Why her? [CHAENNIE]

27

***

It was Christmas Eve. Rose went shopping in the morning and bought groceries before heading to her mom's house. She would be spending the Christmas weekend at her parents' house, wanting to be with her mom and Hank that day.

Already being at her mother's house, the girl decided to spend the whole day in the house, so she changed into cozy Christmas pajamas and put on warm socks, given by Jennie. Going down the stairs, Rose looked at her socks and reindeer faces with a smile, immediately remembering Jennie. That seemed to be exactly what Kim was trying to accomplish.

Watching Rose, her mom feels a joy spreading under her ribs, seeing her daughter so homely it feels like they've gone back in time to a distant past when her husband was alive and little Rosie couldn't wait to unwrap long-awaited presents.

The woman has prepared her signature hot chocolate, and they are cozy on the sofa by the tree, chatting about casual topics. Rose wishes she could tell her mother more about work and Jennie, but decides it's too early for that. She realizes that there is a lot of uncertainty between her and Jennie and no clear decision about their relationship, so she doesn't want to jump to conclusions.

Jennie, on the other hand, went for a long morning walk in her neighborhood with her family. They brewed cocoa in thermos mugs and headed for a mini hike closer to the woods. Since the Kims' home was in the private sector, they weren't too far from the forest, which no one has cut down yet and they hope they won't. Calgary is being actively built up and growing in scale, so a lot can change in about ten years. For now, however, an atmospheric walk with their parents is something the girls have been sorely missing while away from them. They laughed a lot, played snowballs and lay in big snowdrifts. The sun was shining very brightly, there was not a cloud in the sky and the frost was tingling their noses and cheeks, but it was still magical.

Jennie shared photos in stories and received warm messages from friends, as well as congratulations for the upcoming holiday. Rose was also typing messages throughout the morning and Jennie was very happy about that. They chatted about nonsense and silly things, but it brought a smile to both of them and suspicious looks from their loved ones. The blonde sent a picture of her feet in socks in front of the Christmas tree and Hank, and upon seeing the picture, Jennie visibly blushed, being out in the cold, yet her cheeks were hot with excitement. Kim's heart visibly quickened its rhythm at the thought that Rose was now wearing the socks she had given her, and the girl was responding to the message with an intense flutter in her chest:

Jennie: That's so cute!!!

Jennie: Hank's a real sweetheart😍

The girl smiles broadly, walking behind Ella and following her footsteps in the deep snowdrifts.

-Just don't trip, okay?- Ella turns back for a second, noticing that her sister is fully engrossed in the phone.- If you do, we'll all fall like skittles.

Jennie clucks her tongue, glaring at her sister, but decides to listen and follow her footsteps, because the snowdrifts are big and it's easy to lose balance. The family is on their way home after a long walk.

A picture arrives from Rose, showing the blonde herself standing full-length in front of the mirror, holding her phone in one hand and Hank with his tongue stretched out in the other. Jennie smiles at the sight of the grown-up puppy in a festive costume, but then her gaze does fix on Rose, who is standing in the full-length reflection. She was dressed in a tight white T-shirt, her flat stomach barely visible underneath, and on her legs were cozy, loose Christmas pants in a red-and-white checkered pattern, tucked into Jennie's familiar warm socks. Her hair was loose and tumbled down her shoulders in curls. Her slender fingers held her phone, a sly smile on her lips. The picture is followed by a message: