So, now that it was confirmed that we were you know, in love, the fact that I was alone in my house, lounging around on a couch didn't feel quite as pathetic as it usually did. The beat my heart made, the throbbing, reminded me of Jennie. It almost felt like her palm rested on top of my chest, feeling it heave up and down. Of course, that wasn't the case. She wasn't here. No one was here.
The patio door kept allowing swift, whirls of wind to howl and knock against the glass, making the already cold house seem like an igloo. After much thought of getting up to rid myself of the problem, the problem being my shaking body, I eventually made my numb limbs get up and waddled into my bedroom.
There were only a few embers left in the fire. Another turf or two thrown into the lingering flames fixed that. Even sat in front of the fireplace, wrapped in the fuzziest blanket, didn't feel as lonely as it should have. The curtains in my room were closed. Its aqua blue colour, merged with the orange flickers of the fire, created a warm and soothing environment for my haziness.
I don't recall falling asleep, but I did and my consciousness came back with a sharp breath when the front door had jangling keys dug into it.
The door to my room creaked open, making my vision rapidly clear up.
"Oh, it's just you," I said, hearing multiple footsteps outside in the hallway too.
"Who else would sneak into your room at this time of night?" she asked, eyes practically twinkling with mirth.
"Um. Burglars. Not my abundance of lovers or anything."
"Hmm. Is this your idea of full body protection?" Jennie asked, stepping into the bedroom, surveying it by dragging her gaze all around and finally returned back to me. She pointedly looked at the blanket. "I'm not sure if that would prevent sharp objects penetrating your body..."
"I'm blending in with the floor," I claimed.
"Yes, because your toes are apart of the attire."
The body part she spoke of wiggled. "Have a fun night?"
She nodded, taking off her coat to reveal a wonderous, black dress. "Yes."
"Good. Now, I might have to go back to sleep, your prettiness is getting to me," I admitted, closing my eyes and sinking beneath the blanket.
"I'm rapidly growing to regret going out tonight."
"Why? Did something happen? Are you okay?" I shot off questions, sitting up as fast as I could.
Jennie laughed with her back to me, she pulled her hair to the front of her body, exposing the zipper only partially down on her dress. She glanced over at me, shaking her head and silently motioned for me to help her out of the dress. I made a grunting sound as I unwrapped myself from the blanket and unzipped her quickly and flopped back down to my knees.
She released a scoff at my hasty actions and turned around. This action nearly caused my heart to rupture because well, she was hardly wearing much underneath, was she?
I licked my lips but decided to pay attention to my blanket and started putting it in the proper position to curl back beneath. Apparently, that decision was not appreciated because Jennie scoffed once more, making me grin. I let my body fully be submerged by the blanket and looked back up at the grumpy looking girl.
"Like I said, you're overwhelming me," I admitted.
"Oh?"
"So, my response to your... um." I waved at her and patted the space next to me. "Is a little cuddling, a dash of kissing and you know, romantic nestling by the open fire?"
"I see how you woe all the girls parading in here during the night," she said, rolling her eyes but she came toward me and managed to climb in beneath the blanket and simultaneously kneeled above me. "What was it that you said? You have me overwhelmed, Rosie."
My hands automatically found her waist and smiled at the warmth of her bare skin. I rolled my head to the side, so I stared at the fire instead of looking at her teasing eyes. "Want to tell me about your night?"
Fingers brought my chin to the side so I looked up at her. Even if her lips were a little cold, they warmed right up when they connected with mine. Admittedly, there was a little squirming because her nose was freezing too. When she tangled one hand in my hair, I automatically pulled her closer, which kinda...maybe... might've...made her lose her balance so that she fell limp on top of me.
Jennie ended up just resting her head against my chest and managed to tangle her legs with mine and sighed.
"Admittedly, romance isn't my field of expertise," I said.
"You have candles surrounding us," she offered, curling her hand into my baggy t-shirt.
"Unlit candles, Jennie."
"I don't care," she mumbled, nuzzling into me. "You exceeded my expectations by keeping the fire Rosie?"
"Yup?"
"Did you just unclasp my bra? Successfully, without stumbling?"
"Accidentally."
"I was about to tell you how proud I was..."
"I'm sure I could do it again. I'll just clasp it back up..."
Jennie pulled back and smirked. "No, too late. You've sealed our fate."
I shrugged, grinning back up at her. "Darn. I accept the consequences."
