The Christmas Party

Sledding Through The Snow

The girls, all excitement, jumped from the bed and dashed down the stairs. It sounded like a thunderstorm ravaging the house as they thumped on the staircase. We would hear their delighted squeals as they told their mom and dad that I would be taking them sledding.

We piled into two cars, my parents electing to stay at home and take care of a few things. Ryujin insisted she ride with us, while the other two girls drove with their parents. I wasn't entirely sure where Jennie landed on public displays of affection, but I tried my luck when I reached across the car and intertwined our fingers. She glanced at me and smiled, rubbing her thumb along the back of my hand.

"Can you two be anymore disgustingly cute?" Taehyung asked from the backseat, still sullen that his permanent claim to shotgun was ruined by Jennie's new position in my life.

I stuck out my tongue in the rear view mirror which caused Ryujin to giggle.

We drove to the park down the road. My sister and I had spent many days in our childhood sledding on the hills. One special year we found an old skateboard deck with the wheels pried off and we took turns trying to snowboard down the slope.

When we arrived the hill was crawling with other neighborhood children sliding down the hill. We pulled on heavier jackets and gloves and tucked our sleds under our arms, preparing to hike up the embankment, my sister and brother-in-law opting to stay at the bottom and take pictures. The oldest decided she didn't need anyone's hand to hold as she trudged up the hill; the other two were not quite as brave. Ryujin latched onto Jennie's hand and let her lead them up the hill.

"Do you want to hold me hand?" I asked Lia. She shook her head and took a step back toward her mom. "What's wrong? Don't you want to go sledding?"

"I changed my mind," she told me, crossing her arms.

I looked up at my sister inquisitively.

"She's a little scared of sledding," Irene explained.

"What if I told you sledding was the most fun in the entire world?"

Lia didn't seem convinced.

"Don't you have fun when we hang out?" I asked Lia. She nodded. "Have you ever not had fun when we hang out?" Lia shook her head. "I wouldn't ever do something that wasn't fun, right?" Lia hesitated, but nodded, accepting. "I wouldn't lie to you about something being fun, you know that too, right?" Lia nodded.

I pointed up the hill and we watched Taehyung and Yeji slide down the hill. Their laughter filled the air.

"Doesn't it look like Uncle Taehyung and your sister are having fun?" Lia nodded again. "Let's try one time, okay? You see how Ryujin is sitting in front of Jennie?"

Lia looked to the top of the hill. Ryujin wedged herself between Jennie's legs and even from this distance, Ryujin' grin was unmistakable.

"You can sit like that with me on my sled. Try one time for me and if you hate it I'll make you two hot chocolates when we get home and you can have candy for dinner. Deal?"

Though hesitant, Lia eventually agreed and latched onto my hand. We heard Ryujin laughing and screaming to go again with Jennie. I looked over my should and smiled while we climbed the hill, watching Jennie chat and laugh with Ryujin; she was a natural with my nieces and they seemed to adore her. It made my heart smile.

"Ready?" I asked Lia when we climbed into the sled.

She nodded her head but fear was written all over her face. I wrapped one arm tight around her and pulled her close. "Don't worry, Aunt Jisoo won't let anything bad happen. We're going to have so much and as soon as we get to the bottom you're going to be begging me to go again."

I flashed her a reassuring grin and nudged us forward until we picked up speed. Lia screamed in glee as we sailed down the hill. Sure enough, as soon as we came to a stop at the bottom she was chanting "again, again!" My sister smiled at us.

"I can't believe you actually got her to go," Bogum said.

"I don't think she would have done it if her aunt wasn't here," Irene agreed.

"Well I am the fun lesbian aunt for a reason. Just wait until they're old enough to go camping."

My sister laughed and shook her head. Lia latched onto my hand and we trekked back up the mountain.

"Aunt Jisoo?" Lia asked.

"What's up, sweetie?"

"Is Jennie your husband?"

I chuckled. "No, she's my girlfriend. Maybe one day she'll be my wife though."

Lia looked confused. "Like mommy and daddy?"

"Right, except we'll both be mommies."

"I thought only mommies could marry daddies."

"Nope. Mommies can marry mommies and daddies can marry daddies. As long as you love a person you can marry them."

"I love mommy, so can I marry her?" Lia asked, trying to work out all of the finer points of this conversation. I laughed.

"No, you can't marry mommy. One day when your older you might find someone you really, really like and want to spend all of your time with. Whoever that person is you might want to marry them."

"Like Chaeryeong ?"

I smiled at the mention of her best friend. "Maybe Chaeryeong. If you two like each other a lot. But maybe wait until you're in college or you'll give mommy and daddy and auntie a heart attack if we find out you're dating before you're twenty."

"What's dating?"

"You know like in your movies with Anna and Christoff?"

Lia nodded.

"Like that. They're dating."

"Oh." Lia thought for a long while. "And I can date anyone?"

"As long as you like them as a person, yes."

"Okay."

"And not until you're twenty."

Lia furrowed her brow but accepted that dating was only allowed after twenty. That seemed to be the end of our conversation and we climbed back into the sled together and soared down the hill. I couldn't count how many times Lia and I climbed that hill together but my legs were screaming in protest by the end of the day.

"It seems like Ryujin found a new best friend," my sister commented while we walked back to the car.

"It sure seems like it, huh?"

"Well good thing your girlfriend gets along with the kids so well. I don't know what we would have done if they didn't like her.

"Dump her, probably."

We both laughed.

"I really do like her though, Jis. I'm happy you found her."

"Thanks. I'm really happy too. It only took three years of wearing her down but it looks like all paid off."

I loved watching Jennie go down the hill with Ryujin. Jennie was never keen on being around kids or hanging out with them, but she seemed like she was thoroughly enjoying herself today. She always had Ryujin's hand in hers and held onto her while they sled, laughing the entire day and chatting away with my niece. Even on the car ride home Jennie was turned around in the seat chatting with Ryujin.

When we got home and showered, bundling ourselves up in the fuzzy socks, warm pajamas, and blankets with hot chocolate in our hands, I settled close to Jennie on the couch and leaned my head against her shoulder. She kissed the top of my head and nestled in close to me. I couldn't recall a time that I'd been happier.

Was it too early to say 'I love you'?