The knock on the door told her that her boyfriend was finally back after 3 days of straight-up camping in the hospital building.

     Meira quickly left the shawl she was knitting discarded on the couch and waddled up to open the door with her protruding belly.

     "You're here!" Meira laughed as she let him in. He greeted her with a tired smile as he slipped off his shoes. His bleached hair was a mess that hasn't been washed in 3 days, and he was wearing the same grey scrubs he left with.

     "How have you been?" San asked as he took his keys and wallet out of his pocket and placed them on the foyer table.

     "The same way you left me; a couch potato, but tell me what went on with you?" Meira mentioned nonchalantly before asking back. San turned and used his hands to help him lean against the table as he let out a deep breath.

     "Well, Eunok relapsed," he informed her about his patient, and although he already told her this before over text, she still frowned in confusion.

     "How come? Didn't you say she was getting better?" Meira leaned her back to the wall behind her with her arms crossing over her chest.

      "Yeah, bu-" he wanted to speak but a sigh escaped his lips in frustration, "it's a long story, let me shower first then we can sit and talk about it." Meira quickly agreed, hating how she was unable to come near him until he changed out of his 'contaminated' clothes; it was a rule they established, and ever since her pregnancy, it was enforced stronger than ever.

     While he showered, she heated up dinner then they finally sat down and enjoyed a proper meal for the first time this week. During the meal, San filled her in on the majority of what is happening with Eunok, and Meira knew how serious that was to him. Eunok was diagnosed with Aptol syndrome before she was even born, and San was there all along. This five-year-old child practically lived in the hospital with San since birth; she meant the world to him. Even Meira grew fond of the giddy child from visiting San at his workplace.

     Meira and San ended up on the couch watching TV some time later. Meira went back to knitting her shawl while San placed his head on her shoulder as he watched the show displayed, but nothing was processing in his brain; it was too clouded with various thoughts.

     "Meira," he called out abruptly.

     "Hm?" she replied letting him know he had her attention although her eyes were focused on her knitting.

      "I-" he halted, "I don't think she can hold on for much longer."

      Was it the way his voice almost gave up on him as he said that made Meira's heart drop to her feet, or was it how she knew if San himself came to admit this, then it was 100% certain? Meira didn't know, but she had bigger issues to ponder over. She stopped knitting as she turned to look at her boyfriend. As she had suspected, although he tried to hide it by fiddling with the yarn she was using, Meira could see the tears in his eyes.

      "I-" he continued, "she needs a transplant," he gulped before sitting up and chewing on his lips as he contemplated his next words carefully, and Meira paid attention to every detail. "I- I tested for compatibility-"

      "San!" Meira immediately argued back finding tears in her own eyes as she did so. She wanted to argue, tell him that he can't be doing this, but before she could lay out the 101 reasons why she thought his idea was beyond unreasonable, he cut her off.

     "Relax, I'm not compatible anyway," San told her, and although it was supposed to bring her comfort, it hurt her more than she wanted it to. San looked up at the ceiling as his palms hid his face, the sigh he breathed out expressed more raw pain than any words could. "I don't know what to do anymore," his voice was so fragile and shaky, it seemed like if he said it any louder it would alert everyone of his inabilities. His hands went up to brush through his wet blond locks revealing his bloodshot eyes. He sucked in his cheeks as he took in a deep breath before puckering his lips and shaking his head to ruffle his wet hair.

     Meira placed her hand on his as she brought it down to her lap.

      "San," she sighed and he shut his eyes tightly and licked his lips.

      "I know," he spoke, "I know, it's not my fault," he reiterated the words she always told him perfectly, "but I can't help but feel I'm not giving it my all," he muttered under his breath.

     "You were about to donate your kidney if you could right now, San, do you even hear yourself? What more can you do?" Meira chastised as her grip on his hand tightened. "You are giving it more than your all, you can't control fate," she reasoned as a frown found its way to weigh on her delicate features.

      "I just-" he began, but his breath hitched so he just gave up completely and instead covered his face with his palms as he cried. Meira bit her lips before tugging at his arm to pull the man into her embrace which proved to be easier than she expected as he clung to her almost immediately. She rubbed his back as she fought her impending tears.

      "It'll be alright," she comforted. "It'll all turn out fine," Meira promised although she knew she had no way to guarantee her words, but she just wanted him to feel better.

     "E-Eunok-ah," San began as he pulled away to face Meira, "today, s-she gave me this," he pulled out a paper from his pocket, and as he opened it, a smile came back to his lips. "I told her we were having a daughter, it really cheered her up; she kept giggling and asking me about her."

