Be a single mom is tough, but she gets the approval from three special people so it’s more than enough.

Another tough thing is painting. Choice the perfect color for one specific draw and if a color doesn’t match well then is ruined. But have the pleasure of painting is almost unmatched, except when it’s overshadowed by being a mom.

Both are annoying and means effort.

Chaeyeon can live with one but she has both, too perfect to ask for more.

Wonyoung

Chaeyeon wipes the drops from her forehead while she is putting the last detail of the portrait of her daughter. Every trace, every line in the right place to create her precious angel that, probably, is running in the apartment looking for her best friend. Chaeyeon doesn’t worry too much, knowing that her daughter is in the right hands.

“Looking good?” Chaeyeon whispers, she feels the pressure of a warm paw on her cheek. “What do you think, Ricen?

Her head pulling aside, she looks at her rice ball nodding with a satisfied smile, but a little frown in the almost inexistent eyebrows. Her best friend since she was Wonyoung’s age is looking bigger but still fluffy for the first time she saw her.

The first time they met she believes it was a bunny, a very, very small one. Until her mom explains to her that she has that height because they usually rest in shoulder’s people. Because their short legs make it impossible for them to run as fast as people walk.

But she is adorable as the kiddo that is running into the apartment.

“I did your cousin too spongy?”

The rice ball nods and Chaeyeon took her brush again. Two touch-ups and then her rice ball is smiling again.

“Very demanding I see” Her neck was fluttering by the warm little body bangs her, Chaeyeon only sighs, “I know I know where you get that come from”

Chaeyeon smiles when the rice ball jumps from her shoulder to walk on the table, around the paint, ignoring the pencils and watercolors around the rest of the table except for the draw. The ball of non-existent fur pointed out a specific part of the toddler.

“What? That’s Wonyo’s hair” Chaeyeon took her pencil, she leaned in with the special glasses she uses to paint, “it’s not like- oh”

The beautiful brown hair of her daughter has a small white dot Chaeyeon didn’t know. Taking one of her colored pencils she starts to paint again once the rice ball leaps to the idle part table.

Once she finished the first portrait of her daughter, at this age at least, she does high five with rice ball who has a known smug smile.

“Mmm thanks for your great help, Ricen” Chaeyeon takes off her glasses and leaned in to kiss her rice ball, a sonorous kiss sound bounced in her studio, “we are a good team, pal”

A sniffle from the white ball made Chaeyeon laughs, her head throwing back and her body trembling. A singular lovely laugh that Chaeyeon loves to get.  

With a different attitude now she was on the work to paint something else. Whatever could be, even a couple of fruits seem a good option.

“Mommy!”

“Hmm?”

“What you doing?”

Chaeyeon holds a smile when by her glasses she sees Wonyoung on tiptoes to get a better view from the table but still, she cannot see too much.

“Come here, baby” Chaeyeon carries her in arms and placed her over the dirty-painted pants, “I was painting you because you are three now”

Wonyoung frowns but she shows her open palm with her cute row of teeth.

“No, Wannie” with a soft voice, Chaeyeon took a couple of the little fingers and put them down, “there’s three now”

“Three” Wonyoung whispers as she nods, trying to process it, her voice fluttering her mom’s heart. “I’m three?”

Fondly smiles never disappear when her daughter is in front of her eyes (except by the times she is playing with things she doesn’t have to but it’s a toddler after all). Seeing how both rice balls are looking at them, with the remarkable difference in size, even the smallest seemed to curl up against Ricen, learning what Wonyoung was doing at the time.

Another difference is the reaction.

Caressing the soft waves from the brown hair, Chaeyeon smiles when an idea pops up in her mind.

“Do you want to paint with me, Wannie?”

Wonyoung, with a bright gaze, turns her eyes to her mother, nodding vigorously and stretched her arms to get to hug Chaeyeon’s neck and baths her face with slimy kisses.

“…Good reward to me” Chaeyeon hugs the kiddo and rising with her in her arms, she heads toward the leaves, sketchbook, and notebooks that had blank sheets, “it’s your call, my love”

She was barely three years old and was already running around the place with great agility. It didn’t take her long to move from her place of painting to the living room.

They both have easels (Chaeyeon bought Wonyoung’s easel just weeks ago as a Christmas gift but it’s not so simple to take away from a kid's curiosity) and they were using Chaeyeon’s tools. Simply silence as the yellow color Chaeyeon has in the tip of the brush.

Looking a brief second by the corner of the eye, Chaeyeon smiles at the sight of Wonyoung singing while she is drawing (a sun she believes) even both rice balls have graffito and leaves in the carpet, painting circles and lines, nothing fancy but precious.

The time while she is drawing or painting is different, Chaeyeon doesn’t know what time is it when she was pulled by her treasures to give all the attention to her little girl. Her chest melting with a proud smile.

“Mommy, is good?”

Wonyoung lifted the drawing for her mother to take it and gives her an answer. The sun, both people in the middle of it, a car by aside, both white rice balls (who now ran to them to observe the drawing as well as Chaeyeon), and the Christmas tree near to them.

“You are an artist!” Chaeyeon leaned in to fill her entire baby face with kisses, just before she wrapped both arms around her, “You do the best drawings, Wannie!”

“I am!”

The soft giggles from her daughter always make her happy. Chaeyeon cannot avoid the feeling in her entire body when Wonyoung hugs her back.

“Mommy, paint more”

It was the first phrase to come from the toddler when Chaeyeon puts her back on the floor. And the painter was about to nod but then she looks at the different colors in the window.

“Wait, baby. What time is it?” Chaeyeon took her phone with a single hand, “It’s near yet… do you want to buy the Christmas dinner, baby?”

With their fingers entwine they walk around the sidewalk, the signs of a snowy day were already showing up carelessly. Chaeyeon had not stopped taking pictures since they went down the elevator. How she can’t? Wonyoung looking adorable in her white coat and hat that covered much of her ears. 

Their steps around the cold floor, talking about Wonyoung’s excitement for the school she was going to enter in a few months. Chaeyeon replying about something that buying school stuff, and with her ears open for whatever Wonyoung wants to share.

