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Julie looked up and down from her textbook, her eyes glancing between the words on the page and the timestamp on her phone screen. It was almost 9 p.m., which meant that Luke should be calling shortly for their nightly chat. The phone calls had become part of their routine now that the boys were traveling all over the country on tour opening for Panic! at the Disco.
In the weeks leading up to their departure, the boys poured even more of their souls into their music, making sure their songs were in pristine condition for their first reveal to the world outside of the City of Angels. And when they finally had moments to breathe, Luke spent his remaining time with Julie, wanting to make up for what was going to be nearly 9 months of lost time.
They went out on a few dates, walking along the pier, but ultimately decided movie nights in the Molina household where they could raid the pantry (and eat whatever they scavenged for free) were a better idea, especially since Luke was often tired after a long day of work. Ray had lightly scolded them the first few times he caught the couple staying up late, but upon realizing that they would soon be going long distance, let it slide after that.
But no matter how much time they spent together, Julie and Luke were aware how hard things were going to be once apart. They were an integral part of each other’s daily routine, and going through their day without the other just felt wrong.
When Luke offered the idea of nightly phone or video calls, Julie had been hesitant to say yes. She knew that Luke would be too exhausted to talk after the concerts, always giving 110% into his performances, and didn't want to tire him out more. But time with her long-distance boyfriend was time with him nevertheless, and Luke had surprisingly held up his end much better than she could anticipate. Their conversations were never dry — always full of laughter, care, and love.
But tonight was a little different; it would be the last call they would have since the boys were planning to all come back for the holidays. The tour was briefly on pause during the holiday season so the musicians could spend time with their loved ones. The guys’ flight from Denver was scheduled to land early in the morning so they could spend Christmas morning with their families in Los Angeles, so Julie knew that Luke would be calling only briefly before getting in a short sleep before waking up to go to the airport.
She was shaking in excitement. As much as she enjoyed talking with him on the phone, she couldn’t wait to see him in person again. She fantasized what it would be like to hold each other for the first time in months, the way he would grab her and kiss her and pull her close to him, the heat emanating from his body mixing with hers. She missed him with every fiber of her being.
Her phone buzzed on her desk and she immediately picked it up and answered the call, pressing the device to her ear. “Hey,” she breathed out, a tinge of relief in her voice.
“Jules, hey.” Luke sounded more tired than usual, which caused Julie’s eyebrows to stitch together on her forehead.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?” Her voice was laced with concern.
Luke let out a loud sigh in response, one that indicated he was either extremely upset or sad. Julie felt her heart sink to her stomach. The moment he spoke her mind had considered the worst of possibilities, but still, even hundreds of miles apart, she could read his mind. “Julie, I’m sorry. I don’t know how it happened but—”
“Your flight is cancelled,” she stated. She couldn’t help but hug herself a little tighter, even though she wished more than anything that it was his arms holding her.
Luke nodded on the other side of the line even though she couldn’t see him. “Fuck, Jules, I don’t know what happened. Apparently there’s a bad snowstorm coming in tonight and they can’t let us take off. The earliest we can get in is the night of the twenty-ninth, but we’d still have to fly back to our next stop on the first.”
Julie took a moment to even her breathing. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes but she couldn’t let him know how she was feeling, the last thing she wanted to do was make him feel even worse than he did. After a beat, she spoke up, “I guess that’s better than not coming home at all, right?” She tried to remain hopeful. Even if they couldn’t spend Christmas together, at least they’d have a few days before the boys would have to go back on tour.
She heard music in the background of the call and assumed that the guys were wrapping up at the studio or at a bar. It wasn’t uncommon that he’d call her from wherever he was. His punctuality for their phone calls (and for everything else in his life) was something that she always found odd given his spontaneous and relatively wild personality. Before she could ask where he was this time, Luke spoke up again. “Yeah, I know. It just sucks. All of us are pretty bummed.”
Julie internally slapped herself for forgetting about the other boys who were suffering from the same consequences. Willie and Alex had been long distance for as long as her and Luke had been, Reggie had expressed missing his little siblings so much, and even Bobby was getting homesick. Her train of thought was interrupted by more rustling from Luke’s end that sounded like the guys arguing and laughing. “At least you guys have each other. You all sound okay.” She tried again to sound hopeful, although she knew Luke could tell it was forced.
