𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆 | 𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒆𝒏 (𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨)

33

" I'm not a monster, Stephen. I'm a mother. "

Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch - Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness

The scent of the alcohol lingered around her nose, and her eyes wandering to the hospital equipment in the area. Right, she was at the hospital again. She looked around as she noticed the windows to her right with the nursery lit up on the upper door. "Pathetic, Chaerin. You're meeting your nephew. Stop acting this way," she hissed as she scratched her wrist.

What an irony, she swore to herself that she was never going to lose another person. Yet, here she was standing in the door of the nursery. How many times was it that she hesitated to go near this door? Once or Twice? She will never know. "I see, you're here again. Lee Chaerin," a voice echoed near her as she remained focus on the tiny baby on the hospital NICU.

"I suppose that I will forever be in this place," she replied, meeting the mournful eyes of a doctor. "You know," he started with his hands on the window. "We found the father of the baby."

Chaerin's eyes widened, trying to digest the news. Why is she feeling this way? She should be happy that the baby would grow up with his father. Why? Everything was alright. Yang Jungwon should have a happy childhood. Yes... No one would understand. "I see..."

She should be happy for them. But why does it hurt? When she finally convinced herself that she would adopt her nephew, his father would come into the scene? "You're selfish," the doctor stated as he looked into her eyes. "The child finally have a chance to reunite with his father, and you're crying? You should be happy, Chaerin. Sure, he would grow up without a mother, but you will never know. All you need to do is support them."

The doctor left with a disappointed gaze in his face, and Chaerin remained in the room. She stared at the baby with a silent gaze. A bitter smile escaped her lips, and her lips were trembling. "I guess I'm selfish. No one would understand, anyway. I... I was just trying to help," she stated as she gripped her hands into her black dress.

"I was trying to help you, Jungwon. I... I didn't know that you have a father. I'm sorry," Chaerin said as she touched the glass encasing baby Jungwon with tubes attached to his body. "I hope that you'll forgive me one day."

She left the floor with tears on her eyes. Everyone walked past her, and they did not notice the lady mourning for her cousin. Lee Chaerin, after all, was never important to anybody. She always assumed that one day, they would move on with their life. Whether she will remain in their memory, the person could only decide for themselves. She could never force herself on them, and that will forever be her problem. "You're such a crybaby, Chaerin-ah. Tears would never solve the problem. Nothing will."

Does she deserve to visit one of the most important people in the world? Maybe Sunoo will push her away like what everybody does when she visits them. She will never love herself. I will never love myself. I- "Miss?" Chaerin panicked as she noticed the nurse on the door, holding a tray of food. "Are you going inside?"

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry," she replied as she hurriedly opened the door to the room. "Aunt Chaerin!" She was startled when she noticed Sunoo with his arms waving in the air. The tension around her lessened, and she let out a slight smile. "Hyper as ever, Sunoo."

"Why didn't you visit me, Aunt Chaerin? The hospital was so boring, and the nurses didn't let me watch my favorite cartoon. They're mean," Sunoo interrupted Chaerin who was about to say something. "Uncle Yongeun didn't let me play on his tablet today. He said that he was going to schedule a date today? What's a date?"

Chaerin stiffened with her mouth gaping to the child on the bed. Honestly, what is Yongeun teaching to this child? "I- When two people are inlove-" She was cut off by the nurse nearby with her eyes widening. "You should ask it to Dr. Kim, Sunoo." Chaerin nodded to the nurse as she bowed to thank the nurse.

That was awkward. She was pretty sure that the nurse would tattle-tail about her already. Gosh, what a great way to end the day. "Sunoo," Chaerin called out to the child who was busy coloring his book. "Do you think I am selfish?"

Wow, what a way to be a responsible adult. Letting the child judge whether you were selfish... Maybe she should get out of here. Children were harsh, after all. They did not have a filter in their mouth in which adults have. The adults would compliment, sugarcoat and hide their innermost thoughts in which they were mostly filled with greediness and darkness. But children would point out faults and their feelings...

"What do you mean? You are kind, and gives out candies... Oh! You wipe away my tears when I cried. You're like my mother before! When I am sad, she would sing out to me and tucks me in when I sleep. And you do it too! Before you will go home, you sang me to sleep, and you whisper me good night! Hehe."

"Auntie? Why are you crying?" Crying? She was crying? Chaerin wiped out her tears, but they were no use as she broke down. Her hiccups did not stop even if the nurse would comfort by patting her back. "Auntie, what did I do wrong?" Sunoo asked who wiggled out of his bed, only to be caught by the nurse.

"You did not do anything wrong... I was just wiping the dirt on my eyes," she said. Chaerin pecked the young child's forehead as Sunoo widened his eyes. "Thank you," Chaerin once again thanked the child who spaced out with his goofy smile.