After we finished our meal, my father and Jean-Paul headed off into the living room while my mother and I cleaned up the kitchen.

After we put the leftovers into the fridge and placed the dirty dishes into my mothers' new dishwasher that she was given for Christmas, we wiped off the table and countertops before going into the living room where the boys were sitting.

Jean-Paul was talking about what it was like living in France. I could tell from the shaking of his voice that he missed it there. I could tell he was sad and that made me sad for him. I could only imagine how his mother must be feeling having to celebrate the holiday all alone this year.

After Jean-Paul finished talking about his life in Paris, about his childhood, and his mother, we crept up the stairs.

Jean-Paul had decided to take the room next to mine but I suggested that he stay with me for the night. After all, we had spent four very long months apart, and now that we were together once again, I did not want to be away from him any longer. Not even for a night.

After insisting that it would be okay he joined me in the guest bedroom, we began talking about anything and everything.

"After you left, I had never felt so alone. I thought I felt alone when I first moved to New York but the truth was I wasn't as lonely as I thought I was." I admitted. "I quickly made new friends and learned my way around the city. I wasn't alone very long after the break up with Max because that's the same day I met you." I took Jean-Paul's hand into mine. "But after you left I was lonely for quite a long time. Until I made a new friend named Bellamy. I showed her around New York and we became really good friends. But no friend in this world can compare to you. You're not only the love of my life, Jean-Paul, but you're also my best friend. I love you with my entire heart."

He cuddled up close to me and I laid my head down on his chest as he wrapped his arm around me.

"I'm so sorry I had to leave like that. My heart broke when I had to leave you, knowing all that you had been through. But I'm back and I'm here to stay," he whispered as he began softly rubbing my head with his free hand.

"Are you really staying?" I asked very hesitantly.

"Yes. When I went back to Paris after my visa was over I obtained an application to register for my permanent residency, he said. "They allowed me to come back after a few months so I can do an interview with them before they issued the green card. They told me it would take at least seven months if not longer to have the interview and will be able to get the green card. Then I'll be a permanent resident of the US."

My heart began breaking all over again. Not at the fact that he will ever leave me again, but at the fact that he had to leave his mother and she will be lonely for the rest of her life. All she had for years was Jean-Paul after his father left. As long as she had her son, she wasn't lonely. I felt like I stole her relationship with her son away from her.

"Ooh," I managed to whisper. I couldn't say anything else. I felt happy that he did that for me-for us. But I felt bad about him leaving his mother, too.

Not long after our conversation ended, Jean-Paul had fallen asleep. I looked at the time on the clock which read 11:00 PM.

I got out of bed as gently and crept down stairs as quietly as I could manage to avoid waking anyone up. The house was completely silent except a few snores coming from the bedrooms.

I made it to the front door and slipped out into the frosty air quietly without being noticed. I got into the car and drove to the store.

I had to get Jean-Paul a gift for Christmas. I knew something else I wanted to do for him, but I knew it would be a little while before that gift would be able to arrive. So I snuck out to a store that was open late on Christmas Eve so that I could get Jean-Paul a little something for Christmas. Had I been expecting his arrival before now, I would have already gotten him a present.

I got out of the car and walked inside as the frost was nipping at my nose, and my breath could be seen as I was huffing and puffing to get inside of the store.

I walked inside and to the electronics section in the back of the store. I decided a nice camera and a laptop would be a great present for him. If he will be a permanent resident of the US, then we can take those trips he's always wanted to take. The laptop even has a webcam that he could use to talk to his mom. I also picked up a gourmet food basket as a gift for him as well.

I also picked up a gourmet food basket for my parents to go along with their bath gift sets that I bought them for Christmas.

I checked out and hurried back to my parents' house and wrapped the gifts as quickly and quietly as I could. I placed the presents under the tree and tiptoed quietly back up the stairs.

I slipped softly back between the covers beside of Jean-Paul. He moved over on his side and placed his hand around my waist before falling back into a deep sleep.

I closed my eyes and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning was Christmas Day. At 9 AM, my parents came knocking on the door to wake us up to open presents. It's funny how, as a child, you wake your parents up early to open presents, but the roles reverse once you become an adult and your parents get older.

