Rosie couldn't wait to show off her new bike to Jennie. It was a bright red commuter with a basket. It cost her a little extra by adding a cushion to the cargo area at the back. Jennie would be her passenger and she didn’t want her best friend to feel uncomfortable. It was a long negotiation with her dad who was a little overprotective of her, and a summer's worth of her work and years worth of birthday money. She was definitely going to make the most out of it. She was used to taking all sorts of odd jobs at this point including t grass for her neighbors, babysitting, and all the way to fruit picking at the local apple orchards. Looking at how swanky her bike was, all her time spent not doing what other twelve year olds do during their spare time was worth it. 

 

She enjoyed her paid chores; besides the money, Jennie helped her out as usual and brought food and juice for her. Summer wasn't the harshest in their state, but it could still knock one out if they weren’t careful. Jennie crocheted a water bottle sling holder that had Rosie's initials in it, and naturally she wore it around her neck all summer. 

 

Jennie’s and Rosie’s families had been neighbors long before they were born. They lived in a quiet, idyllic, working class town that saw a lot of Asians settling in early days because of the agricultural work and gold mining opportunities. A lot of the old industries have remained and everyone still knows each other. They both loved being there but both also had hopes away from their home. Rosie dreamt big; she idolized billionaire businessmen and has started reading a lot of their books and biographies from the town library. Jennie had a simpler dream; to work in NASA and see the stars. She promised Rosie she would discover a new one and name it after her. 

 

And that was the other thing that excited Rosie as she pedaled as fast as she could from the town center back to their neighborhood. She checked the huge rectangular box to make sure it was still securely tied on her back and around her body. Rosie quietly parked her bike behind the Kims’ huge tree and unfastened the package before hiding it inside the tree house. She knew Jennie was baking her favorite pie to celebrate her new bike so she just went right in through their kitchen door. 

 

“That smells really good,” Rosie said, inhaling all the aroma and air her body could take. Jennie threw a kitchen towel at her for startling her before offering some lemonade. Jennie wrinkled her nose as she got nearer. "You smell like sweat and sun–eww,” her face contorted more when Rosie hugged her in response to her comment. 

 

“I biked for half an hour, what did you expect?” 

 

“So, where is it? Let me see.”

 

“It’s there by the tree house. But I wanna eat first. I’m hungry.”

 

Jennie ruffled Rosie’s hair before looking at their oven. “It’s almost done, just a few more and cooling time.”

 

Rosie smacked her lips in anticipation. Jennie’s apple pie was the best. She started baking a couple of years ago to make Rosie’s birthday cake as a gift. It was a disaster; but Rosie ate all of it and sent her to the ER that night for a horrible tummy ache. Jennie had improved so much since then and Rosie was the happy beneficiary for all of it. She stared at best friend who cleaned a little around the kitchen as they waited. 

 

Jennie, despite her shorter height, was one year older than her but they were at the same year level. Jennie’s parents decided it was best for her to have Rosie around for big school. Her parents said she almost fainted in pre-school from hours of wailing when she couldn’t find Rosie in the room. Jennie was made to wait for the younger girl to enroll in order for her to continue without making a tragedy out of it. 

 

The beginning of that summer marked a huge change in the older girl. They were having a quiet time reading at the Kims’ front porch when Jennie abruptly left and went inside. She screamed at Rosie for help and the younger girl almost fell from the stairs trying to reach her friend as quickly as possible. “I need you to go to my mom’s bathroom and check if she has…napkin,” she said shyly with her head poking out of her bathroom door. 

 

“You ran out of roll?”

 

“Nooo,” Jennie snorted. “Napkin.”

 

“Oh. Oh. Okay,” Rosie nodded with wide eyes. 

 

With her face resting on her palms, Rosie noticed Jennie had started to look a little different. Then she looked down at her chest and found almost nothing there yet. Jennie had been acting also a little more reserved than usual, though she still tried to keep up with Rosie’s hyperactive, rough and tumble ways. 

 

Her thoughts were interrupted with a hand waving in front of her. Jennie probably caught her staring and she had no excuse for it. Fortunately, Jennie just laughed it off before taking the pie out of the oven. Rosie looked away then twisted a bit to look at her own behind. She resented a little how Jennie was moving quicker than her that way and she was afraid by the time school starts, she’d be left behind completely. 

