Every show has a Christmas special and Carmilla is no different. The special is more on the comical horror side and lacks the drama of the regular series. As I have blogged about in the first season, I have always made a point to point out the similarities between Laura and Carmilla's and L's and mine relationship. For the first time, L and I had more drama than Laura and Carmilla. Yes, that's right real drama for L and me. Now, this drama leads to a big question that I start to ask myself after these events but will dive deeper into that later. 
Carmilla Christmas Special. The episode begins in an old diner where LaFontaine and Perry are starring out the window Laura is sitting in a booth with her computer on and Carmilla sitting at the counter. The crew had left Silas for Christmas break but were trapped in the diner because Carmilla tried to bite the mayor of the town. To quote Carmilla "I still don't know why you killjoys stopped me. One less politician in the world." Hard to argue with her. Eventually, the angry mob leaves. The crew doesn't know why but it's a welcome bit of news. Laura is annoyed at their situation Christmas is her favorite holiday and she misses her dad. Carmilla not so much into the Holiday season makes a joke.
Seeing that Laura is a little sad Carmilla asks what's wrong. "Oh, I don’t know - maybe that we had to flee school and hike through mountains. (Perry and LaFontaine find some snacks and start eating) And there’s no cell coverage, so my Dad probably thinks I died in an earthquake and … and there’s a mob chasing us and it’s Christmas! And I’m supposed to be watching the BBC Christmas Specials with my Dad, and, and making gingerbread and hot chocolate and … and you think all that’s stupid." Carmilla replies "And useless and sentimental. But when has that ever stopped you before? Come on! We’ll stick candles in expired East German snack cakes and … we’ll have our own Christmas." Carmilla trying to make the best of the situation for Laura. Then Mama Claus shows up offering everyone something to eat gingerbread for Laura Perry and LaFontaine and blood sausage for Carmilla. Carmilla feels like something is off with Mama Claus. She tries to tell Laura but Laura thinks she is just being a humbug. Laura finally figures out that Mama Claus is a cannibal eventually telling Carmilla to "Murder her for Christmas! Murder her for Christmas!" After said murder, Laura sits down next to Carmilla and says hey and Carmilla responds with hey. Ok, I'm interjecting here they totally stole L's and my stick we were doing that way before they were. Finally, Carmilla admits she isn't good in the feelings department but apologizes for things being messed up at school and not being able to spend Christmas with her dad. Laura returns the sentiment kissing her on the cheek.
So what makes mine and L's first Christmas more drama-filled than Laura's and Carmilla's? It involves snow and parents and me learning how much of a big deal Christmas is to L. So Christmas Break started with everyone going home to their respective homes. It was about 10 days before Christmas. So I'm shopping for L for Christmas for the first time. Up until this point I had bought gifts for my family that was it. So on my end, I was nervously looking for a perfect gift that didn't exist. L however was hard at work on my gift. I had a few ideas or what I thought were good ideas. So we had agreed to spend Christmas Eve with our families and spend Christmas Day with each other and our families.
Christmas Eve morning. Living where L and I do we have seen a hand full of major snowstorms. In our second year of college, we made a pizza delivery guy deliver a pizza in over a foot of snow. But nothing compares to the snowstorm we got that Christmas Eve. The storm came out of nowhere. The snow started light that morning but by 10 am we were getting well over an inch an hour. By late afternoon we had a foot of snow on the ground. I looked out the window and then my phone rang.
The First Phone Call. I knew who it was as soon as my phone rang and I got this sick feeling deep in the pit of my stomach when it did. L was calling wondering what we were going to do. So we tried to figure out if we were going to be able to get together for Christmas. I could tell in her voice she was upset and worried that we couldn't get together until after Christmas. So she made the decision that she was coming to me today. Ok, my wife is the most committed when it comes to holiday traditions so for her to give up her family's tradition to be with me. This really opened my eyes to where she was at with me.
