A/N: Without further adieu, here's installment # 20.
Love Conquers All Ways
Chapter 20
The next few days served as a time of reflection and rest for both Joong Hee and Mi Young. First, they paid a visit to her family's house. As expected, everyone sought to provide comfort and solace to aid them during their time of grief. Each family member made it a point to make their lives easier however they could. In particular, Jun Young and Yoo Joo offered them the most prescient advice on how to handle their tragedy since they understood perfectly what Joong Hee and Mi Young experienced at the moment. As usual, both were incredibly thankful for the love of family.
Their return to work was meant to serve as a welcome distraction from their situation. Initially, their appearance created confusion since the original plan was for them to take some off to be with their newborn. Upon explaining the situation, their colleagues extended the same expressions of solace and comfort as Mi Young's family had. Within a couple of days, they were doing their usual duties in putting together a new episode of 'Helping Hands, Helping Hearts'.
At first, it seemed that Joong Hee and Mi Young readjusted to their roles with minimal effort. However, the specter of heartbreak can suddenly appear at any time. On one occasion, Mi Young was suddenly overcome by the memory of her miscarriage. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't stop herself from crying for a minute or two. Thankfully, her husband was completely unaware of her breakdown. However, that didn't mean that he was immune himself.
For Joong Hee, he was determined to throw himself into his work. But, like his wife, he also experienced a sudden surge of heartache at the worst possible time – during the taping of an episode.
"So, let's speak with some of the caretakers here. As we know . . . as we know". He then seemed to lose his words. He shook his head sorrowfully and said to the crew, "I'm sorry. I need a moment. Let's take a break, please!" With that, he turned and walked away to a private area to briefly mourn for the loss of his baby. Upon seeing him in agony, Mi Young ran to him and comforted him as best as she could. Such was the goodwill he had established among his colleagues that they not only understood his predicament, but they were able to make the necessary edits to complete the episode.
It was understandable that both would never forget what happened. Still, they also agreed that they needed to cope with their situation better than they were currently. So, they turned to a now familiar, friendly presence to aid them in their plight – Pastor Yoo.
"Mi Young. Joong Hee. It's great to see both of you! Come in please!" Pastor Yoo welcomed them again to his church. Then, they went into his office.
"How are you doing, Mi Young? I want to offer my condolences to you. How are you feeling now?"
"Thank you, Pastor. I'm hanging in there! It's still not easy, but I'm managing"
"I can't imagine what you must be going through right now. But, it's great to know that you're managing. How about you, Joong Hee? Are you feeling better than last time?"
"Perhaps a little. Like Mi Young-ah, I'm still managing."
"That's still a good sign. Any step forward is a good step at this point. I just want to repeat that I'm really sorry for your loss. I wish that I knew why this happened just like you. But, since I don't, the next best thing I can do is to offer to help you however I can. I hope you know that you're not alone in this!"
"Thank you! That means a lot!"
"I have a hunch. And it's just a hunch, so please take this for what it's worth. But, I believe that you will be parents in due time. As much as you thought it would be now, I'm feeling that it will happen. I also know that any child would be blessed to have the two of you as parents."
They truly appreciated the kind words and sentiments that Pastor Yoo offered. They found themselves so speechless that they simply nodded their heads collaboratively in appreciation.
"By the way, I've been watching your program, and I have to say that you're doing an excellent job with hosting it. It's actually my favorite program by far"
"Thank you, Pastor! I'm flattered!" Joong Hee said.
"Absolutely. I look forward to watching it every week."
"I'm glad you really like the show, Pastor" Mi Young said.
"No problem. While I have you both here, let's pray for a moment." He then prayed that they would continue to find strength during this difficult time, that they would be parents if it's preordained, and for them to continue their great work with the program. Though they wished they could've stayed for a while longer, they knew that they had to go home. So, they thanked the Pastor again for his prayers and advice, and he thanked them for earning their trust.
A few weeks passed by. They were preparing for a new episode at an orphanage in Busan. As part of the preparatory work, Joong Hee spoke with the orphanage director and some other workers. He then got to meet some of the orphans themselves. Although all of the orphans had an innocence that came with youth, he couldn't help but notice one particular young lady whose childlike expression masked the pain of loneliness and isolation that became part of her being. He then tried to break the ice with her in his own friendly way.
"What's your name?" he asked her.
Her reticence was understandable given the circumstances. Thankfully, a boy standing next to her divulged her secret.
"Her name's Yong Joo." he said with a grin.
"Yong Joo. That's a pretty name. How old are you?" he asked her.
Yong Joo still refused to speak to him. Once again, the boy came to the rescue.
"She's 3 years old!" he offered proudly.
"Well, it's really nice to meet you, Yong Joo! Bye bye!" Although she just stared at him, he couldn't help but feel his heart melt from meeting her.
