The move was altogether pretty painless as she had already shipped most of her stuff out to JC over the last month, so they could pile everything into his Jeep and drive it down the coast to her new address.

“This is really happening!” Allyson said excitedly as she climbed into the car.

“It’s happening! You’re here.”

Allyson could only scream as JC turned out of the driveway for the two-and-a-half-hour drive south.

“So how was Shannon when you left?” JC asked along the drive.

“She’d accepted that I was leaving D.C., but I think it really sank in yesterday when we went to our last dinner together. But she might be considering coming out and moving in with me to go to San Diego State because they have a work-study program she could do to help on the financial side of school.”

“Oh that’s great!”

“Yeah it is! She’ll have to apply as a new student instead of a transfer student just because she’s not currently enrolled, but all of her credits should transfer into the program.”

After two days of unpacking, setting up rooms and directing furniture movers, the couple went out to Lucha Libre Taco Shop to try the oft-talked about California burrito, which lived up to the hype.

“So do you think you’re ready?” JC asked as they surveyed the newly set up house.

“I think so,” she smiled. “I’m nervous as hell, but I’m excited.”

“You’ll kill it!” he encouraged her as he gave her a strong hug in the middle of her new living room.

The next day, Allyson arrived at the San Diego Zoo and immediately felt at home. This was the correct choice, she thought to herself as she got a tour of the zoo and met everyone she would be working with from administrators to zookeepers to groundskeepers.

She fell right into a rhythm and was excited.

“I can’t believe I was nervous! It was amazing!” she told JC that night as she told him all about the tours and the day.

As they were about to end their call, JC asked, “Do you still want to come up here for the weekend or do you want me to come down there? Do you still need help setting things up?”

“If you can come down here, I’d love a taller person to help me hang some pictures.”

“You got it. I’ll see you Saturday.”

And so it continued that every weekend, they would see each other either in San Diego or Los Angeles, visiting with Liz on a few of the Los Angeles trips. Quickly, Allyson began developing friendships with her coworkers, though she dared not tell them Josh’s real identity yet.

Her family flew out for Thanksgiving to see the new house and celebrate the holiday together. It also gave her family the chance to meet Josh after hearing so much about him over the years.

It was the perfect way to really baptize her new place with love, laughter and football.

When it came to Christmas, though, Allyson could not get a flight to North Carolina due to a freak storm that was bringing an early-season heavy snowfall to the state, closing all the airports before the holiday. They had spent the week leading up to Christmas with JC’s parents, who visited before going back to Florida to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – a Thursday and Friday this year – with their other two children and their new grandchildren.

“This is the first Christmas I’ve ever missed,” she cried in JC’s arms, trying to catch her breath in between sobs as she thought about not spending Christmas Eve in North Carolina.

“Hey, shhhh,” he said in an effort to calm her down. “This will be the start of new traditions. Let’s Skype them, and we’ll open our gifts and watch a few movies by the fake fire.”

Her tears had not stopped, but she smiled at the suggestion.

“Come on. Wipe your eyes, and let’s Skype them.”

“Hey, Allie!” her parents and sister yelled in unison.

“Hey guys! Oh I miss y’all! I wish I were there!” She was composed, but she could feel her emotions bubbling up.

“Us too, baby girl,” Allyson’s mom said. “But this storm is crazy. I think even if you had been able to fly in, you wouldn’t have been able to leave before the middle of next week, based on what they’re saying now.”

“Holy shit! Is it that bad?”

“It is. They’re warning of ice on the lines, but we’re lucky, you know, they buried our lines last year.”

“Oh wow! I miss your green bean casserole, Mom. I tried to make it,” Allyson said, holding up her casserole dish in the kitchen. “It’s not as good, but it’ll do.”

“She did a great job!” JC chimed in, leaning further into frame, making Allyson blush.

“Well, what’s today’s movie of choice?” Allyson asked. “Josh and I will put it on.”

“I think we’re about to start Miracle on 34th Street – the original – in a few minutes and then A Christmas Story starts at 7.”

“Oh you know we’ll be watching the first showing.”

“Good girl. That’s a tradition we can’t let change.”

“Don’t worry, Dad, we have an alarm set.”

“I’ll text when we start the movie, and then y’all can start it with us,” Allyson’s sister, Janie, said.

“OK, we’ll get it set up. Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!” her family said with her mom adding in her signature, “Merry Christmas, sweetheart!”

“Don’t forget the eggnog with the Hot Sex,” Janie yelled as they were going to hang up.

Allyson couldn’t contain her laughter as she saw JC’s face as the video call ended.

“Um what was that?” he asked about Janie’s last statement.

“We have a family tradition to have a glass of eggnog with some Hot Sex.”

“I didn’t know you were that open with your parents,” JC looked confused.

