orchard, inspecting the peaches with a discerning eye. He wasn’t looking for just any peach; he wanted the biggest, juiciest one.

Eventually, his gaze settled on a peach at the very top of a tree.

It was darker in color and larger than the others, hanging heavy from its branch. The scent of it was so rich and sweet that it clung to the air, almost making him dizzy.

Krrrrr!

A low growl rumbled through the forest. Looking down, Taeoh saw a tiger as large as a house prowling beneath the tree, its sharp fangs gleaming. The tiger crouched low, its body tense as if ready to attack, baring its massive teeth.
Taeoh, however, remained unfazed.

He picked up a long pole and reached for the peach at the top of the tree. The tiger’s eyes widened in confusion as it watched, its pupils rolling in disbelief, as though it couldn’t comprehend Taeoh’s boldness.

Khuuuung, khuuuung! The tiger let out a mournful cry, tears welling up in its eyes.

It was as if the beast couldn’t understand why Taeoh would take the peach and leave it behind. Despite its fierce appearance, the tiger seemed almost foolish in its sadness, reminding Taeoh of someone familiar.

The tiger’s tears splashed onto Taeoh’s pant legs, soaking them with warmth. Without thinking, Taeoh lowered the pole and reached out to gently touch the tiger’s soft, warm forehead.
At that moment, the dream came to an end.
Khuuuung, khuuuung…!

When Taeoh didn’t lower the stick, the tiger, utterly confused, began to cry, shedding large, tear-like drops. It looked as if the tiger was asking how Taeoh could leave it behind and take the peach.

Despite the tiger’s intimidating appearance, its actions were almost comical, reminding Taeoh of someone familiar.

The warm tears splashed onto the hem of Taeoh’s pants, soaking them slightly. Without thinking, Taeoh put down the stick and reached out to touch the weeping tiger.

The moment his hand touched the tiger’s soft, warm forehead, the dream ended.

Taeoh woke up, groggily reaching around, his eyes still half-closed as he searched for Woorim. When he realized she wasn’t by his side, his senses sharpened.

Suddenly, a scream came from the bathroom.
“What’s wrong?” Taeoh asked, quickly sitting up.
“The baby, the baby…!” Woorim’s voice was frantic, and her face was filled with alarm as she lay in the bathtub, submerged in warm water. Her body, which had been relaxed moments ago, tensed and flinched again.

“Quick, come here!”

Taeoh rushed to her side, ready to help her out of the bath. But instead of allowing him to lift her, Woorim grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly.

“Feel it.”

Thump! Thump! Her belly, round and full like a glowing moon, shifted under his touch. Taeoh could feel the baby’s movement, and slowly, his sense of urgency eased.

“What should I do… It’s incredible,” he murmured, awestruck.

After making its presence known to both parents, the baby settled down again. Taeoh, still caressing Woorim’s belly, which now looked like a soft mound, whispered quietly.

“I had a dream,” he said.

“When? Just now? What kind of dream was it?”

Woorim asked, her curiosity piqued.

“I dreamt of a large tiger emerging from a peach tree forest. It looked just like you,” Taeoh said with a soft smile.

“A tiger? Really?”

“Yeah.”

Woorim chuckled, thinking it over. She certainly didn’t see herself as a tiger, but she shrugged it off with a grin. Well, why not?

“I hope that means our baby will be healthy and strong,” she said, smiling at the thought.

Taeoh, now sitting beside the bathtub, reached out and gently stroked Woorim’s round belly. It looked cute and full of life, yet for some reason, it stirred something intense inside him.
“You shouldn’t stay in the water too long,” Taeoh said, pulling Woorim out of the tub. He wrapped her in a soft towel and carefully dried her off.

As he ran the towel over her chest, stomach, and between her legs, her skin tingled, and her n1pples stood up. Woorim wobbled slightly, feeling a bit light-headed, but Taeoh caught her, helped her into a gown, and carried her to the bed.

“Did you remember to take your iron supplement?”

“I did,” Woorim nodded.

“And don’t take baths by yourself—it’s risky.”

“I know…”

Taeoh’s voice was firm as he finished his little lecture, but it softened as he pressed a kiss to her temple. The tension that had built up seemed to ease with his touch.

He fetched a comb and hairdryer, gently drying and brushing her hair.

“You know, if we’d had a daughter, I bet you’d be better at doing her hair than I would. You’re so good with your hands,” Woorim mused.

“This is more than enough,” Taeoh replied, lifting a lock of her hair as he continued his gentle care.

Taeoh lifted Woorim’s hair and spoke softly. The feel of his hands in her hair was comforting, and Woorim closed her eyes, savoring the moment.

“I don’t know why I’m so tired,” she murmured.

“I’m just resting at home, not doing much, but I feel exhausted.”

“Growing a baby isn’t exactly easy,” Taeoh replied gently.

He unfastened Woorim’s gown, revealing her round belly and the light growth of hair below. Woorim squirmed slightly, feeling shy about being the only one completely undressed.

Taeoh squeezed some stretch mark cream into his palm, rubbed his hands together to warm it up, and gently spread the cream over Woorim’s belly. The air filled with a sweet, buttery scent, like freshly baked bread.

“Mmm…” Woorim shifted, propping herself up on her arms as she lay back. Taeoh pressed his face against the curve of her belly and chest. Her pregnant body quickly warmed up, her pale skin flushing a light pink, like flower petals.

“Woorim…” Taeoh whispered, his voice a mix of sighs and groans as he breathed in her scent. “Why did you have to pick something that suits you so perfectly?”

