"Baby"

"Cairo"

"Cairo"

"Cairo"

"Cairo wake up."

"What?" I say with my eyes still closed.

"Merry Christmas." Lindsey says.

"Merry Christmas Princess."

"It's time to open up presents."

"What time is it?" I ask and open my eyes and see Lindsey hovering over me.

"8:30" Lindsey says and I wrap my arms around her and pull her down onto me.

"More sleep." I say and Lindsey laughs and plays with my hair.

"We can sleep later. The little kids are getting impatient."

"Tell them to start without us."

"No can do. I want you to open your gifts."

"Okay." I say and we get out of bed.

"Put this on." Lindsey says and hands me a onesie.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope. I'm wearing one too."

"So we're matching?"

"Yep."

"You're so lucky I love you." I say.

Lindsey nods and pecks my lips.

"Yes I am...And if you're lucky I'll wear that Santa outfit tonight." Lindsey says.

"O-Okay." I say getting a little flustered at the image of Lindsey in a very very VERY revealing Santa outfit.

Lindsey and I both change into our respective onesies then walk into the living room. When we enter the room all of Lindsey's family look at us and Lindsey's brother laughs.

"Cairo you're so whipped." He says.

"Oh hush Mike. She's not whipped. She's in love." Lindsey's mom Linda says.

"Yeah." I say with a goofy smile.

"Alright you two I want a picture."

Lindsey and I wrap one of our arms around each other and smile.

"Alright now pose."

Lindsey jumps on my back and I look up at her and smile then I hear the sound of a shutter so I know a picture was taken. Lindsey then leans down and kisses me and I hear the shutter again.

"Alright one more." Linda says after Lindsey gets off my back.

"Mom" Lindsey groans.

"Just humor your mother." Linda says.

Lindsey is standing next to me so I pick her up bridal style and we take a few pictures that way.

"I wanna picture." One of the little girls in Lindsey's family says.

"Well come on then sweetheart." I say.

The little girl runs over to us and I pick her up and hold her in-between me and Lindsey. The woman of the family then take a few pictures and the next thing I know we are doing a photoshoot with everyone in the family.

After our photoshoot everyone found a seat except for Lindsey, who I pulled down to sit on my lap. A minute later the kids finally got to open their gifts and my goodness there was a lot of screaming. I got Lindsey some clothes she wanted and some stuff she wanted for our house.

Before Lindsey moved in with me my house was very boring and plain with minimal things. Now the house is vibrant, colorful, and warm. And if I'm honest...I love it. Before Lindsey moved in my house felt like just that. A house. Now with Lindsey living with me our house feels like a home.

I told Lindsey not to get me anything, but of course she did. She got me some clothes and some other stuff that I thought looked cool.

"Oh wait I forgot to give you one of your presents." I say and hand Lindsey an envelope.

She goes to open the envelope and I cover my ears making everyone look at me weirdly.

"YOU GOT ME BARCELONA TICKETS." Lindsey yells then kisses me.

"You didn't have to yell Lindsey." Her brother says.

"Did you look at what game we are going to Love?" I cover my ears again and then everybody else does too.

"WE'RE GOING TO EL CLÁSICO" Lindsey yells again.

"Yes we are princess."

"You always get me such great gifts." Lindsey says with a pout and leans her head on my shoulder. "I never know what to get you."

"Like always your love is the best gift of all." I say and kiss the side of her head

"Goals." One of Lindsey's teen cousins whispers.

While the kids are playing with their new toys with Lindsey and the men of Lindsey's family are sitting and talking I'm helping Lindsey's mom, aunt's, and grandmother with Christmas lunch/dinner.

"So Cairo." Lindsey's grandmother says. "Where are you from exactly?

"I was born in California."

"If you don't mind me asking what ethnicity are you?"

"1/2 Italian 1/2 Spanish."

"What part of Spain and Italy is your family from?" Linda asks.

"My dad was from Positano, Italy and my mother was from Mojácar, Spain. Both of their families moved to America and they meet in college."

"So that's why you know three languages."

"I know 6, but yes that is why I know those languages."

"6?" Lindsey's grandmother says and looks at me dumbfounded.

"Yes ma'am."

"What languages do you know?"

"English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Icelandic."

"Wow."

"And what do your parents do?" Lindsey's aunt asks and I see Linda gulp.

"My parents worked for the CIA."

"Worked?"

"They were killed on duty when I was 5."

"Oh sweetie I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I came to terms with it a long time ago."

"That must have been tough."

"It was, but it got me to where I am today so...yeah." I say and there is a prolonged silence.

The silence is broken by the sound of the oven dinging signaling that the ham is ready. We bring the food to the biggest dinning room table I've ever seen and set it down. Everyone comes rushing into the room and sits down at the table. I sit next to Lindsey and we begin eating and talking.

"Cairo may I ask you something?" Lindsey grandmother says/asks.

"Of course." I say and wipe my mouth.

"Why are you with Lindsey?"

Everyone gets quiet and everybody in Lindsey's family looks at me.

"After my parents died I had to grow up fast. I was taken in by my grandparents, but they didn't want me so I had to learn how to cook, how to wash clothes, how to get to school on time, and many other things so that I could survive. Then when I was fifteen I had a very traumatic thing happen to me that caused me to leave America and move to Iceland, where I worked in a grocery store and slept wherever I could find a place to sleep......Because of all this I built walls around myself and didn't let people in. Your granddaughter, being the kind, caring, and loving person she is, wanted me to have a friend on the team so I wouldn't be lonely during camp. I thought she was going to end up like other people in my life who use me then lose me, but I could not have been more wrong. Your granddaughter was the first person to break down my walls and see me for who I truly am and see me at my most vulnerable, even though I tried very hard not to let those walls fall or let people see me like she has seen me. Lindsey makes me a better person. She makes me believe that there is good in the world. She makes me happy. She makes me feel loved everyday...I'm still working on letting people in and showing my emotions, but with Lindsey in my life I know that one day I will be able to remove those walls. Your granddaughter has helped me to become a person I never thought I would become and I'm grateful for every day I get to spend with her." I say and I see most of her family with glassy eyes.

"Would you ever hurt her?" One of Lindsey's aunts asks.

"Not intentionally no. I know I will inadvertently do something that hurts her, but she means way too much to me to ever intentionally hurt her."

"You really love my daughter don't you?" Lindsey's father asks.

"I love Lindsey more than anything in the world sir." I say.

"Good. I've never seen her this happy so don't mess this up."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

We continue eating and the conversation is more light hearted. One of Lindsey's teenage cousins is sat next to me and she is transfixed with my tattoo. After she ate she traced the tattoo on my left forearm with her finger.

"I take it you like my tattoo." I say.

"It's really pretty. How many do you have?" She says/asks

"9"

"Did they hurt to get?"

"Not really...actually the one on my hand hurt a little." I say and show her the lion on my right hand.

The rest of dinner goes smoothly and after everything is cleaned up everybody does their own thing around the house.

"Babe I'm going to go outside with the little ones. Wanna come?" Lindsey says.

"Of course. Let me just get a drink and I'll be out there."

"Alright." Lindsey says and pecks my lips.

I wait for Lindsey to leave then find her parents.

"Mark and Linda can I speak with you two in private?" I ask. They nod and we head to a bedroom.

"What's on your mind Cairo?" Mark asks.

"Well..."