I held onto his hand, my fingers curling through his, and at the moment, I was grateful. My other hand rested on my belly, and I prayed, with everything I had inside me, that I could give birth to this baby, and last long enough to see Taehyung make the transition from husband, to father. I wanted to see the look on his face the first time he saw our baby, because I'd bet my last breath that it would be so full of love and wonder, that he would find it impossible to take his eyes off the miracle he'd helped create.

°•°♡°•°

It was April already, and I hated it. I didn't hate April, or spring. I just hated that it was April, because this was the month that, according to Soo Ah, she would be leaving us.

That girl had been so good for Taehyung, and I couldn't stand the thought of him losing her. I didn't understand why there wasn't something they could do. Why couldn't they save her? With all the technology we have now a days, it seemed like there had to be something they could do.

But Soo Ah said she'd asked all those questions already. She wasn't a candidate for a heart transplant because it wasn't just her heart that was being damaged. The problem with her heart, and what was happening to it, was causing other organs to slowly be damaged as well, because blood wasn't able to flow to everything properly.

They would have had to do something like a heart transplant years ago, when she was still a child, and unfortunately, they didn't find out about this condition until after she was already an adult. 

Even if they had known, and had been able to obtain a heart for a transplant, there would have been no guarantee that she would have lived as long as she already has. Heart transplants were iffy, in the best of circumstances.

Taehyung seemed to be doing well, but I knew him better than that. He was dying inside. I could see it every time I stopped by. It was all an act for Soo Ah. He was pretending to be strong, and I admired him for refusing to show weakness, even when it was clear his heart was shattering.

The good thing in all of this was the baby. I knew right from the get go that he wouldn't let her put that baby up for adoption. Even if he was scared to death, which he may have been, he would accept it as his responsibility. That's just how Taehyung was. 

But even if initially he just thought of it as a responsibility, that was no longer the case. 

The birth of his child was something he was both dreading and looking forward to, for obvious reasons. He'd mentioned to me how he couldn't wait to hold his baby, how he'd never imagined he would be a father at this point in his life, but how it somehow felt right. 

But then in the next breath, he didn't want the baby to be born yet, because he wasn't ready. 

He wasn't ready to lose Soo Ah. 

I didn't have to remind him that he could lose Soo Ah before the baby was born. 

Soo Ah seemed well, considering. She had a hard time getting around at this point, both due to her large belly, and the fact that any movement at all left her nearly out of breath, and just so tired out. She was worried how she was going to deliver her baby, and I think she was terrified that the process would be what ended her life.

We all knew it was a possibility. She technically wasn't due for another 8 days, but she was beyond thrilled that she had made it to this point. It was April 13th, and she had admitted that she didn't expect to still be around by the middle of the month.

Every time my phone's notifications went off, I held my breath while I checked it. If it rang, I almost let it go to voicemail every time before I would quickly look at it and answer. I was always frozen with the fear that it would be Tae, telling me that Soo Ah was gone.

At her last doctors appointment, they told her she was doing very well, and that they didn't see any reason why she wouldn't be able to deliver naturally. The baby seemed a bit smaller than average, but still perfectly healthy as far as they could tell during her ultrasounds.

Taehyung had said the heart doctor still didn't feel she would make it past April, but he was optimistic that she would be able to deliver her baby. But he also said she may not last long after because it would without a doubt be hard on her heart. 

We were all praying. Every day for Jungkook and I felt like another day we were walking around in a giant house of cards, just waiting for them all to come tumbling down, and devastate everything. 

Jungkook was taking it hard, but he wanted to be there for Tae, so I knew he was holding a lot inside. 

I was holding a lot inside myself. I was angry, because this just wasn't fair. But it was life. There was much about life that wasn't fair, and I knew being angry would change nothing. 

My phone rang, and I jumped. I looked at the time, it was 11:22pm. Shit.

I looked at the caller ID. It was Taehyung. My hand shook as I hit the accept call button.

"Hello?"

"Jimin, t...thank God your awake. Soo Ah's water broke, can y...you take us to the hospital?"

He sounded frantic.

Holy shit holy shit holy shit

"I'll be there in two minutes."

I hung up the phone and  grabbed my keys, racing out the door and jumping in my car. I knew Tae was freaking out. I was freaking out.

I pulled up in front of his house, and the door opened immediately, Tae and Soo Ah appearing. She looked scared. Tae looked petrified.

I had to keep it together. I rushed to them, and tried to give them a calming look. I was on the other side of Soo Ah, my arm going around her shoulder, and I reached my hand to Taehyungs arm, giving him a reassuring rub. He was shaking.

"It's gonna be okay Tae. Let's get her into the car, and I'll call the hospital to let them know we're on the way. They'll be ready for her when we get there. Breathe, bud, okay?"

I glanced at him, and he had tears rolling down his cheeks, but he nodded numbly.

"You okay Soo Ah?"

