Alien Holiday by Tracy Lauren

Chapter 21

Lo

There’s a chill in the air, a certain kind of crispness that comes from living in a stone room. I snuggle deep into my covers listening to the sound of the early morning rain. It’s Christmas Eve. With my eyes closed I can pretend Resa is here and he’s the big spoon. I’d tuck my feet against his calves and he’d complain—just like my parents always used to do. Then we’d spend the day cooking together and see how long we could wait to exchange gifts. Maybe I’d wear some sexy lingerie for him or learn how to knit and make us matching clown sweaters. He’d have a laughing clown like Antonio’s, something to make my Grinch smile, despite himself. It’s a fantasy, though, and I have to find my happiness here—in the real world…sola.

A knock at my door makes me open my eyes. “Wake up, bitch! It’s Christmas Eve!” April shouts over the sound of rainfall. Her voice makes me smile. Okay, not sola. I’m with my Elysian familia. I crawl out of bed and swing the door open, my blanket still around my shoulders.

“Get in here,” I tell her, hurrying to shut out the cold. April ducks in, a big red package in her arms. I’m about to close the door when someone stops me. It’s Gabby, and she ducks in behind April…a cautious smile on her face and a bag in her hand.

“Hi, I don’t mean to intrude.” Her tone is apologetic.

“Intrude? It’s Christmas Eve, chica—I want you here. We’re family.”

The three of us stand there staring at each other. “I guess I better take off my blanket cape.”

April laughs. “I’ll toss some more wood on the fire.”

I make my bed and pull a robe out of my clothes chest as Gabby quietly brews ceata for the three of us. It’s nice to have her here… usually if I’m with the others she doesn’t come around and when she hands me my mug I give her hand a squeeze to let her know I’m proud of her for being so social.

“What are you ladies doing here anyway?” I ask.

“Didn’t you say Christmas Eve was your thing?”

“Yeah…” I just didn’t think anyone really heard me.

“I wanted to start the day right,” April tells me, bringing the big red package and pushing it into my hands.

“What’s this?”

“Surprise. I’m your Secret Santa.”

I grin. “I suspected after I got the masa.”

April shrugs, a smile on her face. “Open it.”

The wrapping is very traditional Earth style. Red paper and a white bow. It’s beautiful—the presentation alone is part of the gift. Carefully, I untie the ribbon and pull back the paper. Inside there’s a box, I open it and am hit with beautiful exotic scents.

“Is this soap?” I pull out various colored bars.

“Soap and…” April helps take out two thick pillar candles. We all pass them around and admire the scent. “I made it all myself.”

“Wow, you’re talented!”

“I had help from Alessandra. That girl can do a little bit of everything. There’s more.”

In the bottom of the box there’s soft brown leather, filled with fluffy white lining, and a purple crystal sewn onto the toe… “Slippers? I love them! I was just thinking about how cold my feet were this morning!”

“I must have been reading your mind,” she tells me with a smile. I tug on the slippers. Perfect fit. Comfortable too. “The guys actually helped me with those. I think they’re better seamstresses than any of the women here.”

“Gracias, mi amiga. I love them. I love it all.”

April and I hug and Gabby awkwardly thrusts a gift forward.

“Is this for me?”

Gabby gives me a tight smile and I reach into the bag. Inside are delicate glass ornaments. They aren’t clear…instead they have a slight iridescence to them and each is filled with different colored feathers. Some are red from the Elysian chickens and others are deep greens, and dark turquoise blues—all from the different fantastic birds that hang around the surrounding forest. But that’s not all that’s inside. There’s a little scroll in each. I look closely at the first one and my heart does this thing where it kind of bottoms out. It says Ramona. That’s my mother’s name. I pull out another…it says Carmen. The next says Antonio, then there’s one for Yesenia, and Veronica, my dad…

My lip’s quivering and I’ve got tears on my cheeks.

“Sorry, I wish I was more artistic and I could have painted portraits or something…” Gabby says shyly.

“This is perfecto, Gabby,” I tell her with all sincerity, my hand over my heart.

“I know it’s harder this time of year.”

“It’s is for us all.” I nod.

“You were really close to your family. Mine wasn’t like that, I feel like your situation is harder. I don’t really have anything to miss.”

That statement makes me sad and I want to give her something too. Luckily, I’m her Secret Santa. I hurry to pull her hidden gift out from under my bed.

“Surprise!”

