“Will your parents like the gift?” Eunbi asked and Yerin sighed. She placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders and made Eunbi look at her.

“B, they love you. You’ve met them so many times and they have always mentioned about how kind you are and pretty much all the good stuff about you. You could go empty handed and slap a bow on your forehead and tell them that you’re their present and they’ll still happily accept it.” Yerin chuckled.

“I know… It’s just… I don’t know. Nerves. It’s a more formal occasion after all.” Eunbi looked down at the bag in her hands.

“It’s not that formal. It’s like a normal dinner that you have whenever you use to come over just that it’s Christmas. Are you okay B? You usually aren’t so unnerved.” Yerin asked, looking into the girl’s eyes. Eunbi could practically see the worry in those brown orbs.

“I’m fine. Maybe just… lack of sleep.” Eunbi smiled, trying to reassure the older girl. Yerin pursed her lips and frowned slightly but decided to let it slip.

“Alright then. But if you’re unwell you gotta tell me, okay?” Yerin said as she held the front door open for Eunbi.

“I will. Promise.” The girl smiled before walking out. They were about to make their way over to Yerin’s place to have dinner with her parents just as they had planned. Since it was a Christmas dinner, it was only natural for Eunbi to get a gift but there was also something else she wanted to do.

Yerin opened the passenger door for Eunbi before getting into the driver’s seat.

“You can take a nap if you want to. We’ll take about an hour to get there, that is if we get stuck in the festive traffic.” Yerin said as she started the engine.

“It’s okay, I’m not that sleepy. I’ll keep you company.” Eunbi smiled. They departed for Yerin’s home, taking the shortest route available.

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

“Yerin!” Mrs. Jung beamed when she opened the door to reveal the two girls. She pulled her daughter in for a hug before turning her attention to the younger girl who was smiling meekly behind Yerin.

“My dear Eunbi! How have you been?” Mrs. Jung asked and pulled Eunbi for a hug as well.

“I’ve been alright, omma.” Eunbi smiled. Mrs. Jung had told her to call her omma ever since she found out that the girl was dating her daughter.

“Come in, come in. It’s cold outside today.” Mrs. Jung said as she herded the girls into the warmth of the house.

“Here, this is for you and appa from the both of us. Merry Christmas.” Eunbi smiled as she presented the present to slung her arm over her girlfriend’s shoulder and looked at her with a warm smile before turning back to her mother.

“Thank you. We have one for you too, we’ll pass it to you later.” Mrs. Jung bowed slightly and took the present to place it under the tree.

“Where’s oppa and appa?” Yerin asked.

“Right here.” A deeper voice replied. They looked behind the lady to see the father and son walking out from the study. Yerin grinned and walked over to give them both a hug. Mr. Jung embraced Eunbi and ruffled her hair.

“You seem taller than the previous time I saw you.” Mr. Jung chuckled.

“Do I? Thanks, I guess.” Eunbi laughed. She turned to Yejun who was waiting with open arms. “Long time no see.”

“Could say the same to you, Eunbi.” Yejun smiled. “Has my sister been treating you well? If she bullies you, you can always tell me, and I’ll teach her a lesson for you.” He jested with a wink.

“Ey, when will I ever bully her?” Yerin huffed indignantly.

“Don’t worry, she’s been the best girlfriend anyone can ask for.” Eunbi said with a smile and looked at Yerin.

“Let’s sit and talk, shall we? My old legs are tired.” Mr. Jung chuckled and gestured at the couch. They walked over and sat down just as Mrs. Jung emerged from the kitchen with a tray of mugs. Eunbi immediately stood up to help the lady.

“Such a dear, Eunbi. Here’s hot chocolate for everyone. I think we have loads to catch up on.” Mrs. Jung said as she sat down in the armchair.

“So, how have things been going for my dear daughter?” Mr. Jung asked.

“Not too bad actually. Work is great, many new clients and I got more recommendations.”

“Seems like your skill is finally getting the acknowledgment it deserves.” The man nodded proudly. “I can remember when you first picked up my DSLR and snapped a picture. It wasn’t the best since it was too heavy for you, but you were so fascinated by it that you made me lend the camera to you every day.”

“A natural born photographer. She’s been considering doing videos these days too. Wedding clips or trailers for freelance actors.” Eunbi chuckled.

“I really have to hand it to her.” Mr. Jung laughed. “What about you, Eunbi? How’s the dancing going?”

