Trusting (KTH)

Chapter 31

Taehyung had been working on a plan for Clara's birthday for several months now. They wouldn't be able to celebrate on that day, a factor of his entirely inflexible concert schedule. So the nearest adjacent free day had been selected in his planning.

Taehyung had rented out a local winery for the day. There was one outside the city they were in that offered beautiful views, delicious food, and top notch wine. During the planning phase Taehyung didn't know Clara would be pregnant and therefore unable to join in tasting the wine, but he was confident she'd love it anyway.

Taehyung let Clara know in advance that he had something planned but refused to share any details. Clara tried everything to get the information out of him. Gentle kisses followed by a pleading request. Running her fingers through his hair while asking sweetly. Giving him a playful cold shoulder when he refused to give even the tiniest hint. Even begging for just one small detail because apparently the twins desperately wanted to know. Taehyung just laughed at her impatience, keeping the secret locked up tight.

Taehyung had invited her parents to join them and the rest of the members. Almost all of the security delegation would also join them, several managers, and of course their sweet twins.

As the day approached Taehyung realized he couldn't remember the last time Clara had been outside beyond trips to and from the airport. She had barely had a breath of fresh air in months.

The twins rode with their grandparents to the winery, Clara and Taehyung sharing the back seat of a car to themselves. Taehyung was constantly stealing small kisses and always had her hand wrapped in his and held tight against his strong thigh.

Clara couldn't stop staring out the window the further they got outside the city. The drive was nearly two hours considering traffic. As they excited the congested urban area farms began to take over the landscape with cute homes and soaring mountains in the background. They finally turned into a small gravel drive and after a few bumpy minutes were in a fully isolated winery.

Taehyung quickly jumped out of the car, coming around to open her door and invite her to the day focused on her and total freedom. They would start with a small snack for lunch, take the afternoon to explore the property, and then have a somewhat early dinner partnered with a wine tasting.

Several of the members were slated to arrive later in time for dinner so lunch was a quieter affair. Namjoon had the little cub on his lap for the meal while Clara's mother held their tiger. When the adults were satisfied with their small meal Taehyung brought Clara to a little nook with a soft chair and stunning views where she could feed the boys privately. After quick diaper changes they were ready to explore, each parent with a twin strapped tight against them.

Small trails dotted the farm and Clara wanted to explore them all. Some led to stunning vista points and others to small pens of friendly and curious animals. Clara loved wandering through the endless rows of grapes and checking out the fruit in the adjacent orchard. Staff from the vineyard periodically popped up to explain the working of the land but largely kept their distance. They found a cute swinging bench attached to an old tree where the two sat for some time, watching the scenery in front of them as the boys dozed in their carriers. Small coolers of water were placed around the property so they always had access to drinks without having to carry them along.

Tae and Clara spent almost the entire day with their fingers intertwined, fully at peace. Taehyung hadn't seen Clara this happy in a while. She lived her life like a caged bird most of the time. While she rarely complained, it wasn't the freedom she most preferred and enjoyed. This right now was how things were meant to be.

Taehyung and Clara eventually wandered back to the main building and found a large blanket laid out for them under a towering tree. They carefully laid the boys down, trying to avoid disturbing their sleep, and then positioned themselves on either side so they could rest along with the twins. The gentle breeze cooled their skin while the sound of rustling leaves provided a soundtrack to their afternoon siesta. It was only a short time later when the first twins woke, squirming to get their parents attention.

The next hour was spent on the blanket, encouraging the twins as they sat on their bottoms banging simple toys, or rocked back and forth on hands and knees testing out how they might begin to crawl. Toys were left just out of reach to encourage them to try new skills but neither seemed quite ready to make the plunge and become fully mobile.

Taehyung had taken hundreds of photos with the camera hanging around his neck. Some of the pictures were of the scenery but most were of Clara or the twins. Seeing them glowing in this beautiful place was something he didn't want to soon forget.

As dinner drew nearer so did many of their friends and family. Completing the groups was a friendly dog that the owner assured them would be gentle with the twins if they felt ok about him visiting. The Labrador was large, much bigger than either of the twins, and in his first visit to the blanket to sniff them out he gently knocked one of the boys over, much to the baby's great amusement.

Eventually the pup laid down between the small twins and allowed them to grab at his fur and lay on top of him. He was truly the most gentle and patient creature. The boys both squealed in happiness at this new toy while everyone around filled their phone with photos.

It was drawing close to time for dinner so Clara took the boys back to her small private nook and fed them one more time, hoping the excitement of the day and full bellies might encourage them to nap again or at least remain peaceful in a lap for the duration.

Before the meal they took a quick tour of the wine cellar, learning more about the winemaking craft. Small samples were provided of different types of wine to highlight the variations of grapes and techniques. Clara politely declined any of the wine but enjoyed learning and hearing her friends and families thoughts on the various drinks.

They returned to a beautiful screened porch with views of towering peaks for the meal. The food came out in seven separate courses, highlighting ingredients that were grown in the winery gardens. Clara declared each course her favorite until the next arrived, outdoing the course before.

The members regaled Clara with embarrassing stories about Taehyung and offered her small gifts for the occasion. A beautiful birthday cake with sparkling candles concluded the meal and Taehyung couldn't help but take many more pictures as Clara's face lit up in the glow.

Taehyung had thoughtfully set aside a bit of time at the end of the evening for Clara to return to her quiet nook and feed the boys again, relieved from any pressure of needing to leave immediately. He'd also brought bottles for the twins but had correctly predicted that Clara would prefer to nurse. While the day had been perfect and Clara was thankful to be surrounded by family and friends, she was still a shy introvert at heart. Quiet moments with the boys offered a sweet reprieve to the boisterous evening.

Eventually it was time to depart. After repeatedly thanking their hosts for the kind hospitality and incredible food the groups prepared to journey back to the hotel.

Once again Clara and Taehyung were alone in the back of their car. Taehyung knew Clara would be exhausted, having seen her yawning several times as the meal advanced. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder he encouraged her to take off her shoes and rest comfortably against his chest. A small blanket was pulled from the front seat of the car and nearly as soon as Clara was tucked underneath she began to doze off.

"Happy birthday sweetheart," Taehyung quietly whispered against her head, lips gently kissing her hair. "Rest well. I'll wake you up when we get to the hotel".