Her

Chapter 14

  When you woke up the next morning, you could hear retching sounds coming from your bathroom. You looked to your right and noticed that Lyra was gone. Kihyun was curled up in a small ball under the covers. You immediately got out of bed and knocked on the bathroom door.

  "Lyra, sweetie? You okay?" You called but only received retching sounds as a response. You sighed and opened the door, knowing exactly what was happening.

  When you walked in, you saw your daughter positioned over the toilet. Her knuckles were turning white from her tight grip on the rim. You walked over and pulled her hair back, rubbing her back to help her through it.

  "It's okay, baby. You're doing fine. Let it out. Eomma's here." You said softly as her vomiting continued. She seemed to be crying from the pain.

  After a few minutes, Lyra stopped and fell into your lap. She was sobbing and she seemed too weak to stand.

  "I'm sorry, sweetheart. You'll be okay. Do you think you can stand?" You asked. She shook her head groggily. you nodded and gently eased her body onto the rug before getting up to wake up Kihyun.

  "Kihyun. Wake up. Her morning sickness started. She can't stand up." You whispered. Kihyun groaned before he rubbed his eyes and sat up.

  "Oh god. Poor girl. I'm up." He sighed as he got out of bed and went into the bathroom. When he saw her, he felt his heart break.

  Lyra was curled into a ball on the floor, crying softly into her arms.

  "Lyra, my poor girl. It's alright, sweetheart. Appa's here. C'mon let's get you up." Kihyun said softly as he flushed the toilet. He carefully scooped Lyra into his arms and brought her back into bed. He tucked her into the comforter and kissed her head.

  "Want something warm to drink? I'm sure your throat feels awful." He asked. All she did was nod. He led you out of the room and downstairs.

  "I didn't know it would start so soon." Kihyun groaned as he started to boil some water.

  "I know but I had horrible nausea when I was pregnant too. Some daughters reflect their mother's pregnancies." You sighed, putting a bagel into the toaster. Kihyun nodded before rummaging through the cabinets to find the tea that helped upset stomachs.

Once the bagel was toasted and the tea was made, you both went back upstairs to tend to your daughter. She was rubbing her eyes and she looked very sick.

  "I'm sorry, Eomma. Did I wake you up?" Lyra asked.

  "No, sweetheart. I was already awake. How do you feel?"

  "Gross. Like I need a shower." She groaned as Kihyun handed her the tea cup. She sipped it slowly and sighed as the warm liquid soothed her aching throat.

  "I know, baby. Try to relax for a little bit before you start moving around. It might trigger the nausea." You said. She nodded and continued to drink her tea. You handed her the bagel and sat next to her. Kihyun sat on her other side.

"If I knew that having a baby was going to be this hard, I might have given it a second thought." Lyra sighed.

"I hate to break it to you, kiddo, but it's only gonna get harder from here." Kihyun sighed back before you punch his arm.

"What your father is trying to say is that pregnancy at any stage is a struggle. You have to learn how your body reacts to it and do what's best for you. For instance, when I was pregnant with you, I had terrible morning sickness. The only thing that helped was to drink the upset tummy tea first thing in the morning and right before bed. I think you should try that and see how it works for you. If you feel like something else can do the job, do that instead. It's all about how you feel." You said softly, rubbing her back as your daughter ate her bagel. Lyra nodded and swallowed her food before responding.

"You're right. I'll try that starting tonight. I'm so happy I have you both to support me. I know this journey is going to be the hardest think I've ever had to do but I'm happy I don't have to do it alone." She smiled, leaning on Kihyun. He smiled and kissed her head.

"You will never be alone, Lyra. We will always be here." Kihyun said lovingly before you all got up to start the day.