I scoop more of the pork mixture onto the rice paper wrapper then fold the edges and roll it into the proper shape. Another spring roll gets added to the pile between me and Bà Ngo?i, my grandma. We've all been so busy getting ready for T?t (Lunar New Year) this week, but now it's only a day away. I'm so excited! It's the biggest Vietnamese holiday every year and we always spend a week before cleaning, shopping, and cooking for a huge feast. After a little while, my Má comes back from the store, arms full of groceries and a grin on her face.

"Ooh, smells good in here! I hope you don't mind making a few extra batches of spring rolls though."

"How come?" I glance up and see her grinning.

"Because, there's a big T?t party tomorrow night, and we're going!"

"What?!" I stand up and a matching smile spreads across my face. "Where? What time?"

"Tomorrow night at the Lakeside Garden. There's going to be so many people and a ton of good food. It'll be a fun party."

"Maybe you'll meet a cute boy," Bà Ngo?i nudges me playfully. "When I was your age..."

I just bat at her hand and laugh. "No, I'm sure it'll be fun though." My expression quickly changes to alarm. "Wait. Má, I don't have anything to wear! Can we run to the store real quick or something?"

"Heyy, already got a boy in mind?" Bà Ngo?i raises a teasing eyebrow. I blush, my mind flitting to Quân, a cute boy from my Vietnamese class.

"What? No, I just want to look nice for the party," I say. They look skeptical, but amused at my flustered response. They exchange a knowing glance and Bà Ngo?i pats my flushed cheek.

"Mkay. Just in case though, I think I have something you can wear." She winks and gestures for me to follow.

We walk to her room, which smells of fresh flowers and incense, and I sit on her bed while she digs in the closet. After a moment, she emerges with a white box and hands it to me. She smiles and gestures for me to open it. Eagerly, I pull the lid off and look inside. Delicate tissue paper covers vibrant red fabric. I lift the beautiful fabric out of the box and unfold it to its full length; a long red áo dài is held in my hands.

I'm holding a slim, floor length dress revealing long sleeves, a high collar, and slits on both sides reaching above the waist. Wide cream pants lay folded in the box-the second part of the traditional Vietnamese dress. Delicate gold beading cascades from the shoulder to the opposite hip depicting swirling flowers and gentle curves.

"Wow. This is beautiful!" I look up at Bà Ngo?i. "Can I try it on?"

"Of course! You have to make sure it fits if you're going to wear it to the party."

"Thank you!" I hug Bà Ngo?i and run to my room. A huge smile on my face, I try the elegant dress on. It fits like a glove. I start back to show Má and Bà Ngo?i, but then decide to surprise them tomorrow.  When I come back with my regular clothes on Má and Bà Ngo?i look confused. "It fits perfectly, but I want to keep it a surprise. Ca?m ?n Bà Ngo?i!"

"You‘re welcome Quy?n. I can't wait to see," Bà Ngo?i smiles.

"Thanks, I'm so excited!" I gaze at the dress, still held in my hands. "Hey Bà Ngo?i, where did you get this?"

 "This áo dài was one of the few things I was able to bring from Vietnam." Bà Ngo?i grows somber as she remembers fleeing from her home to escape the war. "Unlike most of the other things I have from my old home, this áo dài brings only happy memories." She pauses briefly, her gaze growing distant before she continues. "I wore this for my engagement party, and it was a day to remember. All my family was there, and all of Ngân's family arrived in the dam h?i procession. Everything held according to tradition... It was so beautiful." Bà Ngo?i's eyes shine and her voice softens. "We were all so happy, and the feasting lasted late into the night." Her face darkens and she pauses again before continuing sadly. "Then the war broke out before we could have our wedding feast. Ngân left to join the fight-He was killed before my first letter reached him." She gently takes the red áo dài from me and runs her fingers over the beading. "This dress holds only good memories of that last, perfect night with my loved ones. Later, I met your Grandpa when he was stationed at the hospital I was working at. He's the love of my life, but I will always honor Ngân's memory."

There is a brief silence before she hands the dress to Má. "Your mother also has quite the story with this dress."

Má smiles at the lucky color, still vibrant despite the years. "Yep, I wore this dress for my graduation. Afterwards, your dad and I had a party with a bunch of our family and friends. I decided to leave my graduation gown on, but unzipped, so you could see the áo dài underneath. Anyway, your dad's grandma never liked me because I'm half Vietnamese. Her son was killed in the war and she blamed all Vietnamese people. Your dad tried to avoid her and her snide comments whenever I was with him, but she had a way of cornering you into a conversation. Bertha-"

"Bertha?" I laugh, and she joins in.

"I know, but she did deserve that name. At the party, Bertha cornered me and decided to give me a piece of her mind. She said, ‘If you want to be Vietnamese, your family should have stayed with the other commies. If you want to try to fit in here, at least zip up that...chow yay so all of us true Americans don't have to be reminded of our charity.' Now, I'd managed to hold my tongue, but after she finished her tirade, instead of meekly covering up this beautiful dress, I just dropped my graduation gown to the floor without breaking eye contact."

"No!" I exclaim, unconsciously leaning forward.

