All I Want for Christmas is a Ph.D.

November 24th

Erik texted DeeDee later in the evening after he got off work but they were unable to have another lengthy conversation. Over the next few days, he found himself missing her voice and just wanting to talk to her about her day, what she was up to, anything really.

He didn't realize how much he missed having that kind of connection with someone who wasn't his family. Of course, he also never pictured finding someone at all. With all that he had been through and seen. He knew if it wasn't like what he saw between his parents, then he didn't want it.

Oddly enough, right when he gave up on finding his once-in-a-lifetime -- someone showed up and challenged his beliefs. Now, he wanted to make sure that if she really was it for him, that he deserved her. But he also needed to talk this out because it was consuming his every thought.

It was Tuesday morning and he was in a meeting with T'Challa and Shuri about their current expansion project. His mind going where it usually did -- thoughts of DeeDee.

"Erik, did you get the numbers for the other warehouse?" T'Challa asked.

"Will you just ask him, who it is? I'm sick of this." Shuri complained.

They had watched Erik for the last few days and something was going on, but he kept it close to the vest. He always seemed a bit sad around the holidays. But this year, he was acting differently and that was a cause for concern.

"Erik." T'Challa clapped his hands to get his attention.

"Huh, what?" Erik glanced around the room confused. "Did I miss something?"

"Brother, just ask him. If you don't, I will." Shuri spoke up.

"Ask me what?"

"Do you -"

"Shuri!" T'Challa stopped her with a glare. "What's on your mind, Erik?"

"Nothing. I'm good."

"And he lies to our faces." Shuri threw her hands up. "Give us some credit, cousin."

"Erik, you are physically here but your mind has been elsewhere since Sunday."

"So, who is she?"

"Why do you think it is a woman?" Erik sat back in his chair.

"As business oriented as you are, it's not about work."

"When your phone buzzes, you check it immediately." Shuri crossed her arms over her chest.

At that moment, Erik's phone vibrated against the glass table and the three cousins broke out in laughter.

"Alright, give me a moment." He picked up the ringing phone, and left the conference room. "Hello." He whispered.

"Hey, did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Nah, we were just taking a break."

"Erik, your voice was low like you walked out." DeeDee scolded. "Did you leave your meeting to talk to me?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

The line was silent. Erik looked at the phone, and knew they were still connected.

"DeeDee?"

"Answer the question, Mr. Erik."

"Yes and no."

"Ok, now I'm confused."

"My cousins were asking some questions, I wasn't ready to answer yet. Then you called and I used it as my out."

"Uh huh, ok." DeeDee sighed into the phone. "Call me, when you actually break for lunch. I'm free for the rest of the day."

"DeeDee -"

"No, work comes first, Mr. And if you're good, then we chat." She chastised him.

"That's not fair." Erik pouted, "I want to talk to you."

"And if you do what you need to do, you can. So, go back and have a productive meeting."

"Ugh, fine. I'll go, but I'm gonna text you."

"And I won't answer."

"Seriously?"

"Try me."

"This is cruel and unusual punishment."

"How? You wouldn't think that if you didn't spend your entire Saturday night with me."

"That was just as much you as it was me."

"And I am still doing what I need to in the meantime. Can you say the same?"

Erik looked through the window into the conference room where he should be meeting with his cousins. He rolled his eyes, "You make a good point."

"I know. Now, go. And I don't expect to hear from you until after 2pm your time, got it."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Bye Mr. Erik." DeeDee ended the call.

He looked at his phone and tried to wipe the grin from his face. But as he walked back into the room, it broke across his face.

"He is like a schoolboy with a crush." Shuri said when he walked in.

"She must be something because you are giddy."

"Have you pushed her down or pulled her hair yet?"

"Okay, you can stop with that Shuri."

"But am I wrong?"

Erik took his seat, then started opening and closing his fists. "Someone found my note."

"What note?"

"You mean 'the note'?" T'Challa took a seat. "The one that talks of your parents' love?"

"Yeah, that one."

"How did you find out?"

"Marquis heard about someone searching for me on campus. Turns out she is one of his doctoral students."

"What note?" Shuri, annoyed at being ignored, asked them.

"Erik wrote a note about wanting to find the type of love his parents had. Left it in a book, by accident, and apparently someone has found it." T'Challa looked at him, "How did she find you?"

"I honestly never asked. I just know that when Quis mentioned it to me, it was a message from another faculty member, who had met her. I told him to give her my address and we spent last week talking via email."

"But that did not look like an email, when you were outside."

"This past weekend, we chatted via a video call. I asked for her number before it ended."

"Interesting."

"Cousin, I have never seen you so gone over a woman before."Shuri commented, "What makes her so different?"

"For one, she deciphered the three hidden words on the note. Anyone could have done it, but to read it and then look for the person who wrote it. It intrigued me and well, she intrigues me, too."