I made my way downstairs and grabbed my suitcase. Somehow, this year, I didn't really feel like celebrating Christmas. As Poppa finished loading the trunk, the postman drove up and handed my poppa a box. "Well, munchkin, looks like it's for you. Do you know a PFC Tariq Nassiri?" He joked.

I dropped my suitcase and ran over and jerked it out of Poppa's hands. "He told me he sent this a couple days ago!" I wanted to rip into it and see what he sent me.

"Look, Momma." Poppa laughed. "CiCi can hardly wait to see what Tariq sent!" The family laughed. "Let's go!"

As we got into the car, Yusef and Yasmina Nassiri ran out of their house. "Wait!" Yusef waved.

"You know we've always got time for you, Yusef." Poppa hugged his dear friend.

Yasmina hugged me. "We got a call from Tariq. He told us everything." She gave me a small box. "I want you to have this. You are a part of our family always." She kissed my cheek.

I was lost as to what Tariq could have said to his parents that would make them respond as they were. Oh my goodness! When he said for me to wait for him, was he asking me in so many words to marry him? Why else would his parents be saying the things they are? I knew not to say anything regarding this, so I hugged Yasmina back. "And you are always part of my family."

"I know we don't celebrate it, but for you we say Merry Christmas!" Yusef smiled. It was easy to see where Tariq got his looks and personality from. He looked just like his dad, even down to the way they walked. It was often easy to confuse the two if they were standing side by side with their backs to you. Yusef gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Always you are part of our family."

I was now completely lost, but didn't want to let on. I began wondering if Tariq had sought his parents' permission to date me That makes more sense than marriage, CiCi. I told myself. After all, you and Tariq haven't exactly been a couple. I got in the car and as we waved good bye to the Nassiri's, I wondered what Tariq truly meant by "Wait for me" and how he wanted nothing more than to kiss me.

"You going to see what Riqy sent you?" My brother leaned over.

"Hang on." I adjusted myself and opened the package. There was a photo of him with the men of his small arms fire team. I handed it up to my mom. "That's Tariq's team."

"Oh my. So young and so handsome." She looked at Poppa. "I remember when you were that young and handsome. Now, you're just handsome."

Poppa's eyes beamed. "Well, I may be old, but I still got it!"

"POPPA!" My brother and I both exclaimed. We laughed and shivered at the thought of our parents having sex.

"What else is in the box, CiCi?" Poppa asked.

"Let's see." I picked up a small box and gasped.

"What is it?" Momma turned around.

"It's a necklace." I choked. "This is nothing he got in Iraq, I almost guarantee it." I held the necklace up and looked at it. "Momma, look at it! It's beautiful!"

Momma looked at it. "That boy loves you, CiCi. Make no mistake of it."

I scoffed. "He only loves me as his best friend."

Momma turned and looked at me. "No man buys a present like this for his best friend." Momma was Italian and her Italian nature was coming out. "He loves you. He has loved you for a long time."

"Then why didn't he say anything?" I argued back.

"Why didn't you?" Momma challenged. "Both of you are pig headed and too shy with feelings to let the other know. You got into this comfort zone of best friend that neither one of you saw what was in front of you. Religious differences can be worked out, but you'll never find someone who loves you as much as Riqy does. You can go to the grave with that assurance."

I smiled at Momma, hoping she was right about Tariq. I opened up the envelope on the bottom. "There's a letter."

"Read it out loud!" Poppa said.

"Okay. Tariq says Ciara, How are you doing? Fine here. Just got back from a 4-day mission and saw all your letters on my rack and I couldn't get to them fast enough. Tell your family hi for me! Today's pretty slow...I FINALLY get to write a letter.

I got your card with the Gaelic writing on it. It's actually at the main base right now. Merry Christmas to you too! Right now, it looks as though we might be home on Valentine's Day. But what does it matter? I have no one to share it with, do I?

Private Dumphy says hi and Merry Christmas to you too!

We've all been busy with missions. So, sorry I've not written in a while. You have no idea how much I miss your silly letters. I re-read all the other letters you've sent so that I have a smile and good thoughts before bed or missions.

Well, it's time to go on another patrol through the city, throwing candy at the kids.

Take care, stay warm, and I hope all your wishes come true and that you'll get what you want for Christmas this year and have a happy new year." I held back the tears. All I wanted for Christmas was in Iraq for the holiday.

Momma reached back and patted my knee. "He'll be home safe soon, I promise you."

I could only hope she was right.

"So, what did Yasmina give you?" Poppa asked.

I shrugged. "Don't know. Haven't opened it yet." I dug the small box out of my coat pocket and opened it. "POPPA! MOMMA!" I gasped. "It's her grandmother's ring!"

Momma turned around and faced me. "That ring means a lot to her so for her to give it to you, you must be really special."

I wasn't sure what to say. I was confused about what happened just the past week alone. Tariq asking me to wait for him; the necklace he sent wasn't from Iraq. It was an expensive gift, but what was its purpose, if there was one? Why would his mother give me her grandmother's ring, knowing how much it meant to her? I just stared out the window and tried to take it all in.

The snow was falling heavier as we pulled in to the drive of my grandparents' cabin. Gramma was on the front porch, waving us all in. "I've got gingerbread men baking!" She yelled.

We made our way through the snow, lugging gifts for what seemed like at least a thousand people. "Hello, Grammy!" I kissed her cheek and made my way into the warmth of the cabin. I took off my coat and Gramma saw the necklace.

"Oh, my! But that is a beautiful necklace!" She gasped as she gingerly fingered it. "Who gave it to you?"

"Riqy."

"Oh, he was always sweet on you." She said.

"Gramma, if only..." I started

"If only, pooh." She snorted. "If I told you all the time that boy made googly eyes at you, you'd kick yourself in the head for being just like your father, too blind to see it."

"Mam!" Dad smiled. "You know as well as I do that sometimes we Irish have to be jumped kicked."

"Aye, don't I know it? How many times did I have to chase your Father down the streets before he finally got a clue I was interested?" Gramma's blue Irish eyes were dancing. I never got tired of hearing her tell the tale of how she and Grappa met while crossing the Ha'Penny Bridge in Dublin. They moved out to Detroit when my dad was starting high school, so the Irish accents ran heavy in the house.

Momma's family, aside from her parents, were still in Sicily, where Grappa Scalzitti was born. He had come over as a young man to find a better life for him and his new bride a year after they married.

So, everyday was a virtual mix of different cultures coming together to make memories. Even more so when Tariq's family moved in next door four years before we were born.

I sat in front of the fire place, staring into it. My Grappa sat next to me. "A penny for your thoughts."

"I had someone tell me one time if you look long enough into a fire, you'll see your past, your present, and your future." I kept my eyes on the flames.

"Why do you want to see your past and present? Can't change either. You can only change your future." Grappa softly said.

"Are Irish men always this wise, Grappy?" I smiled.

"Only those of us blessed enough to be born in Swords." He held the necklace in his hands. "Tariq spent some money on this."

"I know. Here I spent a few piddly dollars on a DVD he wanted and..."

"He doesn't expect you to spend this on him. He's old fashioned, mo cara. He wanted that DVD and that's what he expects from you, if not your heart." Grappa smoothed my hair.

I faced my grandfather. "He called me a couple days ago, and he asked me to wait for him."

Grappa's eyes lit up. "There, now, did he?"

"Yes, he did." I smiled.

"You intend to?"

"If I understood truly what it meant." I looked back at the fire. "I told him I would, though."

"You'd be wise to do so." Grappa kissed my forehead. "If two people are ever destined to be together, it's you and Riqy."