“Mommy, here” Wonyoung pulled her mom’s hand to get her attention.

Chaeyeon chuckles, nodding by the force she doesn’t know Wonyoung has when she pulled her into the supermarket while she is jumping. Chaeyeon had to pull her back to put the little hat properly. 

“Cute again.” The painter smiles when Wonyoung smiles as well, “Souly can come out of your pocket if you want”

No longer, the smallest rice ball was snuggling against Wonyoung’s neck, while they walk around the supermarket. Chaeyeon holding a shopping cart ready for bear products with Wonyoung sitting in the only frontal sit pointed out with her index finger all of what she wants to eat in two days.

Being careful not to use too much money, Chaeyeon takes her list from one of her pockets, marking with a pencil what is already in the cart. She smiles when Wonyoung waves her hand to other people and their rice balls. With the few words in her vocabulary, she explained to her own rice ball that there were many like her once the dot jumped into her pocket again.

“You can get off from there now, Ricen” Chaeyeon takes one of the colors noodle that as soon she was about to put into the shopping cart Wonyoung stretched both hands, “there are not many people… or are you sleeping?”

Only with a brief gaze, Chaeyeon can say that actually, her rice ball was sleeping, even with two paws, she covered her eyes while she is looking for a good position to sleep on her shoulder.

“Mommy, you buy a dinosaur?”

Wonyoung took her hands and tilts her head to one side to seem like the most adorable species on earth. Chaeyeon held a smile and she plants a short kiss over the hat.

“I’ll think about it, okay Wannie?”

Walking around the almost entire supermarket and their supermarket cart almost full, Chaeyeon knows that is the right time to go to pay for it. Singing with Wonyoung one of the songs that are flying in the air, Chaeyeon thinks is never boring while her daughter is by her side. Singing from the bottom of her heart, Wonyoung never fails to make her proud.

“Mommy,” Wonyoung pinched her shoulder with her small hands, but Chaeyeon only says ‘one second, Wannie’ still counting the money on a purple purse, “Mommy, ricen is away”

Chaeyeon giggles, because she knows is impossible. Rice balls never get away from their owners, never, under any cirscum-

“Ricen?” Chaeyeon shivers when her shoulders were empty, she cleared , trying not to look scary, “Wonnie, did you see Ricen?”

Wonyoung, with two left fingers, pointed out several steps from them. Chaeyeon knows that her neck will hurt hours later but now is not the deal that she is focused on.

The painter had to blink several times before locating her rice ball running away from her, avoiding most of the people that Chaeyeon doesn’t know where they come from. Running her hand over her locks, Chaeyeon wants not to hyperventilate or scary her own baby. With the heart in the throat, she takes the supermarket cart and with quick steps, she follows the same direction that that bold rice ball took.

“Ricen is fast” Wonyoung sings while Chaeyeon trying not to give the reason for any reason under her watch.

There were more people than when they came to the mall, but still, they didn’t miss the trail of surprise left by some people to see small cotton on the ground. Chaeyeon is grateful for having long legs.

One thought comes to her mind when she saw the small white dot at her sight.

She was totally wrong, she never sees one of those running so fast.

Her head is going around, lack of breath in her lungs, and the hottest in her feet because of the running. Chaeyeon bent her knees as she sought the missing air and returned the soul to her body when she saw the rice ball a few steps away.

“Ricen” Chaeyeon took the toddler’s hand over the cold metal. Wonyoung her back with her free hand. “Why—?”

Once her lungs have oxygen Chaeyeon took a deep breath she looks up. Over the last empty shelf, her ricen was curling up with another rice ball that Chaeyeon never saw in her entire life. Even she can feel the soft paws from Wonyoung’s rice ball get into her shoulder, which might have a good spot to see.

“How-?” Chaeyeon was speechless but she comes back to the earth when Wonyoung stretched her arms ‘Mommy, I wanna see’ “Did you know they can do that?”

But Wonyoung is too young to know (and she shook her head).

Since Chaeyeon had never seen two rice balls so close together, even hers and her daughter’s ended up at a distance apart because of who knows. She leaves Wonyoung in the same spot at the same time that the clumsy and desperate steps echoed in their direction.

Even if Chaeyeon wanted to move she wouldn’t because she doesn’t know what to do in that kind of situation.

“Windsor! Where are-?!”

A yell of a woman almost makes her trip if the supermarket cart wasn’t next to her. 

The surprise was obvious and Chaeyeon supposed that she is the owner of the other rice ball. Her gaze turns into a couple of rice balls that seems to ignore all in purpose.

The only phrase that comes from the other person that brings Chaeyeon to reality was:

 “I didn’t know that they can do that”

And she had never agreed more.

The woman by her side moves closer to the shelves and Chaeyeon sees the effort she is putting in to have a good view from the highest shelf, over the cereals, and with a better ear, Chaeyeon could hear what she was whispering.

“I’m sorry,” the short woman says turning around and with her steps glued to the floor, Chaeyeon has to lean in to see her straight the eyes, smiles friendly even when her gaze turns from fear to be gentle, “This is your rice ball?”

“… Did you know why they are together now?” her steps were more intimidating than her voice, Chaeyeon tilts her head to one side, “Oh, I believe the real problem is how apart they away”

Chaeyeon is as confused as her, even she looks to her daughter for some help but she just shrugs with a pout on her baby face. She sighs deeply looking for other places, even the other was in silence.

“I’ll try” Chaeyeon releases the little hand and her rice ball back with two fingers, getting well her attention. She smiles, “Ricen, we have to go, can you say goodbye to your friend and come with us?”

Ricen, who probably is pouting even if they can’t, shakes her head. But instead of stay, she drags herself to the shoulder of her owner. It takes no much time but Chaeyeon doubts if that was the right thing to do.

“Why are you sad?”

Chaeyeon looks at how Ricen goes for her shoulder and then slides to the nearest pocket. There’s no answer by the cotton ball and she looks up to the other woman. The blonde hair is a disaster, might the running, and when she tried to fix it with two fingers there still was some strands free. She was discussing with her own rice ball and even a loud sigh come from the other woman.

