On December 21st 2005, I was very busy packing my stuff for my long drive tomorrow to Big Sky to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with my dad, Sylvia and Hannah. It was lunchtime when I finished packing everything I needed, including presents for my family and some food for the Christmas dinner on Christmas Day. I was about to make myself lunch when I heard my security gate buzzing. I went to the intercom and pressed the button to speak. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Please, Max. Can I come in?"

I recognized that voice. That was Roxanne's. I was surprised to see hear her voice, but because I knew that it was a very snowy day I knew that the sooner Roxanne came in, the less she would have to stay out in the cold. So I opened the gate and then I opened my front door. I was completely shocked to see Roxanne shivering in the snow and looking very tired and very sad as much as she was very cold.

"Come on in, Roxanne," I said, letting her into my house.

I helped her take her snowy wet clothes off and then, while she went to have a nice warm shower, I got out some dry spare clothes for her to put on and then I got the fire in the fireplace in the sitting room going and then I got us cups of hot cocoa and some Christmas cookies ready for the both of us. She was grateful for everything I did to her when she came down and settled down on one of my couches and warmed herself by the fire.

"Did something happened in Columbus?" I asked.

Roxanne nodded. "It's about Jeremy."

"What did he do?"

Then she explained everything. When she went to Columbus with Jeremy, it all seemed to be fine. His family was very friendly and very fun and the house they lived in was beautiful and grand too. She would join them in fun activities in the snow, including sledging, skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating, building snowmen and having snowball fights. She also liked the room she was staying in, which was also Jeremy's room because of their relationship, she enjoyed the delicious food they provided for her and she had fun taking parts in some of their games. It all seemed amazing.

But, sadly, Roxanne had to end her relationship with Jeremy because she found him one day with another girl. It was his ex-girlfriend from his high school and Jeremy only used Roxanne to help him get over his breakup from her and to make him look good in front of his family, but now they finally got back, he told her that he didn't need her anymore. Roxanne felt that she couldn't stay in Columbus and continue to be one of his sex toys. She just had to leave him and his family and Columbus and go back to Spoonerville. She really hoped that I would be here for her when she arrived and luckily I was. She came to me because she had nowhere else to go, because her latest boyfriend cheated on her and her best friends were with their own families for Christmas. Roxanne broke down into tears as she told me the entire story. After she finished telling me it, I went to hug her.

"It's okay, Roxanne," I said. "I'm here for you now."

"I'm sorry to disturb you like this, Max," Roxanne sobbed. "I hope I haven't ruined your plans for Christmas."

"No, you haven't," I told her. Then I remembered my trip to Big Sky tomorrow and then I had an idea. "Roxanne, I'm going to have to go to Big Sky tomorrow to spend Christmas with my family. If you have nowhere else to go, would you like to come and celebrate Christmas with us?"

"Are you sure, Max?" Roxanne asked. "I like that idea, but are you sure I won't be a burden to you or your family?"

"Of course not," Max said. "You are never a burden. You spending Christmas with us will make it even better."

"Well, in that case, I would love to go and spend Christmas with you and your family," Roxanne said.

"Great," I said. "We need to leave at ten in the morning, though, if that's okay with you. And it will be a long drive."

"That's okay, Max," Roxanne said. "Because as long as it's you I'm with, I don't care where we will be or how long the journey takes."

What she said really made my heart soar like an eagle.

"And I promise to be ready before ten in the morning," she continued.

"Great," I said. "But now just get yourself warmed and rested."

And she did. While she continued to warm herself by the fire and watch a lot of Christmas movies with The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Muppet Christmas Carol among them, I talked to my dad and checked if it was okay to bring Roxanne with me to Big Sky and he told me it was.

Then I made me and Roxanne some dinner, which was some spaghetti and meatballs and some ice cream for later, and then we went to bed.

The next day, Roxanne was ready and even more because she was ready before even I was and she cooked me breakfast, which was fried eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, pancakes and waffles. She cooked it to thank me for giving her shelter, warmth and food yesterday. I was very grateful for it and she cooked a very delicious breakfast.

Then I loaded my car with my stuff and then Roxanne and I got in and then we drove all the way to Big Sky to meet up with my family. Usually, when I drove to Big Sky, it was a lonely drive, but now that Roxanne was with me, I wasn't lonely and she was great company like she always was. She told me, apart from Jeremy cheating on her, she was still enjoying college. She was enjoying her lessons, she was enjoying her cheerleading and she still liked being dormmates with her best friends. Then she asked me questions about my work and about my family and I answered all of them.

Soon, we finally arrived at Big Sky and at my family's house. They were delighted to see me again and they were delighted to see Roxanne too. And she was delighted to see them as well. And this was the first time she came to my family's house and she liked it a lot.

After the dinner they cooked for me and Roxanne, which was a very delicious meatloaf and red velvet cake for dinner, they showed us to our room. It was the spare bedroom I always stayed in. I hadn't been in this room (or this house) since I was in that deceitful relationship with Mona. When I stepped in at first, my head was full of memories of those times when Mona was pretending to love me and be in a very fake happy relationship, but having Roxanne in the room helped those memories leave my brain. There was only one bed, so I let Roxanne have it, but she insisted that I sleep in the same bed with her and so I did. As we slept, she once again wrapped her arms around me and I wrapped mine around her. I hadn't felt her arms wrapped around me for a very long time and it felt very good and comforting and helped me sleep very well as always.