“I’m thinking of joining an academy instead of sticking to freelancing. Though it would mean I no longer have the flexibility of time, I think it’s a little more stable.” Eunbi said thoughtfully. “I might also have more opportunities like maybe… Okay maybe this is a stretch but perhaps I could perform at a really huge event one day.”

“It’s not a stretch. If you believe in yourself, I’m sure you can do it.” Mrs. Jung said and patted Eunbi’s knee.

“The times that you work hard will never betray you, B.” Yerin added with a soft smile.

“Tell them about your business, Yejun.” Mr. Jung nudged his son.

“Ah, recently I expanded my reach to countries overseas and the reception I got was far better than what I had expected.” Yejun declared proudly.

“Really? That’s great!” Eunbi beamed. “Seems like someone is about to become a millionaire soon.”

“Ey, it’s not that much. I’m still taking baby steps into this whole project. Who knows if the attention will last?”

“It will if you won’t be so pessimistic all the time.” Yerin said and stuck her tongue out.

“Real mature Yennie.” Yejun rolled his eyes.

“Some things just don’t change do they?” Mrs. Jung whispered to Eunbi as they watched the siblings exchange playful punches.

“Some things just don’t change.” Eunbi agreed.

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

After the sumptuous dinner that Yerin’s parents had prepared, Mr. Jung and his children gathered around in the living room to decide on a movie to watch. Eunbi had offered to help Mrs. Jung with the dishes.

“How has living with Yerin been? I hope she hasn’t been much trouble despite the fact that she’s older.” The lady chuckled, washing the lather off the dishes.

“Oh no, not at all omma. Thanks to her, the house is always spick and span.” Eunbi laughed. “We were in Jeju for a vacation last weekend. She had been giving me a surprise every day since this month started so that was my surprise to her.”

“She’s always such a sweet kid, isn’t she?” Mrs. Jung smiled. “She’s the kind of person who is never afraid of showing affection. She wants them to know how special they are and how much they mean to her.”

“Indeed. I’m really lucky to have her. Thank you, omma, for supporting us.” Eunbi said with gratitude as she wiped a dish dry.

“Why the thanks? It’s only normal for a mother to want the best for her child. I’ll accept whatever decision my children make and wish only the best for them. Unless they want to rob a bank or kill someone then I think I’ll have to disagree.” The lady joked.

Eunbi was silent for a moment as she focused on wiping the dishes while the other lady washed.

“Mrs. Jung.” Eunbi said after some hesitation.

“Yes? Is everything okay?” the lady asked, shutting off the tap. Eunbi never addressed her formally except for the first few times that they’ve met.

“I have an uh… Question to ask you.” Eunbi started. Her hands felt clammy and a lump began to form in .

“What is it?”

“There’s this thing that I’ve been thinking about these days.” Eunbi scratched her head nervously. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver band. It was similar to the one they had made at Jeju but this one had 3 small diamonds on it. Upon seeing the ring, Mrs. Jung gasped.

“Eunbi!” She whispered.

“I wanted to... to ask you if I have the permission to marry... marry your daughter.” Eunbi stuttered, looking down at her socks which suddenly became the most interesting thing in the world. She could feel her heart thumping wildly in her chest as she waited for the lady’s reply. Instead of words, Eunbi felt herself being embraced by the shorter lady.

“I cannot express how elated I am to hear those words from you.” Mrs. Jung said, squeezing the younger girl in her embrace.

“You you are?” Eunbi asked.

“Yes! I'm happy that my daughter will have someone as kind and caring as her to take care of her and be there beside her for the rest of her life." Mrs. Jung said as she pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Dear me, I must have been too happy." she chuckled.

"Thank you... I'm so relieved." Eunbi let out a breathy sigh. 

"Nervous? Did you think I would say no?"

"No! I mean... Just the nerves... You know?"

"I understand. You have my blessings." Mrs. Jung smiled, rubbing Eunbi's arm. The girl beamed and looked down at the ring in her hands, rubbing the diamonds with her thumb. She had told her own parents beforehand and they were more than ecstatic to hear about their daughter's plans.

"When do you plan to tell her?" the lady asked.

"In a couple days. This will be the biggest surprise for her." Eunbi grinned.

"I'll make sure to prepare myself for receiving a call with excited screaming." Mrs. Jung winked playfully. "Come, let's go join them. I believe they would have decided on a movie by now."