“I don’t know why I’m doing this” two steps more and they were a one-step of handshaking. Chaeyeon waits, patiently, “I’m sorry to bother you but my rice ball wants to see yours again”

“She wants?” Chaeyeon doesn’t know at what moment her own rice ball gets out from the large coat pocket to jump onto her shoulder. She looks at her with a frown thanks to the two lines over her orbs. “Do you too?”

The way she is curling up against her neck was enough to answer, but she keeps disputing with her rice ball that she didn’t notice that the unknown was closer and talking with Wonyoung. The winner was the eager rice ball who pats her owner’s neck.

“Fine” Chaeyeon smiles fondly and she looks for the woman who is supposed to be in front of her, “Hey?”

Turning around she found a peculiar view: Wonyoung playing with the other rice ball that seems to enjoy the attention, and smiling while she is smiling about what the unknown woman is saying. They were laughing and Chaeyeon is a bit confused.

“Miss?” Chaeyeon questioned and then she brings all the glazes to her. She nods, “I was talking with Ricen and she wants to see more to your rice ball, miss…”

“Eunbi” the shorter woman smiles one last time to the toddler who waves her hand, “your daughter is adorable”

Chaeyeon feels her chest filling with pride, but she replies with a modest thank you. Following their kind of weird new interaction, Chaeyeon gives her phone, and the recent new friend she just made in the supermarket saves her number in the red electronic devices.

“Thank you for being nice” Eunbi bows and smiles, a last glace to the smiling kid, “I hope I can see you again, Wonnie”

Chaeyeon sees the woman takes a corner and leaves her gaze. Then she returns her face to her daughter who was singing other of the songs in the air.   

“Everyone loves you” Chaeyeon comments taking again the supermarket cart and starts to move in the direction of the cash register, cursing in her mind the luck of seeing so many people in a row. She looked at the pocket and above the smile in the rice ball she growls, “And you have to not run away from me again”

It has to be a joke. It’s the only answer Chaeyeon gets when she sees the unfinished ceiling from the floor of the living room.

Her shoulder getting down even if she was just laying on the carpet. No matter if there’s some cold by the forgotten winter that seemed to go by leaps and bounds. Her gaze looking at the stars she starts at the beginning of December and still, in the middle of March is like she leaves it. Less than five stars and even she forgot to buy the luminous paint! Can you believe it? Because Chaeyeon can’t.

“Why do you want to look at her again?” It’s the sixth time in one hour that Chaeyeon is humming the same question, her gaze into that deception, not giving anything to her, “Why? Do you even want to talk to me?”

Ricen keeps facing her back to the painter, ignoring her most of the days.

“Ricen? Can you-?”

 But Chaeyeon only can see her back, why she has to be so complicated?

Right after finished the lunch and sold the last paints she has a desire to finish, offset the lack of feelings more than say goodbye to her child with a huge hug and a loud kiss (that works as healing to her) and the food is waiting for Wonnie.

Nothing new now.

“Why the stars seem that they want to make me feel guilty?”

Tears of helplessness all over her face, Chaeyeon has her forehead with nothing else than dust, but even when she wants to be painted with all the colors she was buying the last two months she doesn’t want to. And all is the fault of that other rice ball whose owner doesn’t make Chaeyeon sleep well.

It’s torture and Chaeyeon knows the solution but doing it is a big stretch.

“It’s only seeing her once” but met an unknown is not what she wants to do, even if she doesn’t want to anything.

The tingling in her arms was almost unbearable, if it weren’t for Wonyoung coming in a couple of hours, Chaeyeon wouldn’t get out of bed for a long day.

Eunbi, the woman who has a special touch with her child and even earned a smile from her precious angel, looks like a good person. And still, Chaeyeon keeps looking at the stars like they are giving to throw the answer in her face. 

The worse of all is that if Ricen doesn’t want to do something then Chaeyeon either. It’s that the principal reason that why Chaeyeon stops painting since February appears in the calendar. It had nothing to do with the inspiration because Chaeyeon has inspiration in whatever comes in front of her eyes.

But the last month and a half have an insensitivity to almost anything, Chaeyeon was surprised when the first night of February her rice ball turns her back to her. Sharing the same bed and still, Ricen didn’t dare to give her a single gaze! Chaeyeon was mad for the first ten seconds.

If Ricen feels sad then Chaeyeon too.

“I call her?”

With the promise of a call, Chaeyeon ignores her phone most of the time and the rice ball who almost all the time-pressed her phone to catch the name of the woman. Nothing bad for a rice ball.

Even she thought on call her?

Chaeyeon could say yes, she didn’t have a friend since Wonyoung was born, having to travel to Europe didn't help to it, and have one seems less impossible now. And maybe this can help her to meet more people and not only focus on painting and her daughter, and those rice balls.

At this point, she doesn’t anything to lose.

“Fine! I’ll call her!” but the smooth back is keeping facing her, “A small thing ordering me like anything!”

Wonyoung comes to her mind and above the stupid phrase she just said, she knows is the only lie she does to herself. Her life is around small things. She sighs loudly, trying to get her attention.

With two fingers she has already the name right there.

Calling, beeping, bringing her to the reality when a cordial greeted fill her ears.

“Miss Eunbi? I’m-” Chaeyeon cleared , trying to know why she is hesitant about her own name, “-Chaeyeon, the woman you met in the supermarket months ago”

A sigh was heard and Chaeyeon ponders if she had to do it.

“Thank God, you called” It was the same voice, the same person, and Chaeyeon wants to hear again if she is not deaf, “... did you mind if we share a coffee?”

Chaeyeon has an eye on the coffee in front of her and the other on Wonyoung, who is running in the baby games of the inner park straight the coffee shop. Chaeyeon will say thank you to Eunbi once they met, for the right place to talk and where Wonyoung can glut her hyperactivity.

“Good afternoon”

As her rice ball, she turns her face in the same direction, at the same time, as her. Chaeyeon bows and smiles as the woman take a seat next to her. No wasting time, both rice balls met in the midst of the coffee. Chaeyeon wants to paint again.

