- 32 -

                                    

                                          
December 23, 2013 - Vitoria, Brazil
It was early morning when we headed to the airport, the sun already bright in the sky, casting a golden glow over the Brazilian coast. The house was spotless, the decorations up, and everything ready for our first holiday with both families under one roof. 
Candice had taken care of the final touches, like ensuring our guest rooms were stocked and comfortable, while I had been obsessing over the little details—everything had to be perfect. I made sure the fridge was stocked with my father's beer and Willem favourite beer, my mother and Jarnie wine and Eileen favourite bottles of white. 
(...) 
We pulled up to the arrivals terminal just as the first wave of passengers began to trickle out. Candice's hand found mine, a gentle squeeze.
"You ready for this?" she asked with a playful smile.
"Of course," I said, though the butterflies in my stomach suggested otherwise. "I just want everything to go smoothly."
"It will," she reassured me, leaning in to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. "You've outdone yourself already."
I was about to respond when I spotted Willem and Eileen making their way through the crowd, their faces lighting up as soon as they saw us. Candice's dad, Willem, greeted us first, his arms outstretched for a big, welcoming bear hug.
"Here they are!" he exclaimed as he wrapped us up in his embrace. "My girls!"
Eileen followed close behind, more composed but no less warm, as she hugged us both. "Thank you for picking us up," she said with a smile, "and for inviting us here. It's beautiful already, and we haven't even seen the house yet."
We grabbed their bags and headed for the car, the air filled with excitement and chatter as we made our way to the parking lot. On the drive back to the house, Candice and her mom settled into easy conversation in the backseat, talking about wedding plans and their honeymoon ideas. I could hear snippets of them discussing colors, guest lists, and whether to go somewhere tropical or maybe explore a European city.
Meanwhile, Willem and I sat in the front, where he immediately started chatting about rugby, one of his favorite topics.
"I hear you've been keeping up with the games," he said, giving me an approving nod.
"I've been trying," I admitted, glancing at him. "I watched a few Springboks matches recently. I'm still not an expert, but I think I'm getting the hang of it."
Willem chuckled, clearly pleased. "Good! You'll get there. Just remember: rugby's not a game for the faint-hearted. It's all about strategy and toughness."
We bantered back and forth about rugby, soccer, and even some World Cup predictions. It felt good to keep up with him—partly because I'd worked hard to learn the sports he cared about, and partly because I knew how much he appreciated it.
At one point, Willem turned toward Eileen and switched to Afrikaans."Ek hou van hierdie meisie, sy is toegewy. Sy sal 'n wonderlike skoondogter wees, jammer dat sy die taal nog nie praat nie." ( "I like this girl, she's dedicated. She will be a great daughter-in-law, too bad she doesn't speak the language yet) 
he said with a smile, probably assuming I'd have no idea of what was going on.
But I didn't. And that was my moment.
Without hesitation, I replied in Afrikaans, even if I still had a very strong American accent, "Dankie. En ek praat nog nie die taal vlot nie, maar ek leer." (Thank you. And I don't speak the language fluently yet but I'm learning) 
Willem's eyes widened in surprise, and from the backseat, Candice let out a proud laugh.
"you have to be careful now," she said, her smile beaming through the rearview mirror. "She understands you."
"You speak Afrikaans?" Eileen asked, clearly caught off guard but delighted by the surprise.
"Not perfectly," I admitted with a grin. "But I've been learning. I thought it would be nice to be able to speak to you in your own language, especially now that I'm marrying Candice, I want to be mindful of her culture and language" 
Willem clapped his hand on my shoulder, a proud look on his face. "Now that's something special. I didn't expect that! You're doing great—better than most people would."
The conversation kept flowing, mostly in Afrikaans now, as Willem and Eileen seemed more comfortable speaking their native tongue with me. Candice chimed in now and then, adding a few corrections to my words with a playful smile, but overall, I was managing well. It felt like a small victory, knowing I'd impressed them.
When we arrived at the house, the sun still hung high in the sky, casting a bright light on the decorations we'd spent so much time perfecting. The house itself looked like a cozy tropical Christmas retreat.
As soon as Eileen stepped out of the car, she paused, taking it all in. "This is beautiful," she said softly, turning to Candice and me. "You've really outdone yourselves."
"Thank you," I said, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. "We wanted it to feel like home... I even got the stuff necessary for a little braai" I said and William smiled proudly 
"This is going to be a holiday to remember." He said and I grabbed Eileen luggage. 
We went inside the house and showed them to the guest rooms, where they were greeted by personalized welcome gifts—a little surprise I'd put together with Candice's help. 
Eileen looked touched when she saw the small, thoughtful details: custom towels embroidered with their initials, South African snacks, and a few tropical treats from Brazil.
"You've thought of everything," Eileen said, smiling warmly at us. "This is wonderful."
As they settled in, I couldn't help but feel content. This holiday was already off to a great start, and it felt good knowing that our efforts to make their stay special were paying off.
By the time Candice's parents were unpacked and settled, and had stopped to eat something, it was a little over 3pm, so we all decided to relax on the back patio, enjoying the warm breeze and the sound of the ocean waves. 
Candice sat beside me, her hand resting on my knee as we watched her parents marvel at the view as they walked hand in hand on the private property. 
"I think we did good," she said quietly, a soft smile on her face.
"Yeah," I agreed, leaning into her. "I think we did."
It wasn't long before my phone buzzed, a message from my mom letting me know their flight had landed in São Paulo, and they'd be here by early evening. I showed Candice the message, and she grinned.
"Perfect timing," she said. "By the time they get here, we can all have dinner together."
I nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and contentment. For the first time in a while, everything felt right. Our families were here, the house was perfect, and this Christmas was shaping up to be something truly special.