The Age Of Love

Fifteen - House Hunting

Diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, several bottles of milk... Jeong Hyeok continued down the mental checklist as he gave the packed diaper bag once over.

"Do you have the emergency contact info?" Se Ri asked from her spot near the couch. It appeared she had a list of her own to go through.

"It's all saved in my phone and I have an extra hard copy in the front pocket." He pulled a piece of paper out of his bag and showed it to her.

"Her diaper rash cream?"

"Yes."

"Sunscreen?" Se Ri asked.

"That's a trick question." Jeong Hyeok felt his teeth grind together in frustration. "She's too young for sunscreen and I don't appreciate being tested, I am not a babysitter."

"I know that."

"Do you?"

"Yes." Se Ri had the good sense to look contrite, but apparently not enough sense to stop there. "But this will be just the two of you for the first time."

"I took her to my mother's a few days ago by myself, Se Ri."

"But your mother and Eonnie were there with you."

"In case you forget, I am her father and I've been here with her 24 hours a day for three weeks."

"Yeah exactly-- it's only been three weeks."

"That's more than half her lifetime," he reminded her with annoyance. "And the only reason I wasn't here for the first week was because I was dealing with the fallout of having my entire life flipped upside down."

"I know," she replied with a forced smile, "Sorry."

"Se Ri," he said, as sympathetically as he could, "You know I can take care of her. I know her routine, I know her different cries."

"I know." She looked away, gnawing on her lower lip nervously.

"Then why don't you tell me what's really bothering you?"

Se Ri was silent for a moment. She walked over to the infant gym where her daughter lay and picked her up, clutching her tightly to her chest. "Does she really have to wear this dress?" she asked.

"What's wrong with this dress?" Jeong Hyeok asked her with a roll of his eyes. Eun Jung was in a white dress with a navy-blue Peter Pan collar, blue-ribbon around the waist, and little blue anchors along with the skirt.

"It's just... extremely proper." Apparently, that dress was bothering her more than the fact that he was about to find his own place.

"It was a present from Noona and our daughter looks lovely in it."

"But..."

"But nothing, Se Ri. A dress isn't going to turn our newborn daughter into a superficial society girl. Besides, she'll spit up on it and she'll be in a different outfit-- the one that doesn't look extremely proper before you even realised."

Se Ri just clutched Eun Jung tighter and bounced the baby in her arms.

"Hey," Jeong Hyeok said, walking over to her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know you are worried and I am worried too," he admitted. "But we have to do this to make it work."

"True," Se Ri conceded with less than total enthusiasm.

"It'll be fine," he promised her. "Go enjoy your lunch."

"Yeah, sure," she gripped unenthusiastically. "I can't wait." She started pacing back and forth in front of the sofa, bouncing Eun Jung in her arms. The baby fussed slightly, sensing her mother's tension.