“I’m sorry for not call you early,” Chaeyeon thinks is the right thing to do, apologizes because the woman doesn’t look very well either, “I had to think too much about it”

“It’s okay” the happiness is obvious in her, the smile is genuinely kind, “I almost thought you would never call”

And she was about to fill that promise. Her gaze turns to the fluffy souls at the table, they were cuddling in front of their eyes, and Chaeyeon feels much better just for it. She knows that is that thing about the match and when she looks to the other side she understands that she is not the only one.

The first time they met the contrast was becoming clearer, Chaeyeon can see the covered bags under her eyes, the tiredness, the trembling hands, and how all disappear once the rice ball smiles seeing her own. Something very common.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

Blinking rapidly and with her eyes looking for an answer to other places that are not the woman who is drinking the hot coffee in short sips, with her head tilting to one side expecting for an answer.

“I’m sorry, I was not my intention” Chaeyeon cleared away the embarrassment with pride, “I tender to always look for details because I’m a painter. I didn’t want to make uncomfortable”

Putting down the cup of tea (Chaeyeon notices it then) and the change in the brown iris are obvious.

“You are a painter?” Eunbi repeats, “That’s awesome! Can you show me some of them?”

Forgetting the different colors in the painter's face, Chaeyeon shows all the pictures she has from the already sell paintings. Still with her eyes on the cute baby that is running around the park with new friends. Chaeyeon has to avoid the warmth in her cheeks at the endless compliments from the kindergarten teacher (there was a brief moment to ask about her job too, trying not to focus all the attention on her), but incredible to Chaeyeon they have a very long conversation; and away from her paintings, Wonyoung (and rice balls), she found fascination on the unknown woman.

A chat that even comes out some laughs from Chaeyeon. Sharing a great time, that Chaeyeon didn’t think about the small rice balls that were eating from the cookies jar that Eunbi ask for them.

“Where is Wonnie?” Eunbi smiles widely when Chaeyeon pointed out to the girl who’s waving her hand to her mom, “She grows up faster and beautifully”

With a movement of the head, Chaeyeon gives her the reason. Not only because she is her mother, but also because she really believes it. Wonyoung is so precious that Chaeyeon just wants to hold her in her arms and not leaving here until she is eighteen. The time is running fast, and the clearest example is the color dark blue in the sky above their heads.

“Wonyoung-ah!”

Chaeyeon opened both arms when the little child runs to her. As a signal, Wonyoung hid her face in the chest of her mother, mumbling bubbles.

“Mo, I’m sleepy” Wonyoung wrapped both arms around the painter’s neck just after yawns. Her fists rubbing her eyes to not fell asleep.

With a hand her short hair, Chaeyeon lets out a short sigh.

“Wonnie you cannot sleep here” the painter whispers, but not having the heart to say no. It’s a bad time to hurt her right arm. “Where is Souly? He is sleeping too?”

With the last forces, Wonyoung takes distance and puts off her sleepy rice ball to put in her mother’s pocket and circles both arms in the softest spot.

“Wannie” but still her heart is shouting don’t Chaeyeon keeps her empty attempts, she can feel the little snoring against her neck, “Wannie, dear-”

If only she doesn’t bring down those stupid old paints!

“I can carry her” Eunbi, the unknown woman with a good taste in music, talks, near to bang Chaeyeon’s thoughts with her voice, “I’m serious Chaeyeon-ah. I can carry her”

Almost by some minutes, Chaeyeon forgot that she was with someone else that isn’t her daughter. Although the first thirty seconds Chaeyeon complains and deny, her arms are already talking by themselves.

Walking with the last yellow beams drifted away, a better company as they spoke. The trio of rice balls resting in one of Chaeyeon’s pockets, because they seem that is another excuse to keep glue (to her surprise, Souly was accepted to stay in the same pocket as them).

Gladly, the cafeteria was just two blocks down, and faster than they thought they were already in front of the elevator.

“You don’t have kids?” Chaeyeon says suddenly, the thought running her mind. She pressed the buttons of the elevator. The doors opened before the woman can say something.  

With the eyes on the front, Eunbi shook her head.

“But I love kids” Eunbi admits, like if the painter didn’t know, “that’s why I’m a kindergarten teacher... and because I believe they are the future.”

“You will be a great mom”

Wonyoung hums as she is giving the reason. Eunbi smiles widely and nods, her eyes now on the floor. Chaeyeon feels happy because of making someone happy with the right words. No waiting, they were in front of the painter’s door but when Eunbi tried to give the toddler back, Wonyoung tightens the grip.

“I’m sorry for make you walk too much” Chaeyeon says once Eunbi placed the singular girl in her bed, the rice ball following her as well. “I didn’t expect it, I have to admit”  

“It’s okay” Eunbi is always smiling, probably it has to be a kind of perks of the job. “Wonnie was tired and you need some help so I was happy about doing it”

“Thank you, Eunbi-ssi” Chaeyeon bows, she looks at her pocket and helps the cute rice ball to get away from the warmth, “I already call a taxi that I paid, so please take it”

Chaeyeon’s off the impression that Eunbi will not accept it but her insistent is obvious.

Giving them time to talk some more time until the taxi is calling to her phone. Accompanying her to the elevator.

“I hope I can see you more often”

They barely know each other but Chaeyeon feels the same, ignoring that they just share six hours.

“I hope so too”

The click of the elevator brings them to reality. The mirrors glued in the elevator’s walls say to Chaeyeon that she has to say goodbye but Eunbi is faster.

“Have a good night Chaeyeon-ah”

Eunbi smiles one last time before enters the elevator.

Chaeyeon giggles, looking at the sleepy rice ball in her pocket, she has to admit that was a good day.

“I was looking about why our rice ball just run away from us,” Eunbi says, her hands on her pockets, “As several books say, they are soulmates and when they find the other they only run to them”

It was a good way to finish the nightfall they have almost every Saturday.

Opposite to Chaeyeon beliefs, the company of Eunbi becomes something regular to think about, to do with no hesitation. Ricen has the most of the blame, although Chaeyeon can deny that she likes her company.

After three months of seeing each other, even Wonyoung wakes up early to wake up her mother to remind her that they will go to see the kindergarten teacher in some hours. But in this chance, Wonyoung sleeps in her aunt’s house. After drinking some coffee, tea, and eat a bagel, taking some for Wonyoung. Then they walk into the city because Eunbi wants to see the toddler even if just for one single second. 

