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“Gawon, no. Do not climb onto the belt. It’s dangerous. Wonhee, hold on to your sister, please.”
“Mama, I want Monkey. Where is he?”
“He’s in the bag, sweetheart, you’re gonna have to wait for it to come out- Huh Gawon, what did I just say? Wonhee, sweetheart, please tell your sister to stop trying to climb onto the belt.”
“Don’t be bad, Gawon, listen to Mama!”
“I’m not bad, it’s just so slow. I’m tired of waiting.”
“Yunji- Huh Yunjin. Get off your phone now and manage your daughter,” Chaewon hisses, shooting her wife a glare that would surely have incinerated anyone else on the spot. Yunjin, at least, has the decency to look sheepish, gesturing for Chaewon to give her one second as she focuses on her call. Chaewon gives her another sharp look—Hurry up. Tired, cranky travellers jostle them on all sides, all growing increasingly impatient as they watch the still empty bag collection conveyor belt crawl at snails-pace past them, their bags all nowhere to be found.
“Mhm, yes. No, don’t tell them that, that’s just going to make things worse- What? No!” Yunjin’s brows furrow. She pinches her nosebridge hard, letting out a sharp breath as the other person on the line muffledly rambles on. “Look,” She cuts them off after a deep sigh, “I’m on holiday with my family right now, can you just hand this over to Chaeryeong to deal with, please? She’ll know what to do. Yes.” More rambling. Another sigh. “Yes. Goodbye, Merry Christmas, please don’t contact me again unless the company is actively burning down. Thanks.”
Yunjin finally hangs up with a groan, walking back over to her family.
“Sorry,” She grimaces, easily scooping a squirming Gawon into her arms, “The new department head that Hyunjin recommended is kicking up a fuss with an important customer. Not sure why they called me though, it should be something they can resolve on their own.”
“I thought Lia was going to fire him?” Chaewon asks, cheering internally when bags finally start appearing on the conveyor belt. It feels like the crowd lets out a collective sigh of relief.
“Yeah, but you know her, she’s too soft-hearted sometimes. She convinced the team to give him one more chance.”
Chaewon chuckles. “Which is gone now, apparently.”
Yunjin gently hands Gawon over to Chaewon when she spots their bags, and Chaewon could cry tears of joy at the prospect of being freed from this airport purgatory they’d found themselves trapped in.
“Next time,” Yunjin grits, hefting their egregious amount of baggage onto the trolley, “I’m booking first class.”
“Spoiled,” Chaewon teases, as she sets Gawon atop their pile of bags, at the girl’s request. Wonhee, naturally, wants to sit next to her sister, and they’re wheeled out giggling on their chariot of winter clothes and toiletries.
After going through the extraordinarily tedious process of collecting the rental car they had booked—seriously, what’s the point of having a website if they’re just going to ask her to fill in all the same details in-person—Chaewon slumps into the heated driver’s seat, relaxing into the worn leather with a sigh. The passenger door slams shut behind Yunjin, after she helps strap the girls’ into their seats. The children in question have gone quiet, the excitement from flying and all the wonders airports had to offer wearing off, the long hours catching up to their tiny bodies. Chaewon envies them. She wishes she could sleep too, but unfortunately her dear wife would probably drive them into a ditch and she wants to be alive for the foreseeable future, so she starts the car with a sigh.
Chaewon lets the GPS guide her over highways and across bridges, through narrow side-roads and dark pathways, Yunjin’s Christmas playlist playing softly over the stereo complementing the whiteness of their surroundings. Every road they drive through, the holiday spirit is palpable. Red and green lights are strung on every shop front, mistletoe hanging over every doorway, trees glittering with colourful ornaments, reflecting the warm glow of the streetlights onto every passerby, thin layers of snow dusting every surface.
Soon, the city streets give way to quaint village houses, some with simple fairy lights hung on trees or along fences, equally as magical as the shining splendor of the big city. The sun is setting over the horizon, hidden behind mountains, as the car rolls to a stop in front of a house. Chaewon goes to wake up the kids, who had fallen asleep on the two-hour drive, as Yunjin unloads their belongings. Together, they drag their luggages through the ankle-deep snow covering the walkway leading to the front door. As they get closer, Chaewon can hear the sounds of conversation and laughter, muted behind the hard wood.
Gawon, much more awake than a few moments ago, eagerly knocks on the door, giving Chaewon no time to mentally prepare herself for social interaction. Not even a second later, the door swings open, and they’re greeted by a widely smiling face.
“Hello girls, so nice to see you again! Come, come in before you catch a chill.” Mrs Nakamura steps aside, letting them into the house. She greets each of them with a warm, tight hug, raving about how big the girls’ have gotten since she last saw them, and how Chaewon looks more beautiful than she remembers, and how Yunjin should “really bring them down more often because Kazuha seems set on not having kids yet and I would like to experience having grandchildren before I die.” The older woman dons an appropriately festive green sweater with an ugly reindeer knitted on the front, and Chaewon prays she didn’t get a matching set for everyone.