 

“I was thinking, now that I have a bike, we could go to the river and pan gold,” Rosie said in order to distract her from her own thoughts.

 

Jennie looked at her like she grew a new head. “You weren’t kidding about that.”

 

“I’m dead serious. Imagine if we actually found a nugget. Bring your metal detector okay?”

 

“Are we panhandling or gonna check the ground?” Rosie knew Jennie was humoring her. The older girl has had a metal detector since they were younger as a gift and they spent hours finding old coins and other low value relics at a gold rush area near their town. There wasn't a lot of modern urban entertainment in their small Nebraskan county but they definitely had a lot of places to explore. Rosie had been obsessed with gold panning since she could remember but her parents never allowed her to go alone nor with just Jennie by the riverbank. She was sure to find gold despite the occurrence of it becoming lesser even for seasoned prospectors. Now that they’re much older however, Rosie’s dad had finally allowed her to try it out provided she went with Jennie. 

 

“Both.” Rosie stared at her with determination. “We’ll share the booty, of course.”

 

Jennie smiled at her softly, something that Rosie wasn’t yet used to, before serving her pie and ice cream. “Alright, but we're gonna have to start early and you’re gonna have to promise me we’ll leave way before sun down. I don’t want to get in trouble with your mom and dad.”

 

She finished two servings of pie before dragging Jennie out of the house to brag about her new bike. “Best bike in the whole state of Nebraska,” she shouted while wheeling off her ride for display. She saw Jennie’s focus immediately shifting to the customized seat behind. “Did you pay extra for that?”

 

“Yeah, well, I don’t want your tush getting numb all the time. It wasn’t too much,” she grinned. “Look at how the red shimmers and look at my spokes,” she said, kicking the wheels to show off. 

 

They went a few blocks around to test the bike some more, with Rosie making sure Jennie was comfortable behind her. There was a moment of awkwardness when she felt her best friend seemingly struggling to know where to put her hands for support. “What’s wrong with you?”

 

“I’m just worried you might feel ticklish.”

 

Rosie frowned at her. “You know I'm not ticklish there. It’s safer if you hold on to my waist anyway.” She was so excited to take Jennie for a ride that she didn’t notice the way Jennie’s hands trembled a bit or how cold they felt. 

 

They came back before dinner as Jennie cooked stew much earlier and sent the Parks a huge pot of it. Unlike Jennie, Rosie came from a big family. She was the youngest of six children and the only girl. That explained a lot why her parents weren’t too thrilled with Rosie’s adventurous ways and often blamed her older brothers for her acting more like a boy jumping off cliffs than being more like Jennie. The fact that Rosie had many siblings also made her very aggressive in getting what she wanted for herself. Money wasn’t too scarce but it was always tight, and Rosie knew if she didn’t want constant hand-me-downs, she had to earn it by herself. 

 

Jennie embodied some of the middle child stereotypes but she was definitely a lot more strong-willed than what people thought of her to be. Rosie often relied on Jennie's even-tempered personality as she tended to be very excitable and ignore possible consequences to her decisions. Jennie knew how to reel her back and didn't let Rosie run amok. Her parents loved Jennie for that; and Jennie's parents loved having Rosie around. Especially Mr. Kim who genuinely appreciated Rosie's go-getter attitude. It helped him a lot as Rosie pushed the grass cutter around or whitewashed their fence for a few bucks.

 

Jennie’s father grunted as a greeting when Rosie walked right in without knocking again from the backside of the house. He pointed upstairs without taking his eyes off the show he was watching. Rosie waited after dinner to show Jennie her surprise. She didn’t just work hard for her bike the last two months, but saved up first for something she wanted Jennie to have. It took awhile to also pre-order from the lone toy and novelty shop in their area so she was extra excited to give it. It took all her patience to wait for night time before she and Jennie went up to the tree house. The way Jennie gasped and squeezed the soul out of her body from that hug made it all worth it. 

 

They spent time assembling the reflector telescope Rosie bought, mostly due to the single dim bulb of the tree house. They spent the rest of the night with the future scientist showing Rosie some constellations while the younger girl enjoyed the hot cocoa Mrs. Kim made them. Jennie leaned on her, resting her head on Rosie’s shoulder as they both stared into the sky. “Thank you,” she sighed happily. 

 

“Anything for my Jennie,” Rosie said back. The pride she felt knowing how happy she made Jennie was quickly extinguished when her best friend sat up and looked at her curiously. Rosie laughed nervously. “What? Did I I say anything wrong?”