“So… that become us in soulmates?”

Chaeyeon cannot believe it.

Because it's stupid as it sounds.

The right reaction to meet your soulmate doesn’t exist. But at least avoid her gaze is the last thing you have to do. Chaeyeon cannot help but feels weird just thinking. She is not a great reader but she never reads something soulmate related.

And now is not the time.

Eunbi nods, her fingers fiddles within hers.

“I never believe in it,” Eunbi says, jumping down two levels before rest her back against the railing of the stairs that didn’t shine as they did in the day. “But at least explains why our rice balls cannot stay away a very long time”

“I think”

Chaeyeon is about to have a headache, her eyes running the lack of people in the long stairs as the soft lights that bath them. But, a part of her is happy that someone like Eunbi is her, supposed, soulmate. At least, such a soulmate seems as scary like her.

“We have to doooo-” Chaeyeon stretched the phrase as she reached her out. 

“Mean something to us?” Eunbi shrugs start walking by her side, “not really, we met each other and I think is okay as we are. We are friends, at least… right?”

As they are magic words Chaeyeon smiles, even she can see in Eunbi’s pocket both rice balls smiling. Ricen is the reflection of hers so for the moment she will not avoid her gaze.

“It’s great to have a friend”

Chaeyeon tries to treat the people as her paintings, always careful and her daughter is the perfect example of it. And she never takes back when she believes in something, on saying what she thinks. Eunbi is not much different from her in talk topics.

“I know. We are lucky”

The night is very beautiful, and after spending some hours just talking and looking at their lovebirds (Chaeyeon really doesn’t know in what moment the pair of cotton souls become in those) but after the arguments from Eunbi, she has her mind clearer now.

“A hard time today?”

Appearing with a tense smile is something, for Chaeyeon is different coming from a happy pill as Eunbi. A shrug wasn’t the answer she was looking for.

“A kind of fight with the principal, she is…” Eunbi sighs, her moves of the neck is the clear signal that she is fighting against herself, “…dense, you know. She wants to change the breakfasts for the children to one hour later and she will fire me if I keep pushing”  

“A very intense, huh?” Chaeyeon gives her hand to the teacher when they have to cross a big bump, sighing, they keep walking, “Did you already try to talk with the parents? Well with no telling to the principal, obviously. I would get mad if they tell me something like that”

Eunbi keeps silent. Her gaze looks at the headlights on the almost empty stairs.

“Good idea, actually” Eunbi smiles, a happier grin on the plump lips, “thanks, Chaeyeon-ah, you give very good ideas—I hope she won’t fire me”

Ignoring that it could be a bad clue, Eunbi giggles just by the irony.

“What your rice ball is named Windsor?” Chaeyeon cut off her laugh just to dispel her doubts. By the corner of the eye, she can see her own rice ball head off from the teacher’s pocket.

“I always wanted a puppy when I was young” with two fingers, Eunbi removed some blond hair from her chin, “… so when my rice ball appeared I call her with that name”

“…Why yours is Ricen?”

Chaeyeon hums, she trembles from the sudden cold.

“It was a time when I cannot say very well rice ball” Her smile is nostalgic, with no much effort she gets Eunbi’s attention, “so instead I call her Ricen, like Wonyoung who instead of saying soul- she said souly so it stays with us”

Eunbi shivers but, as usual, nothing can take away her smile.

“Cute, I have to say”

There were still a few steps to get to her sister’s house. Chaeyeon is at least glad she doesn’t have to walk around alone. 

With the promise that Eunbi wants to see Wonyoung at least once because for some reason Chaeyeon always found them talking through her phone (Wonyoung even changes her name a puts it with a heart aside) and it’s compressible that Eunbi seems eager to see her daughter.

With the tiny house in front of them, Chaeyeon pressed the bell and her sister appeared with a confusing but gentle smile.

“Night, Hye. I’m here to pick up Wonnie”

Her sister embraces her before enters the house again. Then alone again, Chaeyeon talks about their kind of relationship, building It from the start.

“At least, Hye wants to be a good aunt to Wonnie so it’s fine to me”

Eunbi nods, understanding the awkwardness in the air. She pats her back, softness in her touches. Chaeyeon smiles.

“You are fine now, Chaeyeon-ah”  

Before the painter can answer she heard a singular voice saying goodbye. Chaeyeon turns her face from Eunbi to the door being open. Polite goodbyes and then Chaeyeon can open her arms to the tender girl in her world.

Why Wonyoung has to grow up so fast?

“Unnie!”

Chaeyeon feels her jaw drops, almost touches her feet. Her eyes almost out from their seat. How is that possible?

“Yah, Lee Wonyoung, you already forgot your mother?” Chaeyeon had her arms over her chest with some resentment, looking the way Wonyoung kisses her friend’s face first then her is a little hurtful, even the smallest rice ball is ignoring her as well. But when the kisses are already over her face she forgot her nuisance, “How is my adorable baby?”

“Fine” Wonyoung shows her frontal teeth before stretched her arms to the other smiling woman, “Unnie, bring cookies?”

Nobody, might except her sister, earns Wonyoung’s love as fast as the kindergarten teacher. With Chaeyeon listening to every new story, her child has in Eunbi’s arms. Still with a curious, and very unbelieving, gaze until they are in the streets near her apartment. A kind of patron Chaeyeon can see, but if Eunbi did she wouldn't say a thing about it.

“Mom, can we invite unnie for Christmas?”

At this point of the year, Chaeyeon can say that Eunbi and her are very good friends. Almost talking every day and sharing some random calls to know how the other was. But inviting her to spend a night with them, could be excessive.

“Wonnie, don’t you that Eunbi could have already something to do that day?” It’s two days before Christmas, is hard to believe that someone doesn’t have something to do that day.

“But mommy, we can try” Wonyoung pouts and cocked her head, “Unnie told me that she spends Chrismas lone sometimes, likes us! Look! Ricen agrees too! …Mommy pease?”  

Chaeyeon doesn’t how she already has the phone in her hand and waiting for the happy voice from the other side.

