that very much. Thank you."
On her way back home, Cara was absorbed with thoughts of her beachside friend. They had spent hours discussing the photos she had taken around town and the consumer reports Egrix had been sent by the union. The topic of Christmas had been unavoidable, but she had been pleasantly surprised to see the grumpy alien remain level headed even with his cynicism. He noticed many displays in her images set up for the season, whether the stores sold food, clothing, decorations, or what have you. He grumbled under his breath about the inaccuracies the data would produce for the long term with the disproportionate holiday merchandise.
"It just seems like a time of year where everyone makes themselves miserable while smiling as if they're having fun. I can't understand how your species can push so adamantly to continue a tradition that results in so much waste and sadness just for the sake of consumerism." Egrix had worn a pained expression, different from the angry one she had witnessed yesterday. It seemed as if the idea really took a toll on him, and Cara understood.
"I can't argue with you there," she had agreed, which clearly surprised Egrix for the umpteenth time. "There's a lot of hypocrisy to being human."
"I can see that is true," he had said, looking at her as if she were something he wanted to study and understand. "You are nothing like what I expected."
Cara had giggled, knowing he meant that to sound like a compliment.
"Thanks." She had glanced at her phone right then and had been reminded of her promise to her mom with the topic of Christmas coming up. "Hey, I have to go for today."
A flash of sadness had flown across Egrix's face. "Did I upset you again?"
"No, not at all. But I promised my mom I'd help her decorate the house tonight. Even with the hypocrisy, for my family and a lot of others, this holiday is simply an opportunity to spend time with each other and enjoy life. That's why we have traditions like decking the house out in Christmas gear. You reminded me that I need to get home to be a part of this tradition."
He'd asked if she would return the next day and she had joked that she would consider it before packing up and returning to her car. Remembering how cute his look of concern was made Cara snicker to herself as she drove. She felt a genuine impatience knowing how long she'd have to wait to see her alien again.
6
After a long night of pacing the house, decorating it in Christmas paraphernalia from top to bottom, Cara woke up late feeling warm and well rested. They hadn't finished all of the Christmas setup since her dad had promised to help with the tree the next day. She had a simple breakfast with her parents again, chatting about her beach trip the day before with her excluding certain details. Before heading to her room again she promised to be home to work on the Christmas tree with them later on.
After getting ready for another day on the shore, she packed herself an extra bag for the day with a wetsuit, flippers, mask, and a couple of towels. She'd decided to wear a long, flowing dress and a cardigan sweater, which would still be warm because of its length. She wanted to get into the water today and try for some underwater shots before it got any colder. She'd decided the dress would make changing easier without getting too cold, since the length of the skirt covered her legs. She almost put on some makeup to compliment it, but when she made eye contact with herself in the mirror she couldn't figure out why she'd want to dress up just to go take some pictures. She braided her hair as usual and put on her glasses, giving herself a little nod before leaving for the day.
The sun shone down from overhead as Cara stepped into the cave, making a path to Egrix's campsite. When she entered his chamber he was nowhere in sight. She noticed the table they had shared open in the middle of the cavern, so she set down her bags on one of the chairs before heading to the alien structure that Egrix was staying in. She rapped her knuckles on the outside of the pod, hearing faint movement inside. When the door of the sealed home lifted it revealed Egrix's grey, smiling face