Chapter 147

Gentle rain soaks the spring.

It’s not snow, but a rainy day has arrived.

When it rains, my thoughts naturally turn to Anne.

The sound of tapping on the roof wakes me, and I open the window.

A downward-opening window.

The sound of the opening window gently soaking my heart.

Between that, the faint scent of spring soil drifts in.

Spring has its own unique aroma.

Especially the familiar, slightly bittersweet smell of wet earth.

I hear rustling.

The stirring of the girls who slept beside me.

Morning comes a bit earlier.

The time I wake is similar, but the sun’s position changes with the seasons.

The dim morning light filters through, obscured by clouds, casting a heavy yet distinct glow unlike night.

“Mmm…”

Opening the morning with the softness of my hands.

I gently caress her belly as she struggles to lift her eyes, imbuing it with magic.

That warmth and affection.

After my tender touch grazes her belly, Anne finally smiles sleepily and wakes up.

Same goes for Evangelin.

As I rub the quiet belly, she suddenly opens her eyes and looks at me cutely.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.”

Rainy season.

Today, there won’t be shadows, making it a good day to achieve accomplishments.

Consciously not looking at shadows today while taking care of Anne.

Not bad conditions.

“It was sunny just yesterday.”

“That’s true. It’s raining all of a sudden.”

“Mmm…”

Anne’s expression starts to sour before she forces it back into place.

“Why are you like that?”

“Because my mood affects the baby… it can’t be bad.”

With that determination, Anne clearly shows the face of a mother.

They say mothers are strong, and this proves it.

“I’ll make something delicious.”

Neatly tidying up, Evangelin rises to support Anne.

“Delicious food” is always a cheat code wherever you go.

Nodding at those words and showing more activity means she’s regained her energy.

“Our mornings are always the same routine.”

After eating breakfast prepared by Evangelin, Jack heads out with the spirits.

Yul rides her four-wheeled bike around the village.

If not, she plays with fairies at the farm.

Anne makes clothes, and Evangelin studies cooking.

“Minho.”

“Yeah?”

“Do I have to hold onto you tightly?”

Her usual habit of trailing off sentences.

The tone she picked up from Yul makes her inexplicably cute.

“Why do you suddenly ask that?”

“I’m going outside.”

Was that why she looked so determined?

That must’ve been the meaning behind her resolve.

“Is it okay to go out in the rain?”

“That’s why.”

“Huh?”

“So I’m going out. Because it’s raining…”

Her lips tremble with overwhelming tension.

Why did she suddenly think of this?

Just looking at her now, fear and tension radiate so strongly I can feel it through her fingertips.

Her hands shake, her legs wobble.

If I don’t hold her, she might collapse at any moment.

“What made you think of this suddenly?”

“It’s for our love…”

The name we quietly decided on last night.

Our baby is named Love.

Evangelin’s baby is Winter.

Realizing she suddenly said that name makes my eyes widen.

“Huh?”

“For our Love… I can’t keep being like this forever, can I?”

Her pale smile reveals her frailty.

But the determination etched on her bitten lips shows her will to overcome.

That’s why my mouth froze.

Because I couldn’t possibly stop her from going outside when she has such a strong motivation.

Not to mention, this declaration of willpower overturning a trauma that shadowed her entire life.

“Can you open the door for me?”

“Yeah.”

Evangelin quietly listening to our conversation approaches.

Without a word, she supports Anne’s other arm, helping her move.

Anne gives her a faint smile in thanks.

That’s the most gratitude she can express right now.

It’s clear from how her body trembles at the sound of raindrops that she’s on edge.

“Haa…”

Deep breaths in succession.

I patiently wait until her breathing stabilizes.

The door opens.

The deafening sound of rain hitting the ground greets us.

The humid air spreads with the earthy scent.

“Aah.”

Anne tightly shuts her eyes.

Yet, she doesn’t retreat, showing her firm resolve.

That makes her incredibly admirable, so I firmly support her back.

“Can I walk?”

Walking awkwardly leaning backward.

She recognizes the creaking and finally takes a small step forward.

Ironically, it’s still inside the house, but taking that first step holds great significance.

“Should I give you an umbrella?”

“Hmm… No.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Actually, I’m not… But no. I think I’ll be fine.”

Her true feelings slip out, but Anne shakes her head forcefully.

Her expressions change dramatically every second.

If acting were involved, she’d be an excellent actress with such varied expressions.

At the center of it all lies a sense of responsibility.

“I will be a good mom.”

Her words stir emotions deep within me.

My watery eyes might be because of the beautiful emotions she embodies.

