Chapter 14

14

Z hoel spent most of Christmas Eve signing contracts with Lila, finalizing the business permit for Earth, and joining her for some last-minute shopping. Since they planned to leave together before his visa expired tonight, her family was going to open presents early, and Lila was fretting over something called ‘stocking stuffers.’

Sauntering down Main Street hand-in-hand, Zhoel and Lila peered through store windows while shoppers gawked at him, though most smiled and nodded when Lila greeted them. He regretted not having more time to spend exploring Bloomington before his visa expired, but he knew he and Lila would be back.

They entered a small store filled with the scent of sugar and chocolate. Shelves lined the store from floor to ceiling, stacked with jars, bins and packages of multi-colored sweets. While Lila picked out and paid for a few purchases, Zhoel perused the fascinating wares: striped white and red ‘candy canes,’ bite-sized lumps of filled chocolate called ‘truffles,’ and multitudes of squishy ‘gummies’ in every shape imaginable.

As they left the shop, Lila offered him something she called a peanut butter cup. The shape reminded him of a pie rather than a cup, but Zhoel took a bite, savoring the slightly salty filling inside the sweet outer shell. “Why does your family put food in their socks for the holiday? It seems like an unsanitary practice.”

Lila burst out laughing, shaking her head. “Not socks. Stockings. And they’re not for wearing. They just hang by the fireplace to be filled by Santa.”

“I see.” He sucked the sweetness from his teeth. “But you are filling them, not Santa.”

She smiled and took his arm, leading him down the street. “Santa isn’t real. Not anymore, at least. He’s just a myth we tell children to bring them joy and encourage them to be good throughout the year. Though often that joy extends to more than just children.”

“Ah, I see. On the planet Valoren, they have a tradition where children place small baskets of fruit outside their doors at night. In the morning, they find the fruit replaced by memory crystals providing knowledge from the spirits of their ancestors. It’s meant to show that the family is being watched over and protected.”

“Wow, that sounds amazing. I can’t wait to visit places like that with you.” Lila beamed up at him, and he bent to brush a kiss across her forehead.

“Are there more stocking stuffers you need to buy?” he asked.

“No, I think I’ve bought more than enough. Let’s get home. I need to help Mom with dinner.”

Zhoel was still a little anxious about integrating with her family, particularly her mother and brother, but Lila seemed to believe everything would be all right. Hopefully, the gift he had planned for Lila’s family would be approved and arrive in time for the gathering. Alien technology was highly restricted on Earth, and he prayed that the partnership he’d signed between his company and Lila’s was enough to provide an exemption in this instance.

They entered Lila’s home to mouthwatering aromas coming from the kitchen. Lila’s father, brother, and uncle sat in the living room watching a screen with what appeared to be teams of wide-shouldered humans attempting to maintain control of an elongated ball.

“Why don’t you join the guys watching football while I help in the kitchen?” Lila said, nudging him toward the living room.

He didn’t need his Iki’i to tell him she wanted time alone with her mother, so he did as she suggested, taking a seat on one end of the sofa. Recalling Steph’s description of this game, he said, “Thank you for allowing me to join your tailgate party.”

Tom shot him a confused look, but Adam pointed to several unopened bottles on the table in front of the sofa. “Help yourself to a beer.”

Smiling at the opportunity to share another human tradition, he popped open a bottle and sat back to observe the game. The slightly bitter beverage was pleasant on his tongue, and he was still trying to understand the concept of football when Lila came to announce dinner.

Everyone moved into the dining room where a large roasted bird dominated the center of the table, its golden skin glistening under the lights. So many new and delightful scents filled the room, he couldn’t wait to try each and every dish. As he loaded his plate, Lila nudged him and laughed. “Make sure you save room for pie.”

The meal was fantastic, and the promised pie was bliss, a fruity concoction of apples and spices topped by sweet frozen cream. But even better than the food was the laughter and love infiltrating his Iki’i. Sara shared stories about her kids, and Nana recounted past Christmases. Lila’s father cracked jokes that had everyone—including Zhoel—laughing along. Once in a while, his Iki’i caught a melancholy note from Lila, and he’d squeeze her hand under the table, knowing that despite her excitement for their future journeys together, she was still sad about leaving her family behind.

After dinner, they gathered in the living room to open gifts. Dad and Nana sat in their usual recliners, with everyone else taking spots on the sofas. Josh and Emily crowded up against the presents beneath the tree.

“Do you really have to leave before Christmas, Lila?” asked Simone, leaning forward to peer toward Lila.

Lila nodded, shrugging. “Zhoel’s permit runs out in a few hours. We have to go or they might arrest him.”

“Nobody’s arresting you , Lila,” said Tom with a scowl. “You could still spend one last holiday with your family.”

Guilt rolled through Zhoel, and he looked at Lila. “You can stay if you like.”

“Heck, no,” Lila insisted. “I need to be with you in case the IDA gives you more trouble. Plus, I’m a little nervous about the teleportation thing. I’d rather my first time be with you at my side.”