“Oh, that? It’s just, uh, Reg and Bobby fighting over the TV remote again.” He let out a chuckle and the vibration of his laugh sent chills through Julie’s spine.
She missed him so much.
“I just wish I could spend more time with you. These past six months have been hard,” Luke said quietly. Julie’s heart lurched in response to his words.
He was right. Six months ago, when Sunset Curve finally got their big break, Julie had nothing short of ecstatic. The boys had been putting in the work and all the late nights - playing gigs at clubs nearly every night (sometimes multiple in the same night), staying up late to record and re-record their demos, spending every waking moment writing new songs. So when they got the news that they were going to be opening for Panic! for the North American part of the band’s tour, there was no chance they were passing up the opportunity. This is what they had been working towards. Their hard work was paying off.
But now that they were out traveling and touring, Julie couldn’t help but start to feel like her relationship with Luke had become a bit strained. No amount of phone calls could make up for the lost time as much as they tried, and both of them knew how important physical time together would be this holiday season. They’d both been looking forward to spending the next few days wrapped up in each other’s arms, rejuvenating themselves before having to spend time apart again.
“I know,” Julie finally answered, sighing. “But you’ll be here before we both know it.” She smiled even though he couldn’t see her, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes like it normally did.
“You’re right. I can’t wait to see you. I’m probably going to sleep soon though, it’s been a long night, dealing with all the cancellations and things. Love you forever, Jules.” Julie could feel her heart swell with love at his words despite the sad news he had brought her.
The smile on her face rose higher. “I love you forever too.”
They hung up shortly after and Julie made her way to her bed, immediately pulling herself under the covers and letting sleep take over her exhausted body, willing herself to rest.
Julie woke up the next morning with a smile on her face. Her body had been waiting in anticipation for today, the day she’d finally get to see her boyfriend again. For a moment, she was in pure bliss, before her mind quickly caught up, reminding her of the unfortunate snowstorm that had grounded the boys’ flight and kept them in Denver.
She could hear Carlos and her dad singing Christmas songs downstairs and one look at her phone let her know that they were probably eagerly (and patiently) waiting for her to join them so they could begin to open presents. Her father, who had been made aware of the situation by the Pattersons, probably convinced Carlos to give his older sister more time to come downstairs before partaking in their annual Christmas morning traditions.
Julie let out a sigh, rubbing her eyes as she swung her legs over the side of her bed and sat up. She grabbed a cardigan from her chair and onto her body, wrapping herself in an extra layer as she headed downstairs.
The smell of waffles and sweet berries filled her senses. She rounded the bottom of the stairs to see a full plate of hers. Her dad was still slowly working his way through his pile, while Carlos sat excitedly in his seat with his plate empty but smears of jam on the corner of his lips. She greeted both of them with a small smile, before taking her seat and beginning to eat her breakfast.
“You sleep okay, mija?” Her father questioned. The moment she descended the stairs he knew that she was still saddened by last night’s events, but he had silently hoped that she would be feeling at least a little better.
Julie nodded, her mouth full. “Yeah, papi. Sleeping in definitely helped.”
“I hope it was worth it. It’s almost eleven and we haven’t even opened our gifts yet!” Carlos exclaimed from his seat. Ray snorted at his son’s antics, before reaching over to wipe away at some of the leftover jam on the boy’s cheek.
“Ay, mijo, relax. We have plenty of time today to open gifts, there’s no rush. Plus, it’s good to spend time with family and not all your shiny new toys, right?” Though light, the tone of his voice had some seriousness behind it. At Carlos’s slow nod, he continued. “Also, your tía is coming over later to help prepare for dinner. She’s ordered me out of the kitchen which means you two will have to help her with the tamales and jamón, okay?”
Both kids nodded. It was a classic Molina tradition to have ham at Christmas, but Tía Victoria’s tamales were to die for. They were eager to help, knowing that they would be able to sneak in a few (or several) tastes while making them.
The rest of Christmas breakfast continued as usual — them reminiscing about past Christmases with Rose, their favorite traditions, things they were grateful for from this past year. Julie found it hard to express gratitude at the moment when the person she was most thankful for was nowhere to be found.