 

To her relief, Jennie shook her head and relaxed against her shoulder again. “You're the best” Jennie mumbled almost inaudibly. Rosie’s gaze remained planted firmly to Orion Jennie pointed out earlier but smiled widely. They fell asleep in the tree house cuddled up and without a care in the world. 

 

A few days later, Rosie was throwing pebbles on Jennie’s window at dawn. She didn’t want to wake up the rest of the Kim family but they needed a head start if they wanted to maximize her gold rush dream. If Jennie didn’t believe Rosie will ever find a gold nugget, the younger girl would never actually know. Jennie was Rosie’s best support system for all her wild ideas and plans. The older girl quietly closed the door of their home with a rucksack and her metal detector. They were almost embarrassed when Rosie’s dad stood in front of their porch and screamed “hey Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, come home before dinner!!!” 

 

“Did you snitch?” Rosie whined as she pedaled away. “I’m never gonna hear the end of it if I don’t find gold.”

 

“No, I didn’t,” Jennie said, flicking Rosie’s shoulder before gripping the younger girl’s waist, feeling a sudden change in speed. “Don’t you think your gold wash pan gave it away?”

 

“Oh. Right,” Rosie laughed loudly. “Hold tight, this baby is seven speed.”

 

She expected Jennie to be scared or chastise her but she heard Jennie laugh and felt her best friend throw her head back a little and enjoy the wind. That’s one of the things she always liked about Jennie; when everyone else looked at her with suspicion or doubt, Jennie trusted her and that made her feel invincible. Jennie was there helping her pick up the neighborhood’s recyclables since they were seven– Rosie’s first “business”. There was Rosie; thin, lanky, and with a small wagon carrying as many newspapers and bottles she could fit in her carrier, walking to the recycling center every weekend. The government provided rewards for people to bring in recyclable trash and little Rosie was right there making pocket money out of it. At nine, she started her chores service operations and when she got double booking, Jennie was there to cover for her. When her brothers that she couldn’t earn 200 dollars this summer, Jennie waved it off and told them Rosie could easily make 300. Jennie’s trust made her work harder. She never ever wanted to let Jennie down. 

 

“Maybe a few yards downstream?” Jennie said, shielding her eyes with her hand against the sun’s glare. “Come on.”

 

Rosie pouted. They’ve been panhandling for two hours now and they’ve come up with nothing. Jennie walked around every now and then using her metal detector in the hopes of finding something. “Maybe Caleb is right that the gold here is all gone.”

 

“Caleb is a ,” Jennie countered as she walked slowly away operating her metal detector. “Why would there be people uptown still buying gold if there’s nothing here now.” 

This made Rosie turn her frown into a grin before catching up and ever more determined to prove her brother wrong. It took them three days to hit a sweet spot; a scream so loud was heard all over Nebraska when they found nuggets. Actual gold nuggets the size of peas. 

 

Jennie patted Rosie’s shoulder as she felt the younger girl close to giving up. Rosie looked up to observe the sky. “I think it’s gonna rain.”

 

“Maybe in a couple of hours,” Jennie said. She nudged Rosie to continue who promptly scooped up sand and water which she methodically swirled around. She felt stinging in her eyes and was seconds away from walking away. She was close to apologizing for wasting Jennie's time when she heard the other girl mutter her name over and over. “Rosie, Rosie, Rosie, look, look.” She didn’t even bother to hide wiping her eyes violently, something Jennie has always about, as dull yellow pebble-like things slowly emerged from her pan. 

 

Without prompting, both of them moved inches away from the bank and placed the pan on the ground. Rosie’s hands were shaking but Jennie let her do all the work because she wanted Rosie to touch her first ever gold. “This is gold, right? Right?” Rosie asked as she tried to control her trembling, showing the pieces resting on the palm of her hands. 

 

Jennie rummaged through her rucksack to get a container. She opened it and let Rosie gently place all her discovery in a tupperware. “That’s gold. That’s definitely gold,” she reassured her best friend. She pulled Rosie back to the bank to start the process again. They were given two successful tries until the panning came out empty again. Rosie didn’t look disappointed anymore though. They headed back to town as quickly as possible, hoping some of the gold buyers were still open. 