Allyson smiled as she walked toward the refrigerator. “I’m not,” she laughed as she pulled out a bottle of liqueur named Hot Sex.

“Jesus, Allyson!” he laughed, bringing his hands to his face.

“So do you want some Hot Sex?” she teased as she walked back to the couch with the bottle and some plastic shot glasses.

“Do I want some Hot Sex?” he said with a funny voice back, reaching out to tickle Allyson’s sides. “Sure, let’s try it. See if it’s as good as its namesake.”

Allyson raised an eyebrow as she poured a shot’s worth into their eggnog.

They spent the day curled up on the couch, watching movies in sync with Allyson’s parents with Miracle on 34th Street, the first showing of the annual A Christmas Story marathon and rounding out the night with The Polar Express.

“Want to do gifts?” JC asked Allyson as the movie ended.

“Sure! Let me grab yours from the bedroom. I meant to bring them out earlier, but I got distracted by that casserole.”

“Which was amazing by the way,” he interrupted.

“Thanks, babe. I’ll be right back.”

When Allyson disappeared to the bedroom, JC took the opportunity to put on a variety of classic Christmas songs and turn the TV to the Yule Log that played 24/7 during the Christmas season. Less than a minute later, Allyson returned to the living room with a large rectangular box and placed it under her full-sized, modestly decorated tree.

“Wow,” he said at the sight. “So do you want me to go first or you?”

“You!” She was so excited about her gift to him.

Tearing open the red and white striped candy cane styled wrapping paper, JC revealed a familiar looking box. “No way! Did you? How? When?” He pulled off more of the paper and opened the box to see a new electric keyboard and, in a smaller box, was a carrying case. “How did you know this is what I wanted? I didn’t put this on my list to you.”

“I remembered you saying in D.C. that you needed to replace the portable keyboard you had, and so I found the newer model of what you have.”

“I can’t believe you,” he said, along with a kiss. “This is too much. I’m not sure I want you to open mine,” he laughed.

Allyson extended her arms dramatically, asking for the boxes labeled with her name. In one box was a blanket a friend of his had sewn with an East Coast-West Coast design and a necklace that was the continental United States with a heart on D.C. and another heart on California, kind of between LA and San Diego, with an arrow between the two.

“This is gorgeous, Josh!” she squealed and hugged his neck.

“There’s one more thing,” he said, reaching further underneath the tree to present a small square box. Allyson’s heart started beating fast. That can’t be an engagement ring. It just can’t be. This is too soon. As these thoughts ran through her head, they all quieted when he handed her the box – not opening it – and just said, “I’ll explain.”

Inside, Allyson found a key. With a confused look, she glanced up at JC.

“Now that you’re within a few hours and don’t have to fly back to D.C., I thought it was time you had a key to my place. I know we’ve only been dating for a few months, but we both know this relationship is deeper than that.

Allyson looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Oh no. Are you disappointed?”

“Not in the least,” she said, choking back tears. “This is the most special gift, next to my lyrics,” motioning toward the framed lyric sheets hanging on the wall behind JC. “This means the world. Thank you!” She lunged forward from her seated position on the floor to hug JC, knocking him down to the ground.

“Merry Christmas, honey,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her squarely on the lips.

“Merry Christmas, Josh!”

They remained lying on the tree skirt, sharing kisses as Bing Crosby, Burl Ives and Dolly Parton played through the stereo’s speakers.

“This is perfect,” Allyson said, eventually, lying on top of JC, her head and arms resting on his chest as JC’s arms were locked around her and he began to wrap his legs around hers.

After about half an hour of them kissing under the Christmas tree, JC stroked Allyson’s hair. “How about some of that Hot Sex?” he asked with a wink.

“Come on,” she said, laughing, as she scooted out from under the tree.

“Hot Sex right here,” she giggled as she handed JC a new glass of eggnog as she poured another for herself also.

“That is fucking good,” JC laughed.

“Oh I know,” she laughed. “It can be dangerous.”

“I sense a drunk story.”

“Yeah. A couple Christmases ago, we had Hot Sex eggnog, only no one told us it had alcohol in it, so we were downing them left and right without any clue of how strong they were.”

“Oh shit.”

“Yeah. At the time, it wasn’t a fun night, but we laugh about it now.”

He smiled at the thought of Allyson drunk off her ass on Hot Sex.

As Christmas Eve turned to early morning Christmas Day, Allyson laid on the couch with JC, both of their arms wrapped around each other in complementary red and green pajamas. Softly, JC sang along with each of the Christmas songs as the Yule Log crackled on the wall-mounted TV.

“This is the perfect tradition,” Allyson said.

“I’m glad we can start it now,” JC said, kissing her gently on the cheek as he sang along to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” in her ear.

The holiday break was as perfect as could be, and JC helped take Allyson’s mind off being thousands of miles away from her family for the first holiday in her life.