I think I returned home feeling really dazed.
As soon as I heard the news about the twins, my wife hugged me joyfully, while I was stuck in a stupor. It took me a while to realize that we had a blessing coming to us, and only then did a bit of joy surface.
The reason I was happy wasn’t anything special. It was simply that the number of people I needed to cherish had increased. Just that fact alone made my heart swell with emotion.
– Twins? Is that really true!?
“Yes, Mom. We just had an ultrasound at the obstetrics and gynecology clinic, and they said so.”
Once we got home, we could finally calm our surprised hearts and share the news with both families.
My mother-in-law’s voice over the speakerphone was filled with excitement, as I expected. She usually asked us whether we were planning to have one or two more kids.
– Oh my, oh my…! I have to tell your dad right away. How happy he’ll be!
“Well, then please deliver the news well to Dad. I have to contact my in-laws right away, so I should hang up now.”
– Okay, take care of yourself, our daughter. Mr. Kang, I’m sorry, but please look after our daughter well.
“Yes, Mom. Don’t worry about it.”
I wasn’t entirely sure I could live up to my role, but in front of my mother-in-law, I had to respond confidently to avoid causing her worry, so I answered without a moment’s hesitation.
Next on my list to call was, of course, my mother.
“Mom, I’m really sorry for the sudden call. Were you resting?”
– Yeah, it’s okay. New Daughter-in-Law. But what’s going on?
“Oh, actually, we just visited the obstetrics and gynecology clinic, and it seems we’re going to have twins. I thought I should let you know as soon as possible.”
– …Twins?
My mother’s voice, which had initially been calm, slightly wavered like a dolphin’s soprano. Even my strong-hearted mother seemed quite taken aback by the news of twins.
“Yes, Mom. Twins.”
– Are you serious? Twins!?
“Yeah, the ultrasound confirmed it. Haha, you must be quite surprised, right?”
– Uh… yeah. I’m very surprised, but congratulations. But what do we do? You’re already going to have three kids. Won’t it be tough?
While my mother-in-law had congratulated us genuinely, my mom voiced her slight concerns about starting a big family at such a young age, just like she did when Wifey was pregnant with Joo-ha.
Of course, she wasn’t saying she was against having a lot of kids, but, as she often mentioned since Wifey got pregnant with our second, she was worried about being overwhelmed by taking on family responsibilities at such a young age.
However, Wifey’s response was far from worried.
“Tough? Not at all. In fact, I’d actually been thinking about wanting two or three more kids, so this is great!”
– I’m glad to hear that, but I can’t help but worry.
“Don’t worry, Mom. Uju’s right by my side.”
– Okay, just try to pass on as many of the hard things to our son as possible and take care of yourself. You know what I mean?
“Sure, I will, Mom.”
Um, excuse me, Mom. This is a speakerphone, you know? Our son is here listening wide-eyed, right next to me.
Though I, of course, intended to do just that, hearing it straight from my mom’s mouth was a bit of a strange feeling. Like I was being betrayed, or something.
Noticing my inner turmoil, Wifey glanced over at me with a gentle smile and nodded.
She might say that, but she would probably want to handle most things herself, just like when she was pregnant with Joo-ha. Honestly, she was quite the character.
– So, if you ever need my help, just let me know anytime. I love you, our New Daughter-in-Law.
“I love you too, Mom.”
– Uh-huh. Okay. Oh, you’re so cute.
Click.
Those last exchanges were so sweet that it was hard to tell if we were a couple or a mother and daughter, or even a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever heard my mom speak like that to me. It really struck me how amazing a perfect daughter-in-law could be. This was the first time I’d seen my mom’s voice turn so warm.
I figured my dad had probably only heard such things from my mom when they were dating back in the day.
“Well, that’s a relief. It seems Mom is happy too.”
“Of course, she’d be happy. She would worry too, but remember how she was when we visited her after Joo-ha was born?”
“Yeah. I’m just grateful for how much they care for us. So I should treat both of you and myself even better.”
I thought I was already doing well enough and even went overboard.
Yet, seeing my wife make a cute fist and express her determination, I couldn’t bring myself to voice my true feelings. I knew better than anyone that it wouldn’t get through to her.
She’s always been like this. The kind of person who feels the need to repay someone’s kindness twofold, threefold.
So I gently kissed her forehead, stroked her hair, and said kindly,
“For now, focus on not doing too much work and think about how to avoid it as much as possible. If something comes up, reach out to me first. Got it?”
“Haha, didn’t you say that when Joo-ha was pregnant?”
“This time, it means you need to be even more cautious. Don’t take it lightly.”
“I got it. If it’s what you say, I’ll take it to heart.”
She seems to be completely clueless. Her face is just bursting with mischief.
“Ow, hey…!? That hurts!”
After I playfully pressed where I had just kissed her, she grabbed my arm, wriggling around. I’ve never really slapped my wife, but she can get a serious tickle when she acts too nonchalantly.
If she can’t understand by words, what can I do?
“Do you really not know? I’m serious right now.”
“Okay, okay! I’ll lean on you! I messed up…!”
“Good enough.”
Only after hearing her apologies and promises did I let go, and she looked at me with a flushed face.
“That’s mean. I’m going to tell Mom everything.”
“…Can you let that one slide?”