“Eunbi?” After heard a clear ‘Hey Chaeyeon-ah’ she proceeds to speak, “Wonyoung and I ponder if you have plans for Chrismas– Christmas day and if you don’t, Wonnie asks if you want to spend that day with us”

Waiting for a negative answer, Chaeyeon fiddles with her new bangs, seeing with a smile how Wonyoung is playing on the floor with her dinosaurs on the couch, murmuring and yelling imitating voices to every toy she has.

“Oh, I wasn’t expecting it” With the needless needy of being in front of the other, Chaeyeon can see perfectly how Eunbi is tilting her head and even wrinkling her nose when she is pondering about something, “but yes, I love to spend Christmas with you, both”

The time is running?

Chaeyeon doesn’t know the answer, she still remembers when she met Eunbi and now it already passes a year. The habit of seeing Eunbi almost every weekend didn’t make a big difference in the Christmas dinner.

Although that Chaeyeon always reminds Wonyoung that she never has to open the door to anyone, is impossible to stop her when she is already running just after one second of the sound of the bell.

It became a happy pill because even her own rice ball jumps from the table in the kitchen to the chair and then runs along with her daughter.

Chaeyeon sighs, a curious gaze on her eyes.

“Unnie!”

“How are you, adorable baby girl?”

Chaeyeon keeps her hands moving, her confident smile when Eunbi appeared with the girl of her eyes on arms. With short hugs, they say hello before Eunbi starts to help her in the kitchen. An eye always in Wonyoung, seeing the way she is playing now with all the cotton balls in the living room.

“I hope she will not bringing down the tree” Chaeyeon comments taking one cup, “do you want some chocolate?”

The two women still with the tasks of tidying up, start to talk. Their chats are one of the favorite parts of being a friend with Eunbi. Chaeyeon blinks several times.

“A favorite Christmas song?” Eunbi nods, her fingers around the red cup, “Probably Oh Holy Night, is kind relaxing and I always listening to it on Christmas”

“I didn’t hear it” Eunbi seems apologizing and Chaeyeon smiles to comfort her, “In my case, I don’t have any specific music…”

“What do you do at Christmas then?”

Eunbi tilts her head, moving her eyes to spend some time looking at the cute girl who is laughing right now.

“In all December I see different movies with Christmas seasons” 

A singular color paints Eunbi’s cheeks, almost as Chaeyeon does with her paintings.

“It’s a perfect Christmas’s customs” Chaeyeon admits, “I don’t want to steal or anything but could be good for Wonnie”

Eunbi giggles, she slips the traces of chocolate.

“We can do it after dinner if you want”

“You will not get bored looking at those movies?”

The teacher washed up the cup, she returns her body and took one of the rags to clean up the mess they’ve been making.

“We can discover it together”

With Wonyoung talking and talking the dinner was longer than they thought. The lack of topics doesn’t exist because they all have something to say. Chaeyeon only gets mad once when Wonyoung sheds some chocolate, not after she was okay when Wonyoung didn’t get burnt.

“What movies do you want to see?”

Chaeyeon brings some blankets and sits on one of the corners of the couch, Wonyoung next to her and Eunbi just aside. The trio of rice balls over one of the cushions with cookies and chocolate.

“That one!” Wonyoung pointed out with her little finger and Chaeyeon pressed play when she saw the teacher nods with a smile. “Mom lights off”

Despite the big dinner they have, because Chaeyeon doesn’t know how much Eunbi eats on a day, they still have some popcorn in a bowl. Wonyoung several times was imitating the voices on the screen. Eunbi was laughing almost all the time by it. Chaeyeon cannot hide her emotions either.

An evening that everyone ended up appreciating in their own way.

“What time is it?” Chaeyeon murmurs suddenly, her eyes peel away from the TV to look for her phone. She almost choked when the hour shows itself, “Wonnie, it’s-”

But Wonyoung is already sleeping, her face was buried against Eunbi’s side. The teacher didn’t seem to notice it but her hand is the baby’s back.

“Oh, it’s Wonnie sleeping” Eunbi flinched over her seat when she heard someone speaking, “I’m sorry, I just wanna say: Merry Christmas”

The shady gaze on her turns into a soft one.

“Merry Christmas, Chaeyeon ah” Eunbi pats the painter’s head as she can make her laugh, “I’d hug you but Wonnie is sleeping”

The toddler moves closer to the teacher, who pulls up the blanket.

“Oh right” Chaeyeon her baby’s hair before look for something in her phone, found it almost immediately, “Here’s the song that I talked to you so if you wanna listen to it, here it is”

Connecting her headphones she played the song, Eunbi was the hair of the toddler while the song fills her soul.  Chaeyeon was playing with the white balls in her lap, the trio of souls laughing softly by the tickles. It’s kind of weird to hear their laughs but they have similar ones of their owners. Chaeyeon puts them back to the cushion.

“It’s wonderful” Eunbi gives her back the headphone once the song changes, “it’s really beautiful and I can understand some of the lyrics. Not all, but some”

“It’s glad to know that you like it” Chaeyeon leaned in and kisses the head of her daughter, “I think I have to take her to her bed, the last time we slept here, Wannie hurts her back”

Returning of making her sleep the cute child, because she has light sleep and Chaeyeon doesn’t doubt on stay until she was completely sleeping, Eunbi was washing up the bowl and Chaeyeon sorts the rest of popcorn in the carpet.

“Wonnie will have to open her presents tomorrow” Chaeyeon mumbles, she puts the broom in the room next to her bedroom. “Later, I mean”

“Did you have plans for your birthday?”

Chaeyeon looks up, Eunbi was smiling and shows the cup of chocolate she prepares herself.  

“I told you about my birthday?”

“Wonnie did”

Taking it as enough answer, Chaeyeon replies:

“I don’t know, probably just staying here or go to a park with Wonnie”

They sit on the couch, the blanket in one of the corners of the couch. Chaeyeon whips her head before turning off the TV.

“Wonnie really loves to go to the park, didn’t she?”

“When we can, yes, but not the favorites of all”

Eunbi leaned in, more interested every time. She slips more chocolate and when she saw the funny smile on the other woman’s face, she wipes her lips.  

