SS - 79

When Sena stepped into the living room, she noticed that her uncle, who had returned home with her aunt, was nowhere to be seen.

Where could he have gone?

Just then, she heard some movement coming from the garden outside the front door. Quickly slipping on her shoes, she went out to investigate. Under the scorching sun, her uncle was hard at work, sweating profusely as he sanded something.

“Uncle? What are you doing?”

As she approached, she saw that he was sanding down an old, large wooden basket.

“Oh, just working on this.”

“What is it?”

“A cradle.”

“Huh?”

“It’s the cradle I made when Hana was born.”

Now that she looked closely, she could see faded, colorful drawings smudged on the surface of the wooden basket. On one side, there were sturdy legs where the cradle had once been fixed.

“I thought I’d give it to you for when your baby is born. What do you think?”

“To me?”

Sena asked in surprise.

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

“No, it’s not that… If it’s something Hana used, shouldn’t it go to her child?”

“She’s still far from getting married. You can use it first, and when Hana gets married and has a baby, we can pass it on to her then.”

“Uncle…”

“Of course, Joo-Hyuk could buy a much fancier crib, but if you’re okay with it, I’d like to fix this up nicely and give it to you.”

I’m truly blessed.

No matter what pain or losses I’ve experienced in the past, having so many people around me who love and care for me is undoubtedly a blessing.

Instead of focusing on the pain and losses, it was time to take a step forward with these wonderful people by my side.

“Do you not like it?”

“No! I love it!”

Seeing her uncle’s disappointed expression as his eyes drooped, Sena quickly reassured him with a loud, enthusiastic response.

“The cradle you’re making for me is something money can’t buy. When the baby grows up, I’ll tell them their grandfather made it, and they’ll absolutely love it.”

“You think so?”

“Of course.”

At Sena’s answer, her uncle’s face lit up with joy.

“Just be careful while making it, okay? There’s still plenty of time, so take it slow.”

“Alright, I will.”

“And it’s too hot right now. Let’s eat first, and you can continue later when it cools down a bit.”

Sena watched the sweat dripping from her uncle’s forehead with concern and gently pulled him back inside by the arm.

“What did your aunt make for lunch?”

“Kimchi stew with lots of pork.”

“Ah, your favorite stew, right?”

“How did you know?”

“Of course I remember. When you first came to our house, I made this for you, and you ate two bowls of rice.”

Her uncle grinned widely as he recounted stories from Sena’s childhood.

Though the memories weren’t hers, hearing about herself through someone else’s recollections felt strange yet fascinating.

She had always thought of herself as a sad, withdrawn child after losing her mother and leaving her father’s house, afraid of people. But the way her uncle remembered her was different—he described her as smart, resourceful, determined, and even said she used to smile beautifully, just like now.

Surprisingly, her aunt’s words rang true.

Even though the mere smell of kimchi usually made her nauseous and sent her running to the bathroom before she could even pick up her spoon, the kimchi stew her aunt made slid down her throat effortlessly.

It was the same stew she had eaten often at their house just six months ago, but today it tasted especially delicious. Before she knew it, Sena had polished off two bowls of rice.

“You’re eating well. Are you sure you’re having morning sickness?”

“Seriously, I haven’t been able to eat anything recently. Even water tastes fishy!”

Defending herself against her teasing uncle, Sena quickly retorted.

“That’s why pregnant women need to eat their mom’s cooking. Things will get better from today onward—you’ll see.”

“Phew—please let that be true.”

With her aunt’s confident declaration, Sena clasped her hands together in mock prayer.

---

It was the weekend, her day off, but Joo-Hyuk had disappeared somewhere early in the morning. He had only said he’d be back soon, but it was already nearing lunchtime, and he still hadn’t returned.

Where could he have gone?

When she asked if she could come along, he insisted she stay home since it was so hot outside.

Just as anxiety began creeping in and she reached for her phone to call him, the gate opened, and his car pulled into the driveway.

Joo-Hyuk got out of the car but didn’t come inside. Instead, he went outside the gate to talk to someone before returning. In his hands, he carried a tree as tall as himself. Though it was still young and narrow in girth, its leaves were lush and abundant.

Sena quickly opened the balcony door and stepped out into the garden, which connected directly to the house.

“What’s with the tree?”

“Oh, you’re out here?”

“I was waiting so long I thought my neck would snap off. I was worried about you.”

“Haha, sorry about that.”

Joo-Hyuk paused for a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead before carrying the tree over to one corner of the garden.

“Did you go out to buy a tree?”

“Yeah.”

“What kind of tree is it?”

“It’s a gift for Sena.”

“For me?”

“Today’s your birthday, isn’t it?”

“…Oh!”

She had completely forgotten about her own birthday.

How did he know, when she had never mentioned it? And how did he end up buying a tree…?

“Your aunt called me early this morning. She was worried you might have forgotten.”

“We’ve never talked about it, so how could she know?”

