I never thought I would ever be sitting beside Kim Seokjin's girlfriend as she gave birth to their baby. As I listened to Soon-Bok groaning through her contractions, I was reminded of how my life had changed from where I thought it would be. When I pictured being with someone in active labour, I imagined it would be Esther—in a modern hospital.

As I looked around the room, however, there was modern equipment here. In this universe, Soon-Bok and the other designated females give birth in a manner reminiscent of the pre-technological era. No foetal monitors kept track of the baby's heart rate. No pulse oximeters or electric blood pressure cuffs to check that Soon-Bok's heart was beating okay and that her body was getting enough oxygen. There was no option for ultrasound checks to make sure the baby was in the right position. The only 'technology' the doctor and midwives had was a stethoscope and their fingers to check on dilation. Moreover, the only men allowed in the delivery suite were the doctors.

"I need you to distract me please," my groaning friend demanded through clenched teeth as another contraction was beginning.

"Okay, let me think," I answered as I rubbed her lower back to relieve the pain. I smiled when one particular memory came to mind. "When Esther and I were 13, Mum and Dad took us and Aiden—he's my brother—on a family holiday to the United States of America. It's a long way from where we lived, on the other side of the world, so the three of us kids were super excited. It wasn't our first time going to another country, but it was the first time we had gone to America. We saw so many amazing places, things that we had seen only on television... You know that magical box we were telling you two about that shows moving pictures and sound? Well, until that holiday, we had only ever seen those things through that.

"Since my father is a history teacher, we visited a place called Colonial Williamsburg, which is a living history museum. There, you can see and participate in real 18th-century experiences that people back then would have done to survive. It's kind of like here in a way for me—I've stepped back in the past it feels. There's no technology there, nor is there electricity or any modern influence."

"It does sound a lot like here," she sighed out in relief as the contraction ended. They were coming closer together. At the last exam, half an hour ago, Soon-Bok still needed to dilate four more centimetres. "Do you miss having all those futuristic things you and Esther showed us?"

I didn't have to hesitate to think of an answer. "Not really. I miss having some things like a refrigerator to keep food cold, or a car to be able to drive to places. And I know Esther—with her being a human incubator—she misses this thing called air-conditioning. It makes the air in a room much cooler than normal."

I giggled how at least four times a day, my sister grumbled about being hot... and it wasn't even summer yet. She was officially four and a half months pregnant. Since it was now the middle of April, my poor sister would have to endure the entirety of summer before the babies came.

"Sign me up for this conditioned air when it finally comes here!" I chuckled as my friend, in her fatigue, lifted her hand only to let it drop immediately. Soon-Bok was exhausted; she would have to push through so much more before she could rest. "So, what sort of things did you do at this museum place? How is it similar or different to life here?"

For the next couple of hours, I kept the Soon-Bok calm by regaling her in stories of my life in the other universe. I noted that life in the Greater Kingdom of Korea resembles that of Colonial Williamsburg, yet it also embraces many modern aspects. She was fascinated when I told her about the many bustling cities I had been to. She couldn't get over how I could travel from one place to the next.

She listened as I talked about the time I went to London, and I got to see where the Queen lives. Soon-Bok told me that she was fascinated with the idea of princesses and princes, and how she used to imagine when she was little about becoming queen. She giggled when I told her that her face would look particularly stunning on the back of a coin.

That morphed somehow into talking about art. I told her about how I had been fortunate enough to go to Paris and see the most famous painting in the world, 'The Mona Lisa'. I was flabbergasted to hear that her uncle had the original painting in his house. Leonardo DaVinci was not famous in this universe and his artwork was not sought after as it was back home. I was astonished when she revealed that her uncle didn't like the painting. She thought he would be very willing to trade it to me for a bottle of expensive liquor.

Soon-Bok expressed great interest in the many cake decorating competitions I'd participated in. Before I'd left the cottage, I'd tucked my sketchbook into the bag I brought. Together, we spent time designing the cake she desired for the special party that she and Seokjin would throw to announce the birth of their baby... if the infant came out with silver hair like his father.

The longer her labour went on, the more I felt sorry for my sister when the time came for her to give birth. There was no pain relief given to the women in this universe. The only forms of pain relief used here would harm the baby.

"I know you're thinking about Esther and what will happen when it's her time," Soon-Bok said. Her hand was clammy as it slid into mine, but I didn't care. "I know you're worried that Jimin will not be allowed in the delivery room. You'll also be hiding, since everyone will think you're in here giving birth. Nell, I promise that I will make sure your sister is not alone. I will be in here with her every step of the way like you've done for me."

Tears streamed down my cheeks. Only a fortnight had passed since the day Esther's existence was discovered by Seokjin and Soon-Bok. The couple were able to visit us a few times at the cottage. I was both relieved and happy that the two women I was closest with here became instant friends. Soon-Bok was bewildered to learn that she had already met Esther several times when my twin was impersonating me. Both Esther and I assured our friend that we would use a signal to indicate who she was with if we weren't alone. If Esther was impersonating me, she would wear a flower in her hair and remark on how Jimin had picked it for her.