Ray, the ever observant dad he was, could tell Julie was still bummed. He looked at the clock and smiled to himself. Since both him and Julie hadn’t touched their remaining waffles in a bit, he suggested to start opening gifts. Carlos immediately jumped out of his chair, quickly grabbing his dishes and running them to the sink before dashing to the living room, plopping himself in front of the tree.
Julie and her father mimicked the young boy’s movements at half the speed he went, carefully gathering the leftovers and putting them away, before making their way to the living room. “You sure you’re okay, mija?” Ray asked Julie again, his face growing a little bit concerned.
The girl smiled up at her dad, nodding her head. “I promise I’m fine. It’s just a couple days, I’ll live. Plus we can spend more time together, just like you wanted.” She gave him a small side hug as they approached Carlos, who was practically shaking from the anticipation. Before she pulled away, Ray pressed a kiss to her head.
Opening presents was a little less chaotic than usual. This year, as a means to practice appreciation, Ray wanted them to take turns opening gifts, especially since last year, Carlos ripped through all the boxes in record time (seriously, Ray thought it had to be physically impossible for him to rip through wrapping paper and tape at that speed at his age) and left a mess everywhere. Carlos, a growing and (slightly) maturing boy, had reluctantly agreed to the plan, pouting and muttering something about his dad being a slow old man.
Even though their family was smaller without Rose, the presents under the tree were bountiful. Gifts from their family, neighbors, close family friends (including the Pattersons, Peters, and Mercers), Julie and Carlos’s teachers, and even some of Ray’s clients were scattered around the tree.
By the time they had finished opening the gifts the three of them had gotten each other, the living room was littered with new toys for Carlos, clothes for Julie, a photo album for Ray, and piles of ripped wrapping paper. (There were just some things that couldn’t be avoided when Carlos and wrapped presents were in the same room.)
Carlos reached under the tree to grab a gift bag from Mercer family when there was a knock on the door. Both kids whipped their head to look at the door, as if the visitor would reveal themselves if they stared long enough. Ray’s chuckle snapped their attention back to the activity at hand.
“It’s probably Victoria. You know how she is with being early. Mija, do you mind helping your tía?” Ray nodded his head toward the door and Julie stood up to help her aunt.
She unlocked the door and swung it open. “You’re here so early, we haven’t even finished—”
Julie stopped at the sight in front of her.
Luke.
Her boyfriend, in the flesh, was here. His hair, though mostly hidden under his beanie, was all ruffled like he had slept in a weird position. He was holding his bag over his shoulder and had the largest grin on his face. Was she hallucinating?
“Merry Christmas, Jules.”
Julie was still processing the fact that he was actually here that she didn’t even realize that she hadn’t even spoken a word yet. At his words, the two of them immediately came together in a bone-crushing embrace. Julie could feel his arms wrap tightly around middle and his face nuzzled into her hair as she breathed him in and squeezed him. She pulled back, still in shock. “I—how—you—when—what?” She could barely form a cohesive sentence.
Luke let out a laugh at his girlfriend’s reaction. “We just got back. We were all bummed when our flight got cancelled and somehow Brendon frickin’ Urie heard and pulled some strings to get us a rental and we drove back. When I called you last night we were just getting out of Colorado but I wanted to surprise you.” Luke’s grin hadn’t faltered in the slightest. How could he feel anything but pure elation at the sight of his girlfriend? He had missed her as much, if not more, than she had missed him.
Julie took a moment to process the explanation and Luke yelped when she slapped his arm. “Ow! What was that for?”
“You made me think you weren’t going to come back! I was so sad,” she scolded him, though the smile on her face made it evident that she was feeling anything but that now.
“It’s true, it was depressing to watch.” Carlos’s voice came from the living room a few feet away, before a loud hushing sound from Ray followed.
Julie and Luke let out a laugh while they still held onto each other. Julie tugged him closer, their faces just inches away. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
Luke grinned, leaning closer to her. “You didn’t think I’d just accept missing my favorite holiday with my favorite girl, did you?” He muttered, before leaning down and kissing her.
She sighed into the kiss but pulled away when she remembered her father and brother just a few yards away. Luke, with his eyes closed, momentarily chased after her retreating lips, letting out a small whine when he found no contact. Julie tugged him into the house, letting out a giggle before shutting the cold air out as the door closed behind them.
Her cheeks were beginning to ache from her never-ending grin as she still struggled to take in his presence. The smile on her face dropped momentarily, as she realized that he had come here first before going home. “Wait, Luke, what about your parents? Shouldn’t you go over there and see them?”