 

Rosie ended that day with two thousand dollars, the most she had made in her life. She walked out of Mr. Haskin’s shop holding Jennie’s hand on one and feeling her money inside her pocket on the other. They got home just in time for dinner but before they parted ways, Rosie handed Jennie’s share of the money but Jennie refused. She reasoned that she didn’t really do much; she was just happy to have kept Rosie company and witness that magical moment. Rosie knew Jennie understood how much she needed the money since she spent a lot on her bike. Rosie knew Jennie knew her mom needed her insulin vials and prices have gone up even though she didn’t talk about it. The Parks have always tried to be upbeat as possible and they were the nicest people on the block. Everyone tried to help as much as they could and Jennie’s family had consistently lent a hand even though they had difficulties too those days. 

 

Rosie almost jumped at Jennie, giving her the tightest hug she could give. "I love you," Jennie whispered. Rosie took a sharp intake of breath. She wanted to say it back, too but she was too afraid to open and cry, so she nodded in response. Jennie hugged her tighter, letting her best friend know that she didn't have to say it back at all. 

 

–

 

Jennie glanced at Rosie who was stopped on her tracks by a bunch of boys and girls that Jennie called “Rosie’s groupies.” Her best friend just turned 15 and had survived her awkward phase, a very awkward phase, when she suddenly had a growth spurt and not just in height. Rosie hated it. She hated how boys started to look at her differently and how her brothers have taken over her dad for being overprotective family members of the year. Caleb in particular, who was one year older, had shifted from constantly aggravating Rosie to gatekeeping his sister from every single male from school.

 

Not much has changed though. Rosie was still rambunctious as ever; adding now carrying a huge bag of goods she would buy and sell. That day was sneaker day. She would spend weeks scouring the internet and good will stores for used sneakers. She learned a few summers ago how to clean and restore them to really good condition and can turn a quick thirty dollar profit a pop. Jennie felt her neck and ears heat up when Rosie’s arms flexed as she picked up her huge duffel bag. A 15-year-old isn’t supposed to look that good, God. Why? Jennie thought, looking up at the cafeteria’s white ceiling for answers.

 

“Will you let me sit down, first?” Rosie talked back to a 9th grader who was eager to buy the Nike Cortez she copped in a charity store. It took a while for Rosie to clean it, restore some of the chuffed leather and bring it back to almost pristine condition. “Forty,” she huffed.

 

“Dude, you sure?” The boy’s eyes sparkled as he scrambled to get money from his bag. Rosie placed the shoes neatly packed in a shoe bag on that boy’s hands. “Yeah, since you paid good last time. Get it now before I change my mind. I've got a bunch of vintage graphic novels coming in next month."

 

"Reserve me some. Thanks, Rosie. You're the best."

 

That 9th grader bought some graphic novels from Rosie a few weeks ago and paid upfront unlike most of Rosie’s customers who pay in installments. Rosie remembered those customers and knew how to keep them happy. She bought those sneakers anyway for five dollars. Rosie nudged Jennie to give her more space and wiggled closer to her. “I hate sneaker day,” she grumbled, grabbing a couple of the salmon pie Jennie made for lunch. Whatever sour disposition sneaker day had caused Rosie quickly dissipated after eating the savory pie. “You should sell this,” she said in between grunts and moans of satisfaction at what she's eating. Jennie held her breath and pretended to focus on her assignment. “Hey, did you hear me? I’m not kidding. You really make the best pies.”

 

“I did,” Jennie chuckled. “I appreciate your vote of confidence, but I just love doing it to feed you.”

 

“Well I–” 

 

They were interrupted by a member of Jennie’s astronomy club who reminded her of their activity on Friday night. “See you,” Rosie mocked Jennie’s club member when she was no longer in hearing distance. Jennie bumped her leg against her best friend’s. “What do you have against her?”

 

“She’s trying to steal you from me. What’s that thing she said anyway?”

 

Jennie frowned. “I told you yesterday about this. We’re going to watch the Panstarrs comet at the lake park.” 

 

“Just the two of you?”

 

“Uhm, no. The whole club. And I'm pretty sure there are gonna be a lot of enthusiasts, too. That comet comes either once or every 200 years."

 

“And why am I not invited by your club?”

 

“Because you’re not a member of the astronomy club?”

 

“But that’s our thing. We watch the stars together.”

 

“You didn’t even remember I told you about this.” It was at this moment Jennie realized Rosie was dead serious in their conversation, that her accusation of her club member stealing her was not a joke, and that when Rosie walked out of the cafeteria with an unfinished pie on the table, this was not normal behavior. 