Gabby snorts. “I knew it was you.”

“Who told?” I demand.

“No one, the tamales were hella obvious, hon,” April tells me.

“I loved the flowers, and mug, and everything. You’re going to make me fat with all the food though.”

“Meh, no regrets,” April says with a shrug. She was a big fan of the tamales. They were far better than El Pollo Loco, even if it wasn’t Abuelita Carmen’s exact recipe.

Gabby opens up my gift to her. Slowly and carefully she holds it up.

“Oh damn, I want one!” April says, in awe.

“It’s a dream catcher.” I don’t go into detail or try to explain the ideas surrounding it, but hopefully there’s something to it and it helps Gabby hold onto the positive in life. It’s something I could use a little help with as well.

“Feathers.” Gabby smiles and I notice we used some of the same emerald green feathers in one another’s gifts. Though…to be honest I might have been drawn to the shade because it reminds me of a certain winged Grinch.

Her dream catcher also has some crystals on it, taken from the nearby hills. And it’s all woven together with leather the guys supplied me with.

“It’s beautiful. I love it, I’ll hang it over my bed today.” April stands close to Gabby, admiring my work. I’m pretty proud of it too.

“And I have a thank you gift for my secret Santa!” This one I pull from a basket in the kitchenette part of my room. I toss April the leather pouch and the liquid sloshes around inside.

“What’s this?” she asks, holding up the bottle and laughing. “It looks like absinthe.”

I shrug. “I actually don’t really know what it is. Mel told me about it and Mire helped me get a bottle. I think it’s something between alcohol and…” I lower my voice. “A drug? Maybe it’s like pot? I don’t know. Holly said it made her feel euphoric, but with no negative aftereffects.”

“Holy shit! That’s hardcore, girl!”

“I don’t know, if Mel drank some it can’t be that bad. Plus, it sounded like a good time.”

“And you know I love a good time.” April winks at me.

“What if your Secret Santa hadn’t been April?” Gabby wonders.

April laughs. “You mean someone who didn’t want to do drugs?”

“I had cookies as a backup.”

Gabby nods and April stares down at the bottle, in awe of it.

“Anyway, I have one more gift—but it’s for everyone.”

Both of them look up. “Food?”

I grin. “Food. My soon-to-be famous Elysian pozole.”

“It isn’t Christmas without pozole,” April says with a grin.

“No, it really isn’t.”

* * *

“It isn’t Christmas without…”

“Friends!” Dax shouts.

Everyone cheers and lifts their cups. It’s after dinner, my pozole has been demolished, the rain has miraculously taken a break, and we’re spread out in the courtyard enjoying bonfires, testing the alien men on all the things that make Christmas special.

“It isn’t Christmas without…”

“That thing that Mel can do with her tongue!” Gile announces proudly. Mel slugs his shoulder, but we all cheer anyway.

“It isn’t Christmas without…”

“Peace on Ear…Elysia,” Gabby offers, her expression telling us she’s aware of the irony. She really doesn’t give any of the others much peace…particularly the aliens amongst us.

Gorrard gives the next answer with his young daughter in his arms… “Children,” he tells us.

There are all sorts of answers, none of them wrong: food, desserts, presents, decorations.

Kye takes a turn. “It isn’t Christmas without…”

“Music!” his wife shouts.

“Let’s hear some music!”

There are shouts of agreement and a drunk Bossan goes right into his rendition of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” He about kills the group with the laughter that erupts. I’m pretty sure we all wanted to hear Alessandra’s angelic voice…not his overly enthusiastic caterwauling. I look over at April and she’s half killed the bottle I gave her. There is definitely a euphoric smile on her face.

This is good, I think to myself. It isn’t like what I had growing up, all the people I want in my life aren’t here, but this is okay… I’ll survive.

I look up toward the mountain, thinking of Resa up there all alone. I wonder if he can hear us laughing and singing. He probably hates it. And I hate the idea of him living in solitude, so I guess we’re even. Still…I can’t help but imagine an alternative where he’s here with me—enjoying the fire, the food, the company.

April snorts, bringing me from my thoughts. “Damn, guys, this shit is stronger than I thought. I’m seeing things.”

“Santa Claus?” Bossan asks, almost sounding hopeful.

“Nah, the statues are moving.” She points beyond the broken fountain, towards the gates, and there are collective gasps of shock. The men jump to their feet, and I feel like someone punched me in the chest, because there’s Resa…