“Are you done yet?” The five-year-old asked impatiently. Her legs swung back and forth as she was perched on a stool.
“Almost.” Lola answered with a giggle. It had been quite a day as Lola took her young niece around to the different shops. With a very pretty dress picked out, Demora asked her aunt if she could have a little makeup. In reality Lola wasn’t giving her much, a little eyeshadow, a little blush and some pink lip gloss. Once Lola put the final touch of lip gloss, she put the lid back and on and smiled. “Okay, you’re all done. Hop down and go look in the mirror.”
With excitement, Demora practically galloped to the mirror. She cooed and twirled around. “Do you like it?” Lola asked her.
“Yes!” Came the little girl’s reply. “I’m so pretty! Can we send a picture to Daddy? I want him to see how pretty I am!”
“You know,” Lola said slightly waving her phone. “I was just thinking the same thing. Okay, go stand right over there.” Giving direction to a five-year-old wasn’t exactly easy, but thankfully Demora’s mind was still on taking a picture. “Okay, good. Yes, stand just like that and read? Say cheese!” Lola took the picture and gave it one last look before sending it to her brother. “Looks great, Demora. I bet your Daddy’s going to love it! He might even frame it and hand it in the house.”
Demora looked pleased, jumping up and down a few times before running over to Lola and grabbing her hand. “Tea time. You promised.”
“You’re right I did.” Lola agreed walking with the little girl into the playroom that her parents had set up for Demora. She reached for the cups but Demora shook her head and took them from her.
“I do it.” Demora said with nod. “You sit right there.” Trying not to laugh at her niece’s assertiveness, Lola did as she was told. Demora sang happily as she pretended to pour the tea. After a moment she grew silent and looked over at Lola. “Are you going back soon?”
Lola looked taken aback at how quickly Demora’s mood had changed. The little girl was no longer smiling but looked at her aunt with serious eyes. “I don’t know, sweetie. Why do you want me to go back to Seoul?” Lola asked her.
“No!” Demora said loudly. “I don’t want you to go back. I want you to stay here. Can’t you stay here with us?”
This was a moment that Lola was honestly dreading once she started spending more time with Demora. Not that she expected Damora to ask but the fact that she knew that she would get very attached to the little girl. Being home, just made her realize how much she had missed moments like this. How much she missed her parents and brother and there people here, people she was reconnecting with and she couldn’t deny there was a pull to stay.
“I do want to, Damora. It’s an adult thing. It’s complicated.” Lola finally replied. “Here, you know what I think will go good with the tea? Some cookies.”
“Oh yes! I want cookies!” Damora squealed. Lola smiled thankful that the distraction worked.