_
There was something special about children in a nativity play, surrounded by friends and family who gathered together to celebrate reunions and something the kids worked hard on. No matter the quality of the acting, the stumbling over lines or that one kid who couldn't quite pitch their singing as their classmates did, it left people smiling and that's what mattered.
Everyone was forced to sit on these little chairs, made for people under the age of nine, knees awkwardly perched in front of them, like giants who didn't fit into the land that was the school grounds.
The walls were covered with scribbles and stick figures, coloured in the festive spirit, of course. The innocent snowmen and reindeer looking down upon us made the whole place magical.
Jennie somehow managed to secure seats in the front row, and by somehow I mean she slipped some candy canes to a kid who was in charge of the seating arrangements. The little boy blushed as he accepted the bribe and had taken her hand to show her to our seats.
"I can feel your mom looking at us," I whispered, leaning close to Jennie.
"That's paranoia talking, Rosie," she whispered back.
I glanced over my shoulder, attempting to be subtle about my spying but ended up looking directly into Moiré's eyes, forcing me to hiss out, "Jennie."
Her eyebrows furrowed as she made sure the camera was situated correctly on her lap. "What?"
I chewed on my inner cheek. "She's literally making her hands smooch. That is not paranoia."
Jennie shifted so the camera on her lap still faced the play and looked directly at me. "So?"
"Am I missing something? Did you tell her about us?"
"Rosie, she's been telling me for years to get my feelings out there."
"For years?"
"For years."
"Oh. So you told her?"
"No, no I didn't."
"Oh my God, is this her way of telling me to make a move?"
A slow and wonderous smile took over her face. "Are you?"
I blinked. "What?"
"Are you going to make a move, Rosie?"
I chewed on my inner cheek, overwhelmed by Jennie leaning closer and closer until I jerked back and snatched her camera from her lap and busied myself by looking through it. The hum that vibrated through her, the knowingness that oozed from her low chuckles, made my head dizzy and cheeks redder than the rosy cheeks of Santa Claus.
It wasn't like I didn't want to kiss the life out of Jennie. Because, boy, I did. But in front of her parents? Nah. She taunted me, teased me and we both knew the offer wasn't truly on the table. Besides, the innocence of her linking her smallest finger with mine was something that made me grin, feeling like a six year old with a crush, that just dibs this girl as mine.
The room eventually cooled down, especially when both our attention was fixated on Ella, dressed in pale blue and white, singing as she held a baby doll in her hands. The high and smooth voice made those who were bored out of their minds, sit up that little bit straighter.
And then it was over.
And I was caught by the sleeve and dragged outside.
And I was a little...nervous.
"Hey... Merry Christmas..."
"Rosie," Moiré, aka, Mrs Kim said, offering out a pile of plastic wrapping. "Pull on the other end, will you?"
"We're outside because you wanted to pull a cracker?"
"Of course, we need space to do it properly. Why else would we be out in the cold?"
"Um. No reason. Other reason, I mean. None."
"Now, pull." The woman wore a blinding smile as she practically hauled my body away from the wall I leaned against in her haste to win the game. She won and chuckled as she positioned my body upright again. "You were never that great at this game."
"And that is the reason you play against me every year."
"Perhaps." Moiré looked behind her shoulder and back to me. "We got your card."
"Oh."
"Yours and my daughters."
"Like every year."
"Like every year," she echoed, narrowing her eyes. "This year, it's going to change. I cannot sit idly by and watch as you pine over my daughter, missing your mouth when you attempt to eat turkey because she happened to smile at you. I won't allow it."
I swallowed. "Does that mean, no turkey?"
Moiré placed her hand on my forearm, sighing. "You will get your turkey."
"Oh, thank God."
"Not that I'm arranging...anything...but you will be marrying my daughter."
"I haven't proposed yet."
"Yet...you mean..."
"Mom!" Jennie called, at the door of the school.
"Are you planning to propose?" Moiré hissed into my ear.
"I mean..."
"You're skipping steps, my dear. Don't you think?"
Jennie strolled up to us, ignoring the looks on our faces and pulled me into her, planting a kiss on my lips. "You can stop meddling now, mom. There. It's done."
Moiré gaped at her daughter. "You're together and you didn't tell me?"
I cleared my throat. "I should go."
"The string of betrayal comes as much from my daughter as from you, Rosie."
"I think Ella's calling for me."
"Betrayal!" she shouted after me. "Absolute betrayal."
"Mom, stop making a scene."
"Betrayal."
"Mom, stop."
"Now I have a keen sense of what trust issues feel like," I heard her tell her daughter.
I looked at them both from the school's door, hugging and bickering at each other, smiling.