A knock on her bedroom door made her look up from the book she was reading. Her brother stood in her doorway, looking a bit concerned as he watched her. Her eyebrow rose in a questioning manner and he let out a sigh.

“Noona, you should check what Jessica-noona is doing.” Kibum said and pointed behind him. Hearing it was about Jessica Taeyeon closed her book and stood up from her seat on the bed.

“Why? Is she here?” Taeyeon asked as she followed her brother.

“She’s in the backyard.” He said as he followed his older sister down the stairs.

“She’s outside?” Taeyeon spun around towards the boy that nodded his head. She said no more and made her way downstairs and went to the window in the living room that would make her able to see their backyard.

She stopped by the window, her eyes quickly landing on the lone figure that was in the snow. She felt Kibum stop by her side and she turned towards him.

“For how long has she been there?” Taeyeon asked.

“I don’t know. I just noticed her.” He said.

A sigh escaped Taeyeon’s lips and she turned around to go get her jacket and other clothes to prepare to go out in the cold.


---


“Jessica!”

The girl spun around when she heard her name. A smile graced her lips when she noticed the girl that was trudging through the snow towards her.

“Taeyeon!” Jessica said happy upon being joined in the snow. She stepped to the side to proudly show off what she had done.

“Look Taeyeon. I made a snow castle!” Jessica said and showed the snow sculpture she had been working on. Taeyeon’s eyes went from the girl to what she had made before she looked back at her.

“Why are you making a snow castle in my backyard?” Taeyeon asked. A grin formed on Jessica’s lips and she turned to the girl.

“I’ve already used the snow in my backyard.” She explained. Taeyeon’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she had to make her way to the hedge to see if the snow in Jessica’s backyard was used.

Once she was able to get a glimpse of the Jung’s backyard fell open in shock. Their whole backyard was filled with different snow sculptures. Everything from snow castles, snow men and other things Taeyeon couldn’t make out what it was.

She blinked and turned towards the girl that was busy making a big snow ball. She walked up to the busy Jessica and stopped by the girl’s side and watched her do her work.

“What are you making now?” Taeyeon asked.

“A snow man.” Jessica said and beamed a smile Taeyeon’s way.

Taeyeon nodded her head. Her eyes left Jessica’s face to the hands that were pushing the rather big snow ball forward. Her eyes blinked when she noticed Jessica wasn’t wearing anything on her hands.

“Where are your mittens?”

“Ah…I don’t know. I couldn’t find them.” Jessica said and grinned. Taeyeon furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the girl’s red hands.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“I was at first, but after a while I got used to it.”

“That’s not something to get used to, Sica…” Taeyeon sighed and made Jessica stop what she was doing. She grabbed the girl’s hands and held them between hers.

“Next time you don’t find your mittens come to me. I have two pairs at home.” Taeyeon mumbled and pulled off her mittens to put them on Jessica’s hands. Jessica blinked and looked down on the baby blue mittens that covered her hands.

“Ah…they’re warm.” Jessica said and looked up at Taeyeon with a smile.

“Of course they are. They’re warm because I’ve been wearing them.” Taeyeon pointed out.

Jessica grinned and looked from her hands to Taeyeon’s. Her smile faded when she saw the hands and she looked up worriedly at Taeyeon.

“Won’t you get cold now?” Jessica asked. Taeyeon looked down on her hands before she put them in her pockets.

“No, I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m not the one putting my hands in the cold snow.” Taeyeon said and shrugged her shoulders.

Jessica’s smile returned to her lips and she looked down at the snow. She looked up at Taeyeon again, still with a wide smile on her lips.

“So you won’t help me make more snow creatures?” Jessica asked and rubbed her hands together to get them warmer.

“No, I’ll watch while you do your thing. Besides it looks like you’re fine on your own.” Taeyeon said.

“But it will be more fun if we do it together.”

“But I don’t like playing with the snow…”

“But it will be fun because I’m with you.”

“But it’s cold.”

Jessica looked down at the mittens she was wearing. She looked back up at Taeyeon and smiled at her.

“Let’s share the warmth and the cold.” Jessica said and pulled off one of the mittens and held it out towards Taeyeon.

“I’m not going to help you build a snow man.”