Ok, so we have a plan right. Sounds solid right and it was. Until the parents stepped in. Will start with my dad. He is the most logical thinker I know. He uses information and makes simple and clear decisions. He however never brings emotions into making decisions and his decision was L needed to stay home and allow the roads to clear. That sounds like a sound decision. Unfortunately, L isn't some who thinks with just logic. She definitely uses emotion in her decision making and in her mind there was no way she wasn’t spending Christmas without me. L's Dad however is quite different. He will do whatever is necessary to make his little girl happy. He is a very logical thinker too but has learned raising daughters that sometimes you just need to make the effort even though it makes no logical sense.
Phone Call Number Two. This time I’m calling L to brake to her the bad news. Not exactly one of my favorite things. So I explain to L what my Dad said and explained that I wanted her to be safe. I was about to learn a few things about L. First, she doesn't take bad news well. She began to cry and it was followed by anger toward my Dad's decision. Now I'm new to all this emotion and was not very good at calming L down instead I tried to fix the problem. Trying to explain why the roads are dangerous and that I wanted her to be safe. She hung up on me.
Phone Call Number Three. L calls back and this time with a plan. She tells me her Dad will bring her and that all she wants is to be with me on Christmas. Ok, hold onto this moment. Eventually, it leads to a really big moment. Will get there but not now. Again sounds like a good plan. L agrees and L and her Dad head toward my house. I go and tell my Dad the plan. Surprisingly to me, he is angry and refuses to let L come to our house.
Phone Call Number Four. I call L again. This time I'm angry. I tell her what my Dad said and she again begins to cry. I tell her there isn't much I could do at this point. She tells me they just got to her grandmother's house its about a 10 min drive away from my house. She is pretty upset at this point and I try and calm her down again telling her I'll explain to my Dad that she practically here already and she should be allowed to stay. I hang up optimistic that this plan will work I hang up and go and talk to my Dad again. At this point, I have learned something very important about L anything she puts her mind to she will achieve. Nothing will stop her from achieving her goals.
Phone Call Number Five. I have talked to my Dad he still doesn't want L to risk it. Much to her sadness and anger, she gives in. I apologize for my father's decisions. I tell her I cant wait to spend Christmas with her and that the roads will clear and we will be together tomorrow.
Phone Call Number Six. It's 11:00 pm L calls me to tell me goodnight. At this point we know the roads will be cleared will see each other soon. We talk for a few minutes and L asks me what time she should come in the morning. And to quote The Santa Clause, “Sun up your here.” We said our goodnights and hung up. After I hung up I lay in bed thinking about the day and what I had learned about L. I started to ask myself some very important questions about me and L. Is she in love with me? Am I in love with her?
Christmas Day. My first Christmas with a girlfriend. Being the oldest son and grandson you get to do everything first. Sometimes that’s good sometimes you have to upset the status quo. Thanksgiving was the first time L and I were together with our families as a couple. It was the first time a girlfriend or boyfriend in my family had been brought to a major family event. Christmas however is a big deal and L was standing at my front door at sunrise ready to greet me. Being only the second or third time she had been to my house she called me to make sure I was the one answering the door. We spent the morning with my immediate family, the afternoon with her extended family, and dinner with my extended family. The day flew by until we got back to my house. My family went to bed leaving me and L alone downstairs to exchange our gifts with each other.
The gift exchange. My gift was quite small. It came in a simple box but took me weeks to figure out. I thought a good gift for a first Christmas with a girlfriend was a watch. It was made of silver with a rectangle face and a small (fake) diamond at the 12 number. She opened it and was quite happy. (I would learn later that L was a great gift opener whether she liked it or not.) She loved it at the time and still has it but L is not a big fan of jewelry. Then it was my turn. My box was not small. It was quite heavy so I was eager to open it. I tore the paper and opened the box to reveal a handmade blanket in our school colors. It’s still the best gift L has given me. We then watched a Christmas movie and went to bed. It was a Christmas we both will never forget.
Like Carmilla and Laura, L and my's first Christmas is one we will never forget. It started with optimism which led to disaster but ended lovingly. We each learned things about the other and that L and Laura take Christmas really really seriously. Carmilla and I learned that even though we are not always in the Christmas spirit we have to put forth some effort for our L's and just enjoy that we are with them during this magical time of year.
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