Preparing for the Christmas

"Jun, will you take out those cookies from the oven?" Mother said to Jun as she was busy making the next batch.

"Yeah!" He hurriedly went towards the oven, wore the mittens and opened it.

"Ummm!!" Mia closed her eyes and took the sweet smell inside. "It smells deliecious…." She said as she walked towards him.

He took out the tray and kept it on the counter.

Involuntarily her hands went towards it, but then, 'Slap!'

"Ow!" She took back her hands and looked to the side where her mother was standing; folding her hands.

"Don't eat it right now!" Mother said.

"But—"

"No!" Mother scolded again.

"….Okay~" Mia pouted as she went to a side.

"First help us here then you'll get to eat." Nana said.

"….I can't do this Nana. You know that, right?" Mia complained.

"If not now, then when?" Grandma said.

"….."

"If you won't learn now, your husband is gonna starve for sure!"

"Nanaaaa…" Mia whined. "Why are you saying such things…."

"It's true." Mother added. "If you don't know how to cook how are you gonna feed your family."

"I will take food from outside!"

"You can't do that every day." Mother said.

"Then….Umm….I will marry a Chef!!" Mia clapped her hands being happy on her own idea.

"Oh really?" All the ladies raised their eyebrows in disbelief.

"What?" Mia said in an offended tone. "Can't I get a chef?"

"…You can…But…" Nana shrugged her shoulders.

"But what?" Mia asked desperately.

"But…If he is a chef and is already doing the cooking all the time, wouldn't he love his partner to be the one who will cook for him at home?" Grandma answered.

"…" Mia thought for a second and nodded understandingly, agreeing to it.

"Now what will you do?" Mother asked.

She thought for a second. As she was thinking all were looking at her expecting a very good answer.

But then, "Simple! I am not gonna marry!!!" She said beaming a smile.

All of them exchanged glances; Jun facepalmed hearing that.

Mia went to her mother and hugged her tight from the back. "Don't worry Mom, I won't leave you and father alone!" She said.

Now mother was the one who was facepalming.

Being happy on her idea, Mia let go off the hug and smiled again. "Now.." She said. "Can I get a cookie for this?"

Mother looked behind from the corner of her eyes. "….No. The answer wasn't worth rewarding!"

"Yes!" Grandma said. "If you had said, that you will learn it, then you might have got two cookies!"

Mia pouted again. "That's not fair…" She whined and saying that, she went outside the kitchen.

"See, how she is?" Mother complained. "One is like this, other is like that…"

"It's okay sweety." Nana said. "But both of your daughters are gems!"

"Diamonds!" Grandma added.

Mother just sighed and went back to the work.

Meanwhile, Jun had sneaked out from the kitchen.

When he came to the living room, he saw Mia sitting on the couch; Charlie's head was on her lap and she was caressing him.

As soon as Jun came closer to them, Charlie got up, and kept his nose high, trying to smell something.

"See?" Jun said. "He is very good when it comes to the food!"

"Huh?" Mia turned back and saw Jun standing there with a smile.

He brought his hand in the front from the back.

"Ah!! Cookie!!!" She exclaimed.

"Shhhh…." He put his finger on his mouth, telling her to keep quiet.

"Okay…Okay…" She mouthed.

He handed the cookie to her.

She smiled brightly as she took it in her hands, "Thank you Junaa!!!"

He smiled back.

As he was about to turn, she said, "Wait!"

Then she broke the cookie into three pieces. "One for me, one for you and one for Charlie!" She said as she kept her palm before him.

His eyes became softer as he tossed one piece in his mouth.

She ate one, and fed the last one to Charlie.

Jun turned back and went towards the Kitchen with a gentle smile on his face.

As he was in the hallways, he heard her voice again, "Junaa!"

He turned back and saw her running to him.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Nothing~" She said. "I just wanna help you guys in the kitchen!"

"….You do?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes I do!!" She exclaimed.

"Okay then. Come on!"

And both of them entered the kitchen.

~

Mia and Jun were standing at the train station.

Mia looked at the watch, "It's about time…." She said.

"Hmm…"

"…."

"….."

"Umm….Mia…."

"Yeah?"

"…Thank you…"

"Huh?"

"Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for talking to me; for bringing everything back to the normal…You don't know how guilty I was feeling…"

"Junaa….Can't we just forget what happened two years back? It's a very painful memory, for you, for me…..for him…"

"…."

"…I just don't want to keep this memory with me till the end of my life. I want to move on…."

"Yeah…"

"…."

"…."

"Juna?"

"Yeah?"

"There is something I need to tell you.."

"Yeah. What is it?"

"Actually…"

As she was about to say something, the announcement was made telling her train was reaching to the station.

"What is it?" Jun asked again.

"Umm…"Mia could see that she didn't have much time to explain what she wanted to. 'I cannot tell him today….' She thought.

"…Nothing…" She said.

"Huh?"

And as they were talking the train came and stood in front of them.

"I gotta go!" Mia said hurriedly.

"But—"

"I'll tell you later." And she entered the train.

He waved at her. "Take care! I'll come to meet you in Seoul."

She waved at him back and the doors were closed.

'I better tell him….that he is back…and the thing he said to me last time was….Huhhhhh' she sighed loudly.

'Is something bothering her? She wanted to say something. What could that be?'

~