 

Rosie had been a lot more temperamental lately and Jennie had been extra patient, knowing well that she struggled too with her hormones. She just wished Rosie would be more open to expressing her feelings rather than huffing and puffing like a caveman. 

 

Jennie returned the half-eaten pie in her container because she just knew Rosie would look for it later. Rosie might act like a prehistoric at times but that’s her prehistoric and she loved her short-tempered neanderthal to death. She found Rosie after school waiting on her bike to give her a lift. Her best friend looked at her with that cute little pout she makes when she knows she's guilty of something. Jennie knew she would always be in a losing position when it comes to Rosie charming her way to her heart, but she wanted to make her suffer a little bit, too. She ignored the younger girl and walked directly away from the school ground which sent Rosie scuffling with her bike to reach her. 

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Walking home.”

 

“Why? I waited for you.”

 

“I didn’t ask you to.”

 

“Look, I'm sorry about earlier.”

 

“Sorry about what?”

 

“I shouldn’t have walked out like that, and also not finished the pie. That was very disrespectful of me.”

 

Jennie kept quiet while she kept walking. Rosie knew she had more to apologize for but was also sore about Jennie ditching her on Friday for her astronomy club. They always spent Friday nights together. “Can you please hop on the bike already? My bag is heavy.” She knew that wasn’t the wisest thing to say when Jennie glared at her with those deadly cat’s eyes. “I mean…it's a long walk for you, too.”

 

“It’s a 20 minute walk, Rosie. I can manage. You should go ahead.”

 

Rosie refused to leave Jennie, using her feet on the pavement to move the bike following her best friend’s pace. She swallowed her pride and apologized for throwing tantrums earlier and for forgetting Jennie's activities. 

 

“If you wanted to go with me, just say it?” Jennie sighed before sitting on her rightful place off Rosie’s bike. “It’s not that hard to ask.”

 

Rosie tagged along that Friday. Jennie bit her nail and smiled widely when Rosie arrived with her old wagon attached to her bike. In it was a huge cooler and basket. "Anyone wants refreshments, that's 2 dollars per soda and a dollar fifty for those chips," she announced before placing the price list on top of the cooler.

 

"Stop counting your money. I wanna show you something." 

 

Rosie stuffed her earnings that night in her fanny pack and scooted closer to Jennie. She pressed one eye on the eyepiece. 

 

"That's Fomalhaut, it's called the loneliest star and one of the brightest stars in the Milky Way."

 

"Why is it called the loneliest star then?"

 

"Because it's the only one that twinkle in a whole stretch of its area."

 

Rosie mulled over that information and checked it again. "Oh that's right. There's no other star around it."

 

Jennie looked down and started picking grass off the ground

"I'm reminded of you when I see this star." 

 

Rosie turned her attention back to Jennie. "Is that a good thing?"

 

"Of course it is. It's not only one of the brightest stars in the milky way but the interesting thing about it is it's surrounded by several rings of dust and gas around it." She laughed when Rosie looked at her with a blank expression. "It means planets are like…in the process of formation around it. It's a star that creates a planetary system and not all stars have that capability. It's an awesome, very unique star in other words." 

 

"I'm like that?" 

 

Rosie worried a bit by how Jennie looked at her. She felt there was sadness and something else that Rosie couldn't figure out. It came and went quickly however before Jennie smiled widely and pinched Rosie's nose."Yeah, you're like that." 

 

"But a lonely one," Rosie sighed. She didn't know why she felt affected by that information and felt a lump on . 

 

Jennie shook her head emphatically. "It's called that because it's the only one visible. It actually has companion stars. The closest one is something smaller and less bright than Fomalhaut. It's a little more distant and it's never seen by the eye. It's there though. It's always there. It keeps Fomalhault company for, well, for an eternity."

 

Rosie laid down on the grass and stared at the vastness of the sky. "That's good to know," she said with a smile.

 

–

 

Jennie groaned upon reaching the tree house. "God, I'm not young anymore." She stopped whining the moment she saw how Rosie decorated their tree house to celebrate their graduation. "Is that wine?"

 

"Shh. Mom said just this once," Rosie grinned. "Dad didn't protest. I think he's finally coming to terms with me all grown up."

 

"I think you'll always be his baby. A wine drinking baby, but always a baby."