“Anyway, I’m glad I didn’t miss the chance to get you a gift.”

“What kind of tree is it?”

“An apple tree. I found out your birth tree is an apple tree.”

“Ah...”

Joo-Hyuk dug a hole in one corner of the garden with a shovel and firmly planted the apple tree he had brought.

“There, next to this spot, our Treasure will plant their own tree someday.”

He smiled as he tapped the soil slightly away from the apple tree with his shovel.

“What about your tree? When’s your birthday?”

“The day we first met.”

“...Huh?”

“The day we first met at the hotel café— that was my birthday.”

“So, September?”

Joo-Hyuk nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”

“It was our first meeting.”

“You went on a blind date to marry someone you didn’t even love on your birthday? That’s so cruel.”

“Huh? No, not really.”

Joo-Hyuk shook his head, scratching his hair awkwardly. His sheepish expression hinted that there was more to the story.

“I received an amazing birthday gift that day.”

“Really? Well, that’s good, but... I feel bad for making you waste your time meeting me.”

“Come here.”

He wiped the dirt off his hands on his pants and extended them toward Sena. When she took his hand, he pulled her close and embraced her.

“Joo-Hyuk?”

“Silly. The gift I received that day was you, Kang Sena.”

“Huh?”

She lifted her face from his chest to look up at him. His clear smile sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.

“When I saw you in the café checking your makeup in the mirror, I thought, ‘I hope that woman is my match.’ And then it turned out to be you. The way you furrowed your brows slightly when you noticed me—it was charming.”

“That wasn’t because of you.”

“I know. You didn’t like the situation.”

“And you weren’t exactly thrilled to be there either, were you?”

“That’s true, but I felt drawn to you from the start. I thought, ‘This marriage might not be so bad.’“

Sena felt the same way.

She remembered admiring his long fingers as he held his teacup, thinking that maybe this marriage could turn out to be enjoyable.

“I’m sure I told you that day—you already seemed quite appealing to me.”

He had indeed said something like that, but she had assumed it was just polite talk.

After all, they were potentially committing to spending their entire lives together.

“So, that day, I truly received the most precious gift.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Sena blushed and bit her lower lip lightly.

The realization that he had been interested in her from the very beginning made her heart race uncontrollably.

“Your face is red.”

Joo-Hyuk teased her, noticing her flushed cheeks.

“W-What about your birth tree?”

“Hazelnut tree.”

“Hazelnut tree, huh?”

Sena quietly repeated it to herself. She decided that when his birthday came in late September, she would plant a hazelnut tree here too.

Treasure’s due date was in April, so before planting Treasure’s birth tree, Joo-Hyuk’s hazelnut tree would be planted next to her apple tree.

“Do you know what Treasure’s birth tree is?”

“Walnut tree.”

“Walnut tree? So walnuts will grow?”

The idea of a tree bearing hard-shelled walnut fruits felt impressive.

Our Treasure will grow strong like a walnut, won’t they?

“Should we tidy up some of these plants? We’ll need space to plant more trees.”

“Huh?”

At Sena’s question, Joo-Hyuk suddenly looked surprised and his face reddened.

“Hazelnut and walnut trees grow big, so I thought we’d need to clear some space in the garden…”

“Oh, I thought...”

“What did you think?”

When Sena asked curiously, Joo-Hyuk’s face turned even redder.

“I thought you meant we’d fill the garden by having more kids.”

“Oh my.”

Now understanding why Joo-Hyuk had blushed, Sena’s face heated up as well.

“Well… that’s not a bad idea either…”

She whispered softly into his chest, burying her face in his embrace.

“Huh? What did you say?”

“I said it’s a good idea.”

Feeling his breath tickle her ear, she shrank her neck and repeated herself.

By now, her face, neck, and ears were completely flushed red, leaving no way to hide it.

“Sena. Do you know how you make it impossible for me not to love you?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“You’re something else.”

Joo-Hyuk chuckled softly as he hugged her tightly.

“Let’s fill this garden with trees. If the garden gets too crowded, we’ll move to a bigger place, no problem.”

“Don’t joke around.”

“I’m not joking. I plan to have a second child right after Treasure is born, so get ready.”

“What?”

Startled, Sena jerked her head up. At that moment, Joo-Hyuk captured her lips with his.

Like savoring sweet honey, he gently kissed every part of her lips and mouth, sweetly exploring.

“It means I love you that much. And I’ll keep loving you even more.”

As their lips parted slightly, Joo-Hyuk whispered.

When she met his gaze, his brown eyes sparkled lovingly through his long lashes.

“I love you too. I’ll love you even more tomorrow than I do today.”

As if exchanging sacred vows, Sena conveyed her heartfelt feelings to Joo-Hyuk. Then, he sealed her words with another kiss.

The orange summer sunlight filtered through the blue sky, sparkling on the green leaves of the newly planted apple tree.

The faint scent of flowers wafting in the air smelled like the fragrance of love.

Sena smiled brightly, lost in thought.