“What is it, then?”

“One of the favorite things of Wonyoung is lying on the floor” Chaeyeon shows her hand, “If you put the cup in the table then you can see that what I mean”

The trust they had in each other was almost incredible, and Eunbi didn’t waver when she handed her the cup and then watch her go to the nearest switch.

“Before it” Chaeyeon placed the blanket over the floor, laying seconds later. Eunbi imitates her, “I painted stars for her, in that way she can be distracted by something that is not TV”

Pictures were one thing but seeing it so close was something completely different. Eunbi already saw some of the works Chaeyeon already did and the start over their heads is not the exception. The bright color, even in the darkness, is stunning, the almost realistic way, the large amount there, if she stretched her neck she can see that they were all around the roof of the place. Eunbi would also like to live in such a beautiful place.

“I also let her paint all the walls of the apartment” Chaeyeon comments. Eunbi stops seeing the artificial to see the creator of all that. “She wants to start the year like that, even she told me that she will draw me on my birthday”

“It’s wonderful” Eunbi observes, her eyes in the ceiling as in the painter, “You did really work hard to get that ability”

Chaeyeon seems to relax, ignoring the warmth from Eunbi’s shoulder.

“Thanks for say that” she murmurs, “Because I’ll get mad if you say talent, it’s like ignoring all the work that I was doing since I’m a teenager and that’s what becomes talented. Not just talent”

Eunbi appreciates herself to say what she said. Knowing each other for a while makes her appreciate what Chaeyeon does too. Wrapping one arm around her waist, feeling how Chaeyeon flinches by a second, her shoulders going down when Eunbi pressed a kiss on her crow.

“Merry Christmas now” Chaeyeon giggles, “and you’re right, it’s not just talent, and I know you are always working hard in everything, Chaeyeon-ah”

Chaeyeon doesn’t hug many people, not more than her lovely daughter and her sister (sometimes), but she gets used to the fact that Eunbi loves hugs, as much as a greeting as a farewell. Becoming in part of their relationship. Chaeyeon didn’t flinch either when Eunbi snuggled against her shoulder.

“Wonyoung is annoying sometimes” Chaeyeon sighs, her nose wrinkling, her eyes turning to the curious woman next to her, “Really. She asked me a thing weeks ago and I have to admit that this girl really put me in a different situation…”

“It’s okay” Eunbi squeezed the grip of her hug, “If you don’t want to tell, then it’s okay”

But Chaeyeon wants. She was avoiding the topic for several weeks and Christmas is pushing her to talk.

“It was about…” and that’s how all will end, “Wonnie asked me if someday I’m going to date someone- it’s probably Hyewon’s fault- and then she says that you are a good person to me”

“…That was when I cannot see you to the eyes, remind?” Eunbi nods against her shoulder, “and wondering and wondering, asking myself and pretending that nothing changes on me, I found that I certainly feel something else when you are around. A romantic feeling.”

Chaeyeon sighs, she’ll lose the only friend she has in years (except for the new ones she made thanks to her friend).

“…I’m sorry if I make you uncomfortable but at least I said what I feel. And nothing has to change because of it, so please stay being my friend”

Eunbi felt a loss on what to say. Her eyes running to the couches, the ceiling, to Chaeyeon.

“…If I feel something for you too, what could happen next?”

Nobody can know what happens in the future, at most you can know what happens to the next day (as know what note you will have in an exam), but there’s nobody who can see the future. And that’s the beauty of hope. 

“I don’t know” Chaeyeon sighs and she flies her hand, Eunbi understand the signal and took her hand, squeezing it, “what if we want, we can discover it together”

It was a proposal that sounds perfect to them. Eunbi pressed a chaste kiss on her cheek as if that sealed their promise.

It's the second Christmas they spend together. But since they become in "something" this festivity means something else.

Chaeyeon puts the red hat that Wonyoung did especially for her, a Christmas hat perfectly on her head. Following the soft climate, not paying attention to the winter, and with match pajamas mother and daughter, it's the perfect way they expect for Eunbi this year.

"Oh, a cute reindeer!" Eunbi wrapped both arms around the girl who still has a baby size, her lips above all her favorite face, "Are you already happy for Christmas?!"

Wonyoung nods vigorously, her giggles filling the apartment when Eunbi tickles her armpit with her fingers.

"You bring a gift for me?"

"Wonnie!"

Eunbi kisses her cheek and scoffed in direction of her girlfriend.

"Of course I did!" Eunbi pointed out her back, “but still is missing some hours to open the gifts, okay Wonnie?”

Nodding, understanding what she says, Wonyoung jumps to her arms in one second. Before goes to the kitchen, Eunbi puts down the toddler's rice ball who runs to somewhere in the living room.

“It’s an airplane? Rings? Robots? Legos?”

Eunbi shakes her head, her laugh caused by the vain attempts that made the child cross her arms over her chest.

“Okay” Eunbi sighs loudly, pretending that she is tired, “If I told you where your mom hid your gifts you can take away that pout?”

A pair of instructions and Wonyoung is running to one of the rooms in the apartment. Eunbi is glad that the apartment is huge enough. She heads to the couch and now her backpack is resting over the brown large couch.

“I don’t hide the gifts there anymore”

Eunbi shrugs, a specific smile for Chaeyeon on the tip of her lips. If like she is saying ‘I know’ with no more than a common gesture, but the painter knows that they always mean something else.

“Hey”

“Hey”

It happens almost a year- not, actually a year since they secretly start dating. It was Chaeyeon’s request to prove that they can handle it because the last thing she wants to see on Wonyoung is a teared up face.

“Do you need help?” Eunbi approached her, trying not to be eager. Her hands fix the hat and removed some strands from her face, “Did you finish your paint?”

“I did” Chaeyeon smiles, she looks around before plants a single kiss on the teacher’s cheek, redden with a peculiar gesture, “It’s nice to see you”

Her neck feels warm when her rice ball snuggles against her. Chaeyeon giggles.

“Yes, it’s nice to see you too” With a fast move, Chaeyeon took both rice balls and put them down on the floor. There's no time to waste, she finally can hug her girlfriend comfortably.