 

Rosie nodded in agreement then patted the space next to her for Jennie to sit. She was proud of herself, having done all the cooking this time. Both of them were scheduled to leave that week and she was determined to spend the remaining days with Jennie. Senior year got them so busy that Rosie felt they didn't really have a lot of fun together. She dreaded the upcoming months even more when they would be living on the opposite sides of the country. Jennie had been beside her since she was literally born in this world and college would mark the first time she would be far away from her best friend. 

 

She tried acting brave but deep down she was shaking. She would be a small fish in a big pond and she wondered how she'd be able to fit in Illinois. Jennie seemed a lot more relaxed about college. But then again, she always had a more tempered take on life. She was already jealous of how Jennie would be able to most likely find new friends and was deathly scared of being forgotten. 

 

"Is there something wrong?" 

 

She must have been quiet for a long time. She looked at Jennie who stared at her with worry. Rosie brushed aside every thought she had because she felt it wasn't the right time. She prepared this night to celebrate, not for the mood to be dampened by her irrational fears. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just gonna miss this place so much." 

 

She gasped then relaxed in Jennie's arms who held her tightly. 

With her face buried on Jennie's shoulder, she tried hard not to be heard sniffing. But she guessed it was too late when Jennie kissed the top of her head. "I'm gonna miss you so much, too." 

 

"I'll always be your best friend, right?"

 

Jennie forced her to look up. There was that gaze again that comes and goes that she's never gotten to fully understand. "You'll always be a lot more than that to me. Go build worlds around you, Rosie. I'll be your star companion. You'll always have me no matter what."

 

–

 

Rosie dreaded this return back to Nebraska. She was close to graduating from college and the first time Jennie will come home too with her girlfriend. She wasn't shocked when Jennie called her up one time and told her she's dating someone. They were in college, Jennie is the prettiest and smartest girl she's ever known, it wasn't a surprise at all that someone would try to catch her as soon as she landed in Berkeley. Rosie even wondered why it took ages for Jennie to date. 

 

Then she was mad for days. She didn't understand why. Then she got madder for weeks as it sunk in. 

 

Jennie wasn't just dating, she was dating a girl. She called up Jennie mad, seething mad, and accused her best friend of lying and hiding from her all those years. Rosie wasn't sure why she was making it about her; she absolutely despised herself for making it about her. But that didn't stop her from hurting Jennie. She tried focusing on school and her side hustles. She was close to finishing her capstone project and needed her business model to make profit in order for her to finish her degree. She threw all her energy to it and ignored Jennie for the rest of the year. 

 

But it was Christmas and everyone had to come home. She had to find out about Jennie coming home with her girlfriend through her dad out of all people. Her father approached the conversation carefully, and Rosie wondered if Jennie actually told him about their fight. It was a huge bewildering moment for her when her father opened up the topic. 

 

"You're coming home, right?"

 

"Of course, pa. I'll be there on the 22nd."

 

"So, I heard from David Jennie's coming home, too." 

 

"I would imagine she would as she's done every year," Rosie said with a chuckle to deflect whatever issues they had. "How's Mr. Kim by the way? He's not too active on Facebook recently." 

 

"Oh he's discovered river fishing as a hobby. Has been inviting me too."

 

"You should. You deserve to have some relaxation, too." 

 

"I'm thinking about it…listen, Rosie…are you okay?"

 

She was startled by the question. Her father sounded genuinely concerned. "I am. Just a little stressed out from school work."

 

"Okay…just wondering…because you know…Jennie's bringing home her…uh…girlfriend."

 

"Okay? What's that got to do with me? Are you against that?" 

 

There was a beat of hesitation and silence. Rosie was ready to defend Jennie at all costs when her father interrupted. "Of course not. You should know me, Roseanne. I just wondered…because…you and…okay, if you're okay then okay."

 

"What? Why are you speaking in codes?"

 

"No, nothing. Dinner's ready. Bye, love you."

 

"I love–hello? hello?" 

 

And just like that she was back home, toasting near the fireplace and dreading the moment she sees Jennie. The Parks were invited to the Kims Christmas dinner as per tradition and she spent a good time staring at the tree house adorned with Christmas lights and a small snowman statue. Jennie was the first to come down from her room and their eyes instantly met. Jennie was the first to smile and made the move to come nearer. Rosie skipped a few steps and hugged her so tightly that Jennie was slightly lifted off the ground. 

