"Yes, mom," Karina rolled her eyes, looking over at the girl in the passenger seat. "We just left the airport. We'll see you soon."
"You'll see, mom, I told you," Karina bit her lip and glanced over at Winter. The smaller girl in the passenger seat smiled softly. "Alright mom, I've got to drive. I'll see you soon."
Karina laughed softly once she hung up, setting her phone in the cupholder and lacing Winter's fingers with hers with her free hand.
"You look nervous," Winter tilted her head to the side slightly, letting her loose waves fall over her shoulders. "Are you nervous?"
Karina shrugged and turned her attention back to the road, following the familiar route to her childhood home. "A little, yeah. I have no reason to be, though."
"It will be fun, right?" Winter traced her fingers around Karina's wrist absentmindedly.
"Of course," Karina smiled. "You get to meet my crazy family." Winter giggled and flipped Karina's hand over, tracing circles in her palm.
Weeks had passed since Winter's acquittal. The seasons had changed, leaving a light blanket of snow across the ground in New York. In Seoul, however, it was practically the same temperature. It was uncomfortable outside no matter how many layers you were wearing.
After she was released, Winter was required to begin routine therapy appointments. At first, the smaller girl had been hesitant. But with ushering from Karina, and time, the bi-weekly visits began to show progress.
She'd never be back to 100% normal. But as her doctor had said, there was always room for improvement.
One of Karina's main concerns had been her and Winter's relationship. She talked to Winter's therapist right off the bat, firing question after question at the middle aged woman.
What she'd walked away with was a never ending list of medical terms, which basically explained to Karina that yes, Winter was capable of love. And a relationship was fine as long as things were taken at a slow pace, and Winter was well aware of where things were going.
Winter was aware. Definitely aware. When Karina had discussed the future with her, she was met with a babbling Winter, going on and on about what they would name their children, and what color they would paint their house. (Yellow, obviously)
The thought of spending the rest of her life with Winter gave Karina butterflies every time she thought about it. But she could wait. The more people she met on a daily basis, the more she realized how much she needed Winter.
And now, here they were. Weeks later, holding hands in the car on the way to Karina's childhood home. Karina's mother invited Karina and her 'mystery girlfriend' to spend Christmas with them.
So yes, Karina was nervous. Extremely nervous. She had no idea how her parents would react when they find out who the mystery girl actually was. Because as far as they knew, Karina still hated Winter with every bone in her body.
"Here we are," Karina smiled nervously. She squeezed Winter's hand and nodded towards the house on the corner of the street. A group of small children were gathered on the front lawn, kicking around an inflatable beach ball.
"I like it," Winter smiled widely, sitting up straighter to get a better view of the house. Karina parked the car on the side of the road and took a deep breath, turning to Winter.
"Y'ready?" She asked, biting her lip. Winter nodded.
"Are you," she rebutted, catching onto the fact that Karina was more nervous than she had admitted to being.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Karina crinkled her nose and kissed Winter's hand. "C'mon." She unlocked the car and slid out of her seat.
"Karina!" A small blonde child squealed, breaking away from the group and running towards the older girl.
"Hey there, munchkin," Karina laughed, catching the child who practically jumped into her arms. "You got so much taller!"
"Yeah! Mommy says it's cause' I eat my 'bedgetables," the smaller girl giggled and wrapped her arms around Karina's neck. "Did you know that Santa's coming tonight? He's gonna bring me a b-,"
The small child quickly hushed and Karina raised an eyebrow. She turned around, realizing the girl had been staring at Winter, who stood shyly behind them.
"Chae," Karina smiled softly and motioned for Winter to come closer. "This is my friend Winter, can you say hi?"
"Wintttttter," Chae giggled and crinkled her nose. "Hi!"
"Hi," Winter smiled shyly, waving her hand. Karina smiled at her girlfriend and looked back at the child in her arms.
"Winter, this is Chae," she nodded to the blonde child. "She's my sister. Well, adopted."
"Her mother was one of my mom's clients at work. She passed away giving birth to her, and my mom wouldn't allow them to put her in foster care system," she laughed softly and ruffled Chae's hair. "She's six."
"Oh," Winter nodded once, thinking over what Karina had just said. "Her hair is yellow," she whispered, pointing to the wavy blonde curls on Chae's head.
Karina laughed and nodded. She set Chae down on the ground, thinking she would rejoin her cousins on the front lawn. Instead, Chae grabbed Karina's hand and tugged her towards the end of the driveway.
"You have to see the chalk drawing I made 'nesterday!" Karina glanced back at Winter, giving her an apologetic smile before she was practically dragged away by the smaller child.
A few minutes later, Karina was finally able to peel herself away from the plethora of chalk drawings and made her way up the driveway. Chae skipped behind her contently.
