All I Want for Christmas is a Ph.D.

Late Night - November 21st

"So, why aren't you out with your friends tonight?" Erik asked as he set down his glass.

"I went out with them last night. That was enough for me."

"Not really a club person?"

"Yes and no. I used to be. Once I decided to go for my doctorate, my priorities had to change." DeeDee traded the wine glass for the water.

"So, Miss DeeDee used to be a problem?" Erik wiggled his eyebrows at her while she took a drink.

"I wouldn't say all that, but I definitely forgot what the inside of my room looked like during undergrad. The next year, it was no more going out and doing hoodrat shit with my friends."

They both laughed at her comment.

"I understand that. I made the mistake of coming home to earn mine."

"How was that a mistake? I figured you would have been glad to be back home."

"I was and that was the problem. Everyone who I hadn't seen in the 6 years that I was gone, wanted to make up for lost time."

"Oh no," DeeDee snickered, "So, how was your first year?"

"A struggle." Erik laughed along with her. "Luckily, I'm a pretty smart guy and was able to get through the Introductory seminars even if I was a walking zombie the whole time."

"Yeah, nope. Couldn't have been me. My friends hated the change up, but I had to do it. I would not have survived my first year, and no one wants to get dropped like that."

DeeDee picked up the laptop and turned to her left on the couch. She stretched her legs out into a comfortable position with a pillow on her lap and set the computer on top.

Erik sipped on his whiskey as he watched DeeDee move around. He propped another pillow behind him and balanced the tablet on his bent knee.

"I agree." He waited until she was settled, "So, besides your parents was there any other reason that you chose Southern?"

"Born and raised here in Baton Rouge. It was either here or LSU."

"You didn't want to go to school out of state?"

"Nope. I knew my career would allow me to do research and travel, so I was always fine with staying as close to home as possible while I was in school." She lifted her hoodie to show off the logo, "Don't sleep on us." DeeDee smiled and bounced around.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know all about you Southern girls." He stuck his tongue out at her.

"You know what. I know that's a compliment coming from you." She flipped him off, "But how did an Oakland guy end up out here?"

"Family." Erik nodded his head in thought, "My mother grew up in New Orleans and went to Southern, too."

"So, you're a legacy kid, too. Sweet." DeeDee smiled at him.

Erik glanced across the room to where his parents' picture sat and smiled. "Yes, I am. My parents met there, too. Before moving to Oakland together after they graduated."

"Awwww, your parents sound amazing." DeeDee watched as Erik's demeanor changed. He was no longer smiling, but his eyes seemed to gloss over. She watched as he looked away at something in the distance, "Erik, everything ok?"

Erik looked back at the tablet and sniffed a little, "Yeah, I'm good. Sorry about that."

"If you want to switch the topic, we can."

DeeDee's concern touched him, but he knew this would come up eventually. Better to get it over with.

"It's ok. It's part of the reason we met. Hold on," Erik set his tablet down, walked over to the mantle and pulled the picture down. He sat back down on the edge of the couch and grabbed the tablet. "Here they are." He focused the picture in front of the camera.