The soft warmth of her skin, the fullness of her pregnant body—it was driving him wild.
“This is the last time,” he said, his voice more serious now. “We won’t be doing this again.

From now on, we’ll be careful. No more babies, okay?”
“But…” Woorim mumbled, hesitating for a moment. “It feels better when you finish inside…”
Their eyes met, Taeoh’s blue eyes burning like fire. Despite the intensity of his gaze, the hand stroking Woorim’s belly remained tender.

“Yeah, I should have taken care of that earlier,” he said.

“Taken care of what?”

“I need to get the surgery before we even think about having another baby.”
Woorim blinked, surprised by his declaration. “Are you really going that far? I mean, if we end up wanting more, we could have another one or two…”

Taeoh’s expression remained firm. “I’m jealous, even of our own child. I told you I’d be possessive.”

His tone was so serious that Woorim had no choice but to smile softly. “Alright,” she agreed. “We’ll just have one, and we’ll raise him well.”

At 38 weeks pregnant, Woorim was preparing to meet their baby, Chaltteok. Since the baby was in a breech position, the surgery was expected to take a little longer, but aside from that, everything seemed to be going smoothly.
“Eww!”

The baby’s first cry echoed through the room. Woo-rim, who had lost feeling in her lower body after receiving a spinal injection, heard the sound and immediately knew that her baby had been born.

“Oh my, I’ve never seen such a beautiful newborn baby before,” one of the nurses exclaimed.
Woo-rim remembered hearing those words, but everything felt off. It was becoming difficult to breathe, and though she was lying down, her head spun, and her vision grew blurry. Something wasn’t right.

“Doctor! The mother’s bl00d pressure is still dropping!” someone shouted urgently.
Those were the last words Woo-rim heard before she slipped into unconsciousness.

Woo-rim regained consciousness four hours later. When she opened her eyes, she found Tae-oh sitting beside her, holding both of her hands as if in prayer. Sensing that she was awake, Tae-oh opened his eyes wide, his gaze as fierce as a storm. His eyes were so cold and intense that even wild animals would have kept their distance.

“Never again… this can never happen again… I swear, if this happens again, I’ll cut my own d1ck off,” Tae-oh said, panting heavily, his voice filled with rage and fear.

He was staring at Woo-rim, making the threat, even though she had just opened her eyes. Tae-oh had already undergone a vasectomy, making the chances of something like this happening again almost impossible.

This had been an unexpected complication, and no one was to blame, but Woo-rim couldn’t understand why Tae-oh was now talking about cutting off his own genitals. His expression was so terrifying, she felt she couldn’t argue with him.

Then Woo-rim noticed something unbelievable—Tae-oh’s eyes were wet. His hands, the ones tightly clutching hers, were also damp.

Her entire body was in pain, but the shock of seeing Tae-oh like this made her forget her own discomfort for a moment.

With confusion written all over her face, Woo-rim asked, “Did you… cry?”

In the nearly 15 years they’d been together, Woo-rim had never seen Tae-oh cry. He wasn’t shedding tears, but the corners of his eyes were glistening, revealing that he had indeed been crying.

“This was the most terrifying experience of my life,” Tae-oh admitted, taking a deep breath before standing up and pressing the nurse call button.

A group of doctors rushed in to check on their VIP patient—alarmed, perhaps, by Tae-oh’s intense demeanor. Once the chaos settled down, Woo-rim finally got the chance to meet the baby she had been waiting for.

Though newborns often have indistinct features, Woo-rim could see that the baby had been cleaned while she was unconscious and had a healthy complexion. His cheeks were round and shiny, plump like a freshly steamed bun.

“Is he healthy?” Woo-rim asked quietly.

“They say he’s strong and doing well,” Tae-oh replied.

Tae-oh carefully brought the baby, wrapped in a soft blanket, and placed him on Woo-rim’s chest. He held the baby so securely that Woo-rim barely felt his weight.

“You’re so beautiful,” Woo-rim whispered to the baby, marveling at him.

At that moment, Tae-oh truly looked at their baby for the first time. Woo-rim hadn’t realized that Tae-oh hadn’t even glanced at their child since hearing about her collapse.

“He looks a lot like you,” Tae-oh commented, his voice softer now.

“Does he?” Woorim said, smiling in surprise. “I thought the firstborn was supposed to resemble the father?”

She thought about the tiger dream Tae-oh had mentioned earlier. He had dreamed of a tiger, and this was their first child, so why did the baby look so much like her? Woorim gazed down at the tiny, mysterious creature in her arms, filled with wonder.

Tae-oh, watching the baby with an unwavering gaze, added quietly, “He’s our only son.”

The time with the baby was brief. Due to the newborn’s fragile immune system, the baby was quickly returned to the neonatal unit. Tae-oh adjusted Woorim’s bed and gently helped her lie down.

“If you need more painkillers, just let me know,” he said softly.

“Mmm… I think I’d rather sleep,” Woorim replied.

As the effects of the anesthesia began to fade, she felt a deep ache in her lower body. Realizing that sleep would be the best way to escape the discomfort, she closed her eyes.

“I’m not leaving,” Tae-oh whispered, tenderly brushing his hand against her cheek, which felt rougher than usual. “Just rest, I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“I love you, Woorim,” he said gently.

“I love you too… Now we can finally live happily ever after, the three of us,” Woorim whispered with a soft smile as she drifted off to sleep.

Tae-oh watched her for a moment, a hint of worry still lingering in his gaze. But when he heard the steady rhythm of her breathing, he relaxed.

Outside, the clear blue autumn sky stretched overhead, as if offering its blessing to the new life that had just begun.

The End