Karina grew worried when Winter wasn't where she left her. She looked frantically around the yard, sighing in relief when she saw her girlfriend surrounded by children, wearing a wide smile on her face.
"Do not kill them," Winter shook her head and gently moved one of the boy's hands away from the flowers. "They will not be pretty if you kill them."
"Hey Wintttter, catch!" Chae tossed the beach ball in Winter's direction. The older girl laughed and hit the ball back. The children squealed excitedly and ran after the toy. It was bounced back in Winter's direction, and soon a game of catch was in full swing.
Laughing softly to herself, Karina jogged up the front steps and hesitantly rang the doorbell. Might as well get it over with. She glanced back at Winter, who was currently on the ground with a pile of children giggling excitedly on top of her. She had to stifle her laugh when she heard footsteps approaching. The door swung open moments later.
"Oh look! it's Karina and...." her mother's voice trailed off when she realized Karina was alone. Or so she thought. Karina glanced back at Winter, who had just freed herself up to her feet and tossed the beach ball back across the yard.
"Oh my god," her mother gasped under her breath. Karina's breath caught in her throat when she felt herself being tugged inside, jumping when the door slammed shut behind them.
"You brought a murderer to dinner?!" her mother practically yelled, motioning to the front door. "And where's your girlfriend?"
Karina bit her lip. "She's not a murderer," she said quietly, glancing out the window worriedly. "And that's her. Winter's my girlfriend."
"Karina, there's articles all over town about her killing her uncle! You're kidding, right?" Karina shook her head slowly.
"Mom, I can explain, she's b-,"
"Yooji?!"
Karina's eyes widened and she made a move to grab the doorknob. She felt as if her mother's eyes were burning a hole in the back of her head and took a deep breath, opening the door.
"Jeong, I'm right here," she waved her arm, catching Winter's attention. The small girl sighed in relief and ran over to her girlfriend, grabbing her forearm and standing close by her side.
"Uh, mom," Karina cleared her throat and tugged Winter inside the house. "I'd like you to meet Winter. Winter, this is my mom."
"Hi," Winter smiled softly, offering a small wave. Karina held her breath when her mother didn't respond. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she turned back to Winter and squeezed her hand.
"You can go back out and play, I've got to talk to my mom for a little. Okay?"
"M'kay," Winter hummed, giving Karina a soft smile. The older girl kissed Winter's cheek innocently and watched as she wandered back onto the front lawn. She was instantly surrounded by kids once more, begging her to play with them. Karina laughed softly, but her laughter quickly faded when she turned back to her mom and saw the look on her face.
"I don't approve of this at all, Karina," her mother crossed her arms and shook her head.
"Just let me explain," Karina shook her head and paced back and forth for a few moments. Her mother looked at her expectantly.
"You know about the car accident," Karina cleared her throat and anxiously ran a hand through her hair. "She doesn't even remember most of high school, and... her uncle wasn't... he was abusive. The whole 'murder' thing... she was trying to protect herself. They think it misfired when she was struggling to get the gun away from him... and..." Karina looked down at her shoes and took a deep breath.
"This is ridiculous, Karina," her mother sighed and shook her head. "She's practically psychotic."
"Don't you dare," Karina's head snapped up, glaring at her mother. "You don't even know her."
"I still don't approve of this," her mother crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at Karina.
"Well you better deal with it," Karina snapped. She'd never been one to talk back, so her words had even surprised her. Her mother didn't respond. Karina didn't let her. The door slammed behind her before her mother had a chance to protest.
Karina exhaled heavily, running a hand through her hair and scanning the yard. She locked eyes with Winter, and the smaller girl immediately knew something was wrong.
"Ji?" she tilted her head to the side and jogged over to her girlfriend. "Are you okay? You look sad."
"M' fine," Karina shook her head. "Just nervous."
"Do you need a hug?" Winter smiled shyly and outstretched her arms. Karina giggled and wrapped her arms around Winter. The smaller girl hummed contently and kissed Karina's cheek when they pulled away.
"Are you best friends?"
Both girls jumped, looking down at the smaller blonde girl next to them. Chae tilted her head to the side, expecting an answer.
"Winter's my girlfriend," Karina said softly, kneeling down next to Chae.
"Girlfriend?" Chae glanced up at Winter and then back to Karina.
"Yeah..." Karina bit her lip, trying to think of an explanation.
"Yes," Winter spoke up. "Some girls like girls, and some boys like boys. That is okay. If it makes you happy, it is okay. Right?" She glanced over to Karina, who was blushing slightly.
"Right," Karina nodded once.
Chae looked back and forth between them for a moment, thinking over what they had just said. "Okay!" she smiled, grabbing Karina's hand. "Come play with me!" she reached over and took hold of Winter's hand as well. "You too, Winttttter."
