On Thin Air

Defenses

Pushing past him, Namjoo walked out of the bathroom. Headed outside because back to the lounge meant being buried alive. She might really start going berserk if she heard the term 'baby' again.

Exiting the house through the front door she kicked at the ground with her house slippers. The expanse of their concrete driveway spread before her like an open land. The gateway to freedom. She could take a car and drive off.

She could.

Walking further away from the front door, Namjoo glanced beyond the driveway. Here there were no iron gates. Anyone could walk past. No one would know any better.

Wild trees flanked them on all sides. The shrubs thick. The greenery sparse as the sun was hot on warm days. Even colder on winter days. Namjoo kind of looked forward to it. Would a sheen of ice cover the concrete? Would she create her own skating rink outside?

Namjoo blinked. Wondering what she'd be feeling by the time winter rolled around. By then, would she have found happiness?

"Here." Seoyun held out a glass of fresh water for her. "It'll help get rid of the taste."

Accepting the water, Namjoo took a good long drink. To wash away the lingering taste of her puke. Of the bitterness.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again. "I didn't mean to make you and your mother argue."

"She's not my mother," Namjoo said.

"Oh..."

"Forget it," Namjoo said. She didn't want to hear Sehun's sister-in-law apologize to her fifty times.

"I'm unable to have my own children." Seoyun spoke up.

The confession had Namjoo turning her head. Faster than she anticipated, which made her feel like a villain. Seoyun wasn't able to look at her. Fiddling with her fingers, head lowered. Her body unmoving.

She was ashamed.

The sorry sight had Namjoo looking elsewhere. As if that might help brighten the situation.

"The family will never be able to have grandkids because of me," Seoyun quietly professed. "Sehun's mother is dying, you know. She's been in the hospital for a long time. I'm just another unfortunate number." Raising her head, she said, "So I think...you're really lucky."

ꜛꜛꜛꜛꜛ

Sighing, Sehun flushed the toilet and washed his hands. With no choice he returned to the lounge room, where everyone was still gathered. Seoyun was gone he saw. Namjoo wasn't back yet either.

He hadn't known they were going to ambush them like this today. With talks of a baby.

The desire to throw his head back gained more momentum as he sank back down into his seat.

"Where is Namjoo?" her father inquired.

"She..." he paused, "went for some air. She's not feeling well."

"She's pregnant," Hea murmured but her voice was above hearing level. Her mother shushed her again. Rolling her eyes she looked away muttering something beneath her breath.

His father looked at him for further explanation. Hoping that he might verify that yes, Namjoo is pregnant. They were going to be parents.

Sehun looked his father dead on, "She's not."

Disappointment flushed across his face and Sehun had to say he didn't really feel bad.

"Well, that's ok," his father chirped up. "I told the housekeeper to put the tonics away. Remind her to take one pack each day, whenever is ok."