- "my love, are you ready? My parents are waiting for us for Christmas dinner at 7pm".
- "don't they live like the house next door?"
- "yes, but it can look good, arriving early, a little"
- "It's 18:40, I have time "
- "yes, but..." Carina walked out of the bathroom, Maya's eyes glued to her staring at her
- "What? Too dressed up? You don't like it? "
- "ah no, on the contrary, you, you are breathtaking"
Carina had opted for a burgundy pantsuit with a slightly long jacket with nothing underneath, just a neckline going to the middle of her chest, but nothing visible. Her hair was all pulled to one side of her head from above.
She looked at Maya: "You too are breathtaking".
- "me? This old thing? Pfff stop"
- "Don't contradict me, will you? You are breathtaking".
In fact they were both. Maya had a navy blue dress stripped in the back, which highlighted her perfect curves.
So they went to Maya's parents' house for Christmas Eve. Mason was on a video call for part of the meal. For him it was already December 25th, but it didn't matter.
- "So Carina, how are the classes going? " Katherine asked.
-"I've never been so focused. It's the only time of the day when I don't think about... About your beautiful daughter" she said, looking at her. She had hesitated to be honest, she didn't want to cast a pall.
The blonde's father spoke up before anyone else could speak: "Carina, Maya, I, I want to ask your forgiveness for this situation. I know that if I had been taken away from my Kathy after our meeting, I could have gone back and forth to find her. I know this is not an easy situation. But I see the love you have for each other. We'll take whatever trips are necessary to make it work. Whether you want to go to Italy or you Carina if you want to come."
They had tears in their eyes. Her father, who at first had not accepted their relationship, was 100% team Marina. She got up and went to take her father in her arms: "thank you dad, I love you, I love you both" she said taking her mother's hand in hers.
- "What about me? "Mason asked through the tablet.
-"Of course I love you, silly. And before you ask I love you too Carina DeLuca" she said before sitting down again.
The meal passed at a crazy speed. The two girls had a light heart to see each other. Even if it was only for a short time they did not want to spoil it by being sad and bitter. During the whole meal they held hands. They were touching. While they were eating their Christmas dinner, Mason was at breakfast, having an 11:30 time difference between Afghanistan and Arizona.
Unfortunately at some point, Mason had to leave to join his squadron.
The evening went on, they talked around the fireplace, a cup of chocolate in their hands.
- "Carina, at your house, do you open presents on the 24th or 25th?" Lane asked
- "we have a tradition, we open one on the 24th and the others on the 25th". Answered Carina
- "Perfect we'll do that then!"
- "you don't have to!" Said she embarrassed.
- "and you didn't have to spend Christmas away from your parents"
-"But you are ... My second family?! " She was embarrassed to say that, maybe they didn't feel the same way about her.
-"Of course, my darling," Katherine said, taking her in her arms, moved.
- "amore, aren't you too tired? You've been awake for quite a few hours now." Indeed it was now 22:30 it had been a little over 24 hours that Carina was awake.
- "I've been sleeping for 6 weeks... I'll be fine."
- "Okay, we'll go to the gifts and then we'll let you go," Lane said. He looked at his wife and spoke with her eyes.
- "Okay, girls, our first gift to you is a joint gift," Katherine said, handing them each a large envelope.
The two girls looked at each other. What could it be?
They each opened their envelopes to discover: a ticket to an American football game, a visit to the Grand Canyon with an overnight stay in a hotel, a day of relaxation at the spa, a visit to a Native American museum and cultural
center, a visit to an Arizona ghost town and a mine. All transportation was included and a credit card was in Maya's envelope for incidental expenses. A very busy schedule for the 8 days they had left together.
- "wow mom, dad, are you crazy?! "
Carina didn't know where to put herself: "Thank you, thank you very much".
- "you're welcome girls, we weren't going to leave you a week at the base."
The two girls screamed with joy, they stood up and jumped around.
They took Maya's parents in their arms.
- "Go on, you can go, I don't think you want to spend your evening with the two of us" says Katherine
- "but... What about your gifts?"
-"It will be light tomorrow, Kiddo, go and enjoy Carina" replied Lane
The two girls did not hesitate, after kissing again Maya's parents they joined their accommodation of the week.
On the short way they had to go they discussed
- "I can't believe what your parents gave us, they are crazy"
- "I also believe they blame themselves... For..."
- "okay usually I'm a little pissed off at them for that, but this... I'm too happy to be mad at them for taking the love of my life to the other side of the earth."
They had arrived at door 26. They entered.
- "okay... So... Earlier you mentioned a few things" Carina said running her finger down Maya's spine whispering in her ear as Maya's back was to her. "The table, the island, the counter top... This dress has been driving me crazy all night and my fingers are itching."
---
It was Christmas morning.
- "What time do we have to be at your parents' house?" she said from the bathroom
- "Hmmm noon I think it's good" she answered from the bedroom
- "Okay, I need you to close your eyes, I'm bringing you one of your Christmas presents"
- "But we had to bring our gifts to my parents' house."