 

"Woah, there," Jennie laughed. "You missed me a little too much huh?" 

 

There wasn't much she could say because that was the honest to goodness truth. She missed Jennie so much that she didn't mind that the tense environment when Jennie's girlfriend finally woke up from her nap and was introduced to her. She didn't mind the weird looks both her family and the Kims were giving them when Anna and her talked about their achievements in college because coincidentally, both of them were taking business courses. She didn't mind at all because Jennie was seated next to her while Anna was placed a few chairs further from them. 

 

She did mind however that Jennie tried to referee their parry and only slightly sided with Anna. She certainly did mind that after dinner, Jennie gravitated towards Anna and gazed at her with so much affection. She almost lost it when she learned Jennie was Anna's test subject for all her business ideas. And she did lose it when the couple disappeared for a time and Rosie saw Anna give Jennie a kiss while they were in the tree house. Their tree house. 

 

She took out her bike and in the dead of winter rode around town. She spent the next morning sulking on her cold by the frozen river where she and Jennie found gold. When she came home, she felt everyone tiptoeing around her and being extremely gentle until Caleb went up to her and gave her a beer. He then started talking in the most awkward way about heartbreaks and how to get over them. Rosie felt confused the whole time because he knew Caleb wasn't drunk but felt like it. 

 

"What the hell are you talking about?"

 

Her brother looked at her with so much sympathy and patted her shoulder. "I know you and Jennie were like…end game and stuff. I'm sorry it didn't work out." 

 

"End…what? Wait. What the hell didn't work out?" 

 

"You and Jennie. I don't know what happened, sis. But you know you can talk to me. First love is hard to get over. Everyone's been so worried about you, you know? Even the Kims asked us how you're doing. I mean, I've always liked Jennie but I gotta admit she replaced you a little too quickly and I'm not too happy about that. And to bring her here for the holidays," Caleb clucked his tongue before gulping his beer. 

 

"Woah, woah, woah," Rosie exclaimed with her hands waving in the air. "What--replaced-who–we were never--it wasn’t–"

 

Caleb gave her a blank stare. "I get it you're in denial."

 

"I'm not in denial. We were never together?!?" 

 

"Huh?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"Huh." 

 

"What?!?" 

 

"Well, everyone always thought…you know what? Forget I said anything. Wanna go bobsledding tomorrow?"

 

She caught Jennie walking her girlfriend out on the driveway from her room window. She couldn't deny her happiness when she learned Anna wasn't going to spend New Year's with the Kims. Jennie however had been lukewarm to her the whole day, while she spent some time helping Mrs. Kim preparing for New Year’s Eve. With Caleb in mind, she finally understood why Jennie’s mom kept giving her extra hugs, or Jennie’s youngest sibling entertaining her more than her usual friendliness. 

 

Mrs. Kim and her mom were teaching her how to make traditional Korean food just like how their mothers taught them. Jennie’s mom asked if she wanted anything special for New year’s eve dinner but she declined as she was only staying up until tomorrow to avoid the holiday rush back home. There was a party sponsored by the Investment Business Club that she was going to go to, so she assured Mrs. Kim she wouldn’t be celebrating it alone. That’s when Jennie stepped in the kitchen and threw a snide remark about “wrong priorities”. Jennie’s mom puckered her lips in anxiousness before she made an excuse for her and Rosie’s mom to walk away mumbling something about Switzerland and World Wars. Before Rosie could even ask anything, Jennie walked away from her too. 

 

Rosie had an enormous amount of cabbages bathing in brine that needed to be cut. She decided to fix that first since she knew her priorities. After approximately an hour of chopping, she finally dropped the knife in the sink and went up to Jennie’s room, barging in and asked in perfect hostility, “what the hell do you mean I have wrong priorities?”

 

Jennie's feet were up on her old study table; she put down her book gently and gestured vaguely. "A college party over time with family. Couldn't be more clear than that. But I honestly am not surprised anymore."

 

"What do you mean?" 

 

"The last time you saw me was approximately a year ago, Rosie. You spent the whole Christmas dinner trying to one up my girlfriend–who very much felt your hostility thank you– and then you just disappeared the next day ignoring all my calls and messages. One whole year and you couldn't even be bothered to ask me how I've been." 

 

"Well," Rosie said, crossing her arms defensively. "You obviously are okay. Some things don't need to be asked." 