"That was easier than I thought," Karina bit her lip, glancing back at the door. She followed Winter and Chae over to the group of kids, greeting her cousins.
-
"Tag!" Winter giggled, hopping out from behind a tree and tapping Karina's shoulder. The older girl jumped, turning around and clasping her hand over her heart.
"You scared me!" she raised her eyebrows at the giggling girl. "That's unfair."
"You are it!" Winter crinkled her nose. Karina shook her head and took a step towards Winter.
"You better run then," she smirked. Winter squealed and took off down the yard, following the group of children running in the same direction.
"Jeong, look!" Karina called. Winter turned around, looking from side to side to try and see what Karina was pointing out. Moments later, she was practically tackled to the ground.
"Tag," Karina smirked, holding the girl in her lap and laying back on the grass to catch her breath.
"That was not fair," Winter giggled, rolling onto her back next to Karina. "You tricked me!"
"Payback," Karina laughed.
"Get 'em!"
Karina and Winter exchanged glances when they heard a stampede of footsteps in their direction. Before they could react, the group of children piled on top of them, giggling incessantly.
"Choking, not breathing!" Karina laughed, struggling to push herself into a sitting position. She peeled Chae off of Winter and tickled the small child into submission.
"You guys are ruthless!" Karina poked her sister's nose, making Chae laugh and sit down in the grass next to the other kids.
"You saved me," Winter giggled, standing up and brushing the grass off of her pants. Karina hopped to her feet as well, running a hand through her hair.
"I guess I won," Karina teased, taking a step closer to Winter and lacing their fingers together. "I think the winner deserves a kiss," she smirked, turning and pointing to her cheek. Before Winter could reciprocate, though, Karina's eyes land on the person standing in the driveway.
"Dad?" Karina breathed, squeezing Winter's hand to signify her to stop. The smaller girl pulled back and followed Karina's eyes to the man in the driveway.
"I'll be right back," Karina bit her lip, giving Winter an apologetic smile before jogging over to her father.
"I can explain," she breathed, studying his face nervously. "I'm sorry if I w-,"
"I talked to your mother," he said, glancing at Winter. Karina nodded, biting her lip. This wasn't going to end well.
"I'm sorry," she shook her head and looked down.
"Y'know I was gonna come out here and talk to you about this," he said, cupping the back of his neck with his hand. "But then I saw you..." he nodded in Winter's direction. "With her. And I guess what I'm trying to say is... I think you're perfectly capable of making your own decisions."
Karina looked up in shock. "Wh-what?"
"Your mother... give her some time. She's just not used to you being all grown up," he continued. "I can't say that I'm completely comfortable with this, but I think everyone deserves a chance, right?"
"Thank you," Karina let out a breath she'd been holding in. "You'll love her, I promise," she smiled shyly before pulling her father in a big hug.
"I trust you," he chuckled, squeezing her shoulder when they pulled away from the hug. Karina took her bottom lip in between her teeth and glanced behind her.
"Jeong," she motioned for the smaller girl. Winter looked up, smiling softly and jogging over to the two figures in the driveway. Karina snaked an arm around her girlfriend's waist and pulled her into her side.
"Dad, this is Winter," she nodded towards the younger girl. "My girlfriend."
"It's nice to meet you, Winter," her father smiled warmly, extending his hand for Winter to shake. The smaller girl grinned, holding out her fist and looking at him expectantly. Karina held back her laughter.
"You're supposed to bump it," Winter whispered, moving her fist back and forth. Karina just nodded at her father, signifying him to go along with it.
He bumped his fist against Winter's, and the smaller girl made an exploding noise with her mouth, looking at Karina proudly. Karina bit her lip, glancing back at her father and studying his face. She breathed a sigh of relief when he laughed softly.
"Your mother made a huge Christmas Eve dinner," her dad chuckled, nodding towards the front door. "I didn't even know that was a thing, honestly." he noticed the nervous look on Karina's face.
"C'mon girls, I'll take you to the dining room," he gave Karina a supportive nod. She sighed softly, keeping her arm around Winter's waist and following her father in the house.
"Wait for us, Wintttter!" One of the younger boys called, forgetting their game of catch and following the other children into the house.
"The dining room is this way," Karina giggled when Winter started going up the stairs. "You've gotta meet everyone."
"Oh," Winter smiled and hopped back down next to Karina, lacing their fingers together and following her do wn the hallway. "Meet who?"
"My mom's side of the family always comes and stays at our house the night before Christmas so we can wake up and open our presents together," Karina explained, turning the corner and walking into the dining room.
"Rina!" her brother hopped up from his spot at the table and wrapped his arms around his sister. "You look different."
"Minus the extra human I have attached to me, I don't think I've changed much," Karina laughed, holding up her and Winter's interlocked fingers. Junsu raised an eyebrow, studying the girl Karina had brought with her.