"Yes! Her face was priceless! She literally turned up her nose and walked away. We didn't hear a peep out of her for the rest of the party. I looked for your dad to tell him about what happened, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I was starting to think that he had left for some reason when my friend called me over. She pulled me to the center of the room until we were right in front of these big double doors. They opened, and your dad's best friend walked through. He was wearing the male version of an áo dài and carried a tray covered in a red cloth. You know, like they do for the traditional engagement ceremonies. More of your dad's friends came in with the same things. They all stood facing me. Then, your dad walked in. He had on an áo dài too-your blond, blue eyed, Southern dad! He walked up to me and got down on one knee..." Má sighs happily with the memory, unconsciously fingering her ring. Shaking herself out of the memory, she lays her hand on the beautiful red áo dài in my lap. "Now it's yours. I can't wait to see it on you tomorrow."

The next day, I can hardly believe when its finally time to get ready for the T?t party. I straighten my hair and put on some light makeup, then just look at the beautiful áo dài laid out on my bed. I don't really know anyone else that's going to the party, but I do hope Quân will be there. I've never really talked to him, but he's one of the smartest kids in class. Sometimes, I think I see him smiling at me, but he always looks away before I can catch his eye.

Finally, I shake myself from my thoughts and change into the dress. For the first time, I look at it in the mirror. It fits as though it was made for me, gently hugging my waist then flowing to a stop just above my feet. I run my fingers over the beading and smile. Tonight is going to be perfect.

 When we get to the party, I take a deep breath before we walk in then open the doors to a sea of red. There are so many people! Many of them are wearing áo dàis, but everyone is wearing the lucky color. Má and Dad are already talking to a group of their friends, so I bring our plate of fresh spring rolls to the brimming tables. I set the spring rolls in the first empty spot I see then join the line of people, mouth watering with all the amazing smells. Loading my plate, I only have eyes for the food-torn between pacing myself and trying everything. When I get to spring rolls, I reach for the ones Bà Ngo?i and I made but bump hands with someone reaching for the same one. Blushing, I look up, only to find myself staring at Quân!

"Oops, sorry," I laugh. "Here, you go first." He blinks, then looks back at the food, smiling. He gestures playfully to the plate.

"No no, ladies first."

My face must match the color of my dress by now. I smile as I look down and grab a spring roll. He grabs a spring roll of his own and bites into it.

"Mmm, this is so good!" He closes his eyes as if savoring it then piles a couple more onto his heaping plate. I laugh and we move through the lines in silence, our focus returned to the food. Once we reach the end of the tables, I stand there awkwardly looking for a spot to sit and eat-there's no way I'm going to be able to eat this standing up. I glance over, and Quân's eyes meet mine.

"Hey, if you're looking for a spot to eat, I think there's one over here," he says, cheek dimpling with a grin.

"Thanks," I say with a grateful smile. I follow him over, and we sit down at a little table for two. Pretty soon I get over my shyness and we're talking like old friends. When we finish the food, he offers to get more for both of us.

"It's okay, I can come with you. You don't know what I like." I start to stand up, but he puts a hand out.

"Please, allow me. I think I know what you like. I just have to get a bit of everything," he laughs, taking both of our plates before I can protest further. I roll my eyes and smile at his back as he walks towards the food.

"Not going to meet any boys, eh?" Bà Ngo?i's teasing voice comes from behind me. I stand up, open my mouth to say something, and close it again.

"D? th?a, con chúc m?ng n?m m?i Bà Ngo?i!" Happy new year Bà Ngo?i!

"Chúc m?ng n?m m?i con." Happy new year child. She hands me a red envelope with money in it. Lì xì, or lucky money, is a traditional Lunar New Year gift.

"Thank you!" I give her a hug then pull away. "And, thanks again for the áo dài. It's so beautiful!" She motions for me to twirl, which I do, laughing.

"You are so beautiful and grown up. I hope this dress brings you luck in the new year." She winks and heads to the food table, eyeing some of the deserts.

Quân reappears with filled plates of food. "I think you're going to like these." He sets my plate in front of me and points to something resembling a tight sushi roll. "My mom made these bánh tét ng?t. They have sticky rice on the outside, and her secret sweet filling on the inside." I've never seen bánh tét ng?t before, but it looks good. I pick one up and almost bite into it when Quân stops me.

"No, you have to take the leaf wrapping off first," he says, taking the roll. He peels the green outer layer of banana leaves off then holds it up and moves it toward my mouth. I give him an amused look and take a bite.

"Mmm, this is good!" My mouth is filled with the sticky sweet mixture and I close my eyes while I chew. I hear Quân laughing softly, a smile in his voice.

"See, I knew you'd like it."

At the end of the night, we stand side by side at the edge of the lake waiting for the fireworks to start overhead. A light breeze blows over the water, and I shiver as it penetrates the thin material of my áo dài. I step closer to Quân, and he hesitantly wraps an arm around my shoulders. The first burst of color lights up the night with a boom, gold sparkles fizzling above the black water. We watch the impressive display in silence for a few minutes before I laugh and skip out of his arms.

"Happy New Year!" I holler, "Whoo!" I laugh and spin in the moonlight.

"Happy New Year!" Quân takes my hands and we spin, the colors blurring overhead.

 Laughing, we finally slow down, holding on to each other until the world stands still. I regain my balance, but I don't let go. I step closer and a red firework bursts overhead. His breath quickens and he slowly leans closer. More fireworks burst above us, red and gold and silver sparkling in the darkness. It looks like my story with the áo dài is just beginning...