“Is your place this nice?” Michael asked as we sat down to eat.
“It’s not as well decorated,” I admitted. “But the layout’s the same and the carpet might even be cleaner.”
“Just wait until you have a five year old,” Nadia muttered.
Uncle Lou shot her a surprised look, probably wondering how old she was when she’d had him, but nobody clarified the situation. Nadia got testy when people said things like He’s not actually your kid. When she moved in with Ty, she’d gone all in. I moved the conversation along by complimenting Angus’s turkey.
“It’s really delicious,” I said. “Better than my mom’s, even, and last year I ate at home. I wasn’t living with you guys then, anyway.”
“Don’t remind me of those dark times,” Max joked.
“If you two are gonna start with the sweet talk, I’m taking my plate upstairs.” Kia threatened to stand up, but Angus yanked her back down.
He frowned at us. “Are you people completely uncivilized? We haven’t said what we’re thankful for yet.”
That wasn’t something we did at my house. Mostly we listened to my mother talk while my dad and I pretended to listen. She had a good heart and better intentions; unfortunately, she showed her concern via nagging. Supposedly it was for our betterment, but a lot of what she said left me feeling shitty.
“I’ll start,” Max said. “I’m thankful to have my friends and family together this year. And I’m thankful for Courtney.”
Warmth glowed through me. “I’m thankful to be alive and healthy...and for Max.”
“Well, that was adorable,” Kia muttered. “I’m thankful I got six hours’ sleep last night.”
Michael picked up from there. “I’m grateful I’m talking to my brother again.”
A fond smile lit up Uncle Lou’s face. His gaze was bright as it lingered on Max and Michael. “I’m thankful for the food and for my two clever, handsome nephews.”
Nadia glanced around the table, her expression hard to interpret. “I appreciate the fact that my boyfriend understands how much I miss all of you...and that I got the chance for us all to have Thanksgiving together one last time.”
Angus gave her a half hug. “Stop. If you get emotional, I will. And you know it’s not the last time. I won’t stand for it.”
“But you’ll all be graduating. Moving on. I may still be here, but the rest of you won’t.” From Nadia’s expression, the prospect of being left behind bothered her; while she didn’t seem to regret choosing Ty, with her type A personality, it would be odd if she didn’t twitch a bit over the delay in her life plan.
I understood.
“Let’s make a deal,” I said, mostly to cheer her up. “In five years, we promise to have Thanksgiving again. No matter where we are, we figure out who’s hosting and we travel as needed to make it happen. Agreed?”
“I’m in.” Angus put his palm out and Nadia covered it, then Max and me.
Kia stared at us all before sighing and dropping her hand on top of the pile. “Lord, y’all are just determined to bond with me, huh?”
“You know it.” Angus tugged on one of her braids.
“I’ll tell Lauren. I think she’ll want to come, too,” Nadia said.
“Is she still dating your brother?” I asked.
“They broke up.” She sounded really sad about it, so I didn’t pry.
Angus stepped in, thankfully. “Wait, I didn’t go yet. I’m thankful that my parents love Del as much as I do, and that he’s so supportive.”
“How come he’s not here?” I wondered aloud.
“His family really wanted him to come home and...I didn’t want to miss our last year together.” Considering how much he’d protested when Nadia said basically the same thing, that spoke volumes on how much Angus loved us all.
We’re family, I thought.
Uncle Lou took off his glasses and wiped his eyes, visibly moved. I froze, wondering what I should do, but Michael was already on it. He put a hand on the old man’s shoulder and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m just...glad,” he said.
Max asked, “About what?”
“That you found a home,” Uncle Lou said simply. “You don’t know how worried I’ve been about you all these years.”
Protecting Max was second-nature to me now. Since nobody else knew his family secrets, I reached across the table for the mashed potatoes and added a heaping spoon of them to my plate. “Did you make these with extra lumps, Angus? I can count three in this serving.”
He mock-threatened me with his fork. “Next time you make them, and they’ll come out like wallpaper paste.”
“In five years, I’ll be a better cook.”
For the first time, I imagined what the future might be like, what I could be doing—my job, my boyfriend. Max and I might be married by then. Twenty-six would be old enough to start thinking about it, anyway. I intended to focus on my business for a couple of years after school and he had to finish restoring my car before I’d accept any proposals. I didn’t realize I was smiling until he reached for my hand under the table. When I glanced over, he squeezed gently, his fingers stroking over mine.
“Thanks,” he whispered.
“No problem,” I answered softly.
I’ll always have your back.
After the meal, we watched football, which bored the crap out of me. Kia excused herself to take a tryptophan-induced nap upstairs; it was impossible to mind, knowing how little sleep she got. So while the guys yelled at the TV, Nadia and I sat in the dining room, nibbling leftovers. She wore a wistful look as she studied Angus and Max. Uncle Lou was dozing while they argued over somebody’s chances at getting to the Superbowl.
“Hey, we made a pact.”
She started, glancing at me. “I know. I’m just feeling it today, you know? How it’s all winding down.”
“I get it. I can’t believe I’m about to graduate—that we’ve been here four years. I didn’t want to ask in front of the guys, but...is Lauren okay? Should I call her?” I had never been close to her, mostly because I secretly envied how much of Max’s attention she’d demanded without even trying.
“Honestly? I don’t know. It’s up to you. She and I don’t talk as much as we used to, though I’m trying to get back to where we were. Max seems like he’s over her, though. I’m glad you guys got together.”