Jean-Paul and I raced down the stairs, still wearing our pajamas. I beat him to the couch, but I had a sneaking suspicion he may have slowed down on purpose.

My father began passing out the gifts to everyone. I opened the small package from my parents, shocked to see the mini, pink polaroid camera I had been wanting. My parents remembered how much I was talking about wanting one. Now they surprised me with it. I was in awe.

"Thank you guys so much," I gasped.

My parents smiled at each other and then smiled at me.

"You're welcome," they responded.

Jean-Paul unwrapped some nice dress shirts from my parents. They were his style, and I knew he would look incredibly handsome in them.

"Thank you," he said as he smiled at my parents, holding each shirt up and admiring them.

My Dad had bought my Mom an instant pot, although she wasn't sure how to use it. My mother was always keen on trying new kitchen gadgets. My father surprised my mother with one last gift. An air fryer. So now she has two new kitchen gadgets to try. I only hoped it would make cooking a little easier for her.

My mother had surprised my Dad with a new wallet, belt, dress pants, jeans, and a couple of shirts.

Lastly, it came down to my presents for Jean-Paul. Or so I thought. Jean-Paul pulled a box wrapped in snowmen paper out from under the tree.

I unwrapped it to see a fleece blanket with a collage of pictures of us on it. I tried so hard to keep from crying, but the tears just leaked from my eyes anyway.

"It's beautiful," I whispered as I held the blanket closely.

"I thought you would love that."

"Let's see what you got there," my mother said.

I turned the blanket around to show my parents. They oohed and ahhed at the blanket.

"That's a lovely gift there, son," my father chimed in.

After I marveled at the blanket, I folded it up nice and neat, and grabbed my presents for my parents that I had bought them so they could unwrap them. While they were tearing the paper off of their gifts, I pulled my gifts for Jean-Paul from under the tree.

"These are for you, Jean-Paul. I wasn't sure what to get you, but I wanted to get you a little something."

He ripped the paper off of the camera first.

"Wow, Blakely. That looks awesome!" He shouted in excitement. "I can't wait to use this."

Then he began to slowly rip the paper off of the laptop.

"I figured you could use that to upload all of the images onto once you take them with the camera."

He sat the computer and camera down on the floor next to the tree and pulled me up into a hug.

"You really didn't have to get me anything for Christmas, mon chéri. All I wanted for Christmas is to be with you. But I really appreciate the gift. I love it. I can't wait to put them to good use. I love you with all my heart, Blakely Evans."

"There's one more thing," I said to him as I reached and got the food basket under the tree. "This is for you too."

He began to unwrap it and a chuckle came from his mouth.

"That's awesome," he said as he turned it around to look at the food basket on all sides. "You'll have to help me eat this later." He grinned.

My parents gave me a hug to thank me for their gifts, and Jean-Paul and I also thanked them for the gifts they bought us.

Later in the evening, I helped my mother prepare a quick meal of chicken and dumplings in the instant pot.

We all gathered around to say grace and eat the meal as a family.

Soon after helping my mother clean the kitchen back up, Jean-Paul and I made our way upstairs to bed. I gathered all of my belongings up to leave for New York the next day. Although Kentucky had been fun, it was about time that I head back home.

I cuddled up with my blanket that Jean-Paul got me for Christmas as I fell asleep in his arms.

The next morning, I helped my mother make breakfast before Jean-Paul and I gathered up our things to go to New York.

To say goodbye to my parents was never easy. I always tried to choke back the tears, but this time I was more emotional than I had ever been. I suppose because I thought back to how Jean-Paul had to tell his mother goodbye one last time to never see her but maybe once a year. My heart couldn't handle it.

Later that evening, when Jean-Paul and I arrived in New York, I prepared to order his Mom some tickets to fly into New York for New Year. It would be nice to have his mom here and to invite my parents up as well.

🎆🎉NEW YEAR!🎉🎆

Time seemed to fly by fast, and before we knew it, New Year's Eve was upon us.