"Hi," Winter smiled shyly, holding out her fist in between them. Junsu eyed Karina questioningly, but bumped his fist with Winter's. She made an exploding noise with her mouth before giggling quietly.
Junsu exchanged glances with Karina. "I like this one," he nodded once in approval. Karina laughed, crinkling her nose and ruffling her brother's hair.
"I do too, kiddo," she turned to Winter and placed a kiss on her cheek, just in time for her mother to walk in the room with a plate of food. She didn't even glance in Karina's direction. Karina swallowed nervously.
"Hungry?" Karina raised an eyebrow at Winter, who was eyeing the food on the table. Winter nodded and tugged on Karina's hand, pulling her over to sit down.
"I wanna sit next to Wintttter!" Chae giggled, running into the dining room and scrambling to crawl atop the chair next to Winter.
"Looks like someone made a new friend," A man sitting across the table smiled at Chae. Winter glanced at Karina nervously.
"That's my uncle Mark," Karina explained with a soft laugh. She saw Winter's face freeze and quickly grabbed her hand. "He's not a bad uncle, Jeong."
"Oh," Winter took a deep breath. Karina ran her thumb over the back of her hand to try and comfort her. "He is good?"
"Yeah, see?" Karina turned to face him. "Uncle Mark, this is Winter. My girlfriend." Winter smiled shyly.
"So that's who Lucas was talking about," the man laughed, extending his hand. "He kept going on and on about 'Wintttter', who was the coolest girl he knew," he chuckled. Winter smiled widely and held out her fist.
"You're supposed to bump it," Karina laughed, noticing his confusion. He nodded in understanding and bumped Winter's fist, causing the girl to make an exploding noise and smile proudly.
"Lucas! Come sit next to me and Wintttttter!" Chae waved to the smaller boy that had just entered the dining room. Soon, Karina's relatives began filling the empty chairs around the table and engaging one another in conversation.
Surprisingly, everyone seemed more than welcoming to Winter. Except for Karina's mother, that was. Throughout the entire meal, she would barely look in their direction. Karina was thankful that Winter didn't notice this.
"How's school going, Rina?" Her father spoke up about halfway through the meal. Karina took a sip from her drink and shrugged.
"My professor moved me up to the advanced class," she smiled shyly. Winter glanced over at Karina happily.
"She thinks she is bad, but she is very good," Winter spoke up, twirling her fork around her fingers. "I watch her."
"I think that's a very common trait among most artists," her dad chuckled. Karina crinkled her nose at Winter, who giggled and looked away.
"You better be focusing on your education, Karina," her mother spoke up for the first time since they sat down. She glanced from Karina to Winter and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, she is," Winter spoke before Karina could. "She is not allowed to cuddle until she does her homework, I said so." Karina's face grew bright red.
Karina's mother kept quiet for the rest of the meal, and Karina had to hold back her laughter over the fact that Winter had unknowingly shattered all of her mother's suspicions.
"Mommy, can me and Lucas go to the creek?" Chae spoke up, pointing to her empty plate and then to the child sitting next to her. "Please?"
"You can't go all by yourselves, and I don't think a-,"
"I can go," Junsu stood up, wiping off his hands. Chae and Lucas squealed excitedly, hopping out of their chairs and running towards the back door.
"Yu Chaeyoung, listen to your brother!" Her mother called after her. The small girl hummed in agreement, and moments later the three pairs of footsteps disappear outside. Karina laughed softly at their excitement.
Soon, everyone finished their meal and Karina's mother began carrying plates into the kitchen. Winter got up quietly, wandering into the other room. Karina quickly followed her, pausing at the doorway.
"Do you need help?" Winter asked shyly, tapping on Karina's mother's shoulder. The woman turned around and raised an eyebrow at Winter.
"I've got it," she said coldly, turning back around and leaving Winter standing there quietly. Karina quickly jumped in.
"Let's go outside, Jeong," she said softly, grabbing her girlfriend's arm. "It's too nice out to stay cramped up inside." Winter just nodded and allowed Karina to lead her out the back door.
"She does not like me," Winter said softly once the door closed behind them. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Of course not," Karina sighed and shook her head. She laced their fingers together and led Winter towards the old swing set in their backyard. "She just needs some time."
"We can give her that," Winter nodded once, sitting down on one of the swings next to Karina. She reached out and found her hand once more, swinging back and forth slowly. "I was just trying to help her."
"I know, Jeong," Karina sighed. "My dad really seems to like you, though. And Junsu. And Chae. And everyone else," she squeezed Winter's hand, making the other girl laugh.
"I never gave you your prize," Winter realized, standing up and walking in front of Karina with a soft smile on her face.
"My prize?"
Winter nodded, placing her hands on Karina's knees and leaning down. "Yes. You won tag, so you get a kiss," she giggled softly before leaning in and capturing the brown eyed girl's lips within her own.
