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Milk and Love are both in the kitchen. Milk is currently sweating over her bowl of egg whites, hoping they'd form into peaks before her arm fell off. She doesn't know what possessed her to bake an Italian Cream Cheesecake knowing full well their electric mixer was broken.

Love was sitting across the kitchen counter. She knew zilch about baking. But she could offer Milk an encouraging word. Or flash her boobs to get Milk distracted enough to stop catastrophizing. It's just dessert after all. Worst case scenario, they could order a cake. There were no rules that the food for the reunion have to be hand made.

Did the sweet words and flashing of skin work? It did. A little too well. Love's skin was as dusted with powdered sugar as the other desserts on the counter. And baking became petting and kissing and moaning. Thus the cake is far from done. And truth be told, Milk has completely ruined 2 batches because she was too busy sampling someone else's sweet frosting. Sorry to be crass.

But in case anyone is worried about sanitation, the other reason Milk is running horribly late with her cake is because she keeps on having to take quick showers after each- ehem - distraction. Not that she regrets any of it.

In fact it's one of the reasons she and Love have lasted so long together. Love knows just how to snap her out of her otherwise crippling anxieties. She knows how to ground Milk and keep her sane.

Milk on the other hand gives Love consistency and structure. She's someone Love can rely on no matter what. And Love craved that especially with how tumultuous her childhood has been. Love felt safe with Milk, felt cared for and thanks to Milk's friends - she felt like she has found a true family.

Milk's friends are people she has known since her school days. A couple since high school, the rest from university.

Love met them 5 years ago, when she and Milk started dating. They were so young then - bright eyed, bushy tailed 22 year olds.

This year, they're all in their late 20s. And like all of us know, the older we get the harder it is to carve time for friends.

The almost daily hang outs become once a week dinners. Then they dwindle to once a month brunches. Next, you are lucky to see each other more than once a year.

The tradition none of them dared break - no matter how busy they got or far away they lived - was having Christmas dinner together.

The reunion was sacred. The pot luck a mandatory. The gift giving practically law. Everyone gave and got a present. Even the sometimes there plus ones.

There had been plus ones that came but aside from Love, they also all went.

This year, it seems it will just be the original crew - Milk, Love, First, Namtan, Tay, Bright and Win.

First and Namtan have known Milk since 4th year high school. While the rest of the three men, Milk met in Accounting 101 at university - specifically, they met at the teacher's lounge as they were all flunking the subject.

First is now a retired Olympic swimmer. Namtan a news anchor. Tay the CMO of his father's leather goods business. Bright and Win worked together managing a chain of vinyl + book stores. They co-owned one branch with Milk and Love who in turn own Milk & Love Café. The girls only had 2 branches. One was a collab with Bright and Win - because who doesn't want to curl up with a good book and good coffee? - the other was the main branch which coincidentally was at the ground floor of their two story house.

When they started it, they didn't expect much. After all, they were not located anywhere near the central business district. And although a fantastic baker, Milk was not a celebrity chef.

But life has some sweet surprises- one of them was making their little café a consistent hit among tourists and couples. It was busy round the clock, all year round.

Well, except today.

Today, the only people they will welcome are their five favorite people. It's Christmas after all, and Christmas meant family.