There were no words for the time they were hugging, a long hug for Christmas, a very that Chaeyeon needed to feel for a while. Eunbi didn’t say a word, because they don’t need them.

“We will tell Wonnie today?” Eunbi takes a step back when she heard the steps from the hallway.

Chaeyeon doesn’t want to but she nods because they both need it.

“After dinner?”

Wonyoung was jumping from one side to the other, not ignoring all the comments from her mother, while her hands were holding a special cup with a straw that didn’t spill anything (Chaeyeon believes is a Christmas miracle). Wonyoung was dancing with Eunbi while Chaeyeon was finishing to hide one of the gifts her girlfriend brings this time.  

“Mom, Ricen, Windsor, and Souly can sleep with me today?” Eunbi was carrying Wonyoung in one side of her hip, two of her frontal teeth are now in one of Chaeyeon’s box to save special things from her daughter. “Unnie said yes, we can do a sleepover… please?”

“It’s still early” Chaeyeon looks above Eunbi’s head, ignoring that her girlfriend looks cute with a reindeer headband, and found the trio of inseparable rice balls eating near the Christmas tree that hasn’t changed since Wonnie was born, “Are you already want to sleep?”

“No, but-” Wonyoung yawns, “I wan open my gifs fist”

Eunbi pinched her girlfriend’s shoulder when she saw Wonyoung’s pout.

“Okay, Wonnie, but don’t make them too tired, okay?”

Wonyoung stretched her arms to her mom, kisses all over her face. Eunbi catches her attention pulling from Chaeyeon’s sleeve.

“Wonnie, I have to tell you something”

Chaeyeon puts her daughter over the edge of the table, her arms around the baby’s shoulder, Wonyoung is still tiny to her age, her eyes looking at her mother with the same intriguing gaze.

“I know this can be awkward for you, but-” Eunbi was the first one who speaks. feels dry. She’s always had a touch with children, what is different now? “Just don’t hate me, okay? I just want to say that I love your mother and I want to know if I can date her”

The Christmas lights were singing one of the songs Chaeyeon never knew the name, but still, they are keeping their magic. 

“Mommy is happy?” Wonyoung looks up, her mother looking at her with the same love she always has for her, Chaeyeon nods. “Are you happy with mom?”

Eunbi kissed both little hands.

“I do, Wonnie”

Chaeyeon is about to have a heart attack. She never thought that she’ll fall in love again and have to explain to her daughter. Because thinking about what she believes before is a big difference with today. A soft hand touches hers and she saw the rings on Eunbi’s hand there, reminding her that she is there.

“Oh” Wonyoung stretched out her arms to the teacher, “It’s okay”

“I-it’s okay?”

Wonyoung nods, giving kisses to both women.

“I don’t get it too much, mommy” Wonyoung rests her head on Eunbi’s shoulder, “but you are happy, me too.”

Dying from a heart attack it has to wait because Chaeyeon was already hugging her two favorite people in the world with the biggest smile she ever had.

“I’ve called you mom too?” Wonyoung asks suddenly interrupting the climate.

Eunbi whips her head, her almost inexistent waves from her long hair.

“It’s not necessary, love. You already call me unnie. If you are okay with it then me too.”

Wonyoung made an “o” with her thin lips and she nods. She keeps a smile, being the only toddler in the house and the perks of it.

“That’s why Ricen and Winds run?”

Chaeyeon never gets tired of responding to Wonyoung’s questions (because she is the only in who she trusts to talk about whatever her daughters ask... well, Eunbi can enter to that top too).

“…do you know that they are part of us, right Wonnie?” The toddler nods, her hands caressing the rice ball in her lap, “they are part of our souls, Wonnie. And when you met your soulmate they have to run to find them.”

“Oh”

It’s how they spend their night, answer whatever comes from Wonyoung’s mouth. The couple smiles at the girl from their hearts (Eunbi cannot deny that she loves that girl, almost as much as Chaeyeon).

And when they want to open the presents, Wonyoung is already dropping some saliva in Chaeyeon’s lap. No gifts today either.

“I love you, Wonnie” Chaeyeon pulls up the blankets until her neck, her daughter sighs and keeps her head on the pillows.

The trio of rice ball at the bedpost. Chaeyeon took some pictures before she turns off the lights, dressing the pink room with darkness.

Closing the door behind her, Chaeyeon heads to the living room; ending up washing some dishes, picking up small confetti papers, and ending up with a glass of milk in her hands. Dragging her feet to the softness of her bed. She didn’t hesitate for a moment to run into the arms of her girlfriend, who was still barely awake.

“A good Christmas day?” Eunbi her hair, her eyes fluttering to shut but she keeps Chaeyeon close to her chest, feeling the hot breath near to her neck, “I can say yes too”

With slow steps, Chaeyeon starts to understand why her ricen ball is always snuggling against Eunbi’s. Their pajamas match as well, the color red and white in one and the opposite in yellow color. Chaeyeon pouts, still her eyes close.

“I want to tell you a lot of things”

“Not now” Eunbi sighs, her lips over her locks, “you have to sleep and thinking about whatever will not make you sleep at all. I can say it. I was practicing it for a decade.”

At some point in the night, Chaeyeon was still awake and Eunbi nestled against her chest, their hands under the blankets, with the melody of their breaths.  

“Awake, huh?”

The voice of Eunbi brings her down to reality, a better concept from her imagination.  

“What are you thinking?”

The breath against her neck singing that she has her fingers entwined with someone else’s, knowing that means something else and that means a lot to both of them. Her chest flying around the warm feeling, the unavoidable sensation and she likes it. Accepting was great to her.  

“That my life is around many small things” Chaeyeon embraces her by the shoulder, flying a kiss on her forehead.

“Oh that’s-” Eunbi interrupts herself to giggle, she tilts her head, “I am one of those?”

Chaeyeon releases a soft sigh, relaxing her soul. Wrapping both arms around her, whispering what she has to give because there are no right answers to the feelings they both share.

“You are already one”

Another whisper and then a soft smirk decorate the beautiful face of love.

When Eunbi smiles why Chaeyeon wants to give her the world?

Chaeyeon only knows that she never asks for anything, and still, she has everything.