Further inside, Mr Nakamura is lounging in his usual seat in front of the TV, a glass of whiskey seemingly permanently glued to his hand, his body morphed to the shape of the couch he’s sitting on. They all greet him politely as they pass, and he grunts in acknowledgement, lips lifting in a small, rare smile when he sees the children. He’s wearing a similarly green sweater, no doubt his wife’s doing, the sleeves of the scratchy-looking material rolled up to his elbows.
Mrs Nakamura leads them into the guest room, leaving them to settle in as she goes to check on the food that’s cooking in the kitchen. Gawon and Wonhee escape into the living room once the few stuffed toys Chaewon allowed them to bring are free from the constraints of their luggage, leaving their parents alone in the room. Chaewon immediately collapses onto the neatly made bed, legs dangling carelessly off the side, closing her eyes and allowing herself a moment of peace.
The holidays are a beautiful time, and she really does love visiting, don’t get her wrong, but travelling overseas with young kids is not for the faint of heart. On the short flight from Korea to Japan alone, Wonhee burst into tears several times and Gawon almost threw up during take-off. That situation was likely only narrowly avoided because Chaewon began praying to every god she could name while holding a paper bag right under her daughter’s mouth.
Chaewon sighs, not looking forward to repeating that whole ordeal in two week’s time. She hears her wife chuckle. The bed dips beside her and a familiar hand finds hers.
Chaewon opens her eyes, turning her head. Yunjin smiles that silly, crooked smile that had Chaewon’s heart doing flips all those years ago, and Chaewon’s heart flips all the same, a soft smile finding its way onto her lips.
“I love you,” Yunjin mouths playfully, just because. Chaewon rolls her eyes without heat.
“Idiot,” She says aloud, to Yunjin’s barking laughter.
A knock at the door ends their little moment, and Chaewon slowly pushes herself up. The door opens, and Sakura pops her head in.
“Hey! You guys made it. Sorry, I was helping Zuha’s mom to fry something. Then Gawon wanted to show me a new trick. Did you know she could do a somersault?”
Chaewon winces. “Please don’t encourage it. We already have one broken vase.”
Sakura laughs, opening her arms to hug Chaewon, then Yunjin. “How was your flight? Must've been hard booking one on Christmas eve. Even Zuha and I had a hard time finding tickets that didn't cost us, like, an arm and a leg, and that was two weeks ago.”
“I pulled some strings,” Yunjin brags smugly. Chaewon scoffs. “She means she has a friend who works for the airline. They managed to get last-minute tickets for us.”
Sakura and Kazuha had flown over a few weeks before Chaewon and Yunjin, mainly so Kazuha could help her parents with preparations. Chaewon would have liked to come earlier too, but she’d gotten caught up in a last-minute case at work that she couldn’t hand over to anyone else, hence the Christmas Eve flight.
They chat for a while more before Gawon appears in the doorway and announces that dinner is ready. They all make their way obediently to the dining room, where Kazuha is laying out the last of the dishes, a faded ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron secured around her front. Her face lights up when she sees Chaewon and Yunjin.
“Hi, you made it just in time! Eunchae said she’s on the way now. Her hotel check-in was a little delayed.”
Chaewon’s mouth waters at the feast laid out in front of them. A mix of Japanese, western, and even a few Korean foods await their starving bellies. The aromas wafting through the air hurries them to sit down around the table, eagerly waiting for their final guest before digging in.
Just as they situate themselves, there’s another knock at the door. Mrs Nakamura rushes to open it, and Eunchae steps inside, brushing snow off her cat-eared beanie, the apples of her cheeks and tip of her nose pink from the cold. There’s another round of excited greetings exchanged, and eventually everyone settles down to enjoy the food.
Conversation flows smoothly, stories are regaled and laughter is shared. Chaewon discretely shovels an additional spoonful of vegetables onto Wonhee’s plate as Eunchae spears a piece of chicken onto her fork for Gawon. Chaewon’s heart feels impossibly full as she sits back and quietly watches the scene—Yunjin’s mouth wide open in laughter, Kazuha smacking her on the shoulder, Sakura’s cheeky smile, Eunchae’s knowing grin. Even though she’s since grown a family of her own, these people would forever be her first; the family she chose for herself, and who in turn chose her too. She wouldn’t give them up for anything in the world.
The food is quickly devoured, and dessert is served. Conversation dies down slightly, everyone simply appreciating one another's presence, soaking up the ambience. Chaewon is watching Gawon very seriously negotiate with Yunjin about whether she’s allowed to have another scoop of ice cream, when Sakura clears her throat.
“I know that gift exchanging hasn’t started yet,” She starts, glancing around the table, wringing her hands subtly in a nervous habit that Chaewon hasn’t seen her display in years, “but I do have something I wanted to give to you now, while everyone’s together here.”