      Meira couldn't take it anymore, her tears cascaded, and she reached out to inspect her paper with shaky fingers. It was a drawing, of a little girl (she guessed was Eunok), with a blond man (that would be San), and a baby. "Oh gosh," she muttered under her breath before biting the inside of her cheek.

     "I'm scared, Meira," San uttered, "I really can't-I can't imagine what will I do  with myself if something happened to her."

     With a gulp, Meira wiped away his tears while her brain went through all possibilities.

     "Her blood type is B, right?" Meira asked suddenly.

     "Yeah," San sniffed, "why do yo-" once he saw the look on her face, his expression did a 180, "no, Meira, no-"

     "Why not?" she argued back, determination painted all over her flushed face.

      "Because you are pregnant!?" San exclaimed back before staring into her determined eyes that never wavered. "Meira," he sighed, "t-this, I appreciate your intention, but it would only complicate matters. If something happens to you because of that," he wiped her tears, " or if something happens to our baby," he placed his other hand on her swollen belly, "I would never forgive myself."

     "I'll just see if I'm compatible," Meira spoke.

     "And if you are? Then what?" San asked back. "Let's-let's just forget this, Eunok will be fine, a donor might appear any time soon, we already contacted all other hospitals to make sure. She's been registered in the system for years, she must be on the priority list by now. S-she just needs to hold on for a bit longer."

     Meira looked at him and tried to force herself to believe his words, but it proved harder than expected.

     "You just take care of our little princess," San spoke as he wiped away his tears.

     "You realize we don't even know if it's a girl yet," Meira deadpanned as she crossed her arms over her chest. San chuckled at that.

     "I can feel it though," he protested as he shrugged.

      "What are you a psychic?" Meira snickered and went back to knitting as if her brain wasn't in overdrive. San placed his head on her shoulder again and let out a prolonged exhale. "You should sleep, you haven't had proper rest in a while," Meira reminded, and San's reply was muffled by a yawn proving her words.

      "I should," he spoke before laying his head on her lap.

      "Aish," she huffed as she moved her yarn so it doesn't go into his eyes. "I said proper rest, go to bed, San."

      "This is better," he argued as he made himself comfortable despite his calves hanging midair as he was too tall for the couch.

      "For you, surely," Meira sighed before San turned his face and pecked her belly. "Aish!" she pushed his face away.

     "Are you denying me contact with my child?" San gasped dramatically.

      "She's all yours once gets out of here," Meira muttered as she focused on fixing the needle back into the loops of yarn, her earlier impulsive actions causing the needle to slip.

      "So you admit it's a girl!" San hollered making Meira scoff.

      "Of course, the doctor told me yesterday," she said nonchalantly, but San sprung up from his seat and looked at her with wide eyes almost getting his eyes

      "You are joking," he muttered in disbelief.

     "Am not, why do you think I'm knitting a pink quilt?" Meira rolled her eyes as she continued her work, but an inevitable grin was starting to bloom on her lips.

      "Oh my gosh, Mei!" San hollered before standing up, leaning down, grabbing her hands to lower them, and finally kissing her in delight. His giddy laughter rumbled in his chest and reached her as vibrations that made her smile into the kiss before breaking away to giggle along. She stood up as he hauled her and left her needles behind.

      San shut his eyes as he squeezed her tightly before leaving a prolonged kiss on her temple. He squatted down, his hands trailed down his arm till he held her wrist, and pressed his forehead against her bump.

     "I told you, she's a princess," he muttered softly making Meira laugh.

      "Well, our princess needs a name, does she not?"Meira spoke down as she patted her bump. San looked up at her with a smile before standing up and cupping her face.

      "Dal," he muttered, and she tilted her head.

      "Dal?"

      "Yes," he nodded as his lips stretched into a tight smile. "My parents named me after the mountains, my sister after the sky, Eunok suggested we name her after the moon."

      Meira almost caught herself cooing at the idea before she narrowed her eyes.

       "I feel awfully left out here," she joked and watched as San tried to explain himself between giggles. "Choi Dal," she tested the sound of it and found herself smiling uncontrollably.

       "Choi Dal," San repeated, and he almost squealed at how it was all coming to reality.

      "I love it!" Meira squealed before placing a hand on her bump. "Dal-ah," she called out, and waited for the cliché moment to unfold.

     Nothing.

    "I don't think she likes it," Meira joked.

