Seize the Day, Relish the Night

"Tuuli." Miel scolded me. "You shouldn't have."

"What?" I shrugged innocently sitting on the couch as my niece and nephew. Thankfully I had survived all the pinching cheeks and life squeezing hugs at dinner over at my parents' house; they had invited most of the family. "I went to flea markets."

"And what flea markets did you go too that had Marimekko?" Niko coughed sarcastically as he smirked at me.

"Good ones." I laughed and waved off my sister's scornful face she was giving me. "Don't worry, I left the rest for Christmas morning. I mean who wants to just receive clothes from their favorite aunt?"

"Thank you Aunt Tuuli." Sonja grinned in her new dress tightly holding her baby doll.

I pulled her on my lap and gave her a big kiss. "You are quite welcome, baby."

"Sonja, start getting ready for bed." Mielikki yawned, probably a lot more tired than her own kids.

I picked up Tomas and placed him on my hip. "I got it Miel. I don't get to see them enough."

"Thanks Tuuli." She smiled grateful.

Tomas leaned his head on my shoulder and rubbed his eyes. I kissed his head and rubbed his back. "Come on Sonja." I smiled as she turned off the water from brushing her teeth.

I went down the hall to their bedroom. I changed them into their warm pajamas. Sonja sat on her bed watching as I laid her little brother down to sleep in his crib. I tucked him in and gave him a kiss goodnight.

I turned around slowly to face my niece making her giggle nervously. "Aunt Tuuli!"

I laughed and scooped her up. "Sonja!" I mimicked. "Shush, we don't want to wake Tomas or have Mommy yell at us." I winked.

I pulled the covers over her and tucked her in. "Play with my hair please?" She yawned smiling cutely.

"Who can resist a face like that?" I chuckled and stroked her soft curls. She snuggled up to me and sighed, letting sleep win her over.

"They've missed their aunt." I looked up to see my sister standing in the doorway.

"Well, I've missed them too." I said softly as I got up carefully, not to disturb Sonja.

"Want some wine." She waved the bottle.

"Do you even have to ask?" I chuckled shutting the door behind us.

"So, Niko said that this rock star asked you out yesterday?" She mused handing me a glass full to the fermented red liquid.

I took a sip and nodded. "Yeah, he met everyone formally over dinner and asked me out on the platform before I left."

"That's sweet." Miel smiled happy for me. "It's like one of those romantic black and white films from the '20s and '40s. Just right up your ally."

I rolled my eyes and walked to my bedroom, pulling out a pair of thick wool socks. I placed my wine glass on the end table and slid them on. "I didn't fall fast when I've dated guys in the past, did I?"

She laid down on the bed next to me sipping her wine lazily. "No, not fast. But you wore your heart on your sleeve so you always got hurt." She looked over at me as I laid down next to her. "Why?"

"Because." I sighed. "This time it feels different. And I've never felt this caught up over someone who it seemed like was toying with me." Miel smiled as I continued to get everything off of my chest and pulled out my laptop. "And the way he made sure he found out my name when I gave him a nickname, was just so sweet. And he calls me darling." I sighed.

Miel laughed. "Wow, Tuuli, you really are hung up this time."

"What are you doing?" I asked changing the subject, hoping the blush would fade from my cheeks.

"Jyrki Pekka Emil Linnankivi." She read off of a fan page for the band. "Pretty name." She scrolled down the page. "Nice eyes too."

I rolled onto my stomach and smiled as she continued to search on the Internet. "I know. Aren't they gorgeous? And his voice; Miel, never has a voice turned me on." I grabbed my wine glass and swirled the crimson liquid around before sipping it. "I really like him, huh?"

"Sure sounds like it." She chuckled.

My phone bounced on the end table as it vibrated. I reached over and picked it up. "Hello?"

"I miss you too." I melted hearing Jyrki's voice.

"Hi." I said softly and sipped my wine.

"So everything went safely?" Jyrki asked, his voice full of concern.

"Yeah, I got here safe and sound." I smiled, switching to Finnish. "How about you? Arrive safely in Stockholm?"

"Is that him?" Miel asked quietly.

I nodded and smiled. "Of course darling." He chuckled.

