At First Glance

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On January 21, 2000, a lunar eclipse occurred. Like an ominous warning, a woman wailed out in pain of childbirth just beneath its shadow.

"Ahhhhh!!! Why do I feel like I'm birthing a watermelon?!"

For sixteen hours, she's been holding on to her husband. Struggling to deliver her firstborn child who had an unusually bigger head than normal. Most women would pass out at this point. It was a life-threatening situation. Both the mother and the child could be put into peril and so the entire mansion called in dozens of doctors to help deliver the baby.

"Shhh. It's alright honey. I know it's painful but please don't call your son a watermelon. A cantaloupe would fit his head size better, actually."

The entire room was trembling with anxiety. All the doctors were put into the edge. They were built for this kind of situation, but the pressure of delivering a blue-blooded infant could get inside the toughest heads.

"Madame! Please bear through the pain. You got this!"

Behind the golden doors of the master's bedroom, hundreds of bodies tensed in anticipation. Some were biting their nails and pacing back and forth. Most were praying for the safe delivery of their young master.

"W-we're having a lunar eclipse..." an old butler mumbled under his breath, "I don't believe in superstitions... but this is blasphemous to the young master. It's not like he's the devil's son. How dare the moon show its dark side in the moment of his birth?!"

"P-please calm down, Butler Stan. There's no way such a beautiful marriage would bear something evil."

As they gazed into the dark sky outside the wide window, the crowd erupted into soft murmurs. A straight path was made by the spectators to make way for a woman in her white coat. She stormed through the room, and everyone had to bow their heads. She, herself, was pregnant.

"Open the doors!" The head butler commanded and the two guards obliged.

She stepped inside the master's bedroom, and was greeted by the couple.

"My dearest Genevieve!" the woman in labor marveled, "What are you doing here?!"

Genevieve, the pregnant woman in her white coat, pointed her husband who was running behind her trail. "You think that guy can stop me?" He barely made it inside before the doors closed.

"I'm sorry, Beatrice. I couldn't stop her."

The woman in labor, whose name was Beatrice, rubbed her temples. Her husband shook his head with eyes full of sympathy, "It's okay, Louis. It must have been hard for you."

"Felix, your beautiful wife's gorgeous-but-stubborn bestfriend hijacked a helicopter and I had to follow her with shaky hands... It was tough."

"Shhh. It's alright now, Buddy."

Lady Genevieve interrupted their almost tearful reunion, "Enough!" She faced all the medical professionals inside the room, "Everyone, please step outside. I'll handle everything from this moment on."

"Do I-"

"Specially you, Lynn," she said in gritted teeth, "You'll fuss around and distract me."

"O-okay."

Together with Lord Louis, all the doctors stepped out of the room; leaving five nurses and three chamber maids to assist Lady Genevieve in delivering her best friend's baby.

"Okay, Felix, hold her still."

Lord Felix held his wife's hand once again.

Another hour passed, and the people outside the room were filling with dread. They've been hearing Lady Beatrice's anguish for so long, and now, all they wanted to hear were the cries of a newborn baby. Little did they know, another conflict was happening inside the master's bedroom.

Lady Genevieve was cradling a newborn infant in her arms, and their worst nightmare was confirmed by the nurse. "T-the young master's not c-crying."

Lady Beatrice covered her mouth to suppress a gasp, "H-he... he's..."

Lady Genevieve looked away. The scene was too painful for her to watch.

"How could this be?!" the devastated mother wailed, enough for everyone to hear.

Every person inside that mansion fell to their knees that night. Without even getting confirmation, they knew something tragic had happened. Just from hearing Lady Beatrice's sorrows, their hearts broke, already embracing a sad news.

"This can't be true! Huhuhuhuhu!"

Lord Felix pulled his wife into his embrace. "Shhh... everything will be alright."

"No it won't!" Lady Beatrice growled, pushing her husband away. She looked at him with hatred, "This is all your fault!"

Before things could take the worst turn, Lady Genevieve put her hands between the two. "Shhh. Everything will be alright, My dear. You need to rest. Or you'll be in danger."