“It’s okay, I’ll see them when they come over for dinner tonight,” he winked at her.
Julie’s mouth went agape at his implication. The idea of both of their families coming together for what was a classic Molina tradition made her smile. Spending the holiday with her first and second family was a dream come true. She was definitely more than okay if it would become a Molina-Patterson tradition from now on.
Their hands found each other and immediately intertwined as they made their way back to the living room where Carlos was deciding the next gift to open. Ray let out a loud sigh. “Mijo, just pick one. We’re going to open them all eventually.” The small boy ignored his dad, still shuffling through the different options.
Luke spoke up from the couch where him and Julie sat together, his arm slung over her shoulder. “Actually, Mr. Molina, if you don’t mind, I have gifts for you guys too.” Julie pulled back to look at him with an incredulous look. Luke raised his hand from her shoulder to rub at the back of his neck. “Technically, it’s from me and the guys. We had to split the costs.”
Ray’s eyes glimmered at the teen’s kindness. “Luke, you didn’t have to get us anything. And for the last time, just call me Ray.”
Luke tried to hide his face that had flushed a tint of pink at the older man’s remark as he reached into his bag, pulling out three gifts, all wrapped in varying degrees of skill. He handed Ray and Carlos their respective gifts, before plopping next to Julie again, shyly handing her a small wrapped cube.
Julie looked up at her boyfriend, frowning slightly. “I thought we weren’t doing gifts this year, Luke.”
Luke smiled down at her and pecked her cheek. “Don’t sweat it, babe. Plus, it would be awkward if I got your dad and brother something and not you,” he joked.
She rolled her eyes at him, before tilting her head up to meet his lips in a short peck. When she pulled back, he was grinning widely with pure adoration in his eyes.
Julie looked over to the other two important men in her life, watching as Carlos opened his gift to find a new strap for the acoustic Luke had gifted him for his birthday a few months ago and Ray unwrapped an old antique camera. She wished she could take a picture of the look of joy on both of their faces. Luke nudged her slightly, reminding her that she still hadn’t opened her gift.
“C’mon, open it,” Luke whispered in her ear.
Julie couldn’t help but shiver at the sensation of his voice soft in her ear, her nimble fingers moving carefully to pull back the wrapping paper to reveal a ring box. Her eyes widened at the sight of the box, afraid to open it. A million thoughts flew through her head. They were nowhere near ready for engagement. She loved him and he loved her, she was sure of that much. But they were young and—
“It’s not what you think,” Luke chuckled. He had felt her tense when she had realized that it was a ring, and as sure as he was that they would be at that stage someday, he knew that they were way too young for marriage. “Just open it.”
Julie hesitantly opened the box, her eyes falling on a beautiful silver ring with two dahlias carved on the very top. Her eyes immediately began to tear up. Dahlias had been her mom’s and, by extension, her favorite flower. She turned to Luke as a tear slipped down her cheek, but the soft smile on her face let him know her thoughts without needing to speak.
He reached up to wipe away the tear, his own eyes becoming glossy. “Saw it in an antique jewelry store and thought of you,” he muttered softly.
She couldn’t help but lean forward to kiss him more fully this time. Her hand held his cheek as they pulled apart after a few seconds, aware that there were still other people in the room. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.” Julie pulled out the ring, slipping it on her left ring finger. It wasn’t lost on either of them the significance of the placement.
They both looked at the ring, admiring it in its beauty in silence. Julie looked back up to Luke, smiling gently through her teary eyes. “I’m sorry I don’t have a gift for you.”
Luke shrugged, grabbing her left hand, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her hand. “Being here is enough. I don’t need other gifts.” He grinned down at her.
“Agreed,” Julie replied as she leaned her head on his shoulder. “I love the ring, but you being here is better than any other gift.”
Carlos spoke up from where he was now attaching the new strap to the guitar he had grabbed from his room. “Does that mean I can have your other gifts then?”
Julie rolled her eyes at her brother’s antics as her dad and Luke laughed. She took in the vision of this moment: the four of them in the living room, feeling nothing but pure joy during her favorite holiday. She had her father and brother here with her, her mother in her heart, the love of her life at her side. This was family. This was how every Christmas should be. She would never settle for anything less.