Or maybe because the steps of the woman I love overcoming her past are incredible.

Or perhaps…

Because I’m happy to witness her greatness as she overcomes trauma to become a mother.

I don’t know.

“Huuu…”

Taking a deep breath.

She dashes three steps ahead, then wobbles to a stop under the rain.

I catch her trembling body and fully share in her tremors.

Anne looks up at the sky.

Raindrops fall evenly onto her face.

Her finger rises, collecting droplets in her hand.

“The rain feels like this…”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. No. Not really… It’s a strange feeling.”

Dazed.

Furrowing her brows as she stares upward, fixed on the sky.

Even as her golden hair gets soaked and her clothes darken with moisture, she stands still, enjoying the rain.

Then one step.

The squelching sound echoes, creating ripples in concentric circles.

“It’s cold.”

At that, I quietly embrace Anne from behind.

I thought of using magic to warm her up, but hearing those words leaves my brain blank.

“If lightning strikes, I might still run away. It’s still scary.”

Saying that, Anne sticks out her tongue weakly with a tired voice.

“You’re already a wonderful mom to Love.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“That’s a relief.”

Her head tilts down after gazing at the sky.

Droplets form on her gradually dampening hair and trickle down.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“I hope Love doesn’t end up fearing rain and lightning like me.”

“She definitely won’t.”

“They say kids reflect their parents… That’s why. That’s why…”

Anne is on the verge of tears at any moment.

So I tighten my hold while holding her, giving her a sense of stability.

“I don’t want Love to become a crybaby, right?”

“…Yeah!”

Joking about it, Anne replies with surprising vigor.

Well…

I’m not sure.

Maybe she’s already crying.

Mixed with the rain, I might not notice.

I pretend not to see her reddened eyes.

“Let’s tell Love about this later.”

“Yeah.”

Evangelin chimes in beside her.

At that, Anne finally smiles.

The rain continues, colder and heavier.

The sky grows darker.

Perhaps thicker clouds mean more rain.

A chilly breeze blows.

“I absolutely…”

“Yeah.”

“Absolutely, absolutely, I will never abandon Love. No matter what happens.”

Her confession under the rain.

Anne’s voice becomes quieter than a mumble, almost a whisper to herself.

But my sensitive ears pick it all up.

“Love will surely always love you too.”

“That’s a relief.”

Finally, Anne relaxes, slumping against me.

More accurately, she collapses into my arms since I’m holding her.

Exhausted, Anne slouches and closes her eyes.

“Can you help me?”

“Can’t walk?”

“Yeah. All my strength is gone.”

“I’ll carry you.”

“Okay.”

With Evangelin’s help, I hoist Anne onto my back.

Drenched Anne clings to me silently, tracing something on my back with her fingers.

“Hehe.”

Then she lets out a satisfied laugh.

Her characteristic giggling tickles my ear.

I finally relax and laugh along because her laughter hasn’t changed.

Unbeknownst to me, I was tense too—not just Anne.

“Shall we go home?”

“Yeah.”

“Ebi.”

“Hm?”

“Hold my hand.”

“Of course.”

She’s practically a child now.

Looks like Love will be quite clingy.

We walk home under the rain.

Though the floor will be flooded, it doesn’t matter.

Fairies are surprisingly considerate toward Anne and clean up well.

“Noisy friends!”

“We’re back!”

Loud entrance of friends.

“To whoever cleans up the water fastest! You get pretty clothes first!”

Confused fairies at Anne’s statement.

So naturally, they turn to me.

“What?”

“Translate for us, fruit human!”

Translation duty falls to me as always.

Changing into dry clothes after removing wet ones, water pools despite drying with a towel.

“Cleaning fairies get rewarded in order.”

“I go first!”

“No way! I go first!”

Maybe handling fairies is Anne’s forte.

Watching them scramble to clean the floor with tiny spells makes Anne and Evangelin burst into laughter.

Such a cute scene.

It’s not often you see fairies eagerly cleaning the floor.

Amusing sight of fairies lined up neatly after bathing.

Perhaps they’ve already decided their order.

Anne casually heads to the sofa and starts her work as usual, even in the rain.

Spring days remain the same.

Evangelin smiles at the sight and heads to the kitchen, where something bubbles.

“Amazing.”

Trauma isn’t something others can fix—it’s something one must overcome themselves.

Witnessing the impressive sight of the woman I love fills me with indescribable happiness.

Today, sharing this moment makes it even more special.

There’s so much I want to tell the baby coming soon.

About everything Mom did for Love.

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