Unexpected

Maranda’s POV

I walk out of my new room the next morning to go check on the baby. He was still fast asleep so I headed to the kitchen to start his bottle while making a bowl of fruit for me. I hear someone else walk in then turned around to see TOP. He was still in his pajamas so I assumed he didn’t have work today.

“So I forgot to ask you yesterday. What is the baby’s name?” I ask as I am setting my bowl down on the island to eat. I see him pause giving me a strange look of confusion.

“I forgot I had to name him.” He tells me bluntly. “The name on his birth certificate was blank. So he doesn’t have one.” He reaches in a drawer, pulling it out for me to see.

I look it over to see what hospital he was born in. “Yangji Hospital. That’s not far from here. Only about twenty minutes. Maybe that’s why she picked this neighborhood.” I say handing it back to him. “He still needs a name though.”

“I’m off today so we can go to the court house on the other side of the city.” He stares down at the paper. “They won’t think I stole it will they?” He asks me worried.

“I would bring everything that was in the envelope. But I doubt they do.” I take a bite of my fruit.

“Besides someone would have already called missing persons. And who is going to question an idol?” I hear the baby start crying so I put my empty bowl in the sink as I walk out to feed him.

I got the baby ready for TOP to take him to the court house. I checked the diaper bag over about ten times making sure everything was there including a few extra just in case necessities. After the baby was dressed and put into the car seat TOP walks into the room to see me still in my pajamas.

“Aren’t you coming with me?” He asks surprised at the state I am still in.

“Oh. I didn’t know you wanted me to.” I say looking down at my clothes.

“Well I am most likely going to need help. I’ve never actually been by myself with a baby for a long period of time.”

“Ok I’ll go get dressed then.” I walk out the door to my room and throw on a pair of jeans with a cute red blouse. I grab the closest pair of flip-flops and meet them at the door. “Ready.” I say looking up at him smiling. He picks up the car seat while I get the dipper bag.

We get to the court house and park the car in a secluded area. He puts a mask over his mouth and chin then sunglasses so he isn’t recognized the second we get out of the car. We walk up to the entrance then ask the security guard for directions on what floor we needed. When we got there the room was full of people so we had some time to kill.

“What are you going to name him?” I ask flipping through a name book.

“I have no idea.” He says picking up one of the other books.

I scroll through the list of names in my book. “What about Byung-hoon?”

“No, too common. He needs something unique.” We both continue to scroll through names.
“Hey, Ji-tae isn’t bad.”

“He would be named after two members of your band.” I say to him flipping through pages.

“What about Min Hyun?”

He looks up from his book thinking on the name. “I like it. It goes with my last name too.”

“And it’s also one of your names so he is kind of named after you.” I say smiling.

“Then it’s decided! Choi Min Hyun.” He says proudly.

“Maranda Sung?” I hear the assistant call out. We pick up our things as we walk to the door
she has open.

Once in the secluded room TOP takes off his sunglasses and mask. The case worker walks in placing a file with blank papers onto the table. She smiles at us as she opens the folder to start filling out the paper work. “Hello. I’m Chin Sun.” She says shaking our hands. “So we are doing a name change today?” She sets down grabbing a pen. “Do you have the birth certificate?”

TOP reaches into the diaper bag. “Kind of.” He says to her pulling out the envelope. “He was dropped off on my door step yesterday morning. With this.” He hands the whole envelope to her to look through.

“Well this is highly unusual.” She says looking over the note and birth certificate. “Have you started the adoption process yet?” She asks while handing the envelope back.

“No that is also why we are here.” He tells her. The baby starts to cry so I take him out of the car seat to calm him down. “I do want to keep him though. I can’t stand the thought of him being put into an orphanage.”

“Ok. I will be right back I need to get a few more papers.” She stands up and leaves the room.

“Do you think she recognizes me?”

“I don’t know. She isn’t letting on that she does but it could just be her professionalism.” The baby starts to cry again. “Will you hand me his bottle?”

He is handing the bottle over as Chin Sun renters the room. “Alright, this shouldn’t take too long. He is a hand over so we don’t need parent consent.” She begins signing papers then passing them over for us to sign as well. “I will also need both of your identification.”

“Both of us?” I ask her.

“You are both adopting this baby aren’t you?” She asks me confused.

“Umm. We aren’t-“ I start to say.

“Will me adopting him alone be an issue?” TOP asked her.

“Not if you have the proper means of taking care of him. Job with suitable hours, and enough funds to take care of him properly.” She explains.

The baby started to cry again. “I’m going take him to the hall while you get the adoption finished. Let me know if you need me.” I say picking up the diaper bag.

He stopped crying as soon as we got outside. We stayed out there for almost two hours when TOP came out to get us.

“I need you to sign one of the papers saying you’re his nanny.” He says to me. “Oh. And you forgot your purse.” He hands it to me as he is taking the baby and the bag for me.

I take the pen and sign the rest of the papers.

“Ok, now we can do his name change.” She shuffles the papers into the folder then brings out the folder from before. “Fill out his name here.” She says pointing to a blank line. “And then your name here.” She returns the paper to the folder closing it. “Great! Congratulations Mr. Choi. You are now a proud father.” She shakes both our hands as we turn to leave.

TOP puts his mask and glasses back on before we dash back to the car.

Notes