Reba McKinney sat at her desk in her apartment, not focusing on the mountain of books she had to read. She was too busy dreaming about her first Christmas with her boyfriend. Jack Morgan is the one every girl wants, he's smart, caring, sensitive, hopeful, funny and just plain amazing. He has a little darker skin tone than Reba's pale complexion, big blue eyes, and lovely brown hair. Jack is twenty-five years old and working on his PhD in family and marriage therapy while Reba is twenty and working on her degree in middle school history education. Ever since last January, when they first laid eyes on each other, they have been dating and falling in love. Jack was now in the process of moving into Reba's apartment and searching for an engagement ring. Both of them had decided that they were going to spend Christmas in Arizona with JV, Helen, and Reba's three year old daughter, Velvet.
Reba was starring out the window when she felt two arms wrap around her neck. "Hi Babe," Jack whispered into her ear.
"Hi," She whispered back in a sadden tone. Jack let go of her and sat facing her on her desk then looked into her eyes.
"What's wrong? Worried about this weekend?"
"I'm scared Velvet won't like you or my parents won't like you and I love you so much that it would kill me if they didn't like you."
"Everything is going to be okay, I promise."
"How are you sure, you haven't even met them before?" Reba questioned as she stood up and started pacing the length of the family room.
"How could they not love this?" Jack asked as he pointed up and down his body. Reba laughed at him.
"So true." Reba walked over to him and passionately kissed her lover.
That Friday, Reba and Jack drove from Utah State University to Phoenix. As soon as they turned onto Reba's parent's street, Velvet ran out of her grandparents's house and stood on the porch, jumping up and down, waiting for her mom. Reba smiled as she turned into the driveway of her childhood home. She didn't realized how much she missed her daughter until she stood in front of her. Reba quickly jumped out of the car and ran up her daughter.
"MOMMY!" Velvet screamed as Reba ran up to her. Reba quickly picked up her daughter and hugged her tight.
"Hi baby girl, I've missed you!"
"I missed you too, mommy." Reba placed her daughter onto her hip and walked on the porch steps. "Whose that?" Velvet asked, pointing at Jack.
"Well, Velvet, this is Jack, he's mommy's boyfriend."
"Hi Jack," Velvet greeted with a smile. Jack walked over to her lover.
"Hi Velvet, your so pretty."
"Thank you, mommy says its all from her." Jack laughed before the three heard Helen and JV come out of house. Reba put Velvet on her feet and ran up to her parents.
"Hi carrot top," JV greeted his redheaded daughter as she hugged both of her parents.
"Hi mom, daddy. I have someone for you two to meet."
"Who baby?" Helen asked her only daughter.
"His name is Jack." At the sound of his name, Jack turned to look up at the porch from where he still stood on the driveway, talking with Velvet. Jack walked up to where his girlfriend stood with her parents.
"Hello Mr and Mrs. McKinney."
"Please call me Helen and it's nice to meet you Jack. I'm sure you are keeping our little girl safe."
"Of course, I won't let anything happen to your daughter or your granddaughter."