Miel laughed softly at how I twirled my hair ad bit my lip, as she put my laptop away. She grabbed her wine glass and reached over taking my empty one. She leaned down and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Good night Tuuli."

I smiled and kissed her back. "Night Miel."

"Where are you?" Jyrki asked curious about the voice in the background.

"My sister's; I didn't want to stay in my house." I laughed. "Especially when this one is already heated and the pipes don't need to be warmed up."

"You have a house up there?" He asked finding that odd.

"Sure." I shrugged. "I think my father had it built thinking I would marry someone from Inari. But, when I moved to Helsinki, it became more of a summer home."

"That's a nice deal." He chuckled and cleared is throat. "So your friends seem to think that you will be gone more than a week."

"I have a reputation for doing that." I laughed. "But, it's true. I'll stay through until Christmas more than likely."

"Oh." He said quietly.

"Is everything okay Jyrki?" I asked concerned at the change in his tone of voice.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with the band and I to Dubai for Christmas." He said shyly.

I laughed. "I was going to ask if you wanted to come up here."

Jyrki chuckled. "I'm sorry darling, but I can't trade warmth for freezing temperatures."

"It's only -15 degrees Celsius. And, it's only should be the lowest -25 while I'm up here." I laughed. "Are you saying that's cold?"

"Darling, that's insane." He teased.

"I know." I chuckled. "I was shivering in the car with the heat on at full blast."

"Well, you know what that means." He grinned.

"What?" I smiled, kicking my feet under the covers to get warm.

"Body heat, darling. Body heat." Jyrki said smugly.

Jyrki smirked as I giggled. "Maybe. So, how long are you in Stockholm?"

"Only for a couple of days. I'll be in Helsinki again on the 17th." I heard him shift the phone.

I covered my mouth as I stifled a yawn. "Sorry."

"I'll let you go darling." He said softly.

I bit my lip, not ready to say goodnight. "You don't have to."

Jyrki laughed. "And, what, stay on the phone until you fall asleep?"

"Mhmm." I smiled. "I like the sound of that."

"Goodnight, darling." He chuckled softly.

"Goodnight Jyrki." I sighed in content.

I heard two giggling voices. I smiled and snuggled into my pillow pretending to still be sleeping.

"Aunt Tuuli." Sonja giggled. "Time to wake up."

I reached behind be and grabbed the two jumping monkeys. They laughed insanely as I tickled them. "So you think it's funny waking me up." I grinned and looked over at my cell phone seeing it was five in the morning. I groaned, not used to being up early anymore. "Is mommy up?"

Tomas sucked on thumb content and watched his sister and I. Sonja shook her head. "No, daddy said not to wake her up."

"Did he? I'll have to remember that." I chuckled. "So why are we up so early?"

"Because daddy said that you would take us out on the sled for a ride." She grinned.

"Daddy is saying a lot of things, isn't he?" I rolled my eyes. But, dog sledding was fun when I was their ages, and I still love going, so I really didn't mind in the end. I ushered them out of the room to go get changed so I could do the same.

I slid a pair of long johns over my underwear, preparing myself for the cold. I pulled on some jeans and a long t-shirt. I put on some thick wool socks and some winter boots.

"So, Niko." I smiled leaning on the chair. "I hear you're letting my sister sleep and your children pick on me?"

He grinned sheepishly and handed me a mug of steaming coffee. "Sonja and Tomas missed their aunt?"

"They're just lucky they're so cute." I smiled at the two stuffing their face with oatmeal.

"You can see the new vielpis when you go out there." He smiled seeing my eyes light up.

I looked up excited, but who wouldn't when it came to puppies. "How many?"

Niko counted all the fingers on one hand. "Vitta."

"Tutu." Tomas raised his arms up as high as he could; being all bundled up in his snowsuit.

I chuckled and lifted him up as we walked out to the barn, the snow crunched under our feet. The huskies started barking excited when I opened the door. Sonja let go of my hand and raced over to the dogs.

"Aunt Tuuli." She grinned holding one of the puppies.

"She's adorable." I smiled petting the Siberian Husky. I held her large paw in my hand. "She's going to a be a big dog. Did you name them?"

Sonja nodded. "I helped name them all." She said proudly. "Papa called her the runt, but I said we should call her Ulla."