He finished filming the episode at the orphanage with no problems. He had truly become a master of his craft. As the filming wrapped up, he found Mi Young waiting nearby. She congratulated him on another great episode. Still, he came away with a different feeling after completing this particular installment.
He had truly become attached to Yong Joo. He knew that she, like the other orphans, deserved to be part of a loving home somewhere. He was convinced that she would be perfect for him and Mi Young to raise as their own. Still, he also felt apprehensive since he didn't know how his wife would react to the idea. So, he held his tongue until they got home later that evening.
"Mi Young-ah. I wanted to talk to you about something"
"What is it, Joong Hee-shi?"
"When we were at the orphanage, I got to meet some of the orphans. There's one girl in particular that really caught my eye. Her name is Yong Joo, and she's 3 years old. She's really an adorable girl."
"That's nice. But what does that have to do with us?"
"I've been thinking. Mi Young-ah, I think that she'd be the perfect child for us to raise. What do you think about adopting her?"
Her surprise at his question prevented her from saying anything for a few minutes. Eventually, she managed to formulate a response.
"Joong Hee-shi. I'm sure that Yong Joo is an adorable girl. But adoption? That's a very big step."
"I know. That's why I'm hoping that you'd be willing to come with me back to the orphanage and meet her. I know that you'll fall in love in her like I have" he said.
Seeing how strongly he felt about this, she knew that she really had no alternative. With a brief sigh, she said, "Ok. I'll meet with her. But, Joong Hee-shi. I'm not promising that we're adopting her. But, I will go with you to the orphanage"
He gave her a kiss on the cheek in appreciation.
"Thank you! You won't be sorry, Mi Young-ah"
The next day found Joong Hee and Mi Young back at the Busan orphanage. The director was pleasantly surprised that they had returned to visit.
"Hello! This is quite the surprise. What brings you two back here?" the director asked.
"We were wondering if we can see Yong Joo" he said.
"Of course. Please follow me!" the director replied.
They made their way inside. The director brought Yong Joo into the room where she stood face to face with both Joong Hee and Mi Young. Almost immediately, Mi Young could see why her husband was enamored of this young girl.
"Hi. Is your name Yong Joo?" Mi Young asked. Though still reticent, Yong Joo did nod her head affirmatively to her.
"It's very nice to meet you. I have something for you." She offered the girl a piece of candy which was warmly received. Upon devouring the sweet snack, Yong Joo smiled brightly at Mi Young. Not surprisingly, Mi Young's heart started to melt as well. Suddenly, she shared the same thought as her husband.
"Yong Joo, I know that it's not easy living here. But, ajjushi and I want to visit you more in the future. Is that Ok?" Yong Joo happily nodded her head again.
"Well, it's settled then. We'll come back to see you again! Until next time, you take good care. Promise?"
"Bye bye, Yong Joo. We'll see you again!" Joong Hee seconded. Yong Joo then waved to both of them with a big smile on her face.
As they bid farewell to the girl, Joong Hee and Mi Young spoke with the director in private.
"She's quite a special girl, isn't she?" the director asked.
"Yes she is. Right, Mi Young-ah?"
"Now I know what you see in her, Joong Hee-shi. Director, we are interested in adopting Yong Joo" Mi Young said.
"That's wonderful. But, are you both sure about this? You're no doubt aware of the requirements?"
"Yes we are. We're still very interested in adopting her" Joong Hee said.
"Well, in that case, let's see about getting the process started." The orphanage had them fill out extensive paperwork and also worked with social services to make sure that Joong Hee and Mi Young were fit as adoptive parents. The entire process did take some time. However, upon satisfactorily meeting all requirements, they were free to bring Yong Joo home.
As she took one last glance at the only place she knew as home, Yong Joo felt mixed emotions about leaving the orphanage. On the one hand, she still hadn't established a super strong bond with her new parents yet. On the other hand, she understood that she would have a chance at a better life. With these contrasting thoughts in tow, she walked hand in hand with her new mom and dad towards her new abode.
As they went inside their home, Yong Joo marveled at how nice the place was, especially when compared with what she'd been used to living in. She noticed one particular area that was set aside as a play area filled with toys, games, and books. As she naturally gravitated towards the new fun zone, she started smiling and laughing like any other happy, carefree 3 year old. Joong Hee and Mi Young couldn't help but smile and laugh along with her. As the three of them continued bonding, it looked to the casual observer that they were starting to act as a natural family. They would spend the rest of the day just enjoying each other's company. Eventually, Yong Joo grew tired and managed to fall asleep.
As they watched her enjoy peaceful slumber, Joong Hee and Mi Young finally had a moment to be together – just the two of them. As they warmly embraced, they couldn't know everything that would unfold in their future. However, they were certain that they were meant to be parents and their prayer of having a child to raise had indeed been answered. It was pure happiness for each of them to add a new title to their names – mom and dad. How could life get any better than this?
A/N: As usual, any and all reviews are welcome!
