LAX
It's a week before christmas. The airport is busy. Everyone is walking nervously to catch a plane to get somewhere and see their loved ones. People are struggling with heavy bags full of presents for their family and friends.
An older couple with two small overpacked suitcases is sitting in front of a not yet opened gate for a delayed flight to Philadelphia, next to them is sitting a much younger couple-Jenn and Alyx. The older couple is having an argument. The woman is mad at her husband because he apparently forgot to pack a very important present for their little granddaughter. This little problem turned to her saying that she should never have married him, and that she hates him.
Jenn isn't paying any attention to the older couple, she's focused on her phone way too much for that.
Alyx on the other hand, has been listening to the couple's argument for a while.
The man is now trying to calm his wife down, and he keeps apologizing to her:
"I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you, you know me, I keep forgetting things, we'll buy her something in Philly, it's not a big deal, is it?" The woman just sighs, stands up and leaves to go to the bathroom.
The man looks even sadder now.
"50 years we've been together, and I've never been good enough for her. She deserves more, I guess."
It takes Alyx a while, before she realizes that she should say something to cheer him up, since it was apparent that he was talking to her, knowing that she's been listening the whole time.
"50 years is a really long time. She must love you. I mean it's Christmas, and everyone acts like a dick on Christmas, right? I mean. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that your wife's a... You know... Just Christmas... It sucks... Doesn't it?"Alyx says nervously. She's been freaking out for quite a while now, because she's about to do three things that absolutely terrify her.
First: celebrate Christmas.
Second: meet Jenn's mother and friends and being introduced to them as her girlfriend.
And third: celebrating Christmas with Jenn's family and friends.
But listening to this couple fight, kind of took her mind of that for a while. She's become so interested in them, she wants to know more about them and their lives, but she just basically said to that nice, sad, old man, that his wife is a dick. "Wow brilliant, Alyx. You queen of empathy." She thinks to herself.
"I hate Christmas so much." The man says and smiles, "Kate is the only reason I'm celebrating that stupid holiday and pretending to like it. I'm a jew, you know, I never celebrated it before I met her."
"Wow, no way, so am I. I'm actually celebrating for the first time this year, I'm kind of nervous about it" Alyx says with more enthusiasm that she had intended.
Jenn looks up from her phone, feeling very confused. She looks at her girlfriend, who she finds talking to an old man. She has no idea what they're talking about, because she was listening to some music to create a playlist for the plane. She just heard Alyx say that she's something and that she's celebrating for the first time. Jenn's kind of mad herself for not listening and starts paying attention to this strange conversation.
"Well, good luck, you're either going to love it or hate it, depends on who you're celebrating it with." Says the man.
"I think I couldn't be celebrating with anyone better." Alyx says, not knowing that Jenn is listening.
"That's good. I remember me and Kate at your age. We were so in love. And now she hates me. I remember celebrating Christmas with her family in Oregon for the first time. I was terrified. But it was amazing, her parents were so good to me, and I was so in love with Kate. Even though I hate Christmas now, the first one I spent with her was incredible, I'll never forget it. She was showing me photos of her as a child, telling me what she loved then, what she was scared of, and I wanted to know everything about her. I just loved her so much. I wish, we could go back." He said sadly, looking like he just left this world and went to a better one for a second.
"I'm sorry, you probably don't care." He says in a completely different way, as if he just came back to reality.
Jenn is pretending like she doesn't hear them, still having her headphones on, and pointlessly switching through apps on her phone. She really wants to hear what Alyx says.
Jenn knows, that Alyx might be talking differently, if she knew that Jenn was engaged. She's quite moved by what the man is saying though, it feels almost like the universe wants to help Alyx defeat her fear of going to Pennsylvania, meeting Jenn's mom and just celebrating Christmas in general.
"I actually care a lot. You have no idea, how much you helped me by saying that. I was really scared about meeting family and friends of that someone, who I'm celebrating Christmas for the first time with..." She looks at Jenn, to make sure she can't hear her, and Jenn seems to be only interested in her phone, completely ignoring the outside world. So Alyx feels like she can continue.
"I've never felt this way about anyone before. And I don't even know if she feels the same way about me. I swore to myself that I would never celebrate Christmas, until she asked me to. I think I'm seriously in love with her, and I don't want to mess it up in any way. I'm so scared that her mom will hate me or be disappointed, or I don't know." Alyx says, sounding sad and nervous.
Jenn almost wants to break her camouflage and silence, and tell Alyx, that that would happen, because she's the best thing that has ever happened to her, and that her mom will see that. And that she loves her too, and to thank her for always being there for her...
But she doesn't look up from her phone just yet, she keeps pretending that her phone is the most interesting thing right now, because she knows Alyx well enough to know that there id more she has more to say.
"I just know that I love her and I also know that I would do anything for her. Just like you and Kate. I'm sure that she doesn't hate you, she loves you just like you love her. That's just everyday bullshit getting in the way, specifically fucking Christmas. Just remember that time in her home in Oregon, and try to be in love like that again." Alyx says, suddenly sounding very cheerful.
Jenn bites her lip to not make any sound. She feels ecstasy of happiness. She loves Alyx so much, before she met Alyx, she didn't think that it was possible to love someone this much.
"Oh, there comes Kate." Says Alyx's old companion. "I better go talk to her, and try to make it better. Thank you. For everything. Good luck with your first Christmas, it's gonna be amazing, especially when you're celebrating with somebody you love." He leaves and Alyx is watching him go up to his wife, she really hopes that they make up. She realizes that Jenn has taken off her headphones and that she's looking at her and smiling. Alyx looks back at her.
"You know, you really could learn to let go of your phone for a second, you can learn a lot from talking to actual people." Alyx says
Jenn grabs Alyx's hand and says:
"I just want you to know, that you don't have to be nervous about meeting my family and friends, they're gonna love you. Also Christmas is incredible, and you're gonna learn to love it, trust me."
"What?" Alyx says and laughs nervously.
"I've never felt about anyone this way either, and I thought I would never say this to anyone. I'm so lucky, that you're always by my side, I'm so happy that we're gonna travel the world together. And I love you, Alyx."
"Were you listening the whole time, you asshole?" Alyx says teasingly, and hugs Jenn tight.
"You can learn so much from listening to other people." Jenn whispers into Alyx's ear and laughs softly.
The gate for their flight just opened. Alyx doesn't feel scared anymore. She's excited to meet Jenn's mom and friends, she's excited to celebrate Christmas. She's in love. That's all that matters.
