Healing Love

Chapter 46

Chuseok is something that we always look forward to. Every year, Jung Hyuk will take 2 weeks off in September, and we will go back to Seoul to celebrate Chuseok with our family. However, we are not going back this year as I am 26 weeks pregnant, and Dr Montgomery is not keen for me to take long haul flights because twin pregnancy is considered a risky pregnancy. She doesn't want complications, or unnecessary problems happened due to flying. Having no choice, my husband and I have to obey the professional advice and not going back home this year. My husband brings my grandmother to celebrate with us to cheer me up since she will be all alone back home during the festivals. I am shocked to find my grandmother at my door one day. Ri Jung Hyuk surprised me by tricking me that he has a conference in Abu Dhabi. Little that I know, he met my grandmother halfway where she is on transit and fly with her to Dublin.

I feel so happy to have halmeoni coming over. At least I do not have to worry about my grandmother spending the festive alone. What makes me happy is she brought a lot of Korean food and Korean groceries with her. My small kimchi fridge is full now. For the past 5 days, we had been enjoying my halmeoni's home-cooked Korean meals.

My halmeoni and I are making songpyeon (rice cake) for Chuseok. It is not Chuseok if there are no songpyeon. We are making quite a lot as The Henneys are celebrating with us this year. My grandmother is putting the fillings on the rolled doughs, and I am in charge of folding and sealing it. To make the songpyeon a bit unique this year, I decorate it with edible flowers, which is easy to get here.

"Your daughters are going to be very pretty," my halmeoni said as she busy putting the red bean and sweet sesame seeds fillings.

I chuckle. "How are you so sure, halmeoni?"

She showed me the tray where I already arranged the finished songpyeon that's going to be cooked. "Look at how beautiful your songpyeon. Old folks said that those who made beautiful songpyeons will have beautiful daughters. Just like how I know you are going to be a beautiful girl after seeing how pretty the songpyeon your late father made."

"My father? Not my mother?"

"Your mother makes nice songpyeon too, but your father's songpyeon is nicer. I am surprised to see how nice and neat his rice cakes were. I said the same thing to him that if he has a daughter, she will be beautiful. You are about 4 months in your mother's belly, and we did not know your gender yet," my grandmother smiles as she remembered the old days. Whenever she talks about my late parents, she will have tears at the brink of her eyes as she misses them.

"Awww...not too hard, Berry," I rub the right side of my belly when one of my babies kicks.

My grandmother looks at the smaller little bumps from my bulging tummy. She places her hands to make contact with her great-granddaughters. "Is this Berry?"

I nod, "Yes. The active one. Sometimes, she kicks like a boy. And this," I move my halmeoni's hand to the left. "Is Cherry. The sweet one. She doesn't move much, but she is always the one who wakes me up in the morning."

"Aigoo, aigoo. I never thought that I will live long enough to see my great-grandchildren. It's a good call. I retired last year, and I have more times to spend my days with my family," my halmeoni can't take her hands off the twins and enjoying their movements.

As agreed, she will stay with us until I give birth. Jung Hyuk wants someone at the house during the day when I enter the third trimester. Although at first, I thought I can handle things by myself, but now I am thankful that my husband sees the problems earlier than myself. Six months pregnant with twins is totally different from carrying one baby. I feel so huge, like I am nearing my due date, and I get tired quickly. Getting help is a relief.