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Haechan steps foot into your shared home and shivers from the cold.
The weather has drastically plummeted to low temperatures, meaning winter has arrived. Haechan thinks it'll snow anytime soon, especially with Christmas around the corner. It's the season to bundle up, sit by the fireplace, drink hot chocolates while binging Christmas movies. Yet for Lee Donghyuck, Christmas is a reminder that he's grateful to come home to his family. It's a reminder that he loves the family he's created with you.
The first thing he notices is the lack of presence of your five-year-old daughter, Lee Solana Cheonsa. Usually she's running laps around the doorway, readying her small, grabby hands to cling onto her father's legs after a long day of work. Secondly, he notices that despite the lingering aroma in the kitchen, you're not there to be seen. He peeks into the kitchen, the stove on boiling his favourite kimchi jjigae you often make for the colder season, accompanied by a sizzling pan of vegetables and rice on the cooker. Usually he sneaks up behind your back, his hands on your waist as he trails kisses down your neck with your daughter interrupting your shared kisses.
With almost a forty-eight hour countdown until Christmas, you and Haechan are kept busy, with swapping last minute shifts at your brokerage firm and running around preparing for the holidays, you think it won't get easier until your daughter becomes a late teenager. It's your fifth Christmas as a family, and you and Haechan both feel incredibly lucky to share your favourite time of the year by passing the tradition and celebration onto your daughter, who adores the season as much as you both do. The house is decorated exquisitely each year, the little one always puts the star up on the tree, and you find yourself baking and cooking more than usual.
Haechan thinks it gets better every year as your daughter is growing and dreaming of the impossible.
She asked for a unicorn last year and this year, her fascination with space has led her to ask for a spaceship including a trip to the moon and stars as a family. Of course, because you couldn't disappoint her (how could you disappoint your own five-year-old who innocently has no idea how the true world works yet?), you told her to write a letter to Santa Claus (yep, a huge Santa believer) and send it off towards the North Pole. This meant you and Haechan forced her Uncle Mark to write back a letter as Santa, replying he's happily gift you three a trip to space.
After taking his shoes off, he doesn't waste anymore time finding you as he enters the living room to find you sitting down near your beautifully decorated Christmas tree, wrapping up last minute gifts as you giggle over the movie playing in the background, the classic Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, which happens to be your daughter's favourite. Weirdly though, his daughter is still nowhere to be seen or heard. "Hi sweetness," Haechan whispers into your ear, voice rasp, as he squats down to your height. You jump, clutching onto your chest, flinching at his sudden appearance.
"Hyuck!" You turned to look at him, as he laughed at your shocked expression as you sighed, placing the sellotape onto your lap. "My bad, baby, sorry I scared you."
"I didn't even hear you," You murmured, standing up as you peck him on the lips. "I thought you weren't home until seven?" Your fingers find their way to unloosen his tie as he kisses your nose softly.
"Sungchan told me he's capable of being in charge to close up," You laughed at Haechan's comment, knowing you could fully trust Sungchan's hands in replacement of you or Haechan. "And also mentioned that I'm so old and I have daddy duties with a daughter waiting for me." You giggle at the banter, placing your head onto the crook of his neck, wondering how your husband still smelt this good after a long day of work. "Speaking of, I was feeling a little unsettled when sunshine didn't come running at the door."
"She's been busy," You chortled as your husband raised a brow, "Her door's been shut the whole day, but I've been knocking, and she says she's working on something important."
"That sounds worrying."
You placed a bow on top of the gift you wrapped, a joint gift for Cheonsa. Placing it underneath the tree, you finish off attaching another set of Christmas lights she picked out, themed with candy canes to go along with your tree theme this year of Christmas sweets. "I hate to do this last minute tomorrow, but I think we should get more of those huge standing lollipops, don't you think?" Haechan asked, standing back to watch you adding finishes touches to the tree. Your finger sits on your chin as you think about it, stepping down from the ladder.
"I think so, it could do with filling the gaps—"
"Bye mummy, bye daddy!"