     "No, she is just unexpressive, she takes after her mom, right, Dal?" San casually spoke making Meira scoff in amusement before smacking his shoulder in feigned offense.

     "Holy!" Meira almost swore once she sensed the baby move. "She kicked!"

     "She did!" San exclaimed back in equal surprise. "She loves it!" he claimed with a laugh.

    "I guess she does,"she laughed along.

      "Oh, Mei, I swear this just," he breathed as he pulled her closer, "it's more than I could ever deserve." He hugged her tightly. Meira responded by leaving a kiss on his cheek. He breathed in her scent and shut his eyes. "I love you so much more than I can even comprehend."

      Meira chuckled before melting into his embrace, "I love you more."

      After a moment of silence, Meira spoke again, "don't tell anyone it's a girl though."

     "Why?" San asked as he pulled away.

      "Cause I kind of told Haneul she could set up a gender reveal party and we are supposed to act surprised?" Meira trailed off

      "What," San huffed out in shock.

      "Please, in my defense, I already knew by the time she told me she wanted to make one," Meira rolled her eyes.

     "So we will both have to act surprised?" San laughed at the ridiculous situation.

      "It seems so," Meira giggled along. "Unless, you're too busy with work and leave me to put on an act alone..."

      "Hey," San spoke more seriously, "I don't think life has ever been more kind to me than when it gave me you, so just knowing that this child is a product of that, I don't think anything could ever amount to this, so I would never put work over you or our child."

     "Alright, alright," Meira muttered as she bit her lovesick teenager smile off, "go sleep now, Love, you look like you haven't seen a pillow in a year."

      "I confess my undying love to you, and you call me ugly?" San deadpanned with a tsk.

     "Don't put words in my mouth," Meira warned before turning him around and guiding him to their bedroom. "I'll do the dishes then come back, you better be asleep by then."

     "Just leave them for tomorrow," San whined, and she just let out a disgusted scoff.

     "Just go," she pushed him before going back to the kitchen in their apartment.

     Washing dishes was quite therapeutic to Meira, annoying really, but therapeutic. It gave her time to be alone and think over everything with a clear mind. The stable noise of the dishes being washed only enhanced her focus.

     She mulled over the situation with Eunok; she didn't know what to do. Meira knew she would, without doubt, go and test for compatibility and then make her decision after with or without San's consent. Her encounters with Eunok might've been limited, but she still had a place in her heart; like a little sister, or perhaps a daughter of her own .

     She was caught up in her head for longer than she expected and didn't snap out of her daze until a sudden phone started ringing. Meira recognized the ringtone to be San's phone's. She waddled to the foyer table to find it.

      Hongjoong HOD the screen displayed.

     "San-ah!" Meira called out, "Hongjoong is calling you!" She quickly waddled back to the bedroom, but when she turned on the lights she found the man fast asleep; he was exhausted.

     "San," she called out softly as she shook his body. No response. "San!" She shook him harder, and he jolted in place before looking at her and blinking multiple times to adjust to the light. "Hongjoong," she mouthed as she replied to the call and quickly put it to his ear from where she sat at the edge of the bed.

     "Hello," he spoke hesitantly. The other line replied. "Yes, I'm aware," San said before listening and then humming a couple of times. "What?!" his eyes widened, and all traces of sleep left his softened features. Meira grew scared that it might be a sign of bad news, her hands found his immediately. "When?" San asked the look in his eyes dead serious before he shut his eyes to take in a deep breath. He bit his lips. "Yes, yes," he spoke quickly, and when Meira met his eyes she furrowed her eyebrows asking him a question without any words, he just nodded nof giving her a coherent answer. "I-I-thank you, thank you. Have a good night." San ended the call, and Meira looked at him with confusion and concern.

      "Eunok," he breathed out, "we found a donor!" San fell back onto the bed with a relieved sigh as his arm covered his eyes.

      "No way," Meira muttered under her breath incredulously. She saw the tears rolling down San's cheeks, and her open jaws shut to form a smile as she let her body fall beside San's.

      It was suddenly funny, to the both of them, as they laughed with tears in their eyes. Fate was so bittersweet it was funny, it won't hand you something until it completely crushes your hopes of it happening first, and perhaps, that's why the thrill of tasting happiness is so glorified, and perhaps, that's why life is worth living.

Don't ask me what this is i genuinely dk but I hope you enjoyed it.

Sorry for the unannounced break, it's not like I wasn't writing (this chapter was written like a month ago) but I KEEP HATING WHAT I WRITE.

I swear it'll get better (i hope so at least)