Melendez had noticed Lim had been a little down for the past week or so, but he couldn't figure out why. He was hoping Lim wasn't having second thoughts about their relationship because she seemed happy enough in regard to them being together. He arrived at Lim's house after a long day at work and knocked on the door. Lim answered a few moments later, "Hi," she smiled and kissed him.
"Hi," he answered her back. When he entered her house, there was something different about it. It was…clean. As in, completely spotless from floor to ceiling. There was a cardboard box in the corner with a few red lanterns sticking out of it, along with a few other bright red and gold decorations, "Been busy?" he asked.
"Lunar New Year is next week," said Lim.
So that was the reason for all of the decorations. Lim came out of the kitchen and Melendez wrapped his arms around her, "Well, it looks like you've done a lot today so I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight? Grab a few drinks, maybe some wings at Crowley's."
"That sounds nice," Lim smiled softly, "I'm too tired to cook after cleaning all day."
Melendez and Lim grabbed their coats and got into Melendez's Tesla. When they arrived at Crowley's, they both ordered beer and some hot wings before they resumed their conversation from Lim's house, "Why the long face, Lim? You usually love this time of year."
"I know," Lim admitted and took a sip of beer, "Just that I have no one to celebrate with this year. Josh can't make it to San Jose and I'm too busy to fly to Dallas. And Laura is spending the holiday with her family so they can see Everly. I'm all alone."
"What am I? Chopped liver?" Melendez asked jokingly.
The waiter brought their wings and they began to eat before Lim said, "No, I just didn't think it would interest you. You're not familiar with the holiday and never celebrated it. I just didn't think it would be that important to you."
"Audrey," Melendez wiped his hands on a napkin, and then, grabbed Lim's hand, "You're an important part of my life now, and what's important to you is important to me."
"You mean it?" asked Lim.
"100%," confirmed Melendez, "So, uh, what are some of the things we're going to do?"
Lim chuckled a little and took another sip of her beer, "Well, I already did all of the cleaning, so we'll decorate the house with red and gold decorations and lanterns. We'll go shopping…"
"You actually are willing to go shopping?" Melendez teased.
"It's tradition to buy something new for the new year, as well as buying food for the New Year's Eve meal," Lim smiled, "But I know. Hard to believe that I'd ever drag you out shopping. The biggest things are the dinner on New Year's Eve and the parade in San Francisco."
"Now that one I've heard of," said Melendez.
Melendez paid for their food and the couple drove home. It was late when they got back to Lim's house, so they changed into pajamas and climbed into bed, though they managed to find a second wind when Lim suggested having a little fun that night. When they were finished, they were cuddling when Lim suddenly said out of the blue, "Thank you."
"For what?" asked Melendez, looking down toward her.
"For celebrating with me," Lim snuggled her nose into the nape of Melendez's neck.
Melendez chuckled and kissed the top of her head, "You're welcome. But you know you're going to have to make it up to me by celebrating a few Mexican holidays when the time comes."
Lim smiled and kissed him, "Deal."
Over the next few days, the couple decorated Lim's house and bought some stuff for the New Year. Two days before New Year's Eve, Melendez and Lim were snuggled in bed while Lim decided to embarrass herself, showing Melendez some of the old family photo albums of past Lunar New Year celebrations, "Look at you and Josh all dressed up," Melendez chuckled and pointed to a picture of Lim and Josh all dressed up in traditional outfits. Lim was about six in the picture.
"Yes, my ama starting off every New Year forcing me into a qipao dress while I screamed and cried," Lim laughed at the memory, "I always promised myself if I ever have a daughter, I will not force her to be into all of that pink glittery princess stuff," Lim pointed out pictures of past reunion dinners, parades, and other childhood events before closing the book, "Now, you have to return the favor and show me pictures of your childhood in Texas."
"Oh please God, no," Melendez buried his face in his hands, "I don't want to make you play a game of hunt Neil Melendez in family photos," Lim chuckled and kissed him, "So are you sure you'll be okay cooking everything tomorrow?"
"Well, if you're offering your assistance, I won't turn it down," she grinned at him, "But the one good thing about my mother and ama forcing me to help cook dinner every year is that I know the recipes inside and out. Besides, it's just you and me."
"So I'm guessing going out to Panda Express will become the option if you ruin dinner?" Melendez joked.
Lim rolled her eyes in amusement and said, "Please, Panda Express is the Taco Bell of Chinese food," she kissed him and snuggled against his chest, "Good night, Neil."
The next evening, Melendez and Lim had just finished setting the table for dinner with the dumplings, fish, spring rolls, noodles, sweet rice balls, fruit, and glutinous rice cakes, and Melendez couldn't help but whistle, "Wow, Lim. You better not let me get used to you cooking for me."
"Oh believe me, I won't," she smiled and kissed his cheek, "Well, dinner's served. Your first ever Lunar New Year reunion dinner," she poured the wine and they both sat down at the table.
"Here's to many more," Melendez held up his glass and they clinked them together before they started eating. As they continued the meal, Melendez said, "I'm thoroughly impressed. The food actually tastes much better than I thought it would."
"Ass," Lim muttered under her breath, "Well, the recipes are my relatives', so I'm not cooking out of nowhere."
"One day, I have to introduce you to my family. Their cooking makes Taco Bell taste like what is."
"A cheap fast food joint?" Lim smiled.
"Correct," said Melendez, "So I have to ask, what is your favorite holiday memory? Any holiday."
"You really want to tell me some story don't you?" she asked knowingly. Melendez shrugged innocently, "It was the first December after I moved to San Francisco and a couple of my friends from school gave me a few Christmas presents even though my family didn't really celebrate it at the time, and it was one of the first times I felt included. You?"
"It was one Día de los Muertos and my grandparents still lived in Mexico at the time. My primos, Enrique and Victor, and I pranked their sister, Diana, real well," Melendez laughed at the memory.
"God, you're such an ass," Lim shook her head and laughed, taking a bite of dumpling.
"Abuelita was so angry and we were all grounded for a month," Melendez finished the story, "Oh, and I know it's technically only New Year's Eve, but I have something for you," he pulled a red envelope out of his pocket.
"Look at you Googling things," she chuckled and opened the envelope, revealing $21, "And an amount not divisible by four; I'm impressed."
"Hey, I didn't know the proper amount," he smiled, "But I'm trying."
"Yes, you are," she walked around the table, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed his cheek, "So are you ready for dessert?"
"If I can find room," he laughed.
The day of the parade in San Francisco arrived, so Melendez and Lim spent the day touring Chinatown, shopping, eating and visiting the fortune cookie factory before the parade. As they watched the floats roll down the street, Lim grabbed Melendez's hand, laid her head on his shoulder, and asked, "So how was your first Lunar New Year?"
Melendez smiled and kissed the top of her head, "It was good. Then again, any new adventure with you is wonderful. I can't wait until next year."
Normally in the past, Lim would be terrified whenever a man she was with brought up the future; but somehow with Melendez, she wasn't nervous at all. She could easily see a future with him, celebrating holidays with him, loving him, raising a family with him, and most importantly, having fun with him.