Meanwhile, two pairs of eyes watched them quietly down the kitchen window.
"She loves her."
Karina's mother, Sunmi, whipped her head around to look at her husband. "What?" She raised an eyebrow, worry in her voice.
"Karina," he nodded, pointing to the two girls on the swings. Winter had sat back down and they were holding hands, giggling about something. "She loves her."
"And how do you know?" Sunmi put a hand on her hip, craning her neck to get a better view of her daughter.
"I just do," Min shrugged. "When I first saw her, there was something about the way she looked at that girl. I couldn't put my finger on it at first. But I've never seen her like this with anyone else."
"You sure?"
"Positive," he nodded once and leaned against the counter.
Sighing, Sunmi turned to him and ran a hand through her hair. "I just don't want her to get hurt."
"She's old enough to make her own decisions," Karina's father shrugged. "I'm not too worried. Winter seems like a good kid. I trust my daughter's judgment."
Sunmi just sighed and turned back to the dishes, glancing at the girls outside once more.
"Do you know what today is?" Karina drew her bottom lip between her teeth, remembering Christmas Eve also happened to be the day Winter had lost her parents. She couldn't imagine having such a tragic accident before what was supposed to be a happy holiday.
Winter tilted her head to the side slightly and thought for a moment. "Tomorrow is Christmas?" She said questioningly.
"Yeah, but..." Karina took a deep breath. "It's the anniversary of your parents... their accident..." she bit her lip. Winter thought for a few moments.
"Do you think... they would like me?" She asked quietly. Karina reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Winter's ear and nodded.
"Of course they would, silly," she gave her a soft smile. "You're their daughter. And you're a pretty awesome person, too."
"But I am..." Winter looked down at her shoes and shuffled them in the grass while she formed her next words. "I am broken."
Karina's heart dropped in her chest and she quickly shook her head. "You are far from broken, Winter," she turned slightly and cupped the girl's face in her hands. "Listen to me, okay?"
Winter nodded softly.
"You are not broken, okay? You're Winter. That's all you are. You can't define yourself with a word someone else made up," Karina ran her thumb over the girl's cheek. "It's up to you to define who Winter is. And she's not broken."
"Yooji," Winter looked up at the sky.
"I'm not finished," Karina grabbed Winter's hand to try and get her attention, but the smaller girl was staring up at the sky. A moment later, she felt a raindrop on her arm. Then another, then another, and another.
Soon it was drizzling lightly, Winter giggled and turned back to Karina, wiping her eyes.
"Karina!"
Both girls jumped when they heard a scream from behind them. Two figures broke through the woods, running towards them.
"Junsu?" Karina stood up quickly. The rain began picking up speed. Winter shuffled silently behind Karina just as Junsu and Lucas caught up to them.
"Chae's gone," Junsu panted, leaning over and putting his hands on his knees.
"What?" Karina raised her eyebrows, scanning the yard to see if they were playing a joke.
"I don't know, we turned around and she was gone. We called her name and looked around but we couldn't find her anywhere," Junsu shook his head and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You have to help us."
"I've got to tell mom," Karina shook her head, jogging inside and wiping the raindrops from her forehead.
"Mom? Dad?" She called once she was in the kitchen. She heard footsteps behind her signifying that she'd been followed.
"Karina, what's up?" Her mother hurried into the room, noting the worry in her daughters voice.
"Chae's lost in the woods somewhere," Karina bit her lip. Her father appeared in the room moments later. After explaining to them what she'd learnt from Junsu, her father dialed the police on his phone.
Karina could hear the steady downpour of the rain outside and bit her lip. A clap of thunder made her jump and she immediately turned to comfort Winter.
But she wasn't there.
Karina's stomach instantly dropped and she turned to Junsu. "Where's Winter?" She asked, holding her hands out in front of her and looking at him desperately.
"I don't know," he shook his head and glanced outside, where the sky was growing darker. "She didn't come inside with us."
"Shit," Karina shook her head and pushed past him. "Shit, shit, shit," she ran outside, ignoring the pouring rain. Where could Winter had gone? She was just by her side a second ago. This wasn't good.
"Winter?!" She cried, trying to make her voice heard over the beating of the rain. "Chae?!" She pushed her way through the woods, trying to retrace the path Junsu and the kids had taken to the stream.
This reminded of her too much of the first day Winter had been with them, where Karina had found her in the woods at the park. Except now, there was more for her to lose.
She continued calling out their names, trying to cover every inch of the woods behind her house. Another clap of thunder sent her scrambling backwards, nearly falling. She grabbed onto a tree to regain her balance.
"Yu Jimin!" She heard a voice boom over the storm and bit her lip.
"Yeah?!" She called, cupping her hands over her mouth.