 

"Are you hearing yourself right now? You literally accused me of lying to you all my life. That was our last conversation a few months ago. What's wrong with you?" 

 

"Well you did! You hid it from me! When did you realize you liked girls huh?" 

 

Jennie side eyed her. "Why does that matter?"

 

"It just does!" 

 

"No, it's not just 'it just does' Rosie. Tell me why that matters to you so much. What would have changed?" Jennie sighed before taking her feet off the table and swiveled to fully face Rosie. "Why would it have mattered if I told you I figured myself out in high school? It scared me, I didn't want anyone to know, I wasn’t ready yet to... I was fine waiting….That was mine to figure out and mine to decide when I tell people and why."

 

Sitting on the edge of Jennie's bed, Rosie looked down in shame. "I don't know, Jennie. Maybe I just wanted to have been there for you like you always were. Maybe that wouldn't have scared you that much the same way I always felt unbeatable when you were around. Maybe you could've had your first date in high school like I did and I'd be there to help you pick your dress the way you helped me pick mine. She shouldn't have been–" Rosie cut herself from speaking and looked at Jennie with such intensity, that it took her back to the time Rosie found her first gold nugget. 

 

"Who's she? Anna?" Jennie said softly. "Rosie? Who were you talking about?" She began to worry when Rosie remained silent with her focus frozen on her. Then Rosie laughed bitterly. 

 

"Rosie." 

 

"She should've been me but it's too late now, isn't it?"

 

She heard Jennie's sharp intake of breath and that was all she needed for her whole life with Jennie to come crashing down on her in an avalanche of memories and undefined feelings. She apologized before running out of the Kims' home and hid inside the treehouse. She didn't care if she froze to death. That was a better option for her than to face Jennie again. She snuggled up to their old blanket that smelled a lot like Jennie and made herself as small as possible. 

 

She woke up to Jennie shaking her aggressively. "It's almost freezing point are you trying to kill yourself? And do you know I've been looking everywhere and that it almost injured me climbing up the icy steps of this tree house?" 

 

"You had no trouble climbing up with Anna last time." 

 

Jennie scooted closer and wrapped them in a warmer blanket. Rosie rolled her eyes at Jennie obviously ignoring her statement and opting to lay her head on her shoulder. "Fomalhaut B."

 

"Huh?"

 

"Fomalhaut B is the name of Fomalhaut's nearest companion star. It's nearest…but the distance is three light-years away. I promised to always be there for you and I don't intend to break that promise for as long as I live. But…I can't…I couldn't wait for you forever, Rosie. And it's not your fault. I just…wasn't meant to be near you the way I wanted to. Anna came at the right time when I was ready to let you go." 

 

"What good are the worlds I'd create then if I shine alone?" 

 

Jennie nudged her. "You were listening." 

 

Rosie wiped her tears the same way she always did as a child. "I know I wasn't…I forget a lot because I have tunnel vision of the things I wanted to do…but I remember a lot, too. But you were always the most important person to me and will always be."

 

"Oh, I know that," Jennie grinned smugly. "I wouldn't be in love with you for the longest time if you didn't make me feel loved. You always did."

 

"I'm not the most important thing in your life now though." 

 

Jennie sighed loudly. "Why are you always so dramatic?"

 

"Says the person who couldn't go through pre-school without me." 

 

"And that should tell you something, Rosie. Honestly." Jennie looked at her incredulously like the answers were too obvious. "Anna left earlier than expected. She said…one look at the two of us and it was so glaring that only someone blindfolded wouldn't be able to see." 

 

"Then why are you speaking like I can't even have a chance anymore?!?" 

 

"Are you hearing yourself?" Jennie said gently pushing Rosie away and using it as a leverage to stand up. "I just got dumped. Just because you had your epiphany doesn't mean I'll just go right in."

 

Jennie made her way down with Rosie smiling when she heard Jennie huffing below the tree house. "God, at least work a little for it. I spoiled you too much." 

 

Rosie grinned even wider. She gently picked up the small treasure chest she kept hidden in a tight nook of the tree house.. It was the biggest gold nugget she found that day. She would have earned more and the buyer looked at her with earnest curiosity when she pocketed it instead of selling. The nugget was inside a small envelope that also had Jennie's picture and a note with her own 12-year-old handwriting. It meant differently to her back then yet somehow it also meant the same right now. 

 

"No gold worth more than her."