Elora's point of view:

Christmas was always a busy time for my family and I. We celebrated Hanukkah in November and we had maybe a week or two to relax before we celebrated Christmas. That's what happened when your father was Jewish and your mother was catholic. It was all a bit of a bustle but when the time came around it couldn't be better. The celebrations and the whole of our family staying with us, it was quite the good time. Even my aunt Carina and uncle Karl came with our cousins.

It was always a huge celebration, a nice and comfortable party. My mother and now, my grandmother, were spending the day cooking food for the night and the appetizers and desserts. My mother and Carina, my sister, were usually the ones to cook. Now that Carina had her daughter, my mother was lucky to have my grandmother. I never helped since it was easy for me to lose myself in the cooking, and not in a good way. Not to mention I preferred cooking on my own in a relaxed setting

Flynn and my grandmother were newly added to the group in which would come and spend Christmas with us. We invited Max, but he was with his family on their own. He never usually came to Christmas, since he and Molly had the same things to do as we did. Max was Jewish and Molly was Protestant. They had just as much to do with their kids as my parents did. We also invited my parents' friend David Canmar, but he lived in Portugal with his wife. He had no time to travel up here, plus I heard his wife had trouble with meeting new people, even though she knew my parents from the Cuban Revolution back in the fifties. They helped Castro in his time, even though he didn't like Americans. Apparently, he trusted them and only them. But that was a story for a different time.

"Is the turkey ready? I'm starved!" We heard Lorelei speak as she made her way into the kitchen. At seven months pregnant, she had blown up like a little balloon and ate like an elephant. She was all about food, and she could smell it from a mile I swear.

"Soon, Lorelei, calm yourself. Give it a few more minutes, darling," my mother said with a chortle. My mother wasn't in a huff as some mothers would when Christmas cooking became the dominant aspect of the day and night. For some reason, it seemed supernatural at times, she never had a stress line. This was because of the simple fact that she was never worried or anxious about anything.

"Does anyone know where Flynn is?" I asked. My grandmother nodded and told me he was getting ready in his room. I thanked her and travelled across the living room and up the stairs. When I found his bedroom door, I knocked and entered on my own.

He was standing in front of the mirror as he struggled with tying his tie. Flynn turned his head and looked at me as I walked in, motioning for me to come in and see him. I walked to the mirror and turned him around so I could tie the tie for him. My father showed me how to do this. He always used the joke that he needed someone to help him do it when he was so old that he would forget. It seemed to me that he was confident he was going to lose his mind by the time he was seventy. He seemed pretty sane to me.

"I don't know what I would do without you," he said to me. Ever since the time we went to the Lincoln Memorial, we were stronger than ever. It and been a fantastic two months. Things were so romantic and intimate, we spent the days together, going different places or staying at home. It didn't really matter to me as long as we were together.

"You'd be the same as you were before. But I like it better now," I replied as I stood on my toes to plant a soft kiss on his lush lips. I tightened the tie fully as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into him. The kiss went deeper and I felt my face and chest become flushed, heat radiating from every inch of my body. This happened every time I kissed him, every time he was even near my lips.

"Let's just stay up here for a while," he pled. I chuckled and shook my head as my forehead held itself against his, my toes starting to ache from standing on them for so long.

"I wish we could, but there's people in the living room waiting for us. Plus my father and grandfather love you, they'll want to talk for a while. Tonight, later on, I'm all yours," I replied. Whether he understood what I was talking about, I didn't know, but I knew that the time would come. It had been two months since our romance began, I figured it was time to let him know how much I trusted him.

"Do you mean what I think you mean?" He asked. I took a breathe and nodded. Even though I had spent times with men before Flynn, only one had gotten that far. It must have been four years ago since I had done it. I knew I needed a refresher, and Flynn was just the one to do it for me.

"You'll see at the end of the night. I'll be seeing you downstairs," I said to him as I kissed him once more and left the room so he could finish getting ready. I didn't mean to be a tease, but it was a lot of fun to flirt with him.

•••

Flynn's point of view:

Around seven thirty, dinner was getting set up around the table. I was asked to go to the study and grab the bottles out of the liquor cabinet. I grabbed brandy, cognac, wine both white and red, and scotch for anyone looking for something harder. I held the bottles carefully in my arms as I began to leave. Before I could, however, Hilda's father Frederick came in.

"Flynn! Allow me to assist you," he said to me as he walked up and took two of the bottles. I was thankful for it, those bottles were heavy and clumsy.