On instinct, not minding the interruption, yours and Haechan's heads turn around as you hear the little girl's voice. She's dressed up warmly in her Hello Kitty jacket, her famous pink backpack dotted with unicorns, and a sealed letter in her hand. You and Haechan glance a worried look to each other as he chases after her before her tiny hands could find the door handle.
"Sunshine? Where are you off to?" Haechan cleared his throat as he steps in front of the door, and your dearest daughter has the audacity to stomp her tiny feet on the floor and you hold back a laugh at her action. Her behaviour is nothing new, and you and Haechan remember to not panic because your daughter is quite literally a drama queen. Obviously she gets it from her father.
"I'm going to the North Pole!" She sassed back.
"The North Pole?" You questioned, and Haechan arches his brows at you curiously, and unfortunately for the both of you, you have zero clue on what's happening.
"Yes, mama. Now move please, daddy. I'm running out of time before Santa comes!"
"Running out of time? Sunshine, there's plenty of time, there's still two days." Haechan reasoned, not entirely sure where the conversation is going, because in situations like this, he can't figure out what's happening in his daughter's pretty little head. "What's that in your hand, hmm?"
"My letter for Santa! He didn't respond and it's been two weeks, daddy! Uncle Markie said Santa will reply in two days, but he hasn't." Cheonsa frowned and Haechan's face scrunched, mentally reminding Mark to keep up with his daughter's needs. "So I'm going to the North Pole instead! And I'm going to find Rudolph outside!"
Cheonsa attempts to go past her father's legs and Haechan steps in front of her. "Sweetheart," You start, gulping, hoping Haechan jumps into your parenting speech as he always does, "Maybe Santa's busy! Remember, he has millions of other children to visit. I'm sure his letter will come soon, okay? He's a very very busy man, and so is Rudolph! Being busy at their workshop means their letter to you will be delayed."
"Mummy's right, sunshine." Haechan knelt down to her height, avoiding laughing at her cute chubby face. "Santa will come around, but you need to be a good girl, alright? If you go to the North Pole, I'm not sure if Santa would appreciate the visit since he's busy packing up your gifts and writing you letters. And sunshine, the North Pole is so far — you won't see mummy and I until next year,"
"In January?"
"In January, baby," You responded with lips pouting sadly.
"So I can't see you and daddy in January? You won't be able to make me gimbap?"
"Yes, sunshine. There's no gimbap in the North Pole, since Santa and the reindeers are travelling all year around to make sure everyone gets their presents." Haechan tucked her hair behind her ear and she wailed, falling onto his chest. "No, daddy! I-I can't go, if I can't see you, mummy o-or.. gimbap," She uttered into Haechan's chest, "I-I'm sorry daddy.. I don't want to go anymore because I'll leave you and mummy alone..."
"It's okay, baby girl." Haechan wiped the fallen tears down her cheeks and you help your daughter take her outfit off. "Be patient with Santa, okay, sunshine? I know you're excited for him to write back and visit, hm?"
She nodded cutely, making your heart melt. Luckily your husband knows how to console her well as he tells her, "He'll be here tomorrow for Christmas Eve, yeah?"
"Really, daddy?"
"Really."
"Sol, how about you change back into your pyjamas and get ready for dinner, sweet girl? Maybe you can read us the letter you wrote for Santa? And show daddy your drawings of our family this year?" She eagerly nodded, running away from her father's lap back upstairs, excited at your words. You let out a sigh of relief as Haechan pretends he wipes sweat from his forehead as you both fist-bump at celebrating your gentle parenting, both thinking the exact same thing: how you managed to console her without any form of a breakdown.
"I seriously thought she was going to have a meltdown when she was in my arms."
"Me too.." You agreed as Haechan pulled you closer to him, his palms settling on your waist. "I think we're pretty good parents."
"Oh babe, don't be humble, we're the best parents. Maybe we should publish a book: A Guide to Parenting by the Lee's."
"Lee Donghyuck, do you have any idea how many years we have ahead of us lying to her Santa Claus is real?!" You hissed at him, voice hushed.
"I say we never tell her the truth. And sunshine, he is real!"
"He is not real if you have your best friend, Mark Lee, writing back letters to our daughter!"
"That bastard, he forgot to write back."