A child who looks like me

Six years ago, on the morning of May 27.

There were still three weeks until the due date, but the amniotic sac had broken. Jung O felt her world go dark.

She didn’t even know how she managed to get to the hospital. If Guk-soon hadn’t been there, she probably wouldn’t have been able to do anything at all. She relied solely on her mother to get her to the hospital. Guk-soon had already packed a bag beforehand, so there was no confusion.

As soon as they arrived at the hospital, she changed clothes, took a urine test, underwent antibiotic testing, and had an internal examination… Time passed in a blur, and before she knew it, Jung O was lying in the delivery waiting room.

They said the progress of her labor was slow. The amniotic sac had broken, but the baby hadn’t descended. Reluctantly, she was given an oxytocin drip, and soon her stomach started to ache little by little. As the intensity increased, Jung O became more and more frightened.

“Mom, what should I do…?”

“It’s okay. It’s okay. You can do it. You’ll be fine.”

Guk-soon said firmly.

“What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do…?”

“You haven’t even started labor yet.”

“Then what am I supposed to do? It feels like it hurts already…”

“Just think of it as taking out a watermelon from your body.”

“…Mom, is that really something to say? I’m scared to death…”

“If you think of it as taking out a watermelon, it might feel a little less painful.”

Guk-soon replied casually and stood up. In truth, she was also very worried, but she pretended to be okay for her daughter, who was consumed by fear.

Seeing her daughter trembling with dry lips, Guk-soon wanted to fetch some water to moisten them, but Jung O grabbed her tightly.

“Mom, don’t go. Don’t go…”

“Just wait a bit.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m just going to get some water.”

“No, just stay by my side. I feel like the baby’s coming…”

Guk-soon had to stay put and do nothing because of Jung O’s frantic behavior.

The contractions were there, but time moved slowly. After a while, Jung O seemed to grow tired of pestering her mother and fell silent. During that time, Guk-soon held Jung O’s hand tightly and spoke about an important decision.

“I heard there’s a thing called umbilical cord blood banking. All my friends were giving money, saying they wanted to be the first to see their grandchild. So I went ahead and did it. I signed it in your name. That’s okay, right?”

“I don’t know. Just do what you think is best…”

Jung O responded vaguely due to the intermittent contractions and her fear of what was to come. Undeterred, Guk-soon continued her explanation, wanting to instill confidence in her daughter that the investment of one million won was worthwhile.

“In the past, they used to just throw away the baby’s umbilical cord, but I heard there’s something amazing in it. With the blood from it, they can treat incurable diseases. They used to treat leukemia with bone marrow transplants, but now they can do it with umbilical cord blood. Isn’t that amazing?”

“Mom, I’m in a lot of pain…”

“I hope you grow up healthy without any illness, but you never know. Our granddaughter doesn’t have any siblings, so if something serious happens later on, she’ll regret it if she’s unprepared. So, I decided to store it for 15 years. They say you can apply for an extension after 15 years. I did well, right?”

“Yeah, you did well, you did well…”

Jung O replied while sweating profusely. Guk-soon smiled proudly.

Soon, the intensity of the contractions increased significantly.

The longest seven hours of the two women’s lives.

After enduring the pain of labor, Jung O finally met her angel.

The baby was placed in Jung O’s arms as soon as she was born. Guk-soon captured the moment in a photograph.

The baby, born with a red mark on her forehead, looked like a truly beautiful angel who had come to kiss her.

It was amazing to see how her daughter, who had been acting like a child until the baby was born, suddenly seemed like an adult holding her baby. It filled her with pride, tenderness, and a sense of accomplishment.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

The umbilical cord blood bank sent text messages every year on Ye-na’s birthday. Until now, Guk-soon had kept this information from Jung O because a million won was still a significant amount of money.

The stored umbilical cord blood is much more likely to go unused than used. She worried that her daughter might scold her for it.

Of course, it would be great if it never had to be used and they could live healthy lives, but if it could help the family in any way, it would be a proud and fortunate situation.

Umbilical cord blood can be used by the individual, parents, grandparents, and siblings, so if their tissue types match, Young-mi could also receive a donation.

“That happened, but you don’t even remember it, right?”

Guk-soon chuckled as she recalled the story from six years ago.

“Mom!”

Jung O hugged Guk-soon tightly, tears welling in her eyes.

“How could our Mrs. Lee Guk-soon be so wise? You’re the smartest in the world, Mom!”

Smooch, smooch, smooch.

“You used to call me a sweet potato.”

“Mom, sweet potatoes are my favorite thing in the world. You can make anything delicious with sweet potatoes.”

Smooch, smooch, smooch, smooch.

“Oh my! Gross. Go away!”

“I’ll go get Jung Seobang!”

After kissing Guk-soon’s cheek about ten times, Jung O was pushed away and flapped her arms as she went to the bedroom.

As she opened the bedroom door, she saw Ji-heon sitting there with a blank expression. He looked a bit pitiful.

“Oppa.”

“Yeah.”

Even so, when Jung O called him, he smiled gently.

“Mom has something to say.”

“Did you talk to her?”

“Yeah. I had to tell her.”

Hoo. Ji-heon sighed deeply as he stood up, his face looking more troubled. He appeared dignified and resolute, showing a determination not to yield to Guk-soon’s altruistic persuasion.

“Mother.”

Just as expected, Ji-heon spoke before Guk-soon could even start.

“If Ye-na insists, there’s nothing we can do. She probably doesn’t realize how difficult it is. To donate, she’ll have to get an injection of hematopoietic growth factor four days before. She’ll need to be hospitalized and have a large amount of blood drawn. I doubt my father would want that for her either.”

Seeing her husband speak so calmly without showing any emotion, Jung O let out a secret sigh. His words were convincing.

“Oppa, that’s not it.”

Jung O interjected.

Guk-soon smiled gently and placed her phone in front of Ji-heon. His gaze dropped down. There was a text message on the phone that Guk-soon had shown him. It was an old message.

– ○○Umbilical Cord Blood Bank. We sincerely congratulate you on your child’s birthday. The umbilical cord blood you entrusted to us is being safely stored.

Ji-heon picked up the phone unknowingly, trying to understand the message.

“I didn’t expect anything like this, but I applied for umbilical cord blood storage when Ye-na was born. The umbilical cord blood bank sends a text every year to say they’re keeping it safe.”

“…”

“You can use this. Ye-na can also receive a donation. Ye-na doesn’t have to go through hardship.”

Even with Guk-soon’s explanation, Ji-heon found it hard to believe.

Before Jung O called him, Ji-heon sat quietly in the bedroom, lost in thought, feeling a sting in his chest.

If it’s something I can do, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Why can’t I donate? My daughter can, but why can’t I?

But there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t bear to see his young daughter suffering again because of his own mother.

He thought it would be prudent to slowly prepare for the inevitable goodbye that everyone must face if a donor didn’t appear. He was trying to convey that firm intention.

It was a miracle he had never even imagined.

“…No, no…”

Ji-heon stammered, uncharacteristically flustered and with tears brimming in his eyes.

“My mother… she doesn’t deserve….”

How could my mother have treated Jung O the way she did? And how had she treated Ye-na?

He thought it was inevitable that his mother-in-law, Jung O, and Ye-na would harbor resentment toward his mother for the rest of their lives.

Guk-soon reached out and placed her hand on Ji-heon’s knee.

“Deserving means you have the same genetic type as Ye-na. The fact that you’re her grandmother means you’re eligible to receive the donation.”

“…”

“If it can be used for something good, everyone will feel proud. Just think of how happy and proud Ye-na will be. Isn’t that right?”

Ji-heon bowed his head like a sinner, unable to say anything. A thick tear dropped down his cheek, and he quickly covered his face.

Ye-na, who had declared a break from her father and was holed up in her room, cautiously emerged. Her eyes widened in surprise at the scene unfolding in the living room. She tiptoed closer to Jung O and whispered in her ear.

“Mom, is Dad crying?”

“It seems like it.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because our Ye-na is upset?”

Jung O replied playfully.

Ye-na slowly approached and wrapped her arms around Ji-heon’s neck, who had his head bowed.

“Dad, don’t cry. I’ll take back what I said about not talking to you anymore.”

Ji-heon gently took hold of her small arms.

What a gem of a child.

I want to give you so much, but I feel so guilty for only receiving.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

The next day, Ji-heon and Jung O informed Jae-gwang that Ye-na’s umbilical cord blood was being stored.

“What should we do? How can we…?”

Jae-gwang’s reaction was no different from Ji-heon’s.

“No, how can we… How can we accept something so precious…?”

“Because it’s precious. I hope you accept it and get better soon.”

Jung O had to persuade Jae-gwang, who felt too guilty to accept. Finally, Jae-gwang trembled as he grasped Jung O’s hand.

“I don’t know how to express my gratitude to you, to Ye-na, and to our son-in-law. I feel so sorry, yet all I can do is be thankful…”

Jung O felt embarrassed by Jae-gwang’s trembling grasp on her hand.

They decided not to inform Young-mi about the umbilical cord blood donation for now. They thought that if she found out in advance, she would feel a huge burden. Young-mi would believe that a donor had appeared and would be grateful.

As they left the hospital, Jung O shrugged her shoulders and said, “Aren’t you glad you married me?”

Her voice, lifted in a teasing tone, sounded endearingly sweet to Ji-heon.

“Right? Aren’t you glad to have met me?”

“Do you think I only think that way at times like this?”

It seemed that his wife still didn’t fully grasp how much he loved her.

“I think about it all the time.”

Even without situations like this, you are my salvation and my miracle.

You always will be.

Ji-heon stopped in his tracks and pulled Jung O in closer.

“Uh? Oppa, people will see.”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“…”

“Didn’t you want me to brag about meeting Lee Jung O like this?”

With breath tickling her near her lips, Jung O smiled brightly. Ji-heon pressed his lips against hers deeply, as if he truly wanted to boast to the world.