“Yes, you are. C’mon Taeyeon I want you to.” Jessica said and tried to pull out Taeyeon’s right hand out of her pocket. After a bit of pulling Taeyeon finally gave in and let Jessica put the mitten on her hand. Jessica smiled satisfied with her work.

“Now, help me.” Jessica said and nodded to the huge snow ball beside her.

“What do you want me to help you with?”

“I need the snow man to stand beside the snow castle.”

“Do I need to know why?”

“The snow man will be the guard of the castle. So once snow princesses move in there they will feel safe.”

“Have you ever thought about writing child stories?”

“No, why?”

“Your imagination would fit for it.”

Jessica smiled and looked down at the snow ball that would be the start of her snow man.

“But think about it. If you were a princess and lived in a castle, wouldn’t you feel safe if you had giants guarding your castle?”

Taeyeon looked at the girl that waited for her to reply. An amused smile appeared on Taeyeon’s lips and she shook her head.

“You’d be the best mother ever.” Taeyeon laughed.

“What? Why?” Jessica asked confused as she didn’t know what that had to do with anything.

“You care about every living thing. You have the best imagination ever. Kids around you would not only be showered with love but they wouldn’t have a boring minute.” Taeyeon explained.

Jessica’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she tilted her head to the side. “Taeyeon are you pregnant?”

“What? No!”

“But you’re talking about kids.”

“I just said you’d be the perfect mom…”

“Thank you.” Jessica said and smiled. Taeyeon shook her head at the girl and glanced at the huge snow ball beside them.

“Besides, how can I be pregnant? It’s not like you have the parts to make me pregnant.”

“Who knows? Maybe you cheated on me.”

“Why would I cheat on you?”

“I don’t know.”

“I would never cheat on you.”

“Glad to know that.” Jessica said. “Oh, right. Do you still have the hickey?” Jessica asked and turned towards the girl. A frown appeared on Taeyeon’s lips and she pushed the scarf down to reveal the mark that was about to fade.

“It has faded a bit.” Taeyeon said.

“Ah, maybe I should make a new one.”

“Don’t you dare give me a new one…”

“I’m just joking.” Jessica said and laughed. Taeyeon shook her head and watched as Jessica inhaled to relax and she glanced at the unfinished snow man she was supposed to make.

“I’m tired.” Jessica suddenly said and nudged the snow ball with her foot. Taeyeon snapped her head towards the girl in surprise.

“You are? For how long have you been out?” Taeyeon asked surprised.

“I started at ten.”

“At ten?!” Taeyeon exclaimed surprised. She remember what she was doing at ten, she was just about to get out of bed. “Jessica…you’ve been out for almost four hours.” Taeyeon said. She just got a smile from the girl in response.

“I wanted to build a snow kingdom.” Jessica said.

A sigh left Taeyeon’s lips and she held her hand out towards the girl. Jessica looked surprised at the hand but grabbed it nonetheless.

“Let’s go inside. The snow man can wait. I’m sure no snow princesses will move in today anyway.” Taeyeon said and began dragging Jessica towards her house.

“But– “

“No buts. You’re tired and I’m going to take advantage of that moment.”

“What are you going to do with me?”

“You’ll see.”


---


A light knock on the door to the bedroom made one of the girls on top of the bed look up from the book she was reading. The door slowly opened and Mrs. Kim peeked her head inside, her face showed surprise upon the sight she was met with.

“Do you need something?” Mrs. Kim asked in a whisper. Taeyeon shook her head in reply. Mrs. Kim lingered by the door, letting her eyes go from Taeyeon to the other girl on top of the bed.

“Will Jessica be eating with us today?” She asked.

“Probably.”

Mrs. Kim nodded her head, a smile gracing her lips before she left the room. Taeyeon watched as the door closed behind her mother before she looked down at the girl who was resting her head on her lap. A smile appeared on her lips and she brushed her fingers through Jessica’s hair before she went back to read her book.

Movements from the girl sleeping next to her made Taeyeon return her focus to Jessica. Seeing Jessica was just shifting a bit in her sleep made her relax and she soon went back to read once Jessica had stopped moving. She felt Jessica’s arm that was wrapped around her legs tightened, the action brought a wider smile to her lips.

Even the most energetic people get tired sometimes.