She gave me a small smile.

"Scared, and excited. I just wanna meet my baby."

"You will."

We helped her into the front seat, and Taehyung kissed her hand before closing the door and climbing in behind her. I jumped in the front seat and as I pulled out to head for the hospital, I searched the hospital number, and hit the call button. 

I let them know that we were on our way, giving them Soo Ah's name, and they assured me they would be ready when we got there, and told me to pull right up the emergency door entrance.

"We'll be there in five minutes, guys. Tae, do you think you can text Jungkook and let him know?" I looked at him in the rearview  mirror, seeing him wipe the tears from his cheeks. "If you can't, I'll do it after we get there."

"I'll do it." He responded quietly.

He didn't say another word, and I knew he was most likely in shock that this was actually happening. 

I pulled up to the hospital doors, and two nurses were waiting with a wheelchair. Tae climbed out, looking even more petrified, if that was possible, and once Soo Ah was in the wheelchair, the nurses hurried into the hospital, Taehyung following behind. 

I watched them go, wishing I could be there for them, but I knew at this point I'd just be in the way, and I wasn't allowed in the delivery room anyway, so I went to park my car in the lot, and then I came inside and asked where to wait. 

Once I found the waiting room for the labor and delivery area, I sat in one of the chairs, and pulled out my phone to text Jungkook, to see if Tae had actually been able to let him know we were on our way here before we arrived.

He'd replied that he was on his way, and I leaned my head back on the chair and closed my eyes. I just prayed that I'd get to talk to Soo Ah again.

☆~☆~☆

I had never been so scared in my entire life. I watched as they got Soo Ah ready, placing an IV in her arm, attaching things to her, and putting her in a hospital gown. Everytime my eyes caught hers, she gave me a smile, and I knew she was trying to reassure me that she was okay.

But I knew she was scared. 

They finally had her in a bed, and hooked up to different machines, and there were beeps of all kinds going off, which the nurses assured me were normal.

They checked her, and told her she was 3cm dilated, and that it probably wouldn't be long at all before it was time to push. 

She had experienced a few contractions during all this, but she didn't seem to be in a huge amount of discomfort. The one nurse mentioned that labor is different for everyone, no two experiences are the same, and some contractions are really painful, while others aren't. 

She couldn't get the epidural because of her heart, but she said she wouldn't have wanted it anyway. She wanted to experience this the way it was meant to be experienced, with no medication that wasn't absolutely necessary.

She seemed to be dilating quickly, a half hour after getting situated in bed, they checked her again and she was at 7cm. 

I was sitting beside her, her hand in mine, and I knew when a contraction came, because she squeezed my hand and her face scrunched up with each one.

"Are they getting worse?"

She nodded. 

I wished I could take away her pain, all of it. 

☆~☆~☆

Forty five minutes later, Doctor Han was in the room, and Soo Ah was getting ready to push. I felt like I might pass out. 

"Sir, are you okay?"

I glanced at the nurse. 

"I think so...I'm just, a little dizzy."

"Let me get you a chair, and you can sit next to her if you need to."

I thanked her, and a few minutes later a chair was placed behind me. I remained standing though, and Dr. Han was sitting at the end of the bed, telling Soo Ah that when she felt the contraction coming, to push, and try to hold the push for ten seconds, but to just do the best she could.

She squeezed my hand tightly, and I watched, wide eyed as she scrunched up her face and pushed, Dr Han encouraging her, telling her she was doing wonderfully. 

This went on for a half hour, with Soo Ah pushing every few minutes, and at one point Dr. Han said the head was out. 

I blinked, and closed my eyes, feeling dizzy again, considering sitting in the chair, but  I felt like I wouldn't be there for Soo Ah if I did, so I remained standing. 

My heart was pounding in my chest, and it was getting harder to breathe. 

"One last push Soo Ah, you're almost done, you're doing amazing."

I looked at Dr. Han, and she was smiling widely. 

Soo Ah squeezed my hand and actually growled as she pushed, and before I knew what was happening, Dr. Han was putting a baby on her chest. 

"It's a girl, congratulations!"

I couldn't breathe. I stared at the tiny, bloody baby on her chest, watching the nurse from the other side of her do things that I was clueless about, and seconds later, there were cries coming from her mouth. 

My heart literally felt like it doubled in size in my chest.

Soo Ah was gazing at the baby, her eyes full of tears, and suddenly I was crying myself. I bent and kissed her forehead, not able to explain the relief I was feeling right now. 

"We're going to take the baby now, so we can get her cleaned up and we'll bring her back in a bit, okay?" The nurse next to her said, reaching to take the baby.

Soo Ah nodded, watching as they lifted the baby from her chest, and the love in her eyes was like nothing I had ever seen. Once the baby was taken to the other side of the room, she turned to me, a look of wonder on her face.

"I love you," she whispered, "I love you so much."

"I love you too."