"You need to come inside!" Her father yelled. Karina jogged to the clearing of the woods, hugging her arms around her torso when she saw her father waiting for her.
"I can't, I have to go f-," she was interrupted.
"It's not safe to be out here, Karina, the police are on their way," he grabbed her arm and started leading her inside. Karina glanced back at the woods, feeling her stomach boil in anxiety.
A towel was immediately wrapped around her shoulders when they made it back to the house. She shivered and walked back over to the door, watching the rain pour down and drip down the glass windows.
"We have to go find them!" Karina threw the towel down and turned around, facing her family, who had gathered in the kitchen. "What if someone got them? Or.... Or...."
She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut and falling down to her knees. She couldn't lose Winter again. Winter hated storms. She wouldn't be in one voluntarily. The whistling of the strong wind outside didn't help to calm her nerves, either.
"Honey, you should sit down," her mother ushered her into the living room, making her sit down on the couch. Karina took a deep, shaky breath, glancing out the window once more.
She watched her other family members doing the same as she was, watching out the window for any sign of life. Karina's hands shook, and she clenched them in fists to try and calm herself down.
Suddenly, the lights flickered, causing the smaller children to squeal. A few seconds later, the entire house was encased with darkness. Karina inhaled sharply, blinking a few times and looking around the dark room.
"It's okay!" One of her uncles called, shining his phone flashlight around the room. "It's just a power outage. No big deal."
Karina swallowed hard and buried her head in her knees, willing Winter to be okay. A noise made her whip her head up.
"It's them!" Someone called. Karina immediately jumped to her feet, running into the kitchen just as someone slid open the glass door. Seconds later, Winter stumbled into the kitchen with Chae in her arms, falling to her knees as soon as everyone crowded around her.
Chae was almost instantly carried off by the adults. Karina ran to Winter's side, sliding down to her knees next to her girlfriend.
"Oh my god, Winter? Are you okay?" Karina brushed the wet hair out of her girlfriend's face. Winter was soaking wet from head to toe, shivering violently.
"Y-yeah," Winter nodded slowly, wiping her eyes. "It is c-c-cold," she shivered, teeth chattering.
Without another word, Karina stood up, scooping Winter into her arms. The smaller girl wrapped her arms around Karina's neck and shivered.
"What were you thinking?" Karina asked, carrying her down the hallway and up the stairs. Carefully, she led them to her old bedroom, laying Winter down on the queen sized bed. The room was dimly lit by what little light was left outside.
"I had to help," Winter wiped her eyes. She sat up slowly, wrapping her arms around her torso and biting her lip.
Karina sighed, walking over to her dresser and pulling out a change of clothes. She laid them on the bed next to Winter and motioned for the girl to lift her arms.
"You could've gotten hurt," Karina said, peeling Winter's wet shirt off of her torso and helping her slid into a dry hoodie of hers.
"I know," Winter played with the sleeves of the hoodie, thinking for a moment. "But I did not want her to get hurt, either. I had to help."
"Where did you find her?" Karina asked, biting her lip and slowly pulling Winter to her feet. She helped the smaller girl step into a clean pair of pajama pants.
"She was hurt," Winter pointed to her head. "But she woke up when I was carrying her."
"Her head?" Karina asked. Winter nodded.
"She was bleeding. But only a little bit," Winter made a pinching motion with her fingers and shivered slightly.
"Cold?" Karina raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Winter laughed softly. "Very."
Karina gave her a soft smile, overwhelmingly thankful that both Winter and her sister were alright. She quickly changed out of her wet clothes and into a pair of pajamas, making sure to keep her torso hidden.
A clap of thunder made both girls jump. Winter whimpered, looking around the dark room nervously. Karina jogged into her bathroom, fishing around in her cabinets until she found what she needed.
She set the candle on the small table beside her bed, lighting a match and holding it above the wick. Once the candle caught flame, she flicked out the match and threw it away. Now the room was slightly better lit.
The second Karina sat down on the bed, she was pulled closer to Winter, who practically crawled into her lap. Laughing softly, Karina laid down and Winter immediately laid her head on her chest, curling up next to her.
"Still cold?" Karina asked, feeling the small girl shivering beside her. Winter nodded slowly, and seconds later Karina tugged a blanket over both of them.
"Thank you, Yooji," Winter sighed softly, burying her head in Karina's neck. The older girl ran her fingers up and down Winter's spine absentmindedly.
"M' gonna have to get used to you being more independent, aren't I?" Karina laughed softly.
"Yes," Winter giggled, moving her wet hair out of her face. "But I will still be yours," she lifted her head, kissing Karina's cheek gently. The older girl blushed.
"That's all I ask," Karina poked Winter's nose and laughed. Winter crinkled her nose, turning over and burying her head in the pillow. Karina realized she wasn't shivering anymore, and sighed thankfully.
