Time Has Come
Time Has Come
"Mommy, Arabella is here!" Exclaimed Ava to Chan-Mi, seeing her uncle Geun and Aunt Ara enter the function hall of The Four Seasons's Hotel.
Chan-Mi, who was carrying Juliana for Nari, smiled at the sight of Ara and Geun. She said, "It's about time!"
"Uncle, Aunt!" Chan-Mi greeted Byeol and Chun-Ho, seeing them follow after Geun and Ara.
Arabella and Juliana were having a joint baby shower to celebrate their arrival in their family, which coincidentally happened at the same time.
They invited only their close friends and kin, including Shiwoo and his wife, Haneul's and Eun So's family, Ha-joon and Lian plus their three grown adults, and of course, Iseul's family.
They had two cute cakes made for the two new girls with their names on them and both themed as princesses!
For a moment, the baby girls, being together, were the star of the event. Nearly everyone gathered as both Arabella and Juliana were placed in a made-up day bed, right in front of the crowd where princess decors were placed and where their pictures will be taken.
"Oh, look! Arabella is yawning! Such cute little lips!"
"She looks so much like Ara!"
"That means Geun loves my daughter more," Byeol remarked, encouraging a laugh from everyone.
Geun could not help but cough at the suggestion, but as soon as he saw Ara staring at her, he himself surrendered by saying, "Ah." He cleared his throat and said, "I guess, Mom is right."
"And Juliana is a mix of Nari and Luiz!" Remarked Yeona.
"Yes, definitely!"
"Oh, look! Juliana opened her eyes!"
They all took pictures alternately of the babies from various angles, ensuring that new girls have more to brag as they grew old.
What followed next was the picture taking of all the grandkids of Anton and Yanmei.
With Anton and Yanmei holding the babies, the rest of their grandkids gathered around them with the help of their parents.
"This is nice. This is really nice!" Yanmei said. She put a hand on Gabriel's arm and pulled him closer to her. "Smile for the pictures guys!"
"Come closer to granddaddy, Max," called Anton, seeing Max a little distracted.
"Cheese!" Ava exclaimed, standing next to Gabriel.
"Cheese!" Amelia followed, pushing Max closer to Anton.
"Oh, seven grandkids!" Lian scoffed from the crowd and teased, "You need more! Like Andy and Lu Fang!"
The crowd laughed at the suggestion, but then Yanmei assured everyone while smiling at the camera, "I'm sure we are bound to have at least one more!"
"Maybe two more," Anton said, out of the blue. He smirked at Chun-Ho and winked at him. "I'm sure Chun-Ho wants more than one grandchild."
"And maybe a third one, coming from Chan-Mi!" This time, it was Salvi's father, Spinello who suggested.
"This is a guessing game! I also want three more!" Sitting at the back of the crowd, Yeong Soon added her prediction.
"We hope," Jae-won added.
Geun suddenly proposed a toast. He got up and urged the servers to pour wine into the glasses of everyone. He said, "To our children! The future heirs of the Yeong empire!"
"Yes." Anton received his glass and then looked at his friends and their children. "Let's not forget our family and friends who helped us get here!"
"To your children and our future business aids and partners!" Added Anton.
While maintaining to hold a baby, Yanmei also raised a glass to Iseul, Chun-Ho, and Ha-joon and added, "To the next generation!"
"To the next generation!" Chan-Mi added, raising her glass and everyone else followed.
Iseul and Chun-Ho raised their glasses, gratified with the acknowledgement coming from Anton and Yanmei. Ha-joon also nodded and said, "Forever serve the Yeongs."
"You have no choice since you married me," Lian added, looking sideways at her husband.
"Anyway! Cheers, everyone! Thank you for coming today!" Geun closed the toast, and they all drank their wines with easing hearts.
Before everyone dispersed, however, Yeong Soon still wished, "I still wish for three more."
Anton and Yanmei looked at each other with a smile. The truth was, they were already satisfied with their lives and the number of grandkids they had. They could not ask for more, but having a few more would certainly be a blessing.
It was after that gathering that the numbers did add up.
Just eight months after Ara and Nari gave birth, Chan-Mi announced that she was a month pregnant.
Chan-Mi gave birth to another baby girl, whom they named Melanie.
However, as for Ara and Geun, they decided to hold off for a while, wanting to spend more time together as a family of three.
Geun first seized the moment became the CEO of JKW Enterprises, as well as the Yeong Guns and Ammos Corporation. He had his cousins, Theodore, Alvin, and Simon, aided him in the management of the company, together with Iseul's son, Ye-jun and Ara.
Another two years passed since Chan-Mi gave birth, Ara finally fell pregnant again with a baby boy this time.
However, with the arrival of new life, came a sudden passing of Yeong Jae-won. It broke Yeong Soon's heart completely, that despite the love and care given by Anton and Yanmei, along with their children, Yeong Soon's health deteriorated.
Knowing the condition of Yeong Soon, all of Anton's children lived in the Yeongs' mansion for a week.
One day, they took their grandmother out to the garden for good sunlight.
They gave love and affection in several ways, encouraging Yeong Soon to remain strong. However, as they gaze at the rising sun, Yeong Soon just said to them, "My grandkids. I have no regrets."
Yeong Soon looked up to Chan-Mi before shifting her gaze to Nari and Geun. She reached for all of their hands and said, "I am." A tear fell down her cheek as she revealed, "I am the happiest grandma and great-grandma."
She wept as she resumed her thoughts, "I will always be with you... No matter what. But my time has come and your grandfather needs me... I am already in my nineties, after all. I had... lived my life."
Hearing their grandmother practically acknowledged her soon passing, Nari and Chan-Mi broke down in tears in an instant.
Geun could not also help but put a hand on his chest. He turned to his parents behind and saw how his father was hugging Yanmei very tightly.
It was the first time he saw his father clearly cry.
Everyone in the family knew how much the great Anton Yeong loved his adoptive mother. She may not be his biological mother, but the love of Yeong Soon had tamed his solid heart.
While everyone was being emotional, they all heard Yeong Soon say, "Just remember... I love each and every one of you."