Page 57 of Eternally London

I pick up the explosion of Christmas decorations in the living room while listening to Mariah Carey’s Christmas CD. It’s a classic. I remember dancing around the Christmas tree with Georgia when we were young, the two of us belting out the lyrics to, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

I start the preparations for tonight. Loïc and I have been doing the same thing for Christmas for the past few years. So, we’ve decided to make it our family tradition. I didn’t have a lot of traditions growing up, as we were always somewhere new each year for the holidays. Loïc didn’t have any because of his situation with foster homes. Traditions are something we both desire for our future. Something about them brings a sense of security and home—a feeling of forever. They’re comforting.

The first one is that, on Christmas Eve, we eat only finger foods—appetizer heaven—and we drink punch. This tradition might have started due to my lack of cooking abilities and the fact that Loïc was working on our first Christmas Eve together. So, I prepared what I could. I bought a fruit and veggie plate, crackers and cheese, cocktail shrimp, meatballs, and lots of dips. The store really has an awesome selection of premade appetizers.

We attend a local church’s Christmas Eve service. Then, we come home and eat with our fingers and open all of our presents. The only things we open on Christmas morning are our stockings with the small gifts inside them and our main present, which is from Santa.

My family made other plans for the holidays because no one really knew if we’d make it home in time. So, my parents are spending Christmas in Paris, and Georgia is running a soup kitchen in Detroit. It works out because, honestly, I’m looking forward to spending this time with just Loïc and Lindi. I don’t want to share her yet.

We’re hosting a get-together for our family and close friends on New Year’s, so everyone can meet Lindi. That gives her a couple of weeks to get accustomed to her new surroundings before she’s introduced to new faces.

“Hey, beautiful.” Loïc wraps his arms around me from behind as I make the cheese tray, also known as removing the plastic wrap from the already prepared tray.

I turn to face him and drape my arms over his shoulders. He bends down and kisses me.

“Baby girl napping?” he asks when his lips pull away from mine.

“Yes. Oh my gosh…you have to see the tree. She decorated it all by herself.” I take Loïc’s hand and lead him to the living room.

He chuckles when he sees the tree. “That’s priceless.”

“I know. I snapped about five hundred pictures of it.”

“I thought we weren’t going to spoil her?” he asks with a smirk.

I look at the mountain of presents that surround the Christmas tree. “I know. I couldn’t help it. I’m flawed. You still love me?”

Loïc takes me in his arms and dips me. I let out a squeal. He lifts me back up and spins me before we start to dance slowly.

“You know I do,” he answers, holding me close.

“You know I’m going to struggle with not spoiling her throughout her entire life, right?” I ask him.

“I know.” He grins and kisses my forehead.

“It’s hard. I just want her to have everything. I want her to be so happy.”

“She will be happy,” he reassures me.

“I have a feeling that I’m going to change my parenting style a good eighty times throughout the next seventeen or so years. I’m kind of fickle that way.”

Loïc chuckles. “I have no doubt.”

“I want her to feel so loved, never want for anything, and still turn out to be a great person, like you. Do you think that’s possible?”

“You know material things don’t equate to love, right? That’s not what kids need to be happy.”

“I know.” I nod. “But she’s still a baby. She’s not going to remember this anyway. It’s our first Christmas with her. I had to spoil her. I promise, I’ll tone it down some next year.”

“Okay,” Loïc says with a scoff.

“I will.” I narrow my eyes toward him. “You don’t believe me?”

“Sure, I do.”

I grin up to him. “No, you don’t. But that’s okay.”

I rest my cheek against Loïc’s chest, and we slow dance. I listen to his heart beating against his chest, and a warm blanket of awe covers me. I thought I was happy before, but this—a world with Loïc by my side and the most beautiful human in the world as my daughter—is true happiness.

---