I chuckled. "Runt means that she's the tiniest. Is she your favorite."

"No," she placed the vielpis down carefully. "Hanna is my favorite. I like her brown fur."

She did stick out of the litter with the rest of the puppies having black and white fur. "She is gorgeous."

Sonja grinned. "And that's Visa, Olli, and Aku."

"Is Emma a good mommy?" I asked Tomas as I pet her.

"Yeah." He said shyly playing with a puppy gently. Sonja made sure that her little brother wasn't being too rough.

I placed Tomas down and walked over to the wall with the dogs' harness tacked up. I grabbed them and walked over to the larger dogs in the other stall. They were kept separated to keep the mother and puppies safe. "You guys ready to go sledding?" I grinned beginning to get the harness on each of the seven dogs we would us.

"Of course." Sonja giggled as Hanna licked her face.

"How about you Tomas?" I smiled looking over the wooden wall.

"Of course." He mimicked his sister.

I rolled my eyes and stepped out of the dog's stall to make sure Emma's and the puppies' were safe before opening their door. When I did, they ran out the open door with my niece and nephew chasing after them. I opened the door wider before pushing out the toboggan sled.

I shut the door to the barn and slid the latch shut. I untangled the gangline and looped it through the dogs' harness before attaching them to the sled. They sat in line as Hanno, the lead dog, waited for commands.

Sonja climbed into the sled and sat against the back. I sat Tomas in her lap and covered them with a blanket.

"Hike, Hike." I called out, telling the dogs to take off. I smiled as they laughed when we picked up speed. I took them through walking paths in the woods and along the lake. There were several people out there ice fishing and probably drinking vodka.

"Easy." I called up as we slowed down in front of my parents' home. I secured the reins and jumped off the back of the sled, opening the front door of the house. "Enni!" I called for my mother.

"Tuulikki!" She scolded. "Stop letting the cold air in."

"This will be real quick; I have the kids on the sled." I smiled sheepishly. "Is eeci here?"

"You're father's up at the corral with the rest of them." She rolled her eyes.

"Hi, akku." Tomas grinned waving at his grandmother.

She wiped her hands on the washcloth and crabbed another blanket off the back of her rocking chair. "Cover them warmer Tuulikki."

"Thanks Enni." I kissed her cheek. I tucked the blanket around the two kids.

"Be safe Tuulikki." My mother shook her head before going back into the house.

"Okay. I will tell her mister." Sonja giggled and hung up my cell phone.

"Sonja?" She looked up with a cheeky grin. "Who was that?"

"Jyrki." She smiled. "He talked funny. He said good morning."

I shook my head wondering what kind of conversation the two would be able to have. I stood on the back of the sled and took off, deeper into the woods, to the corral.

"Aunt Tuuli!" Sonja screeched shining her flashlight in my face.

Startled, I lost my footing and almost fell off the back of the sled. I gripped the handles harder and steadied myself. I looked at Tomas and Sonja sporting big smiles. "Yes?" I took a deep breath, gathering patience.

"Aijih!" She pointed ahead to my father, smoking his pipe.

I rolled my eyes and slowed the sled down to a stop. "Ecci. You have visitors."

He grinned. "Well, well, what do we have here?" He teased and braced himself as they jumped in his arms. He let them down to go find their ecci. "Ready to help round up."

I groaned. "Ecci that will take forever."

"Nabai?" He smirked.

"And what about?" I mocked, sticking my tongue out and untied the gangline so the dogs could go get water.

"Make sure you don't let them near the reindeer this time Tuulikki." My father's smirk widened.

"It was one time." I sighed and looked over at him before we both cracked up. Rounding up the reindeer in the winter is a long enough task. It was twice as long and twice as hard when the huskies had fun nipping at their ankles and separating all our hard work.

I picked up my cell phone, slipping it into my coat pocket making sure that I would have to call Jyrki later. I smiled taking the rope from my father and tied a knot, ready to throw a lasso. Just because my father had two daughters, and no sons, didn't mean we weren't taught how to shoot well or throw a lasso.

One of my favorite Inari proverbs is: Ia puohaha lah almaah, kiah puuvsaid aneh.

Not all who wear trousers are men.