Yunjin meets her eye in a quizzical look, and Chaewon shrugs. Sakura hadn’t mentioned anything about a special gift to her, not even when they’d met up before she and Kazuha flew off. Her best friend pulls out a small, wrapped box from somewhere behind her, handing it to Mrs Nakamura with a hint of hesitation. Kazuha takes her hand immediately, giving her wife a soft, reassuring smile.
The older woman is clearly confused, sharing a glance with her husband before tearing the wrapping paper off and opening the plain cardboard box underneath. Her eyes land on whatever’s inside. Her expression goes concerningly blank.
Chaewon’s gaze ping pongs from Sakura’s nervous face to Mrs Nakamura’s silent stare, a sneaking suspicion of what’s inside the box creeping up her spine. It’s like the whole room is waiting with bated breath for her to reveal what it is.
Suddenly, the older woman bursts into tears, dropping the box onto the table and practically shooting out of her chair to hug her daughter-in-law. There’s a moment of stunned silence, then everyone curiously peeks into the box.
There, nestled on top of a small clump of packing paper, two tiny light pink booties, and a strip of white and black photos.
The scans stare back at Chaewon, the subject unmistakable in shape.
Then, chaos erupts. Mr Nakamura sits back in his chair, wide-eyed and slack jawed, displaying more emotion in this one moment than Chaewon’s ever seen on him in the near decade she's been Sakura’s friend. Yunjin pounces on Kazuha, with an exclamation of “What the fuck, bro, you didn’t tell me?!”. Gawon scolds her appa for “using a no-no word!” and Wonhee is quietly asking a shell-shocked Eunchae what’s going on. Chaewon herself feels like she’s been struck by… Well, she doesn’t even know what, but all she can see is her best friend, who’s been with her since college, seen her through the highest of highs and lowest of lows, taken care of her children as if they were her own, tearing up as she embraces the mother of her wife, finally getting to start a family of her own.
Funnily enough, Chaewon had always joked that Sakura would be first of the two of them to become a mother. It makes sense, given her mature, responsible and nurturing nature. The way she’d always scold Chaewon for doing something stupid was always so motherly.
Chaewon’s feet move themselves, until she's standing right in front of a now openly crying Sakura. She feels tears gathering in her own eyes.
A shaky “Kkura…” is all she manages, before she breaks down, pulling her friend into a tight hug, burying her face into her shoulder. They stay like that for a moment, Sakura crying into her sweater. Chaewon pulls away eventually, sniffling pathetically. She rests her hands on Sakura’s shoulders, taking her in.
“You’re gonna be a wonderful mother,” She declares proudly. Sakura laughs wetly, wiping her tears.
“It’s a good thing I have you to learn from.”
Chaewon smacks her arm lightly to disguise the tears that threaten to spill over again.
The commotion dies down as congratulations are exchanged, and everyone files out into the living room to continue chatting.
“You know,” Chaewon says, leaning against Sakura, “this is perfect timing for you to get pregnant because you have no idea how much baby stuff we have to pass to you.”
Chaewon sighs, already mentally cataloguing the amount of storage space they’ll be able to clear up. “Diapers are so unreasonably expensive,” She laments.
As the night grows deeper, everyone retires, one by one. First, Mr and Mrs Nakamura, joking that they needed to adhere to their “old people bed time”. Then, Eunchae, who's driving back to her hotel nearby to unpack her stuff. Sakura and Kazuha help Yunjin and Chaewon set up the pull-out couch in the living room for them to sleep on, and then escape to Kazuha’s childhood bedroom, giggling and eyeing each other like love-struck teens. Chaewon rolls her eyes fondly at them.
After wrangling the girls’ through their nighttime routine, Yunjin successfully tucks them into bed inside the guest room, kissing them goodnight and turning off the light. Chaewon watches fondly from the doorway, smiling when Yunjin closes the door softly behind her with a sigh. She returns Chaewon’s smile, then glances above her head.
“Hey, look.” She points upwards with a quiet chuckle. Chaewon follows her finger, eyes landing on a bushel of mistletoe hanging teasingly above their heads. She gives Yunjin a look, but her wife’s smile only grows more mischievous.
“Rules are rules, Chae,” Yunjin sing-songs, pulling Chaewon closer by the elbows with exaggerated flair. If Chaewon rolls her eyes again they’d probably disappear into the back of her head, but she unfolds her arms and wraps them around Yunjin’s waist, nevertheless.
Yunjin leans down, pressing her soft lips gently against Chaewon’s, before pulling away. Chaewon, unsatisfied by the chastity, pulls her back down, pressing their lips together more insistently. Yunjin laughs against her mouth, complying easily, kissing her back as if it might be the last time she does it, hand coming up to cup Chaewon’s cheek.
“I love you Chae,” Yunjin mumbles, kissing her once more. Chaewon pulls her closer, just to feel the familiar warmth of her body against hers.
“I love you too Yunjin, Merry Christmas.”