Through thick tears, I whispered, "Th-thank you. You don't know how much that means to both of us." My voice conveyed exactly how moved I was by her offer. "Eomma Park offered but I know Esther would feel more comfortable having you there with her. Besides, I think I'll need Jimin's mother to keep me busy in the kitchen so I can cook to alleviate my anxiety."

"You don't have to thank me, Nell." Her smile was so beautiful and radiant that I forgot for a moment that she was in the throes of childbirth. "It's what sisters do for each other, and you two might not be my sisters by blood but you're the ones I choose."

꧁♥💜♥꧂

A blood-curdling scream filled the air as Soon-Bok pushed again. She was exhausted but knowing that her baby was almost here spurred the woman on. The nurses assisted her with her breathing, while I winced from the pain of my hand being squeezed tightly as my friend endeavoured to give birth to her baby.

"I can see the head," the doctor announced from behind the tall barrier of linen that had been set up. "One more big push on your next contraction and the head is out." I noticed that he made no mention of whether the hair he saw was black or silver.

Earlier, the nurse conducting the dilation check informed Soon-Bok and me about the outcomes if the baby were born a girl or a boy with black hair. She left quickly after sharing the information, so I couldn't ask if my friend would get to hold her baby. I couldn't bring myself to ask Soon-Bok, as she was already enduring the throes of painful labour.

"Okay, now push," the doctor prompted as Soon-Bok growled loudly from another contraction. It sounded animalistic—as if a beast had taken over her body and was roaring in pain. "Keep going. Keep going, the head is almost out. One more big push and your baby will be here."

"Can I look please?" I asked the nurse standing beside the doctor.

"No," she said dismissively. "No one is allowed to know the gender of the baby until it is born."

I thought about how Esther would be demanding to know what was happening every step of the way during her birth. I hoped for everyone's sake that Soon-Bok would be able to keep her calm when no answers would be given.

"One last push now and then you can rest." The doctor continuously encouraged, "Keep going, keep going." I watched in awe as Soon-Bok gave her all to bring her baby into the world.

I could instantly tell that the baby had been born by the way her face relaxed. The wait was incredibly nerve-wracking. It felt like an eternity passed until the loud cry of the newborn filled the room. I smiled at my friend and praised her for the wonderful job that she'd just done.

"Wh-what did I have?" she asked, her voice sounding hoarse after her screams.

The nurses and doctor remained quiet. The only sounds were the new mother's sniffles beside me and the rustling of fabric. With Soon-Bok's lower half obscured by a sheet, neither of us could see what was occurring behind it, heightening our anxiety as we waited.

Although, the look on the doctor's face as he stepped out from behind the curtain spoke volumes. "Ahn Soon-Bok, I am sorry to say that you have given birth to a little girl." He sounded so sympathetic as he gave us the devastating news.

It appeared that Soon-Bok was in a state of shock, understandably so, having endured a 14-hour labour without any pain relief. I was beside myself with distress. One of my worst nightmares had come true right in front of my eyes. The sound of the door opening and then closing triggered a wail from me—a sound that could only be described as the guttural pain I felt for my friend.

"No! Bring the baby back!" I screamed out. "We want to see her baby!" Two nurses restrained me after I attempted to dash toward the door to retrieve the baby who had been stolen from its mother. "Instead of holding onto me, aren't you going to do something about this?"

A whimpered 'Nell' had me turning to look at my friend lying on the bed. Soon-Bok was crying; yet masked under her pain, I could see a layer of understanding in her eyes. "There's no point fighting this, Nell. It is what it is," she murmured joylessly. "As assigned females, we all know that the chance that we would produce a Seed Bearer heir is slim. I got unlucky with this roll of the dice. My only hope is that the person who raises my little girl does so with love."

As I embraced her, I whispered, "I admit, you're a much stronger woman than I am." I tried to give her as much comfort as possible until Seokjin could enter the room. The thought of such a scenario occurring during Esther's childbirth was something I didn't even want to consider. I didn't even want to voice it in case the universe heard.

The door creaked open, and I heard, "Oh, Jagi," as my love whispered, "Oh, Sweetheart." I let go of Soon-Bok as Seokjin hopped onto the bed beside her and started consoling his girlfriend. Jimin opened his arms for me as I rushed towards him. He wrapped me in his embrace as he kissed my head as if to erase the thoughts that were swirling in there.

"We're going to give you some space, Seokjin," Jimin voiced with obvious sadness. "We will be right outside if you need anything, okay? I'm—we're so very sorry for you both."

Seokjin nodded, his cheeks wet and eyes red-rimmed. "Thank you for being with Soon-Bok when I couldn't, Nell. We'll let you know if we need anything."

I followed my boyfriend as he led me into the room that I could tell had been used by the two nervous men. As soon as the door closed, Jimin's arms held me tight as I cried into his chest. I whimpered about how it wasn't fair what had happened to Soon-Bok. Neither of us said anything about hoping Esther's birth in another four months or so would go a different way.

Like me, I knew Jimin didn't want to jinx our pregnancy.

* I'm sorry for breaking people's hearts with Soon-Bok and Seokjin's baby being a girl.