"Oh, how you've grown!" Winter's mum exclaims, wiping her hands on her apron before gesturing for her to sit down.

Winter stands behind Karina, hands in her pockets, and waits. And then Karina's reaching for Winter's hand, tugging her forward while she says to her mum, all the while smiling, cheeks rosy, "It's been too long. You've become prettier." 

Winter's mum laughs, lightly patting her shoulder, "Winter, don't just stand there, make her comfortable." 

Then, she heads back to the kitchen, and Winter hears the clanging of pots, the sizzling meat, "She misses you too," Winter whispers to Karina.

Karina moves to sit on the wooden chair, setting her bag on the floor beside the brown sofa. Winter feels her eyes moving; it's conspicuous, the way Karina is taking in everything, the way her eyes lights up when she sees that picture - the one where Winter was young, where Karina too was young, and they had their arms around each other, perspiring profusely after their dance practice. 

"I almost forgot how cute you were," Karina remarks, smiling faintly. 

Winter, sitting across her, watches the way she looks around her house, watches how beautiful she looks, always aware that their hands are only a few inches away from each other. 

"I'm still cute," Winter jokes, her tone childish. 

Karina turns, looks at her for a moment. 

Looks, and looks. Whether it is with intent, Winter does not know. But she doesn't turn away, can't turn away. So they stay like this looking at each other, looking clearly now, how the other has changed since a year ago. 

"Yeah, still cute." Karina softly resolves, grabbing her hands, caressing her palm. 

As if all of this will not make Winter want to hide under her covers all day. As if this is what friends do, after kissing each other. 

With a heavenward glance, Winter tries to ease the pressure on her chest. It is a pain.

Then her mum clatters out, and Karina discreetly lets go of her hand. She doesn't say anything, and Winter watches her while she goes to her mum, asks her what she would like help with. 

And Winter watches, imagining a life like this. But she can't, not really, not when everything feels to be a blur. 

Winter gets up too, brings out the utensils and bowls of rice. 

"You're not usually this helpful," her mum comments, "it's good that Karina's here."

Karina smiles with satisfaction, and Winter laughs, "I'm helpful even if she's not around."

"Sure," her mum teases. 

Throughout dinner, Karina directs most of her attention towards her mum, praises her cooking, and when she looks at Winter at all, it is only to briefly smile. But Winter looks at Karina, wants to talk to her without all the fluff, wants to talk to her truly. 

"You're only back for the championship competition, right?" Her mum asks, frowning.

"Yeah, I'll be heading back in another week or so. I'm currently living at Winter's school." Karina sighs, "I miss being here, in this town, it's like coming home."

"It's good that you're out there too, experiencing more things, meeting new people. It's only been a year, just give it time." Her mum advises.

"Maybe." 

"Come stay here," Winter blurts out, "I mean, if you want to? Mum, you don't mind, do you? Anyway, it's only for a week, and it's not like the school -"

"Really?" Karina asks, eyes bright, and then she's looking at her mum. 

"You're always welcome here, but there are no rooms available. Winter's brother is still living here, her father has made the guest room a study room. So if you want to stay, you'd have to sleep in Winter's room." Her mum lists off her fingers, the number of rooms they have.

Winter only feels the pang of regret proposing Karina live with them, when she remembers how complicated everything is. 

It doesn't have to be complicated, Winter argues with herself. It can be easy. It can be effortless even. It's just Karina, it's just her... and her beautiful smile, lips red and inviting, her eyes wide and shining, arms tender and strong. 

God, Winter is kind of doomed. 

She is only half-listening to the plans of both her mum and Karina, and how everything is becoming more or less settled when Karina, beside her, is holding onto her forearm, looking exactly like how Winter has described her internally. 

After cleaning up and keeping the leftovers in the fridge for when her father and brother comes back, Winter climbs up the steps