25 Holiday Visit

"Christmas is a state of mind found throughout the year whenever faith overcomes doubt, hope conquers despair, and love triumphs over hate." --Ronald Regan

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"Well, I'm sorry, but we're not available on Christmas day," Michelle chittered on the phone. She paused to hear the other person speak. "I'm sorry about your party Lily, but we're going back to Michigan to see our parents." Another pause. A sigh. "No, I do like you. I'm not making excuses, but I'm going to be home that day. Thanks." She hung up.

"Lily was trying to book us for Christmas?" asked Roselle.

"Yeah. I told her we were going home that day, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. Apparently Washington D.C. Stylist team is fully booked that day, so now she has to book some other company called 'Jake and Luke' to get her beautified for her Christmas party."

"That girl sure does like to throw a lot of parties, doesn't she?" Roselle pulled her hair to the side and untangled a knot, looking at it thoughtfully. "Armani's gonna have a lot of fun . . ."

Michelle raised a brow. "I can't tell if that was sarcasm or not."

"Well, it's not. Armani told me he's been lonely all his life because he didn't have a family, and now he's got Lily and the Strobes." Now that her hair was smooth, she tossed it back into place. "Well, good for him. I hope he has a nice Christmas."

'Too bad the only family he could get was Lily,' she added to herself in her head.

Dan walked into the room with his luggage. "The guy that's gonna take us to the airport just called me. You ladies ready to go?"

"Ready," said Michelle, putting on her beret, clutching her backpack, and locking arms with him.

Roselle grabbed her suitcase. "Let's go."

The trio left the apartment and headed downstairs.

* * *

"So, I've got a couple of things to confess to you guys," said Michelle in the car to the airport.

Dan and Roselle exchanged glances.

"Well, Dad doesn't exactly know that Dan and I are dating," she admitted.

"Oh my gosh," said Roselle. Suddenly, her stomach wasn't feeling too good. She buried her head in her knees. "Oh no. This is going to ruin Christmas."

Dan looked at the two girls in confusion. "Why? You two are adults. I think they'd be--"

"You don't get it," she snapped. "Our father is Asian. He's gonna flip if he finds out." She turned to her sister. "Dude, I assumed that since you were bringing Dan along with us that Dad knew and somehow became cool. Now you want to tell me you're going to spring it on Dad out of nowhere, and I have to be there when it happens? I would've rather done Lily's hair AND makeup."

"Well I'm sorry, but I need to tell him eventually, right? And it's great that you're here," said Michelle. "Mom knows too. I need you guys to keep him cool once he finds out."

"Time out," Dan said. "You're nineteen, and Roselle is twenty-one. You mean to tell me that you never once had boyfriends in your teen years?"

"We always kept it secret," said Roselle. "Until one day when I was seventeen my dad found out about my boyfriend and flipped out. He marched into school with me the next day and forced me to break up with him in front of the entire English class. That was so embarrassing."

Michelle rubbed her neck. "Yeah, I'm so glad I never got caught. Dan, you're the first guy I'm introducing to my parents, ever."

He gulped. "That's really sweet, but now I'm nervous."

"I'm sure he'll see what a great guy you are and eventually warm up to you." She gave him a hug.

"Run," Roselle told him in sign language while her sister wasn't looking.

* * *

After a few hours of traveling, the trio finally arrived at the Reyes estate and knocked on the door. Not a minute after, a beautiful brunette woman that hadn't left her thirties quite yet opened the door; it was Mrs. Reyes.

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "My babies are here!" She swooped in to hug her daughters.

"Good to see you too, Mom," said Michelle.

Mrs. Reyes spotted Dan, who hadn't even dared to go up the porch yet. "Woah, are you Dan? It's so good to finally meet you." She embraced him as well. "I can't believe my Michelle got her first boyfriend."

The Reyes sisters exchanged looks, both knowing what the irony in that statement was.

"It's nice to meet you too," he greeted, clasping their mother by the hands and giving that gorgeous smile. His grin quickly dimmed, however. "Is . . . Is your husband home? I was told that he didn't know about me yet."

Their mom laughed. "He's out getting a Christmas tree at the moment. Why don't you three come in and have a cup of cocoa? You must be tired from all the traveling plus that time difference."

Roselle raised a brow. "Uh, there is no time difference between here and where we came from."

"Didn't you guys come from Washington?"

"Yeah, Washington D.C., not Washington State."

"There's two Washingtons?"

Roselle facepalmed. "Yeah."

She giggled. "Smart as always, Ro."

* * *

After they went inside, they got settled in. The girls would be staying in Roselle's old room, and Dan would be staying in Michelle's old room. After that, they all gathered around the living room and had hot chocolate with marshmallows. Dan was doing his best to be sociable, but his tendency to stop smiling and gaze out the window every now and then gave him away.

"What's wrong, hun?" Mrs. Reyes asked.

"I'm just . . . super nervous about meeting Michelle's dad. What kind of guy is your husband like? Is he that strict when it comes to boyfriends?"

She took a sip of her hot beverage. "I'll be honest. Yes. He'd never even let the girls be friends with boys, let alone date them. Well, except Ro's childhood friend Armani, that is." She winked. "Other than him, boys were off limits for our daughters."

"Armani? What was it about him that he liked?"

"Well, at first, my husband didn't like Armani, but that little boy was determined and clever."

* * *

When Roselle and Armani were five, their friendship was strictly forbidden, so they had to be besties in secret. Roselle would always lie and say she was going to play with his sister, Naomi. Even at five years old, she knew her dad would be furious if she were to befriend a male.

"Your snowman needs work," said Roselle. "Do you need help rolling up the snowballs?"

Armani shook his head. "I'm not trying to make a snowman. I'm making a snow doggie. These are the ears."

"Where's the rest of it?"

He giggled. "Follow me!"

They ran to the park together, where the hedges were covered in snow. Armani went up to a hedge that did, in fact, resemble a dog somehow. He placed the ears and tail, and used stones for the eyes. He finished it up by putting his scarf around its neck for the collar.

"Tada," he said, presenting his new 'snow doggie'.

Roselle was impressed, but she wasn't about to admit it. "Hey, that's cheating. You used a bush."

"I used my imagination! Don't you think it's cool? I thought it looked like a doggie when I walked by, so I did it."

She sighed. "Okay, it's cool."

"Yay!"

"But only kinda."

"Aww."

They shared a gentle laugh.

"Hey!" The kids were interrupted by none other than Roselle's father, running up to them. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Roselle's life flashed before her eyes when she spotted him walk up. "Dad! I can explain. I . . . I . . ."

"Why are you hanging out with this boy? Huh? You told me you'd be with Naomi. How long has this been going on? You know what? Obviously you can't be trusted outside by yourself. You're grounded."

She cried. "Dad, please!"

"We weren't doing anything bad, sir," said Armani. "And I'm not bad. Please don't blame her. It was my fault. We just wanted to play."

He pointed his finger at the boy. "All boys are bad. You're a bad influence on her. Stay away from my daughter, understand me? If you don't, you and I will have issues."

Armani's eyes became pools of tears, but none of them leaked out. "But . . . we're best friends."

"Not anymore."

"What if I shovel the snow out of your driveway? Can I be her friend then?"

"No."

"What can I do to prove I'm good?"

"You can be friends with my daughter when you get a job, pay my rent, and fix my car," he scoffed. "Until then, stay out of our lives. Come on, Roselle."

Roselle and her father walked off. She looked back at Armani, who only stood there with a frown on his face, watching her walk away. He held his glove-covered hand in the air, as if to say goodbye.