It was the morning of December 24th. Frost kissed the windowpanes of the Gapyeong house, painting delicate patterns across the glass, while the warmth inside wrapped around them like a thick quilt.
Lexie stirred first, drawn from sleep by the quiet patter of Ethan's small footsteps across the hardwood floor.
He had climbed into bed with her sometime around dawn, a habit she never scolded him for. It had become one of the few constants in their ever-shifting world—his sleepy whispers, his tiny arms wrapping around her as if to keep her from disappearing.
"Mama," he whispered, nudging her gently. "Can we eat now? My tummy's noisy."
Lexie chuckled into her pillow. "Five more minutes, love. It's Christmas. Even the sun's still sleeping."
But Ethan was insistent. With a triumphant squeal, he yanked the blanket off her and darted for the door.
The scent of pine and something faintly sweet hung in the air as Lexie pulled on a hoodie and followed him into the kitchen, her feet padding softly over the wooden floor.
She was halfway through preparing a typical Filipino breakfast—longganisa sizzling in one pan, eggs in another, and slices of ripe mango already plated—when Ethan came bouncing back in, wearing mismatched socks and a Star Wars hoodie.
"Mommy, where's the hot chocolate? I told Lolo he has to try the one you make!"
"Third cabinet, top shelf," she said, flipping an egg with ease. "But let Lolo sit down first, okay?"
Ethan scurried to reach it, already shouting for his grandfather to hurry. Lexter, still groggy, wandered in just in time to swipe a slice of mango from the plate.
"Hey!" Lexie smacked his hand with the spatula. "That's for Ethan's plate."
"He won't miss one," Lexter mumbled through a grin.
The quiet didn't last long. A knock sounded from the front gate, followed by the soft chime of the bell.
Lexie was about to head for the door when she heard the shuffle of slippers behind her. Matthew strolled in from the back porch, hoodie sleeves half-pulled over his hands.
"Guess who came bearing gifts and not just their appetite?" he called, swinging the door open wider.
Lexie peeked around the doorway and blinked. "Oh, no way..."
Woori eomoni stepped inside first, holding a casserole dish wrapped in a thick towel. Seungmin abeoji followed with a bag of fruit and a warm smile.
"We heard you finally had your full day off," Woori eomoni said cheerfully. "We thought we'd welcome your parents properly. And also, it's not every day we get to see our little Ethan..."
"Nana! Dada!" Ethan squealed, sprinting across the room.
Lexie's mother, Maureen, appeared in the kitchen doorway, her expression softening as she watched Ethan bury himself in the Lees' embrace. Lexie quickly wiped her hands and moved to greet them both with quick hugs.
"You didn't have to bring food," she said.
"Nonsense," Woori eomoni waved her off. "You all must be exhausted from the flight. You deserve a morning where you just eat and rest."
Her father, Haejun, stepped in next and shook hands with Seungmin abeoji. "It's good to see you again. We haven't spoken face to face since that summer wedding."
"A long overdue visit," Seungmin abeoji replied, his chuckle warm and knowing.
Soon, the kitchen buzzed with overlapping voices and languages—Tagalog, English, Korean—and the scent of breakfast layered with the sound of laughter.
Alexis and Xander stumbled in from their shared room, hair tousled and eyes barely open. Lexie gently nudged them toward the table.
The meal was loud and joyful. Ethan bounced between his grandmothers, proudly sharing stories from the academy and presenting a crayon drawing of their "Christmas family dinner" scene.
Lexie took a moment to sit and sip her coffee, watching the people around the table—her family from two worlds, blending together so naturally it made her chest ache in the best way.
When breakfast wound down, Maureen leaned toward Woori eomoni, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Would you like to go into town today? Lexie said there's a holiday market nearby."
"Oh yes," the older woman nodded. "We need to prepare for tonight. And I want to see what Gapyeong shops have for winter linens."
"Lexie," Matthew said between bites of rice, "You're coming with, right?"
She groaned. "If I don't want my mom and your mom buying glittery curtains again, I probably should."
"You still have those?" Matthew asked, grinning.
"They still haunt my dreams."
Ethan perked up. "Can I come, too? Please? I want to get a present for my samchoons!"
Woori eomoni clapped. "Then it's settled. We all go!"
* * *
By mid-morning, three cars—Lexie's, Matthew's, and Seungmin abeoji's—wound through the snowy roads toward the city. Gapyeong shimmered like a postcard, with rooftops glinting and branches laced in white.
Ethan rode with Matthew this time, sandwiched happily between his two grandmothers. Lexie watched their car from behind, her own vehicle warm and filled with quiet chatter—her brothers, Lexter and Alexis in the back discussing which mall had the best deals.
They arrived at a high-end mall in Gangnam, and within seconds, the younger ones—Matthew included—rushed inside like eager scouts.
Lexie lingered near the entrance with her mom and Woori eomoni, arm in arm.
"Your brothers are just like my sons," Woori eomoni said with a wink. "Loud, hungry, and stubborn."
Lexie laughed. "Good thing we brought snacks."
They meandered through toy stores, homeware boutiques, and a sprawling lifestyle market. Ethan tried on five Christmas sweaters before settling on one with blinking lights and a dancing reindeer.
Lexie found herself caught in a heated tree-decor-debate between Matthew and Xander.
Meanwhile, Woori eomoni disappeared into the cookware section with Lexter and Alexis, promising to teach them how to cook a proper Korean holiday dish.
Her dad and Seungmin abeoji took up residence on a bench near the indoor fountain, coffee in hand, swapping stories with the easy rhythm of men who didn't need to impress one another.
Later, Matthew returned with Ethan in tow and a shopping cart overflowing with wrapping paper, ribbon, and a suspiciously large box labeled "DIY Snowman Kit."
Lexie eyed it. "Do we even have space for that in the yard?"
"We'll make space," Matthew said, already steering the cart toward checkout.
It was nearly 3:00 p.m. by the time they pulled back into the driveway, arms full of bags and bellies full of free samples.
Lexie stepped out of the car, winter air nipping at her cheeks, and glanced back at the full trunk.
Tonight would be chaos.
But it would be their kind of chaos.
~~ 끝 ~~