Jean-Paul's mother, Celeste Belleau, was able to fly into New York, just as I had hoped she would be able to. His mother texted me when her cab was getting close, so I sent Jean-Paul off to the store to get a few things for the party later in the evening.

Then I helped her in and told her to make herself right at home.

Celeste pulled her shoulder-length brown hair up until a ponytail. Then we sat down on the couch and had a heart to heart moment before Jean-Paul was due to arrive home.

"When my boy said he had met a lovely American girl, I knew right then that I couldn't wait to meet her. And here you are," she said. "You are much more beautiful than I could have imagined. I see why Jean-Paul fell in love with you. Not only are you beautiful, but you're thoughtful and very polite, she admitted. "I now know that I will never have to worry about my baby boy. He's in good hands here in the states. Just love him and take really good care of him. Please don't break his heart," Celeste said in a very soft tone as she patted tears from her brown eyes.

"I promise I will not break his heart, and I promise to love him and take care of him," I whispered softly as I took her hand into mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Jean-Paul arrived promptly from the store. I greeted him at the door and helped him inside. We sat the things down on the kitchen island as I had him to close his eyes before stepping into the living room.

"I have a surprise for you, Jean-Paul. Close your eyes. I will guide you into the living room."

So he closed his eyes and I took his hand in mine as I took him into the living room.

"You can open your eyes."

When his eyes fell upon his mother standing in the living room, he fell into her arms and began crying. For the first time in my life, I had witnessed a grown man crying. But as humans, we all cry. That's when I truly realized that he was a Mama's boy. He loved his mother dearly and she meant the world to him. Witnessing his reaction to his mother being in New York was enough to break my heart, knowing that he sacrificed living in his home country and sacrificed seeing his mother over a woman-me.

After Jean-Paul gathered his composure, I decided it was time for him, Celeste, and me to sit down and talk about it. I felt like I needed to say some things that were harboring on my mind.

"After witnessing your reaction to your mother being here in the US, I can't let you sacrifice leaving her or your home country for me."

After a moment of silence, Jean-Paul spoke up.

"I know it's a big sacrifice, but it's one I chose to make. One of us would have to sacrifice everything just to be with the other. I am a man. I should be the one doing that. You have your career and your family here in the states. I can't take you away from everything that means so much to you, he said. "We get to have each other in the end. That's what matters to me. I will definitely miss my mother. We became inseparable after my father left. But after having a long heart to heart conversation with her, she helped me realize that I needed to make the sacrifice in order for us to be together. She gave me her blessing, as well as the encouragement, to do that. I kept doubting myself, but she kept insisting that I take a chance. After all, you only live once. I might as well start living for myself today and for what I want. And what I want is you," he admitted, tears forming in his green eyes.

Celeste smiled in the distance as I ran into Jean-Paul's arms.

"One big reason I was so emotional seeing my maman here is that she has always talked about visiting New York. I just wasn't sure if it was possible or not. But, somehow, and someway, you made that happen. So, for that, I thank you."

I smiled and whispered, "You're very welcome." Although it was such a process, I was able to get her a fast flight out here, although she would be leaving on January the second.

We got things ready for the party, and before I knew it, my parents came knocking on the door. I opened the door and let them inside. I introduced my parents to Jean-Paul's Mom, Celeste, and we started lining our plates with food before going to Times Square to watch the ball drop.

We made our way to Times Square around 5 PM. We waited around until right before midnight.

Everyone began chanting

TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE

The ball dropped and we all shouted, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Jean-Paul turned to face me as he caressed my face with his hands. He pulled me in close and touched his lips to mine. Confetti was going everywhere and somewhere in the distance, we saw some fireworks. After pulling our lips away, we laced our hands into each others.

We took the subway and a cab. My parents had decided to stay in a hotel for the night so Celeste, Jean-Paul, and I went back to the apartment.

I urged Celeste to have my bed for the night but she insisted on letting us have the bed and she could sleep on the couch.

When Jean-Paul and I cuddled up in the bed, I placed a kiss upon his lips before turning over. I wasn't exactly sure what the year had in store for us, but I couldn't wait to share my future with Jean-Paul.