He was glad she wanted to come with him, but also understood what it meant that she’d be missing the holiday. That’s why he was trying to arrange this gift. He checked his HGU again, growing anxious, but still no approval.

As the family exchanged more presents, Lila leaned her head against his shoulder, lacing her fingers through his. It was clear how much she loved her family, and how much they loved her in return. Lila gave Tom a book on classic cars, his face lighting up as he flipped through the pages. Simone handed Lila a small box containing a pair of earrings shaped like tiny passports. “If we’d known you’d be traveling to space, we’d have looked for UFOs,” said Simone with a laugh.

“They’re perfect,” insisted Lila, placing them in her ears.

Nana gave Lila a hand-knit sweater that she immediately wrapped around her shoulders. She rose and gave Nana a hug. “This is perfect. Thank you.”

Zhoel was surprised when Lila’s dad handed him a box. “For me?”

Adam nodded. “Sorry we didn’t have more time to get to know each other before you have to leave.”

Inside was a small snow globe depicting a miniature scene of Bloomington. Zhoel grinned and shook it, watching the snow fall around the small buildings. He held it out to Lila. “The first in our collection.”

Tears glistened in her eyes, but she smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Dad.”

Zhoel’s HGU chimed, and he quickly checked the message, heart thundering with anticipation. “It’s here,” he said, standing.

Lila looked up at him, curiosity brightening her eyes. “What’s here?”

“You’ll see. I’ll be right back.”

He hurried to the front door and opened it. A small drone hovered just outside, two square silver boxes held securely in its grip. The drone released the boxes into Zhoel’s hands and quickly zipped away into the night.

Zhoel turned to find everyone standing in the entry to the living room, watching him expectantly. He found Lila’s mom and stepped toward her. “This is for your family. For you, especially.”

Diane’s eyes widened as she carefully took the box he offered. She opened it to reveal a small, glowing orb nestled inside. “What is it?”

“This one’s for you, Lila.” He held the other box out. She opened it and removed a matching globe. Zhoel continued, “These are modified HGUs, specially calibrated so you can talk to each other no matter how far away we are.”

He showed them how to operate the orbs, bringing the respective holograms to life. Everyone laughed as Lila cracked a joke and the holographic Lila mimicked Lila’s actions and words.

“Thank you,” Diane said, surprising Zhoel with a hug. “This means more than you could ever know.”

Zhoel’s Iki’i swelled, enveloped by the love and gratitude emanating from Lila’s entire family. “I just wanted you all to know how much Lila means to me. And that I understand how much all of you mean to her—to us.”

His HGU pinged, alerting him it was time to go. “I’m afraid our time’s up.”

“Wait,” said Diane, hurrying to the Christmas tree. She pulled a long flat box from beneath the boughs and thrust it toward Zhoel. “One last gift.”

Touched, Zhoel tore off the red wrapping and opened the box. Inside was a black jacket with the Carson Family Trucking logo stitched across the back.

Before he could say thank you, Lila flung herself against her mom in a hug. “Oh, Mom, that’s so sweet.”

Diane’s face pinkened, and she shrugged. “Well, if he’s going to be part of the family, he needs the proper attire.”

Zhoel stared at the jacket, his chest tightening with emotion. He’d spent so long feeling like an outsider, always wandering, never belonging. Now this simple piece of clothing felt like a symbol of everything he’d always wanted. A family. A place to call home. He blinked rapidly, trying to keep his emotions in check as he put it on, feeling its warmth wrap around him.

“I’m honored,” he said, his voice thick.

While Lila shared a tearful goodbye with her family, Adam gave Zhoel a firm handshake and a pat on the back. “We can’t wait to hear all about your adventures.”

Lila’s mother clung to her daughter, rasping, “I’m going to miss you.”

Tears coating her cheeks, Lila returned the hug, but she smiled at Zhoel over her mom’s shoulder, letting him know it was all okay.

“Come here, Zhoel,” said Nana, pulling him down to plant a solid kiss on his cheek. “I know you’ll take good care of my granddaughter.”

“I will, Nana. And we’ll come back to visit often.”

Tom gave Lila a quick hug, muttering, “The office won’t be the same without you, sis.”

Lila punched him lightly in the arm. “Yeah, who’s going to wash your greasy handprints off the coffee machine now?” She turned and hugged her sister. “Love you. Good luck keeping everyone in line.”

Josh grabbed Zhoel’s hand and tugged him toward the door. “C’mon. I wanna see you teleport.”

Zhoel laughed. “Hold on, buddy.” He patted the child on the head, then retrieved Lila’s enormous suitcase from the base of the stairs. “Ready, Lila?”

She gave Zhoel a tremulous smile. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

He took her hand, heart swelling with love for this amazing woman who was willing to leave everything she knew to be with him. Together, they descended the porch steps and turned to look up at her family. “I love you guys,” called Lila.

“We’ll be back soon,” Zhoel added before turning to look at Lila. “But right now, I’m going to show Lila the stars.”