A buzzing sound appeared, just as the lights flickered back on. Karina sat up and blinked a few times to adjust to the bright light. Just as Winter sat up, the door of her bedroom opened slowly.
"Is she okay?" Karina's mom asked, slipping into the room and nodding in Winter's direction. Karina was thoroughly surprised.
"Yeah, just a little shaken up," Karina smiled softly, taking Winter's hand in her own to comfort the younger girl. "Is Chae okay? What happened?"
"She said she was playing where she wasn't supposed to and slipped, I guess she hit her head and fell," Karina's mother sat down on the opposite side of the bed. "Winter must've found her passed out somewhere."
Karina glanced over at Winter and gave her a comforting smile. The younger girl returned the gesture, crinkling her nose playfully.
"Thank you, Winter," Sunmi turned to look at Karina's girlfriend. "I think I owe you an apology."
"It is okay," Winter shrugged. "Thank you, you're welcome."
Sunmi glanced at Karina, who just shrugged and giggled. Karina was surprised when her mother turned back to Winter and held out her fist. Winter tilted her head to the side.
"I thought you were supposed to bump it?" Karina's mother smirked. Winter's face lit up and she glanced at Karina before bumping her fist with Sunmi's and making her signature exploding noise with her mouth.
'Thank you' Karina mouthed to her mother, who just gave her an understanding nod.
"I guess I'll see you girls in the morning," Sunmi nodded, standing up. "Get some rest now, Santa's coming," she laughed, leaning down and kissing Karina's forehead.
"Goodnight, Winter," Sunmi smiled, kissing the top of Winter's head and giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze. Karina's jaw nearly dropped open, and both her and Winter exchanged glances once they were alone once more.
"You really know how to win Yu women over," Karina teased, winking at Winter. The smaller girl giggled shyly.
Karina fell back on the bed, tugging Winter's arm to make the smaller girl do the same. They had just snuggled up against one another when they heard footsteps approaching the door. Karina groaned and sat up quickly.
"Shhh," the smaller child peered her head through the door and shut it quietly behind her. "I'm a'posta be sleeping," Chae giggled, looking at the two girls on the bed.
"Hey munchkin," Karina patted the space on the bed between them. Chae smiled happily, crawling next to them and sitting cross-legged. "How do you feel?"
"Good! It's all better, see?" Chae pointed to the pink bandaid on her forehead. "Winttttter saved me," she smiled, pointing to the other girl on the bed.
"I know she did," Karina smiled, squeezing Winter's hand. "Did you thank her?"
"Oh yeah!" Chae practically tackled Winter into a hug, giggling quietly. "Thank you, Winttttter."
"You are welcome," Winter laughed. Karina pulled her back into a sitting position and kissed her cheek.
"Did you know that tomorrow is Christmas? I asked for a bike, and a castle, and a dog, and a horse," Chae began, counting off her list of presents on her fingers. Karina yawned, and Winter noticed this.
"You should go to sleep, then," Winter looked at the smaller girl. "Santa is going to come soon, right?" She turned and winked at Karina, who had stifle her laughter.
"Right!" Chae nodded once. "I better go back to bed," she giggled and crawled off the bed. "Goodnight, Kaaaaaarina. Goodnight, Winttttter." She gave them both a kiss on the cheek, pausing by Karina's face for a moment.
"I think you should marry her," she whispered, giggling as Karina's face turned bright red. Without another word, Chae scurried out of the bedroom and down the hallway.
"M' tired," Winter yawned, laying back down and looking up at Karina hopefully. "Sing?"
"Only for you," Karina said softly, leaning over to turn off the light before laying back on the bed next to Winter.
Take my hand and let go,
I just want you to know,
You're the only one that pulls me in,
You changed everything.
Like one small shaft of light,
Flooding into my eyes,
I will never see things just the same,
But I'm not afraid...
And all I have, doesn't seem so significant,
And at the drop of a hat,
I could leave almost everything,
That I've ever known, so here we go...
Step out in the wild,
There's a beautiful storm in your eyes,
We're perfectly intertwined
And if it's quite alright,
You could be my way of life.
Sea salt sits on your lips,
Birds fall earthward from cliffs,
Thought I couldn't do this but I'm fine,
'Cause you're by my side.
And all I have, it doesn't seem so significant
And at the drop of a hat
My whole world's getting different,
So here we go, off road.
And we take another step into the truly unknown,
Don't know why but it's somewhere that we have to go
And it's dangerously wonderful
So come on, come on, come on, come on...
Won't you step into the wild,
There's a beautiful storm in your eyes,
We're perfectly intertwined
And if it's quite alright,
You could be my way of life.
Karina finished the song knowing Winter had already fallen asleep. The smaller girl's breathing would slow down and her hands would slowly make their way under the sleeves of Karina's hoodie.