"No, Gen... My son is... my son is..." Lady Beatrice broke into tears, "My son is a coldhearted brat just like his father huhuhuhuhu!"

"Shhh... we'll see about that later. For now, you need to rest. But before that..." Lady Genevieve took the baby from the nurse and into her best friend's embrace. "What do you want to name him?"

"Jin Yang," Lady Beatrice gazed into her healthy newborn baby. "We'll call him Jin Yang."

"Jin Yang? Honey, we talked about this. We should name him Hans Yang instead--"

"Shut up, Yang. You're not the one who bore little Jinny inside your nonexistent uterus for 9 months. What gives you the right to choose his name?" Lady Genevieve argued, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have papers to fill out. Rest now, my beloved Beatrice." She planted a kiss on her best friend's forehead before taking little Jinny out to greet the world.

The golden doors opened and Lady Genevieve greeted the tearful crowd with a bright smile.

"Everyone, I want you to meet our little Jinny!"

The entire mansion erupted into loud cheers. People had their hands full on clapping, and their hearts filled with joy. Those who barely knew each other hugged to celebrate. It was a joyous moment...until Lady Genevieve's beautiful features started folding sideways.

"Aw..."

Everyone gasped.

"Lady Genevieve... are you--"

"She kicked!"

There was a long silence before the room erupted into cheers once again.

"Phew. You had me there for a second," Lord Loius said as he walked closer to kiss his wife.

"Come on, Louis. I don't even look that pregnant. There are still a few more months to go..."

Eventually... after four months, a hundred and four days later, their most awaited moment came unexpectedly. Date: May 5, 2000.

"Such a pleasant evening this is," Lord Louis said while holding his wife in his arms. Both were looking up the sky, waiting to witness an astrological event.

"Lynn..." Lady Genevieve muttered in silence. She turned to look at her husband.

"W-what is it, My dear? Did I do something wrong again? Why are you calling me by my surname? I mean--our surname," he looked into her eyes, "What's wrong? You're making me nervous."

"I think my water just broke..."

Silence.

"W-WHAT?! W-wait! Calm down, Honey!"

"I am calm--"

"A-are you alright? Do you feel pain? W-wait... Don't panic!"

"I am not panicki--!"

"Breathe, Honey! Breathe--"

"LOUIS LYNN GET A GRIP!"

A flick on the forehead brought the panicking husband back to reality.

"Oh. Thank you for that, Honey." Lord Louis took a deep breath to calm his senses, "Right! The doctors!"

Within a few minutes, Lady Genevieve was laid down in preparation for labor. The doctors were about to start when the doors swung open.

"Genevieve, My love!" Lady Beatrice marveled as she ran through the doors, "I'm sorry I'm late!"

Lord Felix was following his wife with a cute baby strapped in front of him. "Let's stay outside, Beatrice," he said, "You'll flood the room with tears."

Lady Beatrice wiped her eyes. She looked back to her best friend with her hands out-stretched as her husband dragged her out of the room.

"Huhu... I'll be right outside, Gen."

Her best friend gave her a soft smile before the doors interrupted their dramatic farewell.

Two hours passed with Lady Beatrice pacing back and forth.

While she panicked, cutie little Jinny was staring outside the window. It took both his parents a few more seconds before noticing a spectacle. Inside the Lynn's Mansion, this family of three gazed into a meteor shower that lit up the sky with its vibrant glow.

That exact moment, as if the entire universe aligned just for her arrival, a beautiful baby girl came out of her mother's womb. Like the beautiful comets in the sky, she lit up the whole world.

The doors opened and before the doctor could make an announcement, the family of three stormed through the room in a hurry. Just like everyone inside the room, their legs were pinned on the floor out of surprise.

The baby girl was not crying... instead... she was laughing.

Her beautiful smile was enough to well up dozens of eyes. She was the brightest of all the stars that night. And looking down on her, was a pair of blue eyes that sparkled just as bright.

Kismet.

He was born on a lunar eclipse; she was born on a meteor shower. Like a perfectly crafted destiny, she'd been long bound to light up his darkest skies.

"Zeirenne Lynn... her name's Zeirenne Lynn."

. . .