"Thank you, Frederick," I replied. He waved it off kindly and placed the two bottles on top of the liquor table in the dining room. I placed the remaining ones on next to the glasses. I noticed he had lifted his head and looked to the many pictures of family on the wall. I hadn't even taken the time to look at the pictures.

"Well, would you look at that! Flynn, do you know who that is?" Frederick asked me as he pointed to a specific picture frame, medium in size and very old. The picture was so old that it hadn't have been taken for at least two decades. There were two people in the black and white photo, a taller, dark haired man with tan skin, and a small, fair woman with a bright smile on her face. Her blonde hair was tied in a long, loose braid around her shoulder, her white dress showing just how small she was. I noticed then that the woman looked exactly like Hilda, maybe a bit skinnier.

"Is that Emmaleigh and you?" I asked. Frederick nodded and smiled nostalgically.

"That must have been 1923. Emmaleigh would have just found out she was pregnant with Carina. We were married then," he replied. I didn't see a baby bump under her dress, even though she was facing the front. She must have been pretty early into her pregnancy. Just to see that they were the reason Hilda was born, and then she was the reason Elora was born. It was amazing to know that these two people were the cause of the entire family I had been generously brought into.

"That's amazing. She's beautiful," I said. She really was. Emmaleigh was gorgeous, a woman that would have eyes of men stop to her in the street as she passed by. Frederick was handsome, everyone could see it, it didn't matter your gender. They were a beautiful couple, it was easy to see how pretty their daughters were. I had only just met Carina, and she was as comely as her sister was, even though she was darker and taller. There were two kinds of beautiful in this world, dark and light. Carina and Hilda embodied them as a representation.

"She still is," he said. There was a slight pause, "if I have any piece of advice for a young man in love, it would be to kiss your woman like its the first time and the last time. That's how she'll stay with you until your dying day. And, if you get lucky, you'll die together."

"So you're the reason why the marriages in your family are such a success?" I asked with a small smile. He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. That was just what I thought. Carina and Hilda had both been married for almost thirty years. It was rare to have that much success in marriage.

"Well, I'm not sure. However, I'll wait to see if it works for you," he replied. I turned to him as he smiled coyly at me. Does everyone know about me and Elora? I hadn't said a word to anyone except Hilda. How does this stuff spread around? Is there some sort of telepathy in this family?

"I'm never going to understand how this family knows things," I replied. He chuckled and patted my back gently.

"It's because we trust you. If we didn't, well, you wouldn't even be here," he replied as he left to the kitchen. That was when I stopped with my eyes a little wide in surprise. I cleared my throat, due to the fact that I realized that if I failed Elora, I may not even be alive. This was like a gentle version of a mafia family. Yet somehow, I felt quite welcome. I didn't want to leave, and if I played the game right, I never would.

"Come and eat!" I heard the sound of Carina's voice in the kitchen. Frederick came back into the dining room as the girls brought the food to the table. I sat down as Elora made her way inside, her light blue dress flowing beautifully around her waist and legs. She had her hair tied in a half-up style with a white ribbon, letting it contrast amazingly with the dark auburn brown of her hair.

We made plates for ourselves. The food looked amazing. It consisted of mashed potatoes, garnished cleanly with some dill. There was the centrepiece of the massive Turkey Hilda had prepared, a few lemons sitting marinated on the browned back. Cooked carrots and peas sat in a large bowl, covered in butter just ready to be eaten. To finish off the platter of delicious food, there was a gravy boat filled with exactly what it was made to hold, and it looked fantastic.

The food was grand, one of the best, if not the best, meals I've ever had. Hilda really knew what she was doing. Some of the time I wondered why Elora had not done any of the cooking, but then I remembered her telling me she liked a lighter platter with a breezier mood. It was all about the easy meals that didn't fill you too much. She liked things that tasted great, but were small in size and light in weight, so she could make more and hum some of those songs she just adores to listen to. I would never think to protest about it, it was one of the best parts of the day.

After the meal, which was as harmonious in conversation as it was in food, we all went to the parlour to have an after-dinner drink. I had a simple brandy with Jack, while Frederick had a scotch. All the ladies besides Elora and Lorelei had wine. Lorelei indulged in cognac watered down while Elora had whiskey with Coca-Cola in it, not to mention it was halfway filled with ice. We talked as music from the classical Mozart played softly in the background. The Christmas tree giving light to the entire room in a festive and spirited quality.