Something about this time of night made Karina nostalgic. Everything was calm and quiet, and she could hold Winter in her arms without any interruption. In these moments, she could forget all about the things they had endured for the past few months.
She sighed softly, pressing a soft kiss on the top of Winter's head. The smaller girl smelled like a mixture of rain and Karina's shampoo. With a soft smile, Karina allowed sleep to overtake her.
-
Karina was awoken by the sound of soft giggling. Before she had time to react, she heard a stampede of footsteps approach the bed. Moments later, she was tackled by a crowd of giggling children.
"Yooji, wake up!"
And Winter.
Groaning, Karina rolled over, only to be met with Winter, smiling widely. Chae and Lucas giggled, bouncing up and down on the bed.
"What are you doing up so early?" Karina turned to her younger sister, ruffling her hair. Chae giggled and shook her head.
"It wasn't me. It was Winttttter," Chae pointed to the caramel eyed girl sitting next to Karina.
"Santa came," Winter leaned down, whispering in Karina's ear.
Sitting up, Karina rubbed her eyes and caught sight of the clock. "At six o'clock in the morning?!" She gasped, widening her eyes at Winter. The smaller girl nodded contently.
Before Karina could say anything else, her bedroom door slowly opened.
"Oh good," Karina's mom smiled at her. "I thought I was going to have to drag you out of bed. Everyone's awake already, thanks to those three." She nodded towards Winter and the two children, who glanced at one another bashfully.
"Might as well get a head start on those presents, right?" Sunmi smirked. Chae and Lucas squealed excitedly, scrambling off of the bed and down the hallway. Winter hopped up to follow them, but Karina grabbed her wrist before she could.
"We'll be down in a second," Karina gave her mother a soft smile. Thankfully, Sunmi didn't question them. Once Karina's bedroom was closed again, Winter turned back around, pouting.
"Why did you stop me?" Winter tilted her head to the side and sat down at the edge of the bed. Karina just smiled and stood up, taking Winter's hands in her own.
"I wanted to give you your present first," she squeezed Winter's hands. The smaller girl's eyes lit up and stood on her tiptoes.
"Where is it?" She asked excitedly, looking around the room. Karina laughed and shook her head, letting go of Winter's hands and taking a step backwards.
Winter grew confused when Karina peeled off her hoodie, leaving her only in a tank top. Her eyes widened when Karina slipped the strap of her tank top downwards.
"Ouch," Winter shook her head, taking a step forwards and pressing her fingers underneath Karina's collarbone. "I do not understand," she said quietly, looking back up at Karina.
"It's a tattoo," Karina laughed softly and moved Winter's fingers off of her shoulder. "Remember the day you picked the flowers and I got mad at you?"
Winter thought for a moment before nodding softly. "You said I killed the pretty things."
"I was pretty mean back then," Karina admitted, biting her lip and looking back down at the tattoo. "But this is different." She reached out, taking Winter's hand and placing it back on top of the tattoo.
"Feel that?" She asked, smiling softly. Winter nodded.
"It is your heart," she tapped on Karina's chest. "Why?"
"They're two daisies, Winter," Karina pointed to her tattoo. "It's me and you. That way you can have your pretty things."
"Oh," Winter's lips slowly curved into a wide smile, and she traced the outline of the tattoo. "I love it," she giggled, looking up at Karina slowly.
"You do?" Karina bit her lip to hide her smile. Winter nodded immediately, tracing the outline of the flowers once more.
"Yes," Winter placed her hands on Karina's shoulders and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"I figured it could be like a promise ring," Karina shrugged. "But I know wearing jewelry bothers you, so I thought it'd mean more if I got something more permanent."
"A promise ring?" Winter tilted her head to the side and held up her pinky, remembering her version of a promise.
"Yeah," Karina giggled, interlocking their pinky's and keeping them intertwined. She swung their hands back and forth gently, and studied Winter's face. "It basically means that I promise to stick by your side no matter what happens."
"It's a promise to always be patient with you, even if sometimes it's hard for me to understand. It's a promise to sing to you no matter how tired I am. It's a promise to buy you as many yellow things your heart desires. It's a promise to hold you through as many thunderstorms that come our way. It's a promise to make us work."
Winter was smiling like an idiot by this point. She looked down shyly. "Really?"
"Of course," Karina kissed Winter's forehead and pressed their foreheads together. "It's us, kid. Always."
"You and me?" Winter met Karina's eyes hopefully.
"Yeah," Karina whispered. She found herself lost in Winter's eyes for a moment before she leaned in and gently connected their lips.
She felt sparks erupt the moment their lips met, and couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach when she felt Winter smile into the kiss. She pulled away, keeping their foreheads pressed together and gazing into Winter's eyes. It was at that point that Karina realized this was the happiest she'd felt in a long time.
"Me and you."
—