Then, hearing me say something that made my knees weak, I couldn’t help but bow my head, even though I felt a little unjust.
She’s using the chance to snitch like this.
“Hmph, what should I do?”
“What do I need to do for you to forgive me?”
“Wow, that’s pretty obvious.”
Sticking out her lips like, “Isn’t that obvious,” she closed her eyes tightly.
What an adorably cute act! I couldn’t help but smile bitterly and leaned in for a kiss.
“Hehe.”
Seeing my wife smile widely and satisfied after that, even the irritation I felt moments ago vanished into thin air, and I couldn’t help but laugh along.
What a ridiculously sweet woman.
*
After a quick trip outside, I found my wife dozing off with Joo-ha. I covered her with a blanket and went into my workspace to start the broadcast.
Having eaten and fallen asleep, it should be fine to let her be as is.
“Hello, everyone. Good evening. I brought some sudden news today.”
Kokkiyaho – ?
Daesangbi – What kind of trouble did you get into now?
Gyeonghwa – You’re making me anxious right away.
“Hey, when have I ever stirred up trouble? Let’s listen to each other’s tales, shall we?”
Soju Flavored Hand Cream – Okay
BlueBungieWooRuh – We should be patient.
LemonTangHuru – Just spill it, host.
I truly appreciate all their understanding; their kindness brings tears to my eyes. Seriously, it’s like if I don’t annoy these dust bunnies for a day, something weird will start growing inside them.
Today, I shook my head at the thought that it wasn’t easy to open up and, after clearing my throat, I finally began speaking.
“So, today, I went with my wife to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic, right? We’re about to hit the six-week mark, so we wanted to check on the baby.”
I’m Telling The Teacher – Oh.
White Whale – Already?
Bera666 – Time flies fast.
tws2425 – By then, the baby pocket must be visible, right?
I always feel like there are a lot of knowledgeable folks in this chatroom, or maybe they’ve just got experience with having kids. I really didn’t know until Joo-ha came along. It’s fascinating.
“That’s right. You can usually confirm things at this stage, so we did an ultrasound today, and… something unexpected happened.”
Just Had Dinner and Woke Up – What happened?
Potato Ring – Don’t tell me…
JeobiChuriSal – It’s not bad news, right?
Astral Chronicle – That shouldn’t happen!
What the heck are these crazy people imagining dangerous possibilities? I told them to listen until the end!
“It’s not anything you’re thinking. Actually… Wifey is pregnant with twins this time.”
Dropping Flowers – ?
Passing App Dungi – Twins?
Cro-Magnon – ?????????????
Arisa Loves It – For real?
Kind Thoughts – So, you’re having three kids?
I had tried to calmly break the news without startling the audience, but still, as expected, the chat exploded.
Well, honestly, it’s impossible to remain calm when someone is announcing something like that.
“Yes, somehow I’ve become a dad of three kids all of a sudden. I was genuinely shocked when we found out we were having our second, but hearing about twins left me completely stunned.”
Mushroom Soup – Wow.
Pink Rabbit – Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
BINGO – What the heck! Hahahaha!
Please Be Positive – Aren’t you, like 23 or 24? That’s super fast, lol.
It’s actually 24. A year has just passed by.
“Anyway, I really wanted to share this happy news with you guys. Earlier, someone joked not to have three kids or I’d have to go to the military, but now I’m starting to feel like maybe that joke was prophetic.”
Molt Artisan – Were you a prophet? Hahahaha!
Holic Shet – Nostradamus! Hahaha!
Lost Frog – If you wish hard enough, it’ll come true.
K-HipHopTopCosmo – So are you now off the hook and just gonna stream for life?
Well, I don’t really know about that. Honestly, I never expected to have three kids, so the thought of dodging the military hadn’t crossed my mind until now.
I just assumed there were some new rules or something, and I let it go without thinking much about it. I hadn’t had a plan to check the details either.
Last I heard from Wifey, she said something like that, but there’s still plenty of time to look into things more at the hospital after the delivery.
Since I’d originally planned to go, it won’t matter if I do or don’t, either way. Sure, being on active duty means I’d have to leave my wife alone for more time, but I certainly hope I could get an exemption.
“Well, I don’t really know about the military stuff yet. Honestly, it’s fine either way, since right now the focus should be on taking care of Wifey, not on unnecessary worries.”
Alpaca Hunter – Looks like we’re more excited than the host. Hahaha!
That’s it, Cosmo…! – Well, the host’s technically on two-year legal leave, so it’s not really about that…
Allfreed – We just can’t last through an ice age! Hahaha!
Wait, that’s true. In an ideal world, I would be avoiding military service, watching the viewers munch popcorn in delight.
Strangely enough, in this chatroom, the person who should be worried is pretty calm about it, while the viewers are concerned about whether I’m going or not.
‘BlueRageGame’ donated 1,000 won.
– Don’t worry, guys, Uju will handle it. We can just kick back and sleep.
Pigeon that Swallowed Lego – For real, lol.
Joo-ha Love Club – For real, lol.
Dust Bunny Club – We trust you, sister!
In the midst of that unexpected donation, I smirked a little while thinking maybe my wife really could handle everything.
Why is it that when the twins were announced, she seemed the happiest because of that?
I really don’t get why there’s so much fuss when I say I’ll go.
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