"Say, shall we get to presents? I can't wait for everyone to see our gifts!" We heard Frederick say happily as he sat on the sofa with his glass in hand and Elora's grandmother in his arms. They had rekindled their romance perfectly, and now they were as dulcet as they possibly could be.

"Absolutely! Here, let's start with our gifts," Hilda replied. She handed all the presents to everyone, even I had one. I couldn't even begin to comprehend the kindness of Hilda and Jack Horowitz. I knew only the side of them that was the malicious and vengeful war heroes they were advertised as, now I know who they really were. I had to say, I liked this side a lot better.

Hilda and Jack had bought me a nicely sharpened hunting knife. It was a very admirable and charming blade, one I couldn't wait to hang off a mantle when I had my own home. I hoped that I'd have that house in my possession soon. Maybe even Elora would be living in it with me. If all went well, she'd be in my life for as long as I could get her to. The only way I would let her leave my life is if she wanted to.

They had given Elora a floral dress she had admired in a shop a while ago. She thanked her parents dutifully and gave them both huge hugs. They had given Lorelei Perry Como's Christmas Album that was released just last year. Jacob had received a designer tie and a few of the expensive-side song books he had been aiming for when he passed by the music stores. Apparently he was still trying to get a music career on track. I prayed the man would get what he wanted. They gave Emmaleigh a pair of diamond earrings that seemed to be as overpriced as earrings could be. Carina was given a new jewelry box after her old one had broken. They gave Frederick a new, handmade cane carved in mahogany, and Emma had a brand new pair of high heel shoes she had apparently wanted for a while.

The rest of the time was great. All of us watched as the husbands gave their gifts to their wives and vice versa. Mihn had given Lorelei a bracelet made from rose gold and diamonds embedded in it. She had given him the hunting rifle he wanted so he could take a trip with some of his newfound American friends. Peter gave Carina an emerald necklace that complimented nicely with her skin, and she had bought him a gift certificate to upholster the seating in his car with the leather he wanted. Then, finally, Hilda gave Jack a book of military history and he had given her a gorgeously restored picture of their wedding day.

Now, the night was beginning to calm down. I had a gift for Elora, but I had plans to wait until I had her alone. The gift was thought out meticulously and I planned to amaze her as much as I possibly could. I felt it would be easier to have her undivided attention if she and I were alone together instead of in the room with everyone around us. She didn't have time to agree, because I didn't tell her that I bought her a gift. I didn't care if she got me one or not. I wasn't all about the gifts. Not to mention I had a hunting knife from Jack and Hilda and a nice suit jacket from Frederick and Emma. That was all I needed for the presents.

"Well, I'd say this has been one of the most successful Christmases I've had. Thank you all for coming," Hilda said kindly as everyone began to pack up and leave for the night. They thanked her gratefully for the meal and the drinks and the presents before they all left and retired.

"Should we clean?" Emmaleigh asked as the house emptied and it became quieter. Hilda shook her head and said we would get the cleaners to do it in the morning when they came for their weekly attendance. I was having a lot of trouble fitting in to a place that had housekeepers and maids. No, it wasn't the Rothschild family, but it was still a lot more lavish than I could ever even begin to imagine.

"We should go upstairs," I whispered to Elora. She smiled at me and nodded as she said goodnight to everyone. Elora went up the stairs and I followed her, letting her lead the way to her bedroom door. I shut it behind me as she went to the window, breathing in the cold and wintery air as she sighed in happiness.

"I have something for you. A Christmas gift," I said to her. I took the small and crucial box out of my pocket as Elora moved away from the window and over to me.

"You didn't have to get me anything. I didn't buy you anything," she replied, a little embarrassed that she didn't get me a gift in return. I chucked at her cheeks going red and her eyes going down to the floor.

"I didn't want you to get me anything. I just want to see how you look when you see what I've got for you. Now, here is the box, open it," I demanded. Elora smiled tightly and took the box from my hand. She took a tiny breathe as she opened it up, her eyes widening as she saw it for the first time.

"This is your Medal of Honour," Elora said to me in an exasperated daze. My fingers went to the box as I took out the medal and put it around her neck.

"I want you to have it. It's so you know something. That something is that no matter what happens, where you are or what you're doing, I will always be there to protect you. I will honour your life with mine, and here's the damn medal to prove it," I explained to her. I hoped this was enough for her to know just how much I felt for her. It was such an enormous amount I could barely take it in some days.

"I love you," she said to me.