Maria prayed. “Father, we thank you for this wonderful meal that has been prepared. Even though we older women were forced out of our yearly tradition of preparing this fine meal, we are thankful for our daughters and nieces who stepped up to present us with this marvelous food and a Thanksgiving to remember. Amen.”
A chorus of “Amen” sounded around the table.
Just as they were about to dig into the meal, Lenora and Richard arrived. Andrea looked over at her daughter, noticing that her smile had slipped away, only to be replaced by a look of caution.
“Hello, Lenora, Richard. We’re so happy to have you here,” Cora rose from her chair to meet them.
“We are happy to be here celebrating with you all,” Richard replied with a warm smile.
Andrea tried hard not to roll her eyes. Jo threw her a questioning look.
James’ parents took a seat at the table.
“Let’s eat. For real this time,” Uncle Luke bellowed.
Just like that, trays were being passed, and people were taking their servings of mashed potato, beans, and casserole.
Uncle Luke volunteered to carve the turkey, commenting that it had always alternated between him and Samuel for each Thanksgiving.
“You guys really outdid yourselves,” Charles complimented the kitchen team.
Andrea smiled appreciatively at the acknowledgment as the others at the table added their own sentiments. Further down into the meal, Uncle Luke stood again.
“I think it’s time to make a toast to what we are all thankful for. I will start and then pass it to you, Becky,” he said. “I am thankful to see all of your lovely faces. I am thankful for the time that we get to be together as a family. Nothing makes me happier. I am also thankful for your willingness to play poker with me even though I always beat you.”
Many of the table occupants chuckled at his last comment.
Luke lifted his glass to everyone before passing it on to Becky.
She tried to get up from the table, which caused Andrea’s anxiety level to shoot up and judging from her sisters’ faces, she was sure they felt the same way.
“It’s fine. You can sit. I’m sure we’ll hear you,” Luke said, putting a hand on her arm to keep her from rising. Becky gave him a small smile before turning to the table.
“I-I-I a-aam th-thankful t-t-to beee h-h-here w-with y-you a-all. I a-a-am gr-gr-gra-te-ful f-for this pr-pre-cious t-time. I-It is th-the ooone I ch-choose to cherish th-the m-m-most,” she managed to say.
Andrea’s heart was heavy, and her chest felt tight. She wanted to rush to her mother to tell her that everything would be okay. She wanted to run away from the table to find a corner to cry her eyes out. But she wouldn’t. She needed to stay where she was and be strong for her mother. So, a smile lifted her lips, and she raised her glass like the others to celebrate her mother’s words.
Pretty soon, it was her turn. Rising to her feet, she took a look around the table, and her smile brightened. “I am thankful for my family. There is no other way that I can put it. I look at you all, and one word comes to mind…resilience. With everything that has been thrown at us, we have never been stronger. I am thankful for new love, and new additions to our family.” Raising her glass to the low cheers of approval.
It was Rory’s time to say something. “I am thankful that I get to experience this. Growing up away from all of this, I don’t think I truly understood the full meaning of family until now, and I believe it has made me wiser, stronger, and appreciative of holding on to the ones that matter the most.” Rory’s eyes cut to James, who smiled up at her hopefully.
Andrea looked sharply at the woman across the table who had just snickered. “Is this boring you, Lenora?” she asked, raising a brow.
“Oh, not at all. I think this sharing is quite…cute,” Lenora replied with a saccharine smile.
Andrea felt like reaching across the table to strangle the woman. “What you call cute, we call family tradition, where we all actually like being together, not eating gourmet meals and nonsensical cliche talk,” Andrea returned with an equally saccharine smile.
With that, the table went quiet for only a moment before everyone resumed their speeches. That was enough out that awful woman. Andrea would make sure of it.
ChapterTwenty-Four
“So, your parents left?”
“Yeah, they’re probably on a plane back to San Francisco right now,” James replied, drying his hair as a towel hung around his waist.
Rory sat up in her bed staring at him, watching the roped muscles in his forearm undulate with each twist, his back muscles rippling.
“Are you leaving too?”