- "Take a look around and if you want to open it at your parents' house, so be it," she said in the doorway.
Maya opened her eyes to find Carina in sexy Santa lingerie.
- "Merry Christmas to me" said the blonde, glaring at her girlfriend.
- "So... do you want to open it there or in front of your parents?"
- "I hesitate but, I might open it now..."
----
The two young women got ready to go to the blonde's parents' house. They had put on a more comfortable outfit than the day before.
They arrived and there were presents under the tree.
- "We'll start with the gifts, so it'll be done!" says Lane
- "The red ones are for you Maya, the green ones for you Carina".
- "But we already had some great gifts last night," Carina said.
- "So?"
They got up to open the packages, hiking boots and other materials they might need for the activities that had been offered the day before. They had been spoiled. There were only gold packages left under the tree, for Mason.
Carina handed Maya's parents an envelope. It was a weekend at a spa hotel with a golf course, and she knew that Maya's father loved golf. They were so touched by the attention, they didn't even think they will have a gift.
- "My gift is going to look ridiculous next to yours," said Maya, causing Carina to stick her tongue out at her.
Maya in turn gave the gifts to her parents. It was a weekend in a Navajo cave with a night in a teepee. Then she handed another envelope to her parents: "It's from Mason. It was a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon with a motorcycle rental to ride Route 66.
- "We're the ones who have been spoiled now" Katherine said.
- "Thank you kids that's lovely of you and we'll enjoy it," Lane added.
Now it was time for Maya and Carina to give each other their gifts. Maya had given Carina a beautiful ring with their initials and the date they got together. It was not an engagement ring but rather a token of their love. Along with the ring she gave a necklace with an infinity pendant.
Coincidence or not, Carina had also taken a ring for Maya, she had engraved "Marina", the perfect condensation of their two names with the same date. It took Maya a moment to understand that it was a shipname. With the ring she had offered a bracelet with Maya's first name with a drawing of infinity on it and on the back "per sempre - Carina".
They hugged to thank each other and just before putting their lips together, Maya breathed against Carina's lips: "Marina? I love it".
The Italian then handed an envelope to Maya: "Here is the gift from my parents".
- "A round trip ticket for mid-June to come to Sicily?!" she was so happy, she had tears in her eyes. Then she looked at her parents.
- "I can see in your eyes that you are wondering Kiddo, they asked us before they gave it to you. You will be of age. You leave the day after your classes and return the day before you resume military school, I arranged to get the dates from the Brigadier General."
Both girls were so happy. Carina had promised not to open the envelope. She too had tears in her eyes at the surprise.
- "Marina would be a nice name for a little baby."
- "Uh mom, don't you think we're a little young for this?"
- "It's never too early"
- "Maybe in your time and being straight but..."
- "I'd like to have children!" Carina cut her off.
- "Way too young!" replied Maya with an embarrassed laugh.
They ate lunch while discussing the stay they were going to have.
- "For the Grand Canyon, a car will pick you up, at 6 o'clock it's a 4 hour drive, it will go through Route 66 because Maya can't drive you right now."
- "It's true, you've passed your driving license ! In our country, we have to wait until 18 years old to drive."
- "Could I drive with Carina next door on the base?" she asked with her biggest smile
- "Ok but on weekends when people not living on the base are not there"
- "And then it will be up to you to contact the driver to take you wherever you want, and then to your hotel."
- "Thank you again Katherine and Lane, you have no idea how much your gift means to me"
- "means to us" added Maya
It was now 3 p.m., and Lane was falling asleep in his chair.
- "Honey, I'm going to tell the girls they can go home if they want, they're getting up early tomorrow."
-" Yes, you're right, and maybe they don't want to spend their day with two old fellow like us," which earned him a pat on the arm from his wife.
- "Girls, if you wish you can go"
- "Ok, I'll just take some clothes and show Carina my room because yesterday we went upstairs that fast"
- "Ok sweety"
The beautiful brunette followed the beautiful blonde upstairs, they entered Maya's room.
- "I really want to make love to you on your bed so you have nice memories for when I'm gone".
- "As tempting as this idea is, how about we do this instead when my parents are at work sometime this week...I've been deprived of you so much that I couldn't be...quiet."
- "Ok, but I want to, before I go" she kissed Maya "uh you know what would really make me happy?"
- "No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me"
- "I wish you would wear your military school uniform in front of me, the one for ceremonies"
- "I've never worn it, yet"
- " reason more, I think I should be the first to see you in it and then the uniforms, it's really ... hot."
- "Okay I'll take it then, but you know I'm in uniform every day"
- "I don't mind you taking both then," she said with a naughty smile.
The two girls came back down with a bag for Maya.
- "Here, I made you some food for tonight"
- "But don't you want us to come over tonight?"
- "You have to get up early tomorrow and then you've already come at lunchtime"
- "Thank you mom, thank you for everything"
The girls embraced Maya's parents and returned to 'their' home.