I woke up. It was morning, Christmas Morning in fact.

I felt like running into the living room like I had done so many years ago to the gifts under the tree. My family would be there waiting for me, since I was always the last one to wake up, and smells of bacon and eggs would be steaming from the kitchen. My mother would guard the kitchen, and hide the bacon from me so I couldn't eat it all. I knew though, that this time, there would be no gifts under the tree, and my family was miles away having breakfast or lunch with their new families.

I didn't have anyone today. Even my fat cat was indisposed. Hiding somewhere, and probably napping. She usually thought it funny to wake me up by biting my nose each morning, but this time there was no waking up to sudden outbursts of pain.

Then I remembered. Raleigh was here, or was he?

I turned around, and saw his closed eyes. He was completely asleep, and silent. His face was perfect and puffy. I smiled, and restrained from laughing so he wouldn't wake up. I felt so strange. I felt comfortable, when I should of been weird-ed out, or felt something else I'm sure, but again calmness remained. I felt like he belonged here in the house, like he was an old nick knack or family heirloom. He still had a completely stoic nature about him, but in this moment, he seemed warmer than usual. He reminded my of my deceased grandma. Not the fact that he was still, but rather the fact that he screamed warmth.

Then I realized I was an observer, or maybe even a creeper. I was invading his personal space, when one should be let lone to sleep in peace. You shouldn't stare at someone when they are asleep, right? Then why was it so tempting? I couldn't seem to look away, nor leave him.

That's when he opened his eyes.

I almost turned away, but his sudden stare was compelling. He was quiet, we were quiet.

"Good morning."

He said.

"Morning."

Silence.

I found it funny how silence was changing in my mind now. With Daniel, for instance, silence was the worst thing that could of ever of happened. It was deadly. Glances of silent hatred would remain. With Raleigh, it was different. Everything seemed different, stranger, but better.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

I hesitated. I remembered the night before. I almost felt like slamming my head in my pillow and kicking, remembering how much of a pathetic ass I had been, and he had been there to witness it all.

"Ok. Good. Better."
"Three times better."

He smiled.

"Oh, it's Christmas Morning, isn't it?"
"Yes."

I said.

"What do you usually do on Christmas mornings?"

I remembered my family, then frowned.

"Spend it with my family I suppose."
"Well, then I guess we'll have to settle for each other."

I smiled.

"What's your family like?"

He asked.

This time, I didn't hesitate. I knew I didn't want to tell him, but I had felt like he had earned at least that answer after last night.

"We are all divorced and separated. My mother and father, they decided they couldn't stand each other after 25 years, so they divorced. My father now is remarried, to an okay person, and he is happy. My mother, she is a little scandalous because of her mid life crisis, and seems to have a new boyfriend every Christmas, but that makes her happy. So I guess I've learned to spend Christmas alone now. I usually have Laurel, my roommate, but she's now in the process of creating a family of her own."

"Wow."
"What?"

I was sure he thought I was pathetic now, if last night didn't suffice.

"Your family sounds exactly like mine."
"Really?"

"Yes. Sometimes, well, sometimes I feel like we are the same person. Except you are the pretty version."

Without thinking of his remark, my brain farted.

"Oh no, are you kidding? You could be in a Baroque painting."

"What?"

"Yes."

"So you think that I'd be in the back of some rembrandt painting?"

"You know about those paintings?"

"I'm from Europe."

"I've been to Europe, not England, but when I went a lot of the people didn't know anything about their history, except the fact that it was all around them."

"Yeah I suppose you're right. We are always fascinated by other places, apart form where we are from."

"Are you attracted to the horrible U.S.?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"For a lot of reasons, but something here keeps drawing me back."

"What?"

"The quiet. It so serene here."

Something inside of me frowned. I felt like slapping myself for being a girl, but then I remembered I hated love. I wanted nothing to do with it.

"Then there is the company."

I smiled, glad he said something, but also afraid now. He was looking straight into my eyes. I wanted to look away, but his stare was intense. He took his hand and very slowly started stroking my hair, and bangs from my eyes. Touch, touch was scary, so I finally looked down and away. He saw my fear, and I could feel the question slowly arising.

"Molly, What happened to you?"

I looked up now, slowly. I wanted to lie to him, tell him my fiance died of cancer, my mother had been hit by a car, hell, that I had been hit by a car, but I couldn't lie to one of the only innocent friendships in my life.

"My heart's broken."

His eyes weren't surprised, I knew he already knew that, but they were still caring.

"Who did it?"

"Someone close. His name was Daniel. We dated for four years, most of my natural adult life. All wasted."

"That's a long time."

"Yeah."

"I wouldn't call it wasted though."

"Why?"

"Because you are you."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You're wonderful Molly."

"No I'm not."

He laughed at my stubbornness. I sighed, and almost hair-balled at his remark. He touched my hair again, then slowly rapped his arms around me.

"You are."

He said.

"You are."

I sighed again. He was releasing my stress, and it was extremely comforting. I put my arms around his, and began to tear